Houghton Adventures 2013-14

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We’re hoping to get this “Christmas Letter” wrapped up before Valentines. . .as we missed the 2013 edition.  It’s been an exciting couple of years since our last update, filled with comings and goings amid droughts and wildfires:

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Levi (14½), is in high school!  He looks the part, as he’s been racing to catch up in height to his brother.  He has survived the transition to 5:55 a.m. seminary and he revels in vigorous gym/water polo/swim/bicycle workouts.  Levi is our only child who has ever conscientiously put himself to bed every night—guess he needs the sleep to keep up with all that growing and exercising.  He’s doing a great job in academics, plays the trumpet in the Golden Regiment band, and is Mark’s most diligent hiking and biking buddy. Levi dreads being the only child at home next year, and is looking to adopt a brother.  Please call with prospects. 

Tess (17) completed an independent study AP Calculus course last year as a junior, which attracted attention from a number of colleges.  After graduation this year, she plans to join her siblings at BYU, but much to her father’s chagrin, is not committing to a math-oriented major.  Since our last report, Tess has conquered her fear of slipping off Half Dome, worked as a lifeguard for two summers, played her first professional violin gig, served as student body Treasurer, and won the family mile swim.  She is our most faithful contributor to the Houghton family blog, for which we owe much thanks, as we wouldn’t be able to remember what happened without her posts.

Marta (19) is a sophomore majoring in Recreation Management at BYU.  Always a mother hen, she’s found the perfect way to acquire experience in her major by nurturing and guiding 48 freshmen as a Resident Assistant at school.  She also relishes beating the boys in her racquetball class and baking cookies often.  Marta’s big news is that she will be serving an eighteen month mission for our church in Mexico City, beginning in June.  She’s thinking it might be a good idea to start brushing up on her Spanish!

Luke (almost 21) is serving in the England Birmingham mission.  He currently lives in Wales and loves the foreign-ness and beauty of that area.  He has enjoyed interactions with people from all over the world and the opportunity to share his belief in Christ and His gospel.  He’ll be returning home in April to sunny days (quite a contrast between drought stricken California and England!) reconnecting with family, and hopefully a job. He will attend BYU in the fall, and we’re interested to see if he continues in  the Chemical Engineering studies he began before his mission. 

Eliza (23) completed her mission working with Spanish-speaking people in the Florida Fort Lauderdale area, in May.  After attending a cross-country family reunion and joining Team Houghton for the  Trans-Tahoe Relay swim in July, she spent the last half of the summer working for (and charming) Denise’s parents in Wisconsin and taking pre-requisites for her studies in Business Management.  She returned to BYU in September, and has been polishing her language skills by living in the “Spanish House.”  She might finally have found the right major, as she loves accounting and finance and she’s already secured a summer internship.

Mark (getting gray) is closing in on his second year as Bishop of our LDS congregation, which (much to the kids’ relief) has slowed the rate of retaining wall construction at home.  Despite his grueling commute to the valley for work, he is committed to fitting in several (short) swim sessions a week and he’s taken up bike riding again (though he can’t quite keep up with Levi on the up-hills). Mark lives to plan and execute adventures, and this was a Tahoe year, with our family swim across the lake and a week-long bike and hike around it with the teenage boys from church

Denise (young as ever) teaches early morning seminary classes, has discovered that serving as home-base support for missionaries and college students is as involved as having them at home, and somehow is still surprised that people want to be fed almost every night!  This Christmas she ran a “heritage sewing and candy-making school” for the kids, hoping to make up for previous years’ negligence in teaching vital homemaking skills. Denise swims most days of the week but still comes in dead last in family aquatic events.

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As we head into this new year, we are grateful for God’s blessings, for opportunities to learn and to serve, and for friendship with good people, near and far, who share their love and example and support.    

Love,  The Houghtons               

For updates on Luke and his mission in England visit: elderlukehoughton.blogspot.com