Greetings from the Croff’s of Idaho. We feel so blessed again this year.
We had our usual year full of travel. We still love Idaho with the seasons changing and the geese flying and even the snow.
Ken has renewed an old love called golf. He has become obsessive, as he does. He loves to go out for a day of golf with some of the guys in the ward. We are still privileged to work Saturday nights at the Temple and are Baptistry coordinators. Ken is enjoying his yardwork, lawnmover and his new Taylor Made “Burner” driver golf club. Both Ken and Deone are looking forward to Medicare!!!!!
As usual, we have had a busy travel year centered around seeing family, the kids and grandkids. In April Deone’s brothers and sisters got a timeshare in Branson. Of course, Missouri is right next to Iowa so we had to go a week early and spend some time with Rob, Karina and grandkids. Then we enjoyed a week of shows, golf and shopping in Branson and visiting the old Flake Ranch near Sarcoxie.
Brinton has gotten a very good job with the State Legislature Audit Department. He now attends a newly formed Singles Branch in the Boise Idaho Central Stake and is the Branch Clerk there. He is into ASU football…..well anything that has to do with ASU since that is his Alma Mater.
Rob and Karina came to visit the end of May and we watched the kids while they went with Rob’s family for a nice Hawaii trip. Then Karina and the kids stayed with us while Rob did clinical rotations around the country. During that time Deone got to thoroughly enjoy her grandkids. It was really fun having them here and having new adventures every day. But grandma and grandpa discovered while trying to keep up with them, that we’re not young any more.
We all went to the airport to welcome Courtney home from the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission on July 21, with a big “Welcome Home” sign. But they had changed her itinerary at the last minute without giving us notification. So while we awaited the flight she was supposed to be on, she arrived earlier, walked in and wandered up to us taking us totally by surprise! You should have seen us scramble to try and welcome her!!!! But it was so good to have her home again. Just like when Brinton came back from his mission. Courtney has found a nice little food-related job not two miles from our house to keep change in her pocket for awhile. And she’s getting more part-time jobs. She has a new used manual transmission economy car with which she has worked very hard to learn to shift and clutch. She hasn’t decided yet exactly where to take her life from here but stays extremely busy with good activities.
The first part of August we squeezed into the van and drove to Arizona for a wedding and a week in the heat. Then Karina and Courtney went to Education Week at BYU Provo. Just the two sisters had a great time there. In September Ken and Deone departed on a cruise with Deone’s sisters Sandra and Marilyn, which was a reunion for Deone’s old co-workers with House of Lloyd. We were scheduled to go to Cozumel and Belize. However, the route changed after the hurricanes and we ended up visiting Bahamas, Jamaica, and some unknown barren sand bar called Grand Turk. It was super warm and super humid. We just made the best of it and it was a nice cruise. We did learn we NEVER want to live in Florida!
After we returned, time came for Karina to go back to Iowa. So with grandma and Aunt Courtney they all drove back. Granny and Corki babysat while Karina went to visit Rob in Detroit. Then she returned and they bid her farewell and drove back home to Idaho. On the way Deone gave Courtney a treat for helping out so much and they visited some tourist attractions in South Dakota including Mount Rushmore and had a great time.
Come October and General Conference, Courtney decided she wanted to attend her first missionary reunion, so Brinton went with her and they drove to Salt Lake. They were pretty busy going to different places and got to attend several Conference sessions either in the Conference Center or the Tabernacle.
We have been blessed in our lives and in having great kids and grandkids. We hope this Christmas letter, though late, finds you all well and in good spirits. We wish all of you happiness in 2008. We love you all and our door is always open and our floors enjoy your sleeping bags. Just do your own cooking. Love, Ken, Deone, Brinton, Courtney, Rob and Karina & family.
