Early December 2012
Dearest friends and family,
What a great year! Evette is
growing up beautifully, we’re settling in well in Dallas, and work is going
well for me. It’s been a busy year for us with a lot of growing up to do, but
we’re enjoying the journey and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Evette is now 14 months
old/young and at her one-year checkup, she clocked in at 21 lbs and 30 ½ inches.
She picked up walking about four months ago, babbles non-stop, waves at anyone
she sees, and is a wonderfully curious and bright young girl. She never ceases
to impress Heidi and me with how quickly she learns new concepts or the extent
of her memory. She understands many commands, taught us a sign for food/hungry
(bunch your fingers and bring your finger tips to your mouth), and consistently
says “Daddy,” “all done,” and “outside” correctly (Grandma Laurie gets all the
credit for the last one). We’ve heard “Momma” and “Doggie” a couple of times
and is working on saying “Yes” (dramatic head nod included). She doesn’t say “no”
yet but a scrunched face and frantically thrown arms sends the message plenty
fine.
I graduated from BYU in April of
this year with a BA in International Relations with an emphasis in political
economy and minors in business strategy and business management. Soon after
graduation I began working as a management consultant with Oliver Wyman, a job
I so far love. I’ve helped analyze the risks of building a new power plant,
identified convenience store retailers to partner with a national gasoline
brand, performed a due diligence on the water treatment market for
thermoelectric power plants, identified acquisition targets for a firm, and
supported a number of partners in developing pitch work for potential clients.
Work has been a fun challenge for me and the travel requirements haven’t been
too hard on us yet.
Heidi most often fills her days
teaching and playing with Evette – a task I’ve gained a lot of respect for
since I’ve been home so much over the last several weeks (I run out of
ideas/activities after about 40 minutes). There are lots of play dates, library
excursions, shopping trips, and visits to the lovely Dallas Arboretum. Evette
proved to be a fantastic coach for Heidi as she prepared for her first half
marathon (her first race of any length) a few weeks ago. Heidi clocked in with a very respectable time just under two hours and
she’s now helping me prepare for our first race as a couple this February.
Soon after moving to Dallas, we
found a wonderful community in our local Latter-day Saint church. Heidi
conducts the music for the women and she helps me teach a class of eight 16-18
year-old youth, whom we absolutely adore. We’ve also made a number of very dear
friends already and have always felt very welcome.
Finally, I just want to comment
on how I love that we’ve been able to spend a lot of time with family this
year, especially now that we’re so close to Heidi and my parents in Houston. Soon
after graduation we took off for a wonderful trip to the beautiful northwest
where we were able to visit many family members and explore some of the
landscape the Puget Sound area has to offer. And just a week ago, we were able
to go on a Thanksgiving-week cruise to the Western Caribbean with my (Sean’s)
parents and siblings. Through our many travels this year, we’ve loved the
scenery and sights, but most of all we loved seeing so many loved ones.
So here’s to another year. May
joy fill your home as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Yours,
Sean, Heidi, and Evette McQuay
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