Pardon our tardiness, but we've been busy....

As Christmas / New Years newsletters go, this is definitely late. But we have a somewhat decent excuse for it. 2011 was a fun, exciting, and eventful year for us, and we'd like to start by introducing the above-mentioned 'excuse'.
So, without further ado, we introduce you to Ember Elise McKeachnie, born December 27th, 2011 at 7:19 a.m., measuring 8 lbs 11 oz, and 22 inches long.

She is absolutely perfect, and adored by every member of our family. We look forward to letting you get to know her better in the near future on this blog.
As if welcoming this sweet baby into our family weren't exciting enough, the other major event that took place this year was the purchase of a great home in Payson, Utah in May. The house is in a fantastic location, on a very friendly and safe culdesac, with a view of the new Payson Temple grounds (groundbreaking in October 2011) just 2.5 blocks away. We have made many wonderful friends and already feel like members of the community.

We did not go on any grand vacations this year, but we did very much enjoy a spectacular week-long family reunion at Ruth's parents' cabin in Bear Lake in July. There was zip-lining, four-wheeling, swimming, cave-hiking, volleyball, river-rafting, lots of Mafia-playing, and many more games and good times.

Along with the wonderful things that have happened this year, 2011 will also be known as 'The Year of the Medical Bills'. We have had a plethora of doctor and hospital visits, and we all contributed (though some more than others).
Here is what we have each been up to in the year of 2011:
Clint: After graduating from BYU in December 2010 with a Manufacturing Engineering degree, Clint was promoted in January 2011 from his engineering intern position at Precorp Inc. However, instead of being offered the engineer position that he was interning and preparing for, he was instead offered the plant manager position, which he gladly accepted. The job has been a huge blessing for us, and Clint has been doing many great and wonderful things for the company. Clint started the year in our old ward serving as the ward financial clerk, but is serving as the primary teacher to the 4-year-olds in our new ward. At the start of 2012, Brennen is actually in Clint's class, which allows Mom to hear the little nuggets of spiritual wisdom that come from his little mouth.
Clint's contribution to the medical bills: Oddly enough, Clint's contribution was the smallest, offering only his annual $trepp throat infection.

Ruth: Pinterest, pregnancy, Facebook, pregnancy, home projects, pregnancy. Ruth spent the majority of the year being pregnant (although it felt like a year and a half), but between the many naps she took, she still managed to find time to do some painting, decorating, and organizing of the new home. She has never considered herself a very domestic creature, but with the help of Pinterest, she has found enough inspiration and motivation to try new things, and feels moderately successful. She started the year serving as the primary music leader in the old ward, but has been serving as the relief society meeting coordinator in the new ward, and she enjoys the people she serves with.
Ruth's contribution to the medical bills: She started the year off great by stabbing herself clear through her thumb with a brand new kitchen knife she had purchased about 30 minutes earlier (6 $titches). She continued with a 3-week bout of pneumonia, then finished the year with a c-$ection.

Tayson: In school, Tayson finished 1st grade in Orem, then started 2nd grade in Payson, and has been making many new friends. The culdesac on which we live has an abundance of boys his age, all of which are great kids. He has decided that reading is actually enjoyable, and especially enjoys reading The Magic Treehouse books. He shows an aptitude for math that warms his mother's heart.
Tayson's contribution to the medical bills: Tayson made a great early impression in our new neighborhood by falling (jumping???) off our neighbor's trampoline 3 weeks after moving into our new home, and snapping both of his wrist bones in half. Unfortunately, the bones were not set properly in the emergency room, so they had to later be rebroken and set again in the outpatient $urgical center.

Brennen: We don't know if getting a new baby sister is a good birthday present or not, but that's what Brennen got for his 4th birthday. They will forever share the same birthday. Brennen has outgrown his adorable curls, but is still the same cuddly, mischievous, independent, and determined little boy we love. He goes after what he wants, and rarely lets anything get in his way, or even asks permission.
Brennen's contribution to the medical bills: On a family outing to Costco just before we moved into our new home, a boxed 50" tv fell off a pallet onto Brennen, resulting in a trip to the hospital and a cat $can. Fortunately, everything was fine, and he walked away with a goose egg, a bruise, and a headache.

Ember: The little princess joined our family towards the end of 2011, and quickly became the queen of the family. She enjoys playing dress-up (with Mom's help), eating, sleeping, and being cuddled and adored.
Ember's contribution to the medical bills: Well, considering the fact that the 4 days of 2011 that Ember was alive were $pent in the hospital, that's contribution enough.

We feel very blessed by our Heavenly Father with a great job, a nice house, and a healthy new baby. And especially for great health insurance. :)