The Dickson Family Update
Christmas 2009

It has been a wonderful and busy year for the Florida Dicksons, as we have come to be called. We've decided to let everyone share their own highlights of 2009:

Erik
I turned 3 this year, but if someone asks me how old I am I just tell them that I am “big.” I am becoming quite independent, which I think my parents like, most of the time. I am using the potty now and can get dressed all by myself, except when my shirt gets stuck on my head. As most of you know, I love letters, like most kids love a blankie or a favorite toy, and my new love is reading. I figured out that letters make words and now I read everything that I can sound out. I love to read books with my brother, Brennan. We take turns each reading a page. I hear that you are supposed to learn to read at school, but I don’t start Pre-K until next year and that seemed too long to wait. I will get to be a Sunbeam in just a few weeks at church and I think that will be fun. I am already a good singer. I love to sing Christmas songs, especially the Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la one. I can’t wait until Christmas!

Brennan
I am really getting big. I turned 5 this year and I had two parties with my family. We went to Chuck E. Cheese's for one and for the other we played pin the tail on the donkey and had a volcano cake. This summer I went to Yellowstone with my family, my cousins, and my grandparents. When I saw those big beautiful mountains it “made me want to yodel”—which I did often. I am in Ms. Karen’s class again at school for Pre-K and I am making my sounds much better thanks to her help. I am also a really good reader. I think I will be really ready for Kindergarten next year. I love playing games with my family, especially my Dad—my favorite part is when I win! I am so excited to have Grandma and Grandpa Schaugaard come to my house for Christmas and take me to Disney World! I am going to go on a real Safari at Animal Kingdom. I hope you have “the best Christmas you have ever had.”

Alanna
Hi, I am 10. I am in 5th grade and I love to read. I have read all seven Harry Potter books since this summer and have started over—I’m about to start the 4th again; I cannot wait to get the rest of the movies that we don’t already have for Christmas. I think everyone should read Harry Potter. This year I convinced my whole family to dress up like characters from Hogwarts for Halloween. I am in a book club and a math club at school and those are pretty fun. I also really like to go to Activity Days at church—I love being with my friends and there are always great treats! My favorite things this year was going to Yellowstone and Jackson with my cousins. I turned into a real mountain girl and climbed every rock that I could while we were hiking. I also liked body surfing with my Dad at the beach, even though the water tasted really gross. I hope you all have a really Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Danielle
Well, I have kept busy this year with the kids, teaching school, working from home, and serving in the Relief Society. I am so grateful for Vernon and the support and help that he gives to me. I couldn’t do it without him. Even with things being busy, I have had a chance to take a few fun trips this year. I had a fun sister’s trip up to the Oregon Coast at the beginning of the year and I look forward to another one in January where I will meet my mom and sisters in Seattle for the weekend. The kids and I also were able to fly out to Utah this summer to spend time with grandparents and cousins in Jackson and Yellowstone. It was nice to feel some cool dry air and see some mountains again. I miss that living in Florida. We are all looking forward to spending Christmas week with my parents up in Orlando—we are counting the days. Some of my favorite things this year were taking a walk on the beach with my husband as we celebrated our 11th anniversary and the announcement that there will be an LDS temple built in Fort Lauderdale, which is our home stake. We are so grateful that we will be able to go more often in the years to come. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2010.

Vernon
The year has been a whirlwind of courses, papers, writing, youth activities, conferences, service projects, grading, family time, and home projects. I am still acclimatizing to being a professor—and enjoying every bit of it—and was also called to be the Young Men’s President in our ward—I am grateful for the chance to work with such great young men. This year, I had the opportunity to be part of my first thesis defense, to have a chapter of my forthcoming book published in a major international journal, and to teach a wonderfully invigorating pedagogy course to talented new Teaching Assistants in FIU’s interdisciplinary writing program. I have come to really love Florida and the wonderful people we’ve met here. I am deeply grateful to good friends who helped us make a number of home repairs—and the many others who have served our family through this last year. I miss friends and family that we’re far away from, but am grateful for airplanes, webcams, and other technologies that help shorten the distance. (A special thanks to those who have taken the time to come and see us here—it was a delight to have you here!) I wish you all the best of holidays and a joyful new year.