Eric & Amber Gentry Family

Hello Family!!

We are doing very well in HOT St. George. We are looking forward to school starting in a couple of weeks. It’s amazing how fast the summer has flown by!

Christian is getting ready for third grade, and will turn nine-years-old in October. He is an accomplished and avid reader. We have to pry the book out of his hands and take away his glasses at bedtime. Even then, when he thinks we are not looking, he will get the book back off the shelf and squint by moonlight until he can’t keep his eyes open any longer. I’ve never met a child who enjoys reading like Christian does. Christian has also become quite the artist, creating all sorts of dinosaurs and other creatures. If you ask him, he will tell you all about them. He wants to be a paleontologist and airplane pilot when he grows up. Christian is also very knowledgeable about the Gospel. He knows the scripture stories and always has the right answers in Primary. His teachers have nicknamed him the little General Authority. He is a great kid, and we feel blessed that he is with us. We love Christian and are proud of the excellent young man he is becoming. He often seems older and wiser than his years.

Ethan is six-years-old now and is just about to enter the First Grade. He is so excited that he will have three recesses now, and will get to eat in the lunch room. He is just starting to read, and enjoys sounding out simple books with his mom. He has more energy than the rest of us combined, and is a real mamma’s boy. He loves any attention he can get from his mom and lights up every time he is with her. Ethan enjoys physical activity and competition of any sort, and he loves to be with his friends. He has many friends, and is not afraid of making new ones. He will approach anyone with a toothy grin and a hearty “Hi – my name is Ethan.” Ethan is curious about everything, and loves to live life to the fullest. He wants to be a construction worker when he grows up. We love Ethan very much and are proud of him. If only we could have half of his energy…

Rebekah is our little princess. She gets cuter everyday. She knows that she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, and takes advantage of it as much as she can (not that her daddy minds all that much). She is learning so much so quickly. We are continually amazed at the new things that come out of her mouth. She is quite eloquent for a three-year-old – most of the time it’s cute, sometimes not so much.

She also loves to sing, and is very good at it. She can remember songs and has a surprisingly developed sense of pitch and rhythm. We love Rebekah very much.

We are looking forward to welcoming a new addition to our family in October. The boys are relieved that it is not a girl, since that would have evened the teams – an unbearable thought for a six- and eight-year-old. For the present, we are calling him “Lumpster” at Christian’s inspired suggestion, but we are not sure that the name will last after birth. Amber and the baby are doing fine, and at least Amber is anxiously counting down the days. I am not too excited about losing my office to a nursery, but such is the interminable march of progress, I suppose. I guess it’s a small sacrifice in the long run. We are grateful that the Lord is entrusting us with another.

Christian is doing very well with his chemotherapy. It has been a long, hard road, but we are so grateful for the blessings from above and the expert medical attention he has received. On the one hand, we are ready to be done with his treatments in January, but on the other hand, it will be a little difficult to cut the moorings. Although regular checks and constant attention are often cumbersome and inconvenient, they are also comforting in a way. We are nervous to pull away from the safety of the dock and head back out to sea. We know in whom we have placed our faith, however, and we will continue to do so.

It was so nice to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa (I love saying that!) in California. We really enjoyed their hospitality and spirit. We miss them very much and wish they were closer.

We love you all, and are looking forward to the time that we can see you again.

Love Always,

Eric, Amber, Christian, Ethan, Rebekah, and “Lumpster”

The pictures are a little old... but still fun!