We can hardly believe Christmas is so near. Brandon is so excited to be done with the semester that it probably overshadows Christmas a little bit. I am excited to be able to actually have Brandon back (he’s been spending too much time with his books)! Only two semesters to go before graduation, and then off to law school. 
Since we've been so busy the last two months we haven't kept up, so here's some highlights from the little while. Nick, Brandon's brother, was married on October 12th—we welcome Hayley into the family! They had a really fun reception with lots of ice cream, candy, popcorn and dancing.
We spent a great Thanksgiving with my family. There were 32 of us altogether! We love spending time with our family. The kids outnumber the adults 17 to 15; when the Ruschs get together it's an automatic party. Brandon and I are blessed to have our parents live so close together. This lets us spend time with both families on a regular basis.Brandon is liking his new job with Kirton & McConkie. He is a file clerk for many of the attorneys. Basically that means he gets to file all the paperwork that the attorneys create. It's a great starting point, and a great way to make some connections that could prove beneficial in the future. We were able to go to the Christmas party a few weeks ago. We felt a little out of place, but still enjoyed the evening. We are pretty sure that Kirton and McConkie is the only law firm that starts their parties with a prayer and has a keynote speaker that shares a message from the scriptures.
Brandon and I are keeping busy with our Church callings. Brandon has been the Executive Secretary since August and I am the Ward bulletin and newsletter coordinator. I also teach Relief Society once a month, and on the weeks I don't teach Relief Society I teach a teacher development course. I haven't had to wonder what to do in my spare time.
We're looking forward to a great Christmas with family, as well as starting a few traditions of our own. Brandon agreed to take me to the Nutcracker on Christmas Eve morning. This will be his first ballet so he is not quite sure what to expect. He is a great sport though.
We are grateful for this time of year and the chance to remember the birth of our Savior. We wish you all the very best this holiday season.
