July 2008 Update

Happy 4th of July! It’s been far too long since our last post and much has happened in the last six months.

Jackson is growing and learning like crazy. He is becoming a little dynamo. His favorite word, SHOT!, is by far his favorite pastime. He can be found playing basketball all day long and making his shots. He has found his hook shot, his backwards slam, and of course, his cute little jump shot. He’s also fallen in love with baseball and pretty much anything that involves a ball. He is well on his way to becoming the greatest tight end, third baseman, and power forward BYU will ever see.

He is also quickly learning his ABCs and many other words. Some of the funniest things he says are actually while he is asleep. The other night, he woke Jacquie and me up when he yelled from his crib, “YAY, PIZZA!” We just laughed, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

We’re excited to announce that Jack is going to be a big brother in December -- yes, Bunkers, December. With this new little person the time between December 21 and January 18 will bring the number of Bunker family birthdays up to seven. Jennifer and Jill might get really lucky if the little one is born on December 30.

Jack’s really excited for his new little brother or sister. He really likes to kiss his mommy’s tummy and say, “Baby.” Sometimes he kisses my tummy and says baby, but unfortunately, I’m just fat. Auntie Jen bought him a great book about what it’s like to be a big brother and he loves reading it at night right before Andrea Bocelli and Elmo sing “Time to Say Goodnight” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgUnYzXU-Fo).

Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Jacquie and I are super grateful to my parents for letting us live in their basement rent-free while we save up money for a house. I’m still working at Salt Lake Community College as the Alumni and Annual Gifts Director. I am looking for ways to supplement my income, which is why I’ll be teaching a political science course this fall. Plus, I hope to do some consulting and freelance writing on the side.

Jacquie is a full-time mom of a 40 lb two-year old and a part-time nurse at a Vet Clinic in American Fork. She loves being a mom, especially when Jack does cute stuff like grabbing both her cheeks and giving her a slobbery, affectionate kiss. She enjoys being a vet nurse, especially when she successfully draws blood from a really tough vein. Beyond those responsibilities, she is my full-time best friend, counsellor, financial advisor, and many other things. She’s also doing a great job not puking. Zofran is her friend.

We hope everyone is great. We would like to keep in touch with you as much as is possible. If you are in Utah and would like to get together, please email or call us. We live downtown and can basically get anywhere in about an hour. If you live outside of Utah, we’re just a phone call or text away. By the way, we switched to a Mac last year so if you have a Mac and want to IChat, our AIM ID is mattandjacquie or mattbunker12.

Christmas Picture

Merry Christmas Family and Friends!

We have had a typical adventurous year full of the completion of life goals, major changes in location and jobs, and the enjoyment of the entertaining antics of the Jackermunchkin.

Jackson (a.k.a., Jackermunchkin, Jackerdactyl, Jack Jack) had a year full of firsts; but, what do you expect from a one-year old? He celebrated el Cinco de Mayo by crawling for the first time. Nothing salutes solidarity with Mexico like an chubby infant crawling across a living room floor for the first time!

On August 14, Jack experienced another monumental first: one year of life. He was joined by his family to celebrate a birthday party where Jack was unleashed on a defenseless Spaceship...Chocolate Cake (those poor donut-hole aliens!) After ravaging the little green men with licorice legs, the Jackerdactyl was turned loose on his presents, which he tore into with dauntless force.

Later on in September, Jack became a man when he took his first step and fell in love with BYU football. His agility on the playground will undoubtedly serve him well later when he plays for the Cougars as the greatest tight end and/or linebacker the school will have ever seen. He is currently learning the BYU Fight Song. His version only consists of grunts and laughs right now, but he's got the clapping and the rah-rah-rah down just fine.

Jackson is such a tender, clever, and curious little boy. We love having him as a part of our family.

At the beginning of 2007, Matt and Jacquie were living in Columbia, Missouri as Matt was finishing up his Masters of Public Affairs degree at the University of Missouri. Jacquie was serving in the Young Women's organization in the LDS congregation in Columbia. She developed some incredible relationships that will last a very long time. Matt was asked to serve in the best calling in the church as primary chorister. The little kids cracked him up every Sunday and also had a keen ability to teach him more about the Savior's love than almost anything else.

In May, Matt graduated with his MPA and accepted a job as the Alumni Director at Salt Lake Community College. So, at the end of the month, we packed up our lives in Missouri and headed back to Utah.

Matt started his job on June 1 and really loves it. He loves the college and sees incredible potential to improve people's lives. Jacquie also started to work again. She works part-time at Country View Veterinary Hospital in American Fork, Utah (her old office). She loves caring for the animals and retaining her skills, even if it is for only 12 hours a week.

Currently, we are living with Matt's parents in Salt Lake City but will likely be moving to our own home in the coming months. We love our neighborhood and our church responsibilities. Jacquie is the Primary Secretary and Matt serves as the Elders Quorum Secretary and 11-year old Scoutmaster.

We are constantly reminded of how blessed we are. We are grateful to have lived in different places where we have gained incredible friends. We are grateful to have a little one who gives us such joy. But, most of all, we are grateful for the knowledge that Jesus Christ is our Savior and loves us.

Peace be with you during this happy season and throughout the coming year.

Sincerely,

Matt, Jacquie, and Jackson Bunker

P.S. If you know of anyone who would be interested in this letter, please forward the link to them.

This is my Missi. She's really great. She came and visited me, Mommy, and Daddy a few weeks ago and we had a great time.



Someone bought me these neat pants. Grandma says Daddy had pants like these when he was my age. I guess I am destined to be a tacky (aka really good) golfer.

More Photos

Jack, Jacquie, and I played Chocolate Cake Indians for Family Home Evening the other night. I think the squaw and the brave look a lot better than the chief. Also, Cheddar the Warrior was stalking dust bunnies in the entertainment center.

The Chubbier Little One

Well Folks, a lot has happened since January. The Jackermunchkin has gotten two new teeth and loves showing them off. He also discovered how to clap his hands. So, his new favorite things are to smile by sticking out his little teeth or clap his hands and smile by sticking out his little teeth. Another very evident thing that happened to our little buddy is that he put on a little weight and took on a few inches. He's now 18 lbs 5 oz and 26 inches tall (as of Feb. 21 -- he's probably up to 20 lbs by now). He turns 7-months old on Thursday, but he's almost grown out of 9-month old clothes. It's really fun to watch him go through all of his stages and wake up every day to see what he does next.

Jackermunchkin 3

More Jackermunchkin

More photos...

The Jackermunchkin

Over the past two months, Jack has gone from a slender newborn to a chunky monkey. He has taken on an alter-ego known as "The Jackermunchkin!." It's a combination of his name - Jack; curmudgeon - what he reminds Mom and Dad of late at night when he is really tired, but won't go to bed; and munchkin - small, greenish midgets with orange hair that hang around with a wiry and kinda scary candy maker. Thus is spawned the Jackermunchkin.

He also convinced Mom and Dad to get a doggy named Brie. They rescued Brie from the animal shelter. Aunt Missi jokes around that Mommy and Daddy are "cheesy" because they're lovey dovey all the time. It's true that we Bunkers are pretty cheesy. My cat's name is cheddar, my dog's name is Brie, and I'm Jack! So there, Aunt Missi!

You might notice some of the best photos of the last couple of months that we posted above. They're really cute, but hey, they're all of me.