2014

 SEASONS GREETINGS FROM 
THE WHITINGS 2014! 

Cara, Bryan, Kylie & Dave, Steve & Jeanne, Dan, Mike & Kathryn with West & Quinn

FAMILY UPDATES

Dear Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas!  We hope you've had a great year.  Here are some of our highlights.

This past June we celebrated our 35th anniversary - 3 1/2 decades together! Poignant feelings of the passing of time also came with Jeanne's trips to Utah for cleaning out her childhood home on Pine Lane in Provo and preserving decades of Grow/Mabey family history with Cara.

A highlight of the year for Steve, facilitated by the marvel of the internet, was reconnecting with friends from Beirut, Lebanon whom he hadn't seen since his mission there in 1975. How nice to see that seeds planted so many years ago grew and continue to flourish.  

Steve is still at KPMG.  He has taken up the guitar again and internet lessons have helped him play a pretty good Stairway to Heaven.  Rewarding music activities for Jeanne this year included involvement with a program for teaching piano to special needs students. She is now working with two children with autism and seeing amazing results.  Her Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation initiated a collaboration with the National Cancer Institute to run a trial on a promising drug, and she went to Berlin to speak at an international sarcoma meeting -- so interesting to be in Berlin this year when they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We look forward to gathering with family at Grandma Lora's for Christmas this year in Utah.  And we're especially excited that Dave and Kylie are expecting their first child in June - a girl!

We remember you all fondly this time of year!  Please be in touch.  See below for family updates!

Love, 
Steve and Jeanne

Celebrating 35 years

It all started on a very windy June 8, 1979

1979-Packing up our first Honda with a few wedding presents and taking off for
our first home at U. of Michigan. Gotta love those bell bottoms.

Scanning and cataloging generations of ancestors with Cara.
Cleaning out Jeanne's childhood home on Pine Lane in Provo - will
miss that amazing view of Utah lake and mountains from the back yard

   

Reconnected 40 years later - they never forgot Elder Whiting in Beirut in 1975

Rowing through November at 30 degrees - the crew of the Maritime Women's 8+

Grandpa time on Topsail Island, NC

Fun in Houston

Our 35th anniversary cruise out of New York - Rowing in beautiful Bermuda  

Mike & Kathryn, Quinn & West in Houston moved to a new house down the road, still in The Woodlands, Texas. Mike's busy with work and travel for JP Morgan in cash management.  Kathryn is busy with Quinn (4) and West (2), and-- as if she didn't have enough running to do with them-- she also ran her first marathon. 

Mike & Kathryn with Quinn and West

Quinn and West

Cara in Arlington, Virginia.  In preparation for a career change, Cara returned to school this year to take all of the science classes she avoided during undergrad.  She continues her historical research in Arlington, VA, but in June she'll be moving to Richmond to begin a doctorate in physical therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University.  It has also been a year of developing new talents: making her first soufflé; designing and completing her first quilt; dancing to a finalist spot on a cruise ship "Dancing with the Stars" competition; and returning to film-making, winning Best Director in a local film festival.

Best Director at local film festival and Road Trip to Nashville for great
country music and Southern food!

Prince Edward Island

Dan & Sonia in Denver.  Dan worked his fourth year with Baxter Healthcare in Denver.  Sonia has enrolled in a masters program in family and human development with ASU, and wrapped up her third year at an early head start preschool in Denver.  Dan spent his free time cycling and snowboarding and did his first few downhill mountain bike races at Winter Park, cheered on by his enthusiastic coach, Sonia.  Before the winter hit the mountains in November, they took an adventure trip to Kauai, the Garden Isle, where they backpacked several days on the Napali Coast, went snorkeling, and enjoyed a helicopter tour of the amazing scenery. 

Hiking the Napali Coast in Kauai

That GoPro can capture you anywhere!

Dave & Kylie in New York City moved 40 blocks north to a new apartment in Washington Heights.  Dave loves his 2 minute commute to school and they are both enjoying their beautiful view of the Hudson River and George Washington bridge.  Dave is continuing his dental training and is halfway through his 3rd year.  He is excited to finally be working with patients in clinic and even more excited to be closer to the end than the beginning. Kylie has kept herself very busy photographing lucky citizens of NYC, including notables like Bobby Flay on the Food Network.  The most exciting event for Dave & Kylie is the anticipated arrival of their first baby coming this Spring!

Every New York couple has to try those romantic rowboats in Central Park 

Best picture of the year! If dental sand sculpture skills indicate his future 
as a dentist, Dave has it made.

We get a tour of Columbia dental school and meet Dave's perpetually happy patient!

                         
Bryan at BYU is a second-year grad student working on his master's degree in statistics.  He was thrilled to pass his end-of-year qualifying exams.  He spent the summer enjoying life and working in Provo, including working on his startup company.  When the company moved to Seattle, he left it to stay in Provo and finish his degree.  He has been interviewing for jobs, working on his master's project and getting ready for the upcoming ski season. He just accepted a job in Washington DC with Bates White, an economic consulting firm, starting after April graduation. #gocougs

Graduate students get their own office

   Bryan and Mike get amazing seats at BYU Game              Sundays with Grandma Lora in Mapleton

Love from Steve and Jeanne

A happy 2015 to all!