One year older...

...and wiser too! Happy Birthday (clap) to you!

So I know the day is almost over, but I couldn't let it end without saying happy birthday to our cutest niece out there. I can't believe she is ONE YEAR OLD! We love you Ru and we miss seeing you everyday!

the classic Ru face

15-year-old Jono

The other night my mother-in-law, LeAnn, knocks on my bedroom door and comes in to give me a letter. On the envelope is says "For Ady...I think Jono found his 'Dream Girl' <3". So at this point I'm thinking...whaaa? So I opened the letter and this is what I read:

Journal #5
Jono Castleton
P.6

Dream Girl

It is very hard to describe my ideal girlfriend because I don't know exactly what I want. What I know I want in a girl physically is blonde hair, thin (but not too skinny), attractive and she has to be a little shorter than me. Quality wise I'd want a girl who is nice, loyal, cares for others more than herself, sweet, understanding, easy to entertain, and funny. She needs to be nice because I really hate rude people even though I'm rude sometimes. She needs to be loyal because if she isn't then she doesn't really like me. She needs to like me as much as I like her. She has to care for others and not be selfish because I love charity. Also, we need somewhere to spend our millions. She needs to be sweet because if she wasn't I wouldn't be attracted to her once I got to know her. She needs to be understanding so when I mess up, which I do often, she will forgive me. She needs to be easy to entertain because I would feel uncomfortable when I can't amuse her. She has to be funny because I also need to be entertained. I wouldn't make my ideal girlfriend perfect because then she'll be ten times better than me.

Isn't the fifteen-year-old Jono so cute??? He wrote this in his freshman English class at Trabuco, and I had the same teacher but only 6 years later! haha. We want to go back to visit her and tell her we got married and show her this letter. I think I may have also wrote a letter like this in her class...but I will have to do some rummaging to find it. If only this fifteen-year-old Jono knew that his future wife was currently 9 years old and in the 3th grade... :)

Holiday Cheer Continued.

This post is the continuation of the Castleton family events during the Holiday Season.

mani and pedi day. Jono had to work...

BJs for lunch with the family

Our nephew, Simon.

our niece, Emerson, loves to open and close doors...

...and climbing stairs...

...and her uncle Jono!
Petting zoo day.

feeding bunnies.

those goats were crazy. I got attacked. seriously.

The house is so lonely now that everyone has gone home. We miss all of you!

We must be close...

... to taking another CPA exam ... since I have barely seen or talked to my husband for the past week. Jono takes another section of the CPA tomorrow and has spent many hours studying for it. I know he will do great. Oh how I miss him and look forward to our nightly talks and cuddle sessions again. Good luck babe!

In other news, school started again for me. Yes, I am still at Cal Poly and yes, I am still making the 55 minute drive every Tuesday and Thursday. It's going well so far and I am just trying to charge through school. With all the complaining I have done about school, I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to get such a great education and hope I can be happy just living in the present. The future will come in it's own time.

Farewell Two Thousand and Eight.

Things that have happened to us in 2008:

• we became an aunt and uncle to our adorable niece and nephew
• Ady went snowboarding for the first time at Sundance
• Ady experienced her first car accident while behind the wheel (not her fault...)
• Jono graduated from BYU
• Jono quit his job at Sundance and said goodbye to good friends
• we bought a 4Runner
• Ady's family dog, McGwire, passed away
• we moved to California and in with the Castletons
• trip to Mammoth for family camping trip
• trip to New York for a cousin's wedding
• trip to Washington, D.C. to visit family
• three trips to Idaho to visit family
• trip to Palm Springs to celebrate our one year anniversary (woohoo!!)
• we received callings in the nursery and the ward activities committee
• Jono started working for Ernst and Young
• Ady transferred to Cal Poly Pomona
• we saw Wicked (again)
• one big leak problem and renovations at the Castletons
• a happy Merry Christmas at home with the whole family

Jono and I are definitely looking forward to the new year and know that we will have many more great experiences ahead of us! We say goodbye to a great 2008 and hello to a hopeful and adventurous 2009! Happy New Year to all!