2018 Year in Review

As a family, we had many opportunities to travel to new and distant places this year. We feel so blessed to have had these special memories coupled with our safety and good health in all instances!

*We started 2018 somewhere in the Caribbean Sea on a New Year's cruise with the company of my parents. This was our first cruise as a family (and my parents' first as well) and we had a wonderful time, experiencing new things together in Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Costa Maya, Mexico. The weather on the boat was meh--really cold for a tropical cruise--and we got rained on in Honduras. But that was the worst of it, so we can't complain! Here's the LINK to read all about our cruise adventures.

*Three months later, for Spring Break, we drove to Southern Utah (approximately 20 hours) for a first-ever LEE family reunion with my younger siblings and all our kids. This was really special because all of the grandkids and cousins were together for the first time, but it was like they'd known each other forever. Here's the LINK about that epic week.

*Three months after that, at the beginning of June, we drove north to Erie, Pennsylvania (about 20 hours) to spend time with Jared's brother, Kevin, and his family and tour as many of the Church history sites as we could before they moved (to Texas!) two weeks later. Here's the LINK for that amazing trip.

*Santa brought our family a trip to Branson, Missouri, beginning the day after Christmas. We were able to stay in a free condo and enjoyed a show and an enormous indoor adventure gym, as well as lots of games and downtime together. The kids had an awesome time and are already planning what they want to do when we go back the end of May.

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS:

*At the end of March, we participated in setting a world record for the longest ice cream sundae ever made (while Jake took 3rd place in a pole vaulting meet). That was quite the experience! In case you were wondering, ice cream melts fairly quickly in southeast central Texas at the end of March. :)

*As part of my calling in the Stake Relief Society, I was asked to speak on marriage back in August 2017 in the Hearne Branch when they knew I would be there for a visit. The night before, I got a call from a member of the branch presidency. The church building was taking on water--it was the Saturday that Hurricane Harvey hit--so church was cancelled in Hearne, but the Stake cancelled it the next morning for all of us anyway. Well...I had to be in the Hearne Branch again at the end of May, so they had me give the talk I had prepared nine months previously and since they are always grateful for visitors to help with their Sacrament Meeting, they asked if our whole family would participate--so it was Hough Day in Hearne. Cooper bore his testimony on the mutual theme: Peace in Christ. Karcyn, Calvin and JJ sang "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" with Jake accompanying them on the piano and Jared also gave a talk. Except that when we arrived at the church building, we were blasted with hot air. The A/C was out. As a result, church was cancelled after Sacrament meeting. The kids were really disappointed. But man, it was so hot--we were still sweating after we got home 40 minutes later. 

*Grandma Hough moved in with us the middle of May while she spent some time transitioning from her time spent in Arizona (and Pennsylvania before that!) and waiting to find a house she could purchase in our area. She ended up buying a house around the corner from us (about 10 houses away!) the beginning of October. It is really fun and helpful to have her so close by. The kids are in heaven. Karcyn and Calvin stop by every day that her van is in the driveway on their way home from the bus stop and they always have a pocketful of candy when they make it to our house. If I'm not home in the afternoons, JJ walks up to her house from his bus stop and gets to spend time with her just like his older siblings do. I've noticed that the kids are more chipper when they come home if they've been to Grandma's already and I don't think it's just the chocolate. Karole joins us on Sunday mornings for our Come Follow Me recaps and for Sunday dinner each week if she isn't committed somewhere else and she's become a member of several gathering groups: Single Adults, Empty Nesters Family Home Evening, Ladies Lunch Out, and Book Group. Karole has more of a social life than we do! ;)

*The end of July, we said good-bye to Jake for two years as he left to go teach and love and serve God's children in Hungary. Jake's email: jacob.hough@myldsmail.net

*In September, we unexpectedly, but happily, inherited another son! Luke Suffert, 16, from Porto Alegre, Brazil. He returned home at the end of the semester right before Christmas. Luke was a joy to have in our home. We are most grateful for his patience, sense of humor, kindness, obedience and love.

*The middle of October, we enjoyed a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Lee before saying good-bye to them for eighteen months as they left to go teach and love and serve God's children in Iceland! My parents' mission blog: leesiniceland.blogspot.com. Or this link.

*On December 6th, the kids and I had the incredible and solemn opportunity to witness the historic burial train of our 41st President, George H.W. Bush, pass by near our home. It was a day we won't soon forget.

*Talking to and SEEING Jake (through video chat) on Christmas Day!! We all said hello and then each sibling got five minutes all on their own with him (Cooper got 10 minutes) and Jared and I got 20-25 minutes together. Then we all said goodbye again at the end. It was AMAZING and WONDERFUL and what we ALL needed.

JJ(7)--He continues to wow us with his developing personality, verbal articulation and written expression. He can be fiesty and hold his own, which is important when you're the youngest of five kids. But he can be so helpful and tender-hearted, too. His 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Miller, loves JJ's smile and kind heart and, along with other teachers, has noticed the way he's a leader among his peers. His reading skills have soared this past year. I attribute that to his amazing teachers these past 2 1/2 years. The catch is, at least at home, he doesn't want to be told to read or that he has to. He will only do it on his own. JJ is really good at playing the games Five Crowns and Ubongo (like Tetris). He loves to help cook in the kitchen and I love his polite responses of "Yes ma'am" or "Sure!" One special thing I've noticed is how his prayers are becoming more and more meaningful--he's really taking the time to think about specific things to ask and express gratitude for.

He's currently into the Bey Blade craze, but still loves Legos. You'll also find him playing or drawing Pokemon, and drawing or playing with stuffed animals with Karcyn. He will play outside after school for hours with the neighbor kids. He did awesome rock climbing on our cruise for the first time and loves to swim and fish. He still refuses to touch protein, vegetables, or fruit with an occasional PB&J sandwich as the exception. He had a small breakthrough in November when we had to grab dinner at Chipotle. We ordered him a cheese quesadilla ("cheese-a-dilla" as he calls it) and he scarfed it down and wanted another! But alas, it is still carbs and cheese. *sigh* Because of the way the schools are organized, JJ will never overlap in school with Calvin again. So for the next few years, JJ is home, by himself with just mom for 75 minutes. You'd think he'd enjoy that. Not so. He misses his siblings and mauls them when they get home around 4:45 except they are busy grabbing a snack (read: small meal) and working on homework or music and aren't able to play with him. Consequently, it has been and still is a hard adjustment for JJ (and his mom) to make. Six months after he left home, JJ is still saying how much he misses Jake. We were thrilled when, on the 2nd day of school, JJ learned how to tie his shoes! There were a lot of epic things that happened in 2018 for JJ, but I think one that really tops the charts is throwing up at his own birthday party, 20 minutes after it started. Fortunately, no party-goer was around when it happened. :(

CALVIN(10)--This Calvin and Hobbes meme is a pretty accurate representation of Calvin's life this past year. :)

He slays us...from both ends of the spectrum through laughter and tears. Two weeks before the end of 4th grade in May he got into BIG trouble in class. But he made the presidential honor roll for straight A's the entire year school year. Calvin is a talker, a schmoozer, a shrewd observer and negotiator and a classic procrastinator. He takes arguing to an art form. Too bad no one here at the house really appreciates that kind of art. :)

In the spring, Calvin decided he wanted to try baseball and he really enjoyed it. He did fall ball as well on a different team. Normally, he is third base or short-stop. During one of his last games of the year, he was put in as a relief pitcher. It was a cold, misty wet night and he had to keep switching out the balls with his coaches, but he struck the first (left-handed) batter out! He looked as cool as a cucumber. Calvin is also a great reader, but won't choose to do it as his first or even fourth favorite thing to do. However, he brought home Michael Vey from the library all on his own a couple months ago (even though we have about five of those books here at the house) and was really into it. So we may have found a series winner. Calvin is currently in the 5th grade, at the intermediate school level where he juggles seven different periods and teachers and a locker. He is a member of the Student Council and his favorite elective has been theater (his epic teacher Mr. Rod calls him "Hobbes") followed closely by music. He has a beautiful voice and is one of the only members in our family who can actively participate in our ward choir right now. Sometimes we'll find him on the piano, playing new songs without any music that he "knows" by ear. Blows my mind every time. Before school started in the fall, we learned he and Karcyn would be riding the bus (grades 5th-8th) home together so we reminded Calvin that it was his job as her brother (even though he's younger) to watch out for her and protect her. He went above AND beyond that the first week of school--to the point of standing up to 8th grade bullies and threatening them with a pen if they didn't "back off" while he was saving Karcyn a seat by him. While we don't condone violence, we certainly applaud his fierce loyalty and doing as we asked him to! Calvin is intelligent but values socializing with other people over doing homework. He is a master with Legos and the game "manipulation" (which I hear is similar to Rummikub just with cards). Calvin loves to help make meals and he has a super soft spot for babies and little toddlers. He swoons over a baby more than the rest of us and can't wait until he's Uncle Calvin. :) The other day, he hugged me before school and looked up...which wasn't very far and said, "You're getting short, Mom." "Uh, no...you're getting tall!" My babies are growing up. With the new adjustments taking place in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he will qualify to receive the Aaronic Priesthood AND attend the temple, next January...five months before he actually turns 12 (which was the previous age requirement for both those milestones). We are excited to add one more child to our family group as we attend the temple together and perform ordinances for our kindred dead. Calvin learned how to tie his own tie this year and visited the George Bush Library...future president perhaps?

KARCYN(12)--Sweet Karcyn turned 12 over Spring Break while driving 10+ hours crammed in a car with her brothers. She's such a trooper living in a home oozing with testosterone. She is one of JJ's favorite playmates because she really gives of herself and doesn't try (most the time) to make it all about her. One of her brightest qualities is her ability to quickly forgive others and continues to lead with her heart.

She made the big jump from the brand spanking new intermediate school (6th grade) to the brand spanking new middle school (7th grade). In order for her to take choir as an elective and continue with orchestra, she had to take two online summer courses (health and keyboarding) to free up her schedule. Both courses were taken simultaneously and had to be completed within 3 weeks--while we were traveling on vacation for 9 of those days. But she rocked them both!! She is singing (2nd soprano) in the all-girls 7th grade choir and continues to grow and progress with the viola--it's so fun to hear how she is developing both these talents. Her orchestra teacher says she has the BEST attitude. And she really does. She's great at letting things just slide off her back. It's a gift I wish I possessed. Karcyn is a straight A student. She loves science and English. But middle school is still middle school. She's had kids pick on her, take her lunch (repeatedly), manipulate her, refuse to participate while they're in a group so all the work falls on her, and tease her because she has more male friends than female ones. But she has weathered these incidents and seems to be a little more settled. Karcyn is getting taller and more beautiful--inside and out. Karcyn is working hard on her Personal Progress experiences and projects. Hopefully she'll earn her Young Women Medallion by the end of 2019 when this program will be discontinued. We'll see how it goes! Karcyn traveled to Colorado for a High Adventure Girls Camp in the mountains near Bailey for a week. She's afraid of heights, so most of the elements/activities they had there were not appealing to her. But she hiked, canoed, did archery and had a powerful experience with the Hold to the Rod activity (blindfolded). 

Karcyn has begun to notice things that need to be done around the house and is doing them without being asked (like the dishes) which her parents REALLY appreciate. She has been the Hough "Kid of the Week" for months now (her brothers are always welcome to join her...there's no limit :). This summer, Karcyn planned out menus, made her grocery list, shopped for the food, and cooked dinners for a whole week and did a spectacular job! She loves helping with meals any chance she has. At the beginning of the year, she ran her very first 5K and she did it without stopping!! The beginning of August, JJ asked me for friend birthday party two weeks before his birthday. Those things require at least two months notice for my schedule and sanity! When she saw my head might explode from JJ's request, Karcyn stepped up and volunteered to do everything so I wouldn't have to worry about it and so JJ would have a birthday party with his friends. She is a natural party planner! She did a wonderful job. It was a huge success for JJ's friends. Sadly, not so much for JJ--this was the party that he threw up at. :( In her first eight months as a 12 year old, Karcyn has been able to perform baptisms for the dead at three different temples, in three different states (UT, NY, TX) with her big brothers baptizing her each time!

COOPER(16)--This has been quite the year for Cooper. This kid has grown. In many ways!  He was asked to sing in a quintet at school and their superior rating qualified them to perform at State! Sadly, the night before the competition, we learned one of the juniors failed a class and couldn't compete...so none of the singers could. :( However, Cooper was honored as the top student with outstanding achievement in his choir class...as a freshman tenor! This spring he got braces. After we got back from traveling to Pennsylvania this summer, Cooper underwent sinus surgery and Jared was in the operating room with him. It has changed his life. He still has the allergies he's dealing with, but now he can breathe and the sinus infections (it seemed like he had one continuous infection) are practically non-existent now.

A month later, at the end of July, he said goodbye to his roommate of 16 years when Jake went on his mission. Cooper's always wanted his own room, but once it became a reality, I think he was reconsidering that. As luck would have it, just a couple months later, we inherited another 16 year old, Luke Suffert, from Brazil, who lived with us for the semester and became Cooper's new roommate. ;) As a sophomore in high school, Cooper decided to drop tennis and pick up Principles of Audio Visuals (which he LOVES). He also auditioned against 100 other tenors and earned 4th chair in the All Region Choir in Waco, TX in November. Because he was in the top 5 at All Region, he was invited to sing with Honor Choir USA this summer--in Hawaii! Too bad he's already committed himself to going to New York City in April with his high school choir. :) Big things happened as soon as Cooper turned 16. On Sunday, Oct. 21st (his birthday) Cooper was ordained a Priest in the Aaronic Preisthood by Jared and Luke got to stand in. After that, he blessed the Sacrament in church almost weekly. Within a week, he was invited into a group date opportunity, he just needed to get a date. So he asked the same girl that Jake took out on HER first date. Haha! They all went ice skating and had a blast, but because it was so soon after his birthday, Cooper's date had to pick him up and drive them to the rink! (I offered to drive...but for some reason, they didn't want that.) Coop celebrated his birthday by playing Air Soft in Houston with Luke and two of Jake's friends, Will and Ben. Cooper was called up to share his testimony on the fly from the Stake Presidency at a priesthood meeting and I was told he did great. As soon as he could, Cooper applied for a position working at Grand Station (where the bowling alley is as well as laser tag and an arcade) for his first job. They hired him on the spot! Pretty amazing considering this is a town with lots of college students and we appreciate that, for now, they're working him on Fridays and Saturdays only. Our family signed up for Kids Bowl Free this summer and while we all enjoyed that, Cooper has really found a passion and talent for it. So we signed him up for the fall youth bowling league after school started. $10 a week gets you three games plus shoe rental. And apparently you can earn scholarship money. Cooper already has $25 in his account because of his bowling scores. Not bad for just having a good time! Coop has since ordered his own bowling shoes and two "special" bowling balls and is saving up for a third...with the money he earns by...working at the bowling alley. Haha!! Cooper still loves fishing and going to see movies with Jared and crocheting when he has time.

On November 30th, I picked him up from school early and we drove an hour and a half north to Groesbeck, TX so Cooper could get his driver's license because that was the soonest availability. And unlike the kid before him that day, Cooper passed! Cooper has also been given a nickname by one of his new co-workers: "PG," as in the movie rating, because whenever anyone swears around him he says, "Hey, watch your language." Before Cooper was driving on his own, I learned that he had challenged his friend in another ward to come to early morning seminary and Cooper would reward him with sodas or movie tickets if he came so many days in a row. Once Cooper got his license, I later learned that he had been driving to this young man's house to pick him up for seminary to make sure he goes. Cooper never said a word about this, but I am touched by his Christlike love and concern for his friend. Cooper's grades are awesome and he continues to be creative in all his classes--something that comes very naturally to Cooper. One day I was in the kitchen making dinner and I heard a popular song being played on the piano. I froze because I didn't understand what I was hearing. Jake isn't at home anymore...but the type of music and proficiency in which Jake played was coming from the piano. It didn't compute. When I looked, it was Cooper! Before Jake left for his mission, Coop was playing a few hymns from church and that's about it. But he had printed off some music he wanted to play and he was sight-reading very well. He can already play a few pop songs by teaching himself...just like Jake did. It's been really fun to have that kind of music in our home again. The kids and I had the opportunity to go watch the burial train for President Bush 41 as it came through College Station from Houston. It was a very special and solemn experience. This my favorite picture with Cooper saluting as the car with the casket passed.

It's been a huge year of changes for Cooper, but he's stepping up. We're proud of the young man he's becoming, for the progress he's making and are anxious to see what other amazing things are in store for him.

JAKE (19)--2018 was probably the BIGGEST year of changes and events that will ever happen in his lifetime. Some of the highlights...
*Submitted his mission papers the end of February
*Ran the Woodlands Marathon (top runner for his age group and top 15% overall) in 3 hours 38 minutes the beginning of March.

*Accepted to BYU (Provo, UT) and deferred until Fall 2020 when he gets back from his mission.
*Called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, laboring in the newly organized Hungary/Romania Mission, Hungarian speaking. The Church piloted a new program that he got to participate in--a Pre-MTC (Missionary Training Center) through video chat with lessons about how to be a missionary and how to speak his foreign language. Before Jake left in July, he could bear his testimony in Hungarian.
*Wrapped up an amazing high school career and graduated Magna Cum Laude on June 1st.
*Went to the Houston Temple and received his endowment to prepare for his mission on June 2nd, then spent time in the temple once or twice a week as an ordinance worker before he went to the MTC. This was an INCREDIBLE experience that we know armed him with power he needs for his mission.
*Felt prompted to quit his life guarding job the end of June. Being around women with skimpy bathing suits has always bothered him but after going to the temple and making more covenants with the Lord, it was literally making him feel ill. We applaud him for giving up the opportunity to make money (for his mission) to protect his mind and actions. I know the adversary was working hard on him before he left home.
*Spent the month of July cleaning, sorting, packing, studying to be a missionary and the Hungarian language and continued serving in the temple.
*Walked on a plane to Salt Lake City, Utah at 4:50am on Wednesday, July 25th bound for the MTC. My parents picked him up from the airport, took him out to lunch and dropped him off at the Missionary Training Center in Provo. What a gift it was to have my parents (who came up from St. George) be there to take Jake the rest of the way for us. He got a huge surprise when he arrived though! No companion! He spent the next nine weeks as a "Solo Missionary" (had no idea that even happened) in the MTC with six sister missionaries in the district and was the ONLY Hungarian speaking Elder (aside from one of his instructors) in the entire MTC. It was quite the wild ride, but he wouldn't change it for the world! You can read all of his weekly letters home here on the blog, or contact me and I will add you to the email list.

*Jake's first area was Tatabanya and he was called to be a District Leader as well as a Trainer to a brand new missionary, after being in the country for only three months.

*Talked to his family on Christmas Day! He cried when he saw us. I cried when I saw him. We were able to use Facebook Messenger (like Skype) to talk for our allotted one hour and we got it right on the nose...not a minute more or less! Looking forward to our next phone call on Mother's Day!

*Jake is learning, growing (GROWING) and struggling and relying on the Lord in ways and depths he never thought possible. It is refining him and his parents! ;) And there is no other place the three of us would want him to be.

JENN(41)--Big year for me too! Lots of changes, lots of travel! Loved our family cruise at the beginning of January. The weather stunk, but we had a great time anyway! The kids can't wait to go again. I found a love for rock climbing and wanted to take lessons when we got home, but options here are pretty limited. So grateful for the opportunity we had to drive to Southern Utah for a family reunion with my siblings and their kids. We made Lee Family history with all the grandkids together at last! I finally bit the bullet and got certified to be a substitute teacher in the College Station school district. My first job was in high school anatomy and miraculously I survived! But the best part was being with my two biggest boys.

Substitute teacher pay is barely gas money, but I want to help serve in the community and this is one way I can do that and be near my kids. I subbed for JJ's Kindergarten teacher a couple times. He was great the first day I was there. Not so great the second. In fact, I had to write him up in his folder so his parents would know he had misbehaved for the substitute. Haha!! No one can accuse me of nepotism! :) I was minding my business serving as the 2nd counselor in the Stake Relief Society Presidency when I got called into President Sharp's office the middle of May. He extended the call for me to serve as the Stake Young Women President and my counselors and I were sustained just four weeks before Girls Camp in Colorado! Even with camp directors who spent nine months planning this, it was crazy, crazy, but it all came together and we all had the experience of a lifetime up there at Camp Firewalker. Here's a link to see the blog post from that week. I'm super proud of myself for rappelling down the sheer cliff of a mountain for the first time ever...twice!! And doing their high ropes course in the trees. July 25th...my heart broke a little that day when Jake left. But not really. I know where he's going and why and I couldn't be MORE proud. People have asked me how I'm doing with Jake gone and is it hard? We are able to communicate by email once a week (we write on Sundays, he writes on Monday mornings) and I actually feel like maybe I should miss him more than I do. That means, to me, the Lord is binding up my heart so that I may enjoy these experiences (ones I never had for myself) and do what the Lord needs me to do while he's gone. The hard part is when, every once in awhile, I long to give him a hug and just can't. But I'm certainly not the first mom with a missionary in the field and I'm not going to be the last. His letters are manna to our souls and gives us something to look forward to on Mondays. Only 77 more weeks to go! But who's counting? :) While I do care about my weight, I am more concerned about my strength and I feel like I'm really lacking in that area. I want to get physically stronger so I can go on six or seven missions like my parents! But I can't even do one full-body push up. In September, I hired a personal trainer (my friend's daughter who is starting her own business). She comes to my house twice a month, she helps me work out for an hour and then she sends me exercises to do each day on my own until we meet again. Of course I've actually gained weight these past four months. And while things still don't fit me like I really want them to, I know I'm getting stronger. The real prize was right before Christmas when I tried full-body push ups after three months of doing them on my knees. I did three sets of eight! So I'm excited about that and seeing what more I can learn to do. Jared and I enjoyed a couple's getaway over Labor Day weekend to Branson, Missouri and had a wonderful time! So much, in fact, that we took the kids there for Christmas. And in November, I had the sweet opportunity to travel back to Oregon for a much needed recharge to see friends and to enjoy a getaway at the beach. That did more for my soul than I ever thought was possible!

JARED(45)--This man is such a hard worker!! But after commuting two hours round-trip to Brenham for 11 hour shifts and every other weekend for three years, Jared decided he needed to get his Sundays back. When he inquired about moving to an urgent care in Bryan where the hours didn't start until 12pm on Sundays, there was, incredibly, an availability there, but he also learned there was an opening in the local ENT clinic. As in...M-F, 8am to 5pm. No weekends and about 10-15 minutes from home. But that would also require a career change, medically speaking, for Jared and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. After shadowing the ENT docs (who are also surgeons)  for a couple weeks, they told Jared they wanted him on their team. So Jared decided to give it a chance. Essentially, Jared's been in his first year of ENT residency since mid April. There's been a steep learning curve but he's doing really well. In fact, the docs kind of "fight" over him...he's the shiny new toy. :) They also serve 7-9 satellite clinics up to 90+ minutes in each direction from College Station to provide accessibility to those smaller towns. He travels one to two times a week to help in those locations. But...he is paid mileage this time! At the end of February, he joined his lifelong family friend, Josh, on a three day fishing trip to Lake Amistad on the Texas/Mexico border and fished for large mouth bass despite freezing weather and had a great time. Of course he loved our trip to Pennsylvania to see his brother's family and the fishing charter the boys did on Lake Erie this summer.

We love having Jared home on Sundays. And so does the Lord because right after the Church combined the priesthood quorums into one, he was called to be the 1st counselor in the Elder's Quorum presidency. Jared's the closest son now for his mom, Karole, and has be wonderful for her. Listening to her, giving her advice and priesthood blessings of comfort as she navigated the waters of living in another new state with more family, trying to find a place of her own and transition to a new place with new people and opportunities. Jared wishes he could fish more, but cannot complain about coming home around 5pm (sometimes sooner) and all the opportunities and blessings that alone brings to our family.

We aren't perfect, but we are striving every day to move closer to our Savior and to become more like Him. We are so grateful for the peace and comfort we are given as we follow His covenant path and rejoice that a special part of our Hough family is in Hungary laboring to share this same message with others so that they, too, will find the peace and joy that comes from living and following God's plan for all His children.