Our J Squared Fam

Dear Family & Friends- December 2017

Merry Christmas to all of our dear family and friends! This year started out with the simple joys of washing our van together on a warm day to experiencing the winters first snow on the trampoline all in the same first week of the year! That’s life in Texas for ya! Within a matter of months, after prayer and much deliberation, we decided to move forward on a whirlwind of changes that ended up sweeping over much of this year as we put our house on the market and start building a new home. We knew there were a few modifications we wanted to make on our home, which would allow us to stay more long-term and accommodate a growing family with room for friends and family visitors. So…the decluttering, re-arranging, and preparing for staging began at the end of February. In the meanwhile, we carried on with our everyday activities including Jonathan working and attending MBA school at the same time, Jenna rotating teaching Gracie’s Joy School Preschool Group, and the kiddos taking on new homeschooling adventures, making field trips to the local arboretum and zoo with friends as well as a nearby produce farm, wildlife farm trip and many visits to the library. We were all excited for us to join a local homeschooling co-op called Classical Conversations, where we all made many new friends, learned some awesome songs about history, did science experiments, art projects, presentations and more!

In March, we were so thrilled to welcome sisters/aunts, bro-in-law/uncle and cousins Susan & Cory, her kiddos and Aunt Rebekah for Spring Break where we visited some fun discovery museums, had a campfire smores night, explored a pioneer village in Fort Worth together, played lots of games and enjoyed being together. We also enjoyed family time out in the lake as the weather warmed up! When summer finally arrived, we were so glad all our Ralph family came to Texas this year as Liz & Austin hosted an “Armor Up!” themed Family Reunion week of fun adventures including team challenges, Kid Mania, Whirly ball & laser tag, inflatable & water balloon fun day, a variety show, games, baby blessings, fam pictures and day out on the lake together! We made the most of zoo trips and fireworks in July and celebrated Jonathan graduating with his MBA AND our 10^th year anniversary in August, woo hoo! Despite our plans made a year in advance, we also managed to sell our home and embark on our anniversary/graduation family trip to the Caribbean all in a matter of a couple weeks! Aww! Crazy, but everything worked out well, and we were glad to have family members including grandpa & grandma, Susan & Cory & their kids come along to share some fun times together.

A few days after we got back, Jenna and the kids flew to Washington to spend a few months in a normal routine with Jon’s family while the builders continued working on the house and Jonathan worked from Liz & Austin’s home. While it was hard to be apart, we were so thankful for everyone’s generosity and hospitality to welcome us in and we sure enjoyed several long visits from Daddy during that time up in WA. Our adventures included the Washington state fair, music classes, ballet, gymnastics and swimming, a pumpkin patch & pirate maze with Aunt Beka, the zoo & aquarium, throwing the ball to Jersey, riding the 4-wheeler, hikes, outside projects, trips to Wendy’s & the dump with grandpa, games & tea parties with grandma, tickles from uncle Samuel, and grandpa earning a new nickname “Ollivander” for making some awesome Harry Potter wands for the kids for Halloween! We were so thankful for this time we will treasure where we could spend one on one time with family members and share some very special memories too!

Near the end of November, we headed back down through Idaho to Utah on our way back to Texas. It was the perfect timing, because on the way, we stopped in Idaho to see Jenna’s Furniss-side of the family for Thanksgiving with her dad, Finau brothers, sisters, aunt, uncle, and cousins. It was heart-warming to see them all! Then, wa sweet time it was to be there for Sarah & Russell Weber’s Temple Wedding Day and to celebrate this exciting time for them! We made sure to see the Christmas lights on temple square, spend time with Jenna’s mom & Terry at a local aquarium (free passes are the best!), Thanksgiving point, and a fun day trip to Moab together before heading back to Texas. We stayed with Liz & Austin’s family for another 2 weeks in Texas, where the kids had the time of their lives building forts, playing family, board games at a moments notice, homeschooling, seeing Christmas lights, a live nativity, making gingerbread houses and reading lots of Christmas books together!

We were finally able to move into our completed home a few days before Christmas! Hooray, what a wonderful blessing it was! We truly learned this year that no matter where we are, the best place to be is together with family and the greatest strength we could ever know comes from relying on our Savior. We are excited to announce we will be adding another member to our family in the coming months too! Although, this pregnancy has had a few unforeseen complications, we are thankful everything seems to progressing properly and look forward to welcoming another BABY GIRL in May! 😊 We sure will cherish the memories we made with family this year and are so immensely thankful for the many ways we saw the Lord’s hands in our lives!

Love, The Jonathan & Jenna Ralph Family

Katelyn (9), Nathan (6), Gracie (4), Joshy (2) & Baby Girl (coming May 2018!)

Here are some individual highlights:

Jonathan powered through his last couple semesters of his MBA program at UT Dallas while still working full time from home at Cisco Systems and balancing his load with family time and service. He enjoyed the chance to work with the young men in our ward and then was made ward Executive Secretary to help support the newest bishop after another ward change. He was given some new responsibilities at work but was able to step up and fulfill the needed tasks. We were proud but not surprised when he was awarded the best deal maker in his Deals & Negotiation Class and so excited when he graduated in August! Some of his favorite moments this year were spending time on the lake with family, diligently trying to go deer hunting in the fall, visiting his family up in WA, helping teach Katelyn and Nathan how to wake board, making Gracie smile and experiencing the joys of basketball hoop shooting with Joshy and Nathan.

Jenna ‘s abilities and capacities as a wife, mother, homemaker, homeschooler, house-stager, and keeping up with the kids activities were continually stretched this year as Jonathan was finishing up his MBA and we prepared our family for a big move and multiple extended stays with family members in multiple states. But through it all, she knows the whirlwind of change that swept around us this year also brought lots of learning, growth and blessings. Some of her favorite moments this year were having Daddy home, teaching about healthy habits & fitness, seeds, plants & gardening, geodes and volcanoes, seeing the kids’ eyes light up with excitement in learning, watching Joshy develop his own spunky personality, seeing the kids learn new skills, attending the women’s session of general conference with Katelyn for the first time in April, spending time with family playing games, sharing some memorable times with Daddy and family on all of our adventures. She was called to be the Relief Society Secretary part way through this year and although has never had a calling in that auxiliary, is looking forward to getting to know the sisters of our ward and finding ways to uplift and serve them! She is also thankful for the blessings we’ve received as we prepare for the special little girl that will be joining us soon! Hoping to get unpacked from our move before then! 😉

Katelyn (9 years) is a super determined, hard-working, energetic, kind, smart and helpful big sister around our house. She enjoyed finishing her 2^nd and starting her 3^rd year of music lessons, and her eyes continue to light up each time she works on and masters a new song. She also had a blast this year playing soccer with a good friend, exploring museums & the pioneer village, building block towers and forts with siblings and cousins, expanding her gymnastics skills, especially on the bars, going on hikes & helping grandpa with projects in WA, along with helping whip up recipes in the kitchen with mom and grandma too! She loved completing art projects at our CC homeschool co-op, making new friends, and took on reading chapter books, her multiplication tables and writing stories like a champ. She would never pass up a chance to plan a cousin party, lemonade stand, or play monopoly deal, life or family. Her favorite moments of this year might include really delving into Harry Potter audiobooks with Daddy, dressing up as Hermione for Halloween, casting pretend spells and making potions for her birthday in November and spending time with lots of family, climbing rocks in Moab, and singing Christmas carols and delivering homemade treats in December!

Nathan (6 years) never ceases to amaze us with how activate and quick his mind is and his swift feet! He improved his soccer abilities this year, learned a cartwheel in gymnastics, and really enjoyed strengthening his swimming skills at swim class! He was excited to finally start playing the piano, and enjoys any chance he can get to play checkers, monopoly, life, labyrinth, Legos, or nerf shooters with his siblings, cousins, grandparents, parents and friends. He memorized 1 Nephi 3:7 for his primary program part this year and nailed it with flying colors! He is progressing well through his 1^st grade year too, zooming through his Math books, and reading faster than even he can keep up with haha, and slowly but surely improving his handwriting. He continues to be very active and loves shooting hoops with Dad, helping grandpa with house even cleaning off leaves on the roof!, and clean-up projects in WA, climbing in Moab, dressing up as Harry Potter, and is becoming very reliable and responsible in keeping up with his chores. We are proud of his caring nature for others, thoughtful prayers, his bright mind, and fun-loving spirit. So thankful to have him around!

Gracie (4 Years) is still the sweetest June-bug around! She enjoys helping in the kitchen flipping pancakes, trying to keep up with her sister and brother, as little Miss Ginny Weasley, chasing them around wherever they go, playing hide and seek, games, especially Uno, tag, jumping on the trampoline, and singing and dancing to her hearts content. She was so thrilled to finally take her first ballet class this fall and enjoys playing polly pockets and dress up princesses with her sister and cousins. She is very sensitive to others needs, loves to give hugs, and play cars with joshy whenever he needs a friend. She beamed with radiance singing primary songs in the Primary program and sharing her part, and loves to pop up like a popcorn on the tube at the lake. We are so thankful for her ray of sunshine in our lives!

Joshua (2 Years) is the funnest little side-kick to his sisters and brother around and grew so much this year! He is everything boy, loves playing with cars, trains, anything that goes, tossing balls, gathering sticks, climbing up anything and jumping off it (including his crib!! oh yikes!) and doesn’t mind getting wet in the bath with his PJs on or dirty searching out, collecting and throwing rocks outside ether! He is full of energy and fearlessly conquers anything he sets his mind to do. He enjoys riding the little power wheel ‘Gator’ with his siblings, singing “child of God” like the big kids for sharing time during FHE, playing with play-doh, swinging at the playground, holding Mommy’s hair in his hands to help him fall asleep (very texture mindful) and insists on Mommy singing him at least 10 primary songs to bed each night. 😉 He loves playing basketball with lifting boosts from Daddy, runs super fast, doesn’t stay still for too long, but we love giving him the biggest squeeze hugs and capturing this sweet boy. He has captured our hearts, and while he sure keeps us on our toes, we have loved seeing him light up our days with his jubilant and joy-filled smile.

We are thankful for the meaningful experiences we have shared this year and the chances for learning and growth we have continued to experience on our Texan adventure! We know that it is truly through Jesus Christ where we can find our greatest source of peace and strength. We are thankful for the blessing He is in our lives and for the Atonement and gift of His life for each of us. We know He is the true meaning for the season and He is the greatest gift of all! We love and are thankful for Him and each of you as our family and friends, and hope that you know how much we appreciate you in our lives and how much we sure love you! May you feel of His love and strength this season and all throughout the year!

All the best wishes,

The Jonathan and Jenna Ralph Family :)