Categories
Uncategorized

Crossett Family 2016

Crossett Family 2016

Jonathan is excited to be implementing Docker, an application containerization platform at work. This year he celebrated 10 years as a Dartmouth employee. He loves playing intramural ice hockey and biking to work.  Jonathan was called to serve as second counselor in his church’s bishopric. Mike Cahoon is first counselor and the Bishop is Grandpa Crossett. This October Jonathan and Rob flew west to visit with siblings in Utah.

Alissa has a new church calling watching the 18 month to 3-year-old nursery kids. She is also a cub scout leader. Alissa enjoyed running the dirt roads of Vermont this fall, training for a half marathon.

Eldon was voted most improved player in basketball, played his first season of lacrosse, and was awarded a prestigious music medal by the end of 5th grade. He returned to the Quechee summer swim team, and then started middle school! He enjoys scouts, playing the euphonium, as well as singing in chorus. He joined an afterschool club called “TSA” or Technical Science Application, and debate team. He is now 5’ 3” tall, weighs 128 lbs and wears a size 9 men’s shoe! He is still a veracious reader, testing at an 11th grade reading level. He tells his parents frequently that he loves them, but is happy to have some space from his siblings.

Caleb has tested as an above average student, enjoys being in the Bear den of cub scouts, and still plays piano. He plays on a youth sled hockey team called “Wildcats” through North East Passage and is still practicing with the local Ice Vets (adult veterans) team. He made it onto the local news with the Ice Vets and his teacher showed it to his 4th grade class! They had been doing an empathy unit and all students had a chance to use wheelchairs and were asked to write a paragraph to Caleb afterwards.

Leah’s first grade teacher Mrs. Buriss was enthusiastic about her 3-D pop up worlds. Leah is the youngest in her grade (yet one of the tallest) and has had to work hard to keep up with reading and math skills. She graduated to a bigger bike, and joined the summer track team. Leah opted to run in the 400 and 800 meter races as well as long jump. She is a role model in her 2nd grade classroom because she is very responsible, keeps her area organized, and always tries her best in her work. Her handwriting is very neat, and any art work or coloring beautiful. She enjoys reading Jack and Annie books and Shel Silverstein poems.

Brycen loves to snuggle at night but is busy catching up to everyone else during the day. He is thoughtful and a quick study. He’s learning to read and swim, and is a role model in his preschool class. He enjoys playing competitive games with his brother Caleb, and his gymnastics class.

The family enjoyed visiting with Rebecca Rasmussen, camping at Boston Lot, Old Forge, and going to Enchanted Forest Water Safari with the Dain’s family. Thanks to the hospitality of the Wilson’s, we attended the Hill Cumorah Pageant and saw Janus and his family as cast members. We met Dain and Calista for an “adult weekend getaway”. We sailed on Sacandaga Lake, ate dinner at Simeon’s, had game night at Brendon and Dinah’s, and fresh doughnuts for breakfast. We played doubles tennis and then attended the family wedding of Chris and Lisa Oaks.

Categories
Christmas Letters

Merry Christmas 2015

Jonathan changed from being Scout master to primary chorister. Each Sunday he grabs the children’s attention with a magic trick before they start to sing. It’s the quietest moment at church! This summer he bought a used O’Day sailboat. The family first sailed Otsego Lake in NY while camping with the Davises, then later on Mascoma Lake NH. In the fall Jonathan and a friend went mountain biking on the Killington resort trails. Unfortunately his friend went off a jump wrong and Jonathan had to call medical help up the mountain. Jonathan followed an ambulance twice to two different hospitals that night and stayed by his friends side until the diagnosis of concussion, hurt shoulder, ribs, and broken hip were stabilized.  This autumn Jonathan received a prestigious award at work. He continues to enjoy playing club hockey on the Dartmouth Thompson arena ice. In Jonathan’s spare time he’s worked on writing two apps; to automate green houses, and a task manager.

Alissa tried her first spin classes this year, and participated in the color run with Eldon. She went on a girls trip to NYC and was happy Britta Davis could meet her there as well. She had lunch with her cousin Gary and Brynn at Max Brenner. A broadway show, frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity, witnessing a proposal in central park, the Guggenheim museum, a bagel with lox, were all highlights. This year Alissa read, “Pavilion of Women”, “Founding Mothers,” “Letters to a Young Mormon”, “The Moonstone”, “All the Light We Cannot See”, “Help,Thanks, Wow”. A trip to Denmark to hug her Far, Peter Rasmussen was 8 years over due! Time spent with Katja, sister Christina, and brother Lukas was wonderful. Aunt Hanne helped Alissa and Eldon discover the city of Copenhagen, and the artistic connection she had with her grandmother Ruth and great grandfather Aage. Uncle Arne and Torben, cousins Jesper and Morten were fantastic hosts as well.   

Eldon (10) graduated from the Bear den to Webelos in cub scouts. He enjoyed a LEGO robotics camp this summer, as well as participating on the Quechee swim team. In the fall his football hopes were dashed with two broken arms. He enjoyed his first international trip to Denmark to visit his MorFar and family. He loved sightseeing on the canal boat, riding public transportation and a nearby zip line. He spent a day at the swimming pool, building rafts with Christina and chasing her down a twisty slide with neon lights. He enjoyed trying foods such as new delicious desserts, frikadelle, fresh bread and fried onions with sandwich meat, and good chocolate. Going on the rides at Tivoli with Mom and Christina was also very exciting. Eldon is currently playing on the 5th/6th grade boys basketball team. This year he fits into his Mom’s black Nike basketball shoes! Eldon is growing into a fine young man. He offers thoughtful prayer and talks at church, excels in academics, sings in school chorus, voraciously reads, loves bicycling, engineering things with his hands, and kindly gives younger children rides on the four wheeler.

Caleb (8) started his year making an important decision to be baptized, following Jesus Christ’s example. Uncle Dain and family as well as Crossett Grandparents, were in attendance, along with supportive friends.  He joined the wolf den and is enjoying cub scouts. Caleb has made great strides in independence this year in his home and school routines. This summer Jonathan and Caleb attended the Ivan Lendl Adaptive sports camp in Connecticut. Caleb has dropped from an individual education plan at school to a 504, no longer needing an aids assistance. He truly has become a star pupil and loves to learn and share answers with his class. Caleb gets his younger siblings to play sports at home, often throwing or kicking a ball. He loves watching football with his Dad. Caleb started knitting a hat with his Grammie Crossett, and has also created many landscape drawings with her and Leah. He also enjoys his new independence driving our automatic 125cc Yamaha four wheeler.

Leah (6) has gained many new skills this past year. She really enjoyed her horse lessons she received as a Christmas present. Leah can now ride her bike without training wheels, and tried wall climbing in a harness for the first time. She enjoys writing, art, and doing creative projects with her Grammie Crossett. Leah attended a summer camp at Ava art gallery where she used different mediums each day to portray an owl, which was her animal of choice. That same week she visited the local bird refuge (VINS) with her family, and saw beautiful owls and a variety of fowl. She enjoyed her new ability to swim underwater and played her first season of soccer. In kindergarten she was given the otter mascot award for having the most rewards for being safe, caring, and responsible. This year she has already gotten the privilege of attending “Mary Poppins” at the local play house with the 5th graders because she had the most otter awards in the first grade. Leah also lost her first baby teeth, two on the bottom!

Brycen (3) loves to sneak into mom and Dad’s bed some early mornings, and truly loves to snuggle. He likes to sing the ABC song, as well as “The Wise Man, and Foolish Man”, “I Like to Look to for Rainbows”, “Follow the Prophet”, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, and “Jingle Bells.”  Brycen has a fascination with tractors and working machines. He is more timid with motion and heights than our other children, and has slowly increased the height in which he feels comfortable swinging. He loves having a turn to say family prayer. He’s quite passionate about it, and when it is another child’s day to say the prayer Brycen has insisted on saying another prayer after them!  A phrase he keeps saying in his prayers is “Thank you for wonderful day!” Brycen has proven to eat the largest quantity of fruit in our family.

Along with his sweet side he can also be full of mischief, a real rascal.  He has an alarming scream, and can flash a teasing smile. He is often getting into things such as his brother’s treasure box under the bed, carrying around his sister’s Barbies, confiscating any flash light or screw driver, doing his own “homework” in a notebook etc. Some of his common phrases are, “Watch this!” or (do this and-) “I’ll give you a hundred bucks.” I don’t know where that bribe comes from but it some how has stuck and sounds ridiculous coming from a 3 year old! He also says at various times during each day, “Mom (or Dad), I Love you!”.We love his giggle, and things he says make us laugh each and every day. As the youngest he’s always striving to catch up with his siblings, such as insisting on carting around chapter books because that what he sees them reading. He takes ownership over all of the smaller chapter books like Jonathan’s pocket sized French dictionary etc.

This November Brycen got into the pre-K program when a student dropped out. The first day he reportedly ran away from his teacher! It happened during recess when she told him it was time to line up and go inside. It was a rough start, but the next day he walked into the classroom and told his teacher, “I’ll be good.” He’s since done better with the routine. Brycen started school being able to recognize his letters very well.

As a family we took two swimming trips to the east coast ocean, one to the vast Oneida Lake, frequented Lake Pinneo, and kayaked as well as swam in the Connecticut River a few blocks from our home. We watched the Hill Cumorah Pageant in July. Alissa, Eldon, and Caleb, played in a piano recital for a local nursing home and continue to practice. We’ve spent countless hours  at the Monteshire Museum of Science, and at home building with legos and on the trampoline. Another joy in the family is that our cat named Holly, has all of a sudden decided to become a lap cat! 

Categories
Christmas Letters

Merry Christmas 2014

Jonathan helped design and build to completion a friends gazebo. It had three different angles in the floor and roof to echo the curve of the pond. We happily got to swim while he worked construction beside us. Jonathan’s Uncle Billy (William Corwin) passed this year due to cancer. Jonathan has continued to serve as scoutmaster and 1st counselor of the Young Men. This summer he led a hunger games themed campout. Jonathan took a trip west to see his two brothers Chris and Janus, and sister Megan as well as good friend Charlie King. They mountain biked and of course played some disc golf, along with a family dinner with nieces and nephew. Jonathan has been thrilled to play hockey two nights a week on the Dartmoose team.

Alissa continues to watercolor paint, serve as primary president at church, take the occasional run or workout class, and enjoys taking her children swimming. This year she has enjoyed reading “The Crucible of Doubt”, “Unbroken”, The Divergent Series, “The Giver,” “The Eyre Affair,” “Learning to Fall,” “Letters to a Young Mormon,” “The Rent Collector,” “Good Poems” by Garrison Keller, and “Enchanted April.” Alissa attended a christian based “Time Out For Women” in Sarasota Springs NY with Calista, Dinah, Adja, Rachel, and Cherie. Alissa also enjoyed a road trip with the Kissell Family down to Philly during Thanksgiving break. She was able to take Eldon along and visit with Melissa Holmes and stay at the Davises.

Brycen (2) has been our best communicator as a young child. Earlier in the year he would ask the cutest thing at night: “Tuck I in?” He has loved our laps or sitting right by our side on the couch. Brycen enjoyed trains for quite a large part of this year, but has moved onto loving legos. He also enjoys wearing any sports equipment such as baseball, hockey, and soccer goalies gloves, numbered shirts, hat etc that he’s seen his family use. We have found these things in his bed and that’s where children bring their cherished things. He is fascinated with his insect book, pointing and asking, “What’s that?” He would often visit our empty neighbors home that had a collection of beetles outside their foundation. He loves to scooter and swim. He is our first child to really have a fear of medium to large dogs (even friendly ones). Brycen broke his left leg fibula and tibia down near the ankle while jumping on the trampoline. His big brother and sister had been jumping with him and though not right next to his actual body their momentum in the spring of the net caused him to land wrong. Eldon accompanied him to the ER for comfort.

Brycen has a unique preference for broccoli, green or black olives, and pickles. Gratefully he is open to following along and eating whatever else we are all eating.

Leah (5) Is gaining interest and skill with her letters and numbers. She specifically enjoys the ability to write things on her profuse amount of drawings. She says she wants to be an artist when she grows up. Alissa brought a large desk into the office for the purpose of artwork but it is Leah who is creating something there almost daily! Leah signed up for soccer but couldn’t get herself into the program mentally. She requested ballet lessons and has really thrived in that atmosphere. Not a sign of shyness there! She also revels in her ability to swim without a floaty and enjoys going underwater. Leah has a real sweet tooth, but she also eats the most salad, hummus, and salsa of any of our children.

Caleb (7) has really grown this year! It is almost impossible for his mother to pick him up anymore weighing over 60 lbs. He has a true love for Harry Potter and had a themed birthday with a sorting ceremony, quidditch game, herbology (planting ivy) , the great hall with candles on tables with pizza, pop around a cauldron of dry ice, and a cake decorated as the Monster Book of Monsters. He has began to learn to reign a horse, multiply (he is notoriously asking family members math equations out loud), participated in chess club, play sledge hockey, continue piano lessons, computer program with Dad, and get through chapter books. Caleb’s handwriting has improved a great deal and he has become much more academic. As parents we appreciate Caleb’s willingness to try any new dish of food. He really likes Mexican food, but is overall adventurous with food. He’s thrilled to have studied Mexico in school this year.

Eldon (9) has read more books than his parents this year! He played his first season of tackle football, rode his bike independently around town, went on campouts with Dad, is learning some computer programming as well, how to cook some simple dishes, use a snorkel proficiently, and he continues to play the piano. He enjoyed joining the 4th and 5th grade choir this year. Eldon loves salty snacks such as smoked peanuts; chips, goldfish pizza, bacon lettuce sandwich, shrimp cocktail, garlic and sea salt green beans, hot dog, reuben sandwich, sausage and cheese sandwich etc.

Our family seems to make the best memories during our summer vacations! The first was in the Poconos of PA. The Davis family joined us in renting a home there. We went to camelback waterpark and enjoyed fishing and swimming on the small lake at home. The children stopped getting excited after we realized we’d see deer everyday! We went through a major adjustment loosing our dear friends and neighbors when the Davis family moved to Philadelphia, but we are grateful we’ve been able to still see each other. We later visited for Liam’s baptism, and a taste of a delicious Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. We were happy to meet Uncle Gary and Aunt Robin while south as well. We went to our second water park meeting family in Old Forge NY to camp and splash. Our family sold our old Chevy truck that we’ve had through our ten years of marriage, and our motorboat. We are happy owners of two kayaks now.

Come fall we were glad to return the favor and host the Rasmussen family here in VT. We visited the aquatic center and children’s museum with Dain and Calista and their four wonderful children. Papa and Grandma Oaks also visited while Jonathan was away traveling. Pappa was able to attend a field trip hunting different crayfish species with Eldon, and allow Alissa the freedom to go to the apple orchard with Leah and her class. Later, during a Halloween trip to NY it was meaningful to meet our new niece Natalie, visit with Uncle Gary and Aunt Robin again, and say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Oaks who were heading to Florida for the winter. We attempted to sell our home this past year and will resume our efforts next spring in hopes to end up on a larger piece of property.

Categories
Christmas Letters

Merry Christmas 2013

With Jonathan’s move to the new work building came the opportunity to play ping-pong during lunch or tennis at the nearby court. He has also designated Thursday evenings to community volleyball or hockey on the Dartmoose team. He put a new starter in the motorboat and built his own small apple cider press. Jonathan also built a raspberry pie computer. His siblings traveled east to celebrate their parent’s 40th anniversary. Jonathan really enjoyed sailing and playing disk golf with his brothers. He still serves as scoutmaster.

Eldon (8) really enjoyed taking a rock climbing class this spring. After his eighth birthday and what we believe to be the age of accountability, Eldon chose to become a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This summer Eldon loved swimming at lake Pinneo and he took lessons with other third graders at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center. He started playing basketball at Dothan Brook’s open gym program and then joined the Hartford team. Eldon has continued to enjoy reading chapter books in his free time and before bed. He started taking piano lessons with a new teacher, Diana Dewey. Eldon is in the wolf den at cub scouts.

Caleb (6) played T-Ball this spring, and did well with his advanced hand and eye coordination. He took horseback riding lessons this summer and improved his ability to use reins. Caleb also got a new red tricycle through Ambucs. He began 1st grade and his classroom aid that followed him up from kindergarten noted his improved walking. As he grows older he has a greater desire to walk more with his forearm crutches. We enjoy his new reading skills, and artistic ability too. Caleb also started piano lessons with Diana Dewey.

Leah (4) loves getting her nails painted, playing dolls, running, riding her own bike with training wheels, making her own bed with particular blankets, cooking with Mom in the kitchen, coloring and painting. She is a big fan of Hello Kitty, princesses, Strawberry Shortcake, and Barbie Movies. Leah has grown this fall in so many ways. She is now as tall as Caleb. She wears a size 12 ½ shoe, 6 in clothing and her fingers have even gotten longer! Leah likes her mom to follow her closely through her pre K class to hang up her bag, find her name card, and wash her hands but then says good-bye. Despite her earlier tendencies to be shy she has really done well at school. The class rom assistant calls her “the puzzle master.” Her classroom friend Miyu comes over a couple times a month. Leah loves to look at books and be read to.

Brycen (1) Does things that make us smile like how he runs, works his jaw up and down for “yes,” says “Eeeeeeew”, “cat”, “up”, and to tease Mom and get her to tickle him Brycen shakes his head and says “Daddy” meaning “not Daddy.” He loves kicking, dribbling, throwing balls, and playing with trains. He learned early to hold on tight to a big kids swing. He loves to get under dogs, under kitty’s, under cows, etc., and makes the appropriate sounds. He’s known to stomp one foot when he is very upset.

Alissa took a boxing class and continues to run and play occasional basketball.  Once a month she taught a lesson to the Relief Society women and this summer she was the ward girl’s camp director. She was then called to be the Primary President, and enjoys overseeing the children’s program at church. This year Alissa read the “Children of the Promise” series, “The Power of Habit,” “My Name is Mary Sutter,” “A Girl Named Zippy,” “Voices of Hope,” “Angle of Repose,” “A Complaint Free Relationship” and “The God Who Weeps.” After having Brycen and not painting for quite some time, Alissa was happy to return to the routine of watercolor painting at Debbie Hamilton’s.

As a family we really enjoyed a vacation this summer in the white mountains of New Hampshire. We rented a house on a large pond, outfitted with kayaks, fishing gear, and a perfect private beach for the kids. We also enjoyed two days at the nearby Story Land Amusement park.