2014 has as most years past flown by and its time for another Griffith Holiday News Letter! (Go here to subscribe for next year's letter) This my 10th year of writing electronic Christmas letters instead of cards. ('05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, and '13). 2014 also marked our 10th year of living in the Pacific Northwest, though we did spend 18 months in China. If you want to see the photo version just start with daily thumbnails on Jan 2014 on Flickr and click your way through the months.
Mark
The highlights for me this year are as follows : The Year of Living Dangerously, where I grew out my hair and beard for a year, the family vacation to Kauai in April, celebrating 25th years in Paris with Stacey and my annual epic outdoor trip with Miles, my brother Jon his 2 boys, Seth and boys and Dad to the Wind Rivers in Wyoming with Llamas. I won't say much more about them because predictably I've said a lot already with a video or a blog or a photo. Photographically this year I have mostly switched to shooting with a Sony Alpha 7, I really like the smaller form factor and the fact its still full frame. You can view my 12 favourite photos from 2014, or my all of my 2014 favs on Flickr or just my Portraits. I have done some great hikes this last year from Kauai, to Wyoming to lots of Washington. I especially enjoyed the camping trips I did with Miles this year : Ancient Lakes, Teanaway, Lake Kachess, and the Father and Son's. The camping trip I did with Sofi and the young women was also really fun as well as our family camping trip to Cooper Lake. There were some major transitions this year : we laid Stacey's mother to rest this past March in Logan, next to her Father. At work I transitioned to a new job at Amazon working with External Payments and so I visited China in October for the last time with work in a while. I started teaching early morning seminary from 6-7 am. I turned 47 this year, another annual lapping past me as we spent it at Disneyland and on the beach in Newport. And at the end of the year I was Santa which was really fun as well as a little scary to see myself looking like I was 80. I look forward to a new year full of life, love and the spirit of peacefulness and gratitude.Stacey
At the end of 2013 I swore that 2014 would be a better year and in some ways it was, but there was also great sadness and some major sickness. It was a tough year. I was still dealing with problems from pancreatitis and surgery, my mom passed away the end of February and we buried her the 1st of March (and my dad had just passed away in April of 2013), and in July I had my appendix taken out. Those were the lows. There was much happiness, fun times and good memories throughout the trials. We went to Kauai in the Spring, Paris for our 25th anniversary, camping at Cooper Lake days before having my appendix taken out (I thought I was in pain from sleeping on the ground, ha ha), having Kiah and Ramon visit for a couple weeks, going to Disneyland and surprising Mark with his brother Josh and Sarah and kids joining. It was a great trip to Southern California. We spent Thanksgiving with good friends and Christmas Eve with more good friends. It was the four of us this Christmas and we had a wonderful time. We rang in the New Year by making dumplings (a yearly tradition) and then potato donuts on New Years day. Despite sadness and some physical pain this past year, I have been blessed with so much and I have hope and believe that 2015 will be an awesome year!!!
Sofi
Sofi is a full blown teenager at 15 this year. She continues her artistic ways with a unique sense of style. Sofi is a major foodie. She will often go to a nice dinner with Mark and she keeps on expanding her cooking abilities. This past year she learned how and mastered making macaroons in three different flavors. She is obsessed with tea and biscuts, brewing up peppermint tea with milk for her early morning trips to Seminary with Mark. Lately she has taken to wearing unicorn and dragon onsey's around the house. Sofi competes in Gymnastics and is foregoing traditional High School for an online International High School where she continues studying Chinese and does chemistry experiments in the kitchen. She learned to surf in Kauai. She is learning to drive when she can convince Dad to take her driving. (We survived 40 minutes of her driving on the backroads of Issaquah).Miles
Miles turned 11 in November and is in 5th grade, his final year in Elementary school (which Stacey is both excited and sad to see him graduate and go on to Middle school). Miles had his last Pinewood Derby in which he didn't do so bad that he cried and hit Dad like last year. Miles continues to say some of the sweetest and funny things to Stacey. We should've been keeping a record of all of his "deep thoughts." Miles now weighs more than Sofi though he is not quite as tall as her yet, the day is soon coming. Miles still really loves Legos and is still way way into Minecraft. He enjoys hanging out with his two best buddies Nick and Dane and they have gone on several camping trips together with Mark.Kiah and Ramon
Kiah and Ramon continue their education at BYU-I. They will both graduate in 2015. Ramon is graduating in communications with and emphasis in journalism and video production. Kiah is graduating in social work. Both of them have a minor in Chinese. They visited us in August for Sofi's bday but spent the holidays in Las Vegas with Ramon's family. Ramon did an internship with The Dealio, a marketing advertising company in Rexburg this past year, he was a graphic designer photographer videographer. After his internship Ramon was hired by The Dealio. Ramon also worked last semester producing Scroll Digital for BYU-I. One of Ramon's stories was broadcasted on a local station in South Eastern Idaho and Wyoming. Kiah just got an internship with Elevati an up and coming adoption agency. She will interviewing and helping parents prepare for adoption. They look forward to graduation and what lies ahead.We hope you had a very Happy Holidays and with you a happy and prosperous New Year in 2015.