Irwin Family Christmas News 2010!

Hello Family & Friends! December 2010

Merry Christmas! I love this time of the year. The colors and the spirit in the air are vibrant and beautiful and it is such a great time to get together with friends and family. I hope your family is well and that you will be able to spend some precious time with them, making some beautiful memories.
We are healthy and happy! We have grown in bounds this year in faith and strength. Bob just returned from his 11th trip to China this year for work and is still looking at 2 or 3 more trips in the 1st quarter of the new year. He has travelled back and forth this year with no complaints and welcomes the challenges. I get asked a lot how I am managing and my answer is always, “By faith in God taking care of us and grace when I struggle.” Really, it has been an opportunity to spend lots of time with at least 2 of the 3 kids, with Bobby be so busy, and the chance to dig into some areas of personal growth. Our relationship has really grown deeper in respect and admiration in each other. Either way we look, it has been a fun opportunity in growth for Bob and we are very thankful for all the ways we have, with modern technology, to stay in contact without it costing us to much money. We are playing with the idea that on one of his next 2 trips that I will travel with him for a week to China. Wow, wouldn’t that be a great opportunity . With his mileage, we should be able to get my ticket for little out of our pocket. And yes, I even have my passport. Thanks to my hubby putting “a little” pressure for a long time.
Bobby, Kyleann and Taylor are doing great! They fight like any other siblings, but when it comes down to it, they take care of one another. All three kids are very active in our church with worship , as a youth leader, kids ministry and bible studies. All three went to camps this year to Spokane. Bobby and Kyleann were leaders at 2 of them and then attended their own age group session too. Taylor was excited to be able to participate in the Spokane camp this year as a middle schooler and had a really great time.
Bobby gave his notice to Safeway in July and started working for The Farm in Snohomish, first helping with set up and tear down of outdoor weddings, and then in the Pumpkin Patch once the festivities opened up in the fall. He really enjoyed it along with the fact that they paid him well. Unfortunately the job was seasonal, for they close for the winter time. They have asked him to return, but he is also looking for something more permanent, which will be easier once he turns 18 in a week. Bobby is still seeking God’s wisdom and guidance for after high school direction. As of now, he will be interviewing for WyoTech tomorrow, but also has been contemplating interning for church. We know whatever he decides to do, he will do with a full heart.
Kyleann ventured out and took Honor and AP classes this year and was really shocked with the amount of homework, the studying in involved and the difficulty level of the tests. She is in the swing of it now, she just had to makes some adjustments. Kyleann’s plan is to start college classes in Fall 2011 at Everett Community College, taking 3 classes at the college and 1 to 2 at the high school. Her plan is to become a 2nd grade teacher. She is a go-getter! We love it! :o) Drama and musicals is her other passion, which takes many hours after school. Beginning in January she going to join Speech/Debate Team, with her focus being in Speech.
Taylor is doing well and man, has he grown! He has gone up almost 2 pants sizes since spring and we don’t see that slowing down any time soon. He has adjusted to middle school life remarkably well and seems to love it! Socially and academically growth has been amazing!  When I attended his conference at the end of October all his teachers kept saying how he is very well liked and is very social. Taylor played football this year for the middle school for the first time. It begun as a huge physical challenge for him but by the end he really enjoyed the game! He has told us he would like to play again next year for the 8th grade team. We really enjoyed going and watching the games and it was even a great year for the team came in 1st in their age/district. As I close this letter, I do with wonderful wishes to you and your family!


We hope that you will take an opportunity to reflect on our Savior, Jesus Christ,  as we celebrate His Birth! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! 

SHS Musical made the Tribune!

Doug Ramsay photo (Click photo to see actual online article)


From left: junior Troy Moore, senior Riley Schmitt and sophomore Josh Watson perform during a dress rehearsal Dec. 9 for the Snohomish High School performance “A Night of Musical Theatre”.

Snohomish production sings

Last weekend to catch “A Night of Musical Theatre”

SNOHOMISH - Drama players from Snohomish High School will perform a cavalcade of songs from multiple musicals for their winter performance, “A Night of Musical Theatre.” The last shows are Dec. 17 and 18 at 7 p.m.

Because Snohomish High doesn’t have a performing arts center right now — the new one is under construction — the performances are at Glacier Peak High School’s Performing Arts Center.

Students are performing various songs from various musicals, complete with costumes and choreography. There are 18 songs on the roster from musicals including “My Fair Lady,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Hairspray,” “Cabaret” and “Carousel.”

Some students are performing in eight to 10 songs.

“It’s a big spread of stuff, from contemporary to classical,” director Jaci Cummings said.

“This is an opportunity to feature everyone, to utilize everyone’s strengths,” Cummings said.

Garrett Dmochowsky, 17, plays the cabaret leader for the opening song of the show, “Wilkommen,” from Cabaret.

Dmochowsky never thought he’d be singing and dancing on stage, but he found out “it was well worth it” as a confidence booster, he said.

“I’ve been able to fit it into my life, and the more (events) you fit in, the more you can relate to people,” Dmochowsky said.

He’s the Associated Student Body president for Snohomish High, and part of the jazz choir, so being in front of people is not new for him. Singing and dancing is what’s new, he said.

“It really tests my personal courage,” Dmochowsky said.

Kyleann Irwin, 16, enjoys the range of songs she gets to sing. One of her solos is “Wouldn’t it be Loverly” from the play “My Fair Lady.” Irwin performs in eight songs overall.


“It’s definitely a lot of work,” Irwin said.


Everyone gets a chance to sing and dance. The fact that the stage players are largely equal has “definitely been a reward in all of this,” Irwin said.

Leah Thomas, 15, said performing comes naturally to her. Thomas has been in plays since she was 5, she said. What excites her about the musical review is the many different characters that she gets to play.

“That’s the great thing about this play — I get an opportunity to be a lot of different people,” Thomas said.

Most high school plays have an orchestra, but in this case the players are accompanied with one piano player. That pianist is Karen Rentko, a longtime elementary school music teacher.

“It’s the best hits from the best musicals wrapped into one,” Rentko said of the show.

Rentko said the best part for her is working with the high school talent.

“They’re doing such an awesome job,” Rentko said. “From the first note, you’re there.”

The musical review runs Dec. 17 and 18 at Glacier Peak High School Performing Arts Center. The two-hour show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $7 for most people, and $5 for people with a student card. Tickets are sold at the door.

Glacier Peak is located at 7401 144th Place SE.

By MICHAEL WHITNEY

Published Dec. 15, 2010

The Irwin Family Tree.... the Ornaments.... time of change

 Our favorite time to be together as a family, this year, was no different, but then it was.....  I know you are wondering, "What the heck is she saying....???"   We had our fun getting the tree, and pulling out the decorations which  contained  ornaments collected over many years of the kids growing up.  In my head I kept thinking, this could be Bobby's last Christmas living in the house and decorating the tree as a family...  He will be 18 in one week from today and following not long after, he will graduate and start his internship.  As we pulled out the ornaments, normally my job, and seperated them in piles for each kid, it was at this moment one of the kids asked, "Hey mom, do we get to take these with us when we move out?"  Hurting but also knowing deep down that it was inevitable, I replied, "Yes, each one of you get to take your own ornaments when you move out."  "Mom, what will you and dad do for ornaments?"  With a smile plastered, knowing change was coming, "Well, we have a container of our ornamanets we collected as young kids that we will start putting on our tree again."  It was funny to see their face, as they asked more questions about these mystery ornaments they hadn't seen or couldn't remember seeing.  The season of change is not just about trees with changing leaves or snow on the ground, but also about families growing up and out.  A hard thought to process, but when it comes down to it we always have our memories of traditions build as family and new ones to come.

Remember always, Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Merry Christmas!!