Dear Family and Friends,

What a year this has been! Where do I begin to sum it up? I started this year rehearsing for my fourth play since May of last year. This time I was playing a nun in the long improv "Tony and Tina's Wedding." That play ran the last half of February. It was so much fun, each night a different performance since we played off the audience so much. In September I did my last play for a while. This time a melodrama called "Alias Smedley Pewtree: or the Villian of Glitter Gulch." I was the sheriff, who happened to be a woman with a mustache. It was a short run, but a lot of fun. The villian had a lot of problems with his mustache, and some shows I don't know how we got through without completely losing it and laughing.

I didn't do any shows during the summer because I wanted to take advantage of my car. My parents wanted me to come out and visit them, so I told them I'd get there eventually. I spent about a week driving I-80 out to Indiana. I made several fun stops along the way - Martin's Cove, Winter Quarters, Nauvoo, Carthage, Springfield - it was a lot of fun. I spent about two and a half weeks out there, and then my mom and I drove I-90 back, going through Wisconsin (had to eat some cheese there), Minnesota, South Dakota (so I could see Mount Rushmore), and back home in time for a Giles family reunion in July.

I actually took several trips this year. During Spring Break I finally went to see Arches National Park. I've driven past it many times, but this was the first time I'd ever been in to see what is there. It is beautiful. And it was great to get away for a few days too. And in May, both my brother Ryan and my sister Anjuli graduated from college, so I spent a week in Texas to attend their graduations. Ryan is now spending a year abroad following the Portuguese Explorer, Vasco De Gama, before starting graduate school. Anjuli is teaching fifth grade just north of Austin, Texas.

This is my third year teaching computers at Mount Mahogany Elementary School in Pleasant Grove. I love my job. I'm in charge of the school web page, and I tutor math two mornings a week. Shortly after school started I was called to be the Relief Society President in my ward. It is a calling full of challenges and blessings. I keep thinking I must be missing something because I feel like I've got it under control. Having wonderful counselors really helps though. I also finally went to a doctor about the pain I've been having in my neck. My biggest fear was that they would tell me I was fine and they couldn't figure out why I hurt. But that wasn't the case. It turns out I've got one bulged disk and one herniated disk in my neck. The doctor thought it must have been quite the car accident to cause that, but I don't remember any car accident.

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year -
Full of the Peace only Christ can bring.

Com Amor,
Lisa Giles