**If you didn't receive a Christmas/Easter letter from us this year, you are in the majority. Here it is...
2013—Year of Life and
Loss
Dear Friends
and Family!
Happy Easter! Yes, I’m finally
sending out my “Christmas letter” in April. Better late than never—it’s one of
my mottos. J
Well, 2013 was a crazy year….to say
the least. The best part of the year was the birth of our sweet Maelie on June
28th. It was a rough labor and delivery, but we felt extremely
blessed to welcome a beautiful, healthy baby into our family. Hannah has been
head-over-heels from day 1. She walked around the hospital telling everyone, “I
have a baby sister! She has a belly button!” Now Hannah just smothers Maelie in
kisses and regularly lets us know how “super cute” and “so funny” she is. We’re
absolutely in love with both of our adorable girls!
The worst part of 2013 began the moment my sister Jana called
me the evening of September 3rd to tell me, “Braydon’s dead.” My
sweet sister Melissa’s husband had been riding his bicycle in St. George with a
dozen friends who were training for a triathlon when Braydon was hit and killed
instantly by a van. We were all shocked and devastated. I spent the next week
watching Melissa plan her husband’s funeral, greet hundreds of Braydon’s
friends and family members with strength and grace, bury her husband, and
continue to nurture and love her 4 grieving children. As heart-breaking as that
week was, it was equally heart-warming to see countless friends, neighbors, and
total strangers give genuine love and support to Melissa and her kids. Not
surprisingly, many of them continue to provide hands-on help. We are forever
grateful to them all.
Hannah turned 3 in December and is the funniest, cutest, and
smartest 3-year-old we have ever known. She loves to sing and dance, and she
makes up her own songs all day. She also loves to do puzzles, play with her
dolls (her favorite Barbie is Eeker), play with her imaginary friends (Abberty
and Emily E”biz”abeth), watch Dora, play school, read books and the Friend, go
to Primary, snuggle, have group hugs, make tents with blankets, help her
sister, talk about her cousins, play with my phone, put on many crazy outfits
every day, go potty like a big girl (yay!), eat fruit snacks (thanks to her
nice grandparents) and snow cones, and ask Why?. She brings us so much joy
(along with the normal aggravations of toddlerhood)!
Maelie is now 9 ½ months old and, boy, is she a busy
baby—constantly moving and grabbing anything and everything she can (nothing
like our calm Hannah was at her age). Maelie is a very happy girl (ever since
her colic ended at 4 months), who freely shares her beautiful smile and
contagious laugh. She is sassy and silly and frequently makes us laugh. Maelie
loves her family (especially Hannah), chewing on toys or other objects (like
nasty restaurant tables), eating solids, pulling off her socks, army crawling
like a pro, making messes, eating Puffs, reading books, watching Dora with
Hannah, dancing, clapping her hands, and copying our movements. We love Maelie
more than we thought possible!
Scott continues to work for Utah County in the Recorder’s
office. He enjoys watching sports, cooking, and playing with his adoring
daughters. He is the best husband and daddy ever! In December, he was diagnosed
with Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy. We knew it was coming (his oldest sister was
diagnosed a couple of years earlier, and it is genetic), but it has been a bit
hard to accept the reality of what it could mean for his future quality of
life. Fortunately, his symptoms are fairly mild at this time, so we pray daily
that they will not progress.
I (Mary Ann) am grateful to be able to mostly stay at home
with my girls. So fun and exhausting! I continue to do contract work to run a
couple of Spanish-speaking groups for parents of abused children two evenings
every week. I also maintain a very part time private practice—just one client a
week right now. I enjoy spending time with Scott and our girls, hanging out
with friends and family, going on occasional road trips, and watching baseball
when I can. Together Scott and I teach the 7/8-year-olds in Primary, and we
love it!
We are so grateful for our little
family, for all of our blessings, and for our friends and extended family. We
love our Savior and are grateful for His love, His life, and His atonement. We are
so happy to know that families are forever!
Scott and I hope that we can
continue Braydon’s “Booyah!” legacy by never giving up when things get hard and
by being more positive and friendly to others. We’re a work in progress. J
We love you all!
Scott,
Mary Ann, Hannah, & Maelie Carter
