Van Lines

Yes, we are still alive and living in St. George.  John is still retired and enjoying working on genealogy and home improvement projects.  He works at the genealogy library on Wednesday afternoons.  A lot of his time is spent taking care of Shantel, who still lives with us.   Aaron is working at Capriottis, a sandwich shop he has been with for a couple of years.  Shawn is still working at the Electric Cafe, a restaurant he was been with for a couple of weeks.  Marianne is still a school counselor at Desert Hills High School.  On the weekend she and John are the morning feeders for 25 horses in a boarding facility.  In her spare time she loves drawing or being with her friends' horses.  Her most recent accomplishment is learning to drive a bobcat skid loader. 
The most exciting change in our lives in the last few months has been the addition of Vegard into the family.  You can read about him in another article.  We are very, very, happy to have Matt, Melissa, and Dayna in St. George! And although we are now a little short on overnight accommodations, we are hoping that everyone is planning to be at our house for New Year's Eve!


MEET VEGARD HYNNE AND NICO PENTE

Vegard is a foreign exchange student from Norway and lives with the Van Staverens. He is 18 years old and a senior at Desert Hills High School in St. George, Utah. “V” is a deep thinker and enjoys learning new things and having new experiences. He is open minded and enjoys exploring new ideas and beliefs. One of V’s great qualities is his positive attitudes towards everything. He doesn’t complain about anything or anyone. He is passionate about soccer and hopes to play on the school team in the Spring. Currently he is playing on an indoor soccer league. In school he enjoys Medical Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, and Advanced Placement English. In the future V hopes to be a medical professional. “The most surprising thing about Vegard is his lack of an accent. At the beginning of the school year students wouldn’t believe that he was a foreign exchange student. V plays guitar, and enjoys just hanging out with friends. He doesn't miss the cold in Norway, but he does miss his friends.
Nico is a foreign exchange student from Italy. He and Vegard have become best friends here in America. Nico’s first host family didn’t work out and so he moved in with a new host family on Monday Nov. 2. He now lives with the Shepherd’s: mat Melissa, and Dayna. Nico attracts people to him because he is always smiling and happy. He is very fun to be around and loves to have fun. He is inquisitive and loves to see and experience new things. Nico’s accent is strong and it makes him very fun to talk to. In Italy his mother owns a bed and breakfast and his father is a professional photographer.