2012

Hello and MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012!

Dave and Kylie's wedding in New York and reception at Waveny House in New Canaan, June 2012

Dan, Mike, Dave, Cara and Bryan

Pictures in Central Park, New York City

 Dave's graduation; White coat ceremony for induction into dental school

 Mike & Kathryn with West and Quinn in Houston

West Philip Whiting, born September 20, 2012

West and Quinn

West's blessing day in Houston

Cara in D.C. and beyond

Dan takes on the mountains

Bryan at BYU and working the summer in New York

Grandma Whiting's 90th birthday with 71 descendants, in Mapleton, Utah

Conducting the "Grow Tabernacle Choir"

Biking on Cape Cod and Nantucket

"Mormon Helping Hands" in The Rockaways, Queens, Thanksgiving weekend

Dear friends and family,

Each year seems to go faster than the one before. But this particular year was so packed with historic family, national and local events, including natural disasters and tragedies, that it felt like a nonstop whirlwind.  If you'd like to catch up with us, here’s the Whiting family news for 2012.   
We have loved getting your cards and always look forward to hearing from you!   

Warm Wishes for a Merry Christmas and 

Happy New Year from our home to yours!

Mike & Kathryn and Quinn & West are our Texans. West’s arrival in September was a wonderful event, and marks the first of the Whiting family born in the Lone Star State. Mike and Kathryn are in that busiest time of life with two little ones who always have something to say or do to delight parents and grandparents alike.

Cara  continues to find fun things to do and fun places to go, and it only took 4 years of living in the DC area for her to get a tour of the Capitol dome. She is one of the lucky ones who actually gets to use her history degree professionally and has started her own business doing research and archival work. She had the opportunity to do research in Utah for six weeks this summer, which conveniently coincided with Dave’s wedding, the largest Grow family reunion ever, and Grandma Whiting’s 90^th birthday celebration. She biked her first "century" this spring and helped organize the third annual 50-mile “Robinhood Ride” through New England's autumn leaves, which attracted 30 riders from up and down the East coast (including Steve).

Dan’s job continues to evolve following a merger with a larger medical equipment company, Baxter.  Baxter is replacing much of its installed equipment with machines built by Dan’s company, so there is a big effort to install and train people across the world on the new equipment.  Dan is in the middle of this, giving training and helping users get acclimated to the new systems. When he isn’t working, he is hiking, biking or snowboarding. Denver is a great place for him, but we’re glad he still enjoys a visit home from time to time. 

Dave & Kylie  Dave had a very eventful year, graduating from BYU and from singlehood, along with getting accepted to Columbia dental school. The wedding was in New York City with a reception in New Canaan, followed by a reception in Utah. Kylie is wonderful and it is great to have them living in the area.  Dave has jumped into dental school with both feet and they found a great apartment just a couple blocks from the main campus and a short subway ride to the medical campus.  Kylie got a job in advertising with Translation (started by JayZ) where she works on social media outreach for the State Farm account, and she also has her own photography and graphic design business.

Bryan, a senior at BYU majoring in statistics,  is working as a research assistant doing statistical research in biology and chemistry and is thinking seriously about going for a Masters degree in statistics.  2012 winter semester was the last that Bryan and Dave would be together as students and they enjoyed being on a basketball team together as well as playing softball together.  Bryan had fun this summer living in New York City and interning at Deloitte.  He spends his free time learning piano and guitar.

Steve & Jeanne are thrilled to be grandparents for the second time with the birth of West in September!  We had fun taking sailing lessons this summer in the Long Island Sound and exploring Cape Cod and Nantucket on bikes.  Jeanne broke her ankle just after Dave’s wedding which put a little damper on our rowing this summer. But she got to live a lifetime dream of conducting in the Salt Lake Tabernacle as she gathered a 220 voice choir for the historic reunion of over 3,000 descendants of her great-great grandfather, Henry Grow-- the Mormon pioneer who designed the Tabernacle.

Grandma Whiting celebrated her 90^th birthday in Mapleton, UT with all but two of her 71 descendants.  What a remarkable reunion it was!  And Grandma Grow celebrated birthday number 92. (Now you can see why Steve thinks he might have to work a while longer.)

Steve was released this summer from the bishopric, after over five years, and was called to the High Council. Adding up all the bishoprics he has served in, we realized it has been ten years since we have had breakfast together on a Sunday morning. Jeanne still works in the Young Women, and conducted Messiah with full orchestra and chorus last week. If you want to catch the real spirit of Christmas, try immersing yourself in that music!

Jeanne’s Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation got a new website, www.dtrf.org, along with some national media attention as fundraising received support of celebrities Meredith Vieira, Dr Oz and Rosie O'Donnell.  The next goal is a big collaborative project combining the best scientists in the field to accelerate the speed and effectiveness of research.  The dream that “two women planned at the kitchen table” is palpably moving toward a discovery of a cure.

We survived Superstorm Sandy that devastated much of the East Coast.  We got off lucky just losing power for 7 days.  Our Stake joined thousands of Mormon Helping Hands bussed in from all along the East Coast to go help “muck out” houses four consecutive weekends in The Rockaways, Queens.  People there got a devastating 6 feet of water in their homes and needed help emptying houses of possessions and tearing out sheetrock and floors.  Working with our children joining a positive force of thousands of others wearing those iconic yellow vests was the most memorable and meaningful Thanksgiving weekend activity ever. 

Our stake was overwhelmed with sadness this past week when a child of members of the Newtown ward was lost in the elementary school shooting that occurred only 35 miles from us in Newtown.  We were so moved by that family's expressions of faith and forgiveness, and we take that ultimate message of hope for "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men" into our hearts as we approach this Christmas.

This year has left us very grateful for our blessings, and for the purpose we feel in life’s journey. Every year counts as a great blessing!  Thanks to all of you for being part of our journey. 

Love,

Steve & Jeanne

jgwhiting@gmail.com

swhiting@yahoo.com

176 Gerdes Road, New Canaan CT 06840