January

Another big hawk. We knew "somebody" must be out in the backyard when we noticed no little birds in the feeder! He (she) stayed perched there for more than a half an hour.

January days have been cold, gray, smoggy and foggy. Frozen fog is pretty cool though.

Brie's art work including a unicorn and butterflies (and nets).

Talmage's artwork...a car of course.

Friday night we went out to Rob and Naida Stayner's house for our annual get-together with them and Randy and Melanie Lewis. The food was great and the conversation as fun as always.

Wow, Rob is tall.

Unexpected January Visitors

Shortly after New Year's, we had visitors from Boise...Rana, Charlie, Logan and Marnie for a short visit. Logan came down to try out for a 4-month performing arts mission to Nauvoo this summer. Out of 200 applicants, he was one of 40 selected for an all-day audition at the Joseph Smith Building in Salt Lake. We hope he will be successful in landing a spot in the troupe! It was fun to go out for Chinese food and play Scattergories. Sorry we didn't take any photos!!

Then on Saturday the 9th of January we had a surprise visit from Robin and Sydney! What fun to see them in Utah, even if were only for a few hours. Autumn, Airie, Abram, Baron and Brie were able to stop by, too. We enjoyed some soup and bread and cheese and fruit and ice cream, played one game of Hot Potato, talked and laughed, and tickled/chased/swung/etc., Miss Sydney. Thanks, Robin and the gang for making the effort to stop in for a visit.

A girl with ponytails, bare pigs and a blanket.

With Grandpa and dolly.

Running! that girl is never still!

Grandma is playing "This Little Piggy Went to Market." Sydney's favorite word is "Again!"

Auntie Autumn helps with the Peanut M&Ms machine.

Cousin Brie doles out the pennies for the treats.

Mommy and finally-getting-tired Syd.

Time to say goodbye.

Birthday Girl Brie and Happy 2010!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY #7!
Brielle, you ARE special today...January 5th, 2010.
Brie requested spaghetti and salad and garlic cheese bread and she made strawberry cupcakes with chocolate frosting and pink and white sprinkles which were really yummy with her favorite chocolate ice cream...my favorite, too!

Make a wish and blow out the candle while we sing the birthday song.

Ready to open presents.

Beautiful new pink bike from her Mom & Dad.

Grandpa and the birthday girl.

Grandma and Colby.

Host and hostess at the New Year's Eve party in Provo.

What a fun evening of good food and games with Leslie, Autumn, David, Michele, Cory, Paula, Laur, Abram and Airie (and 2 ratonies). Thanks for inviting us.

(I didn't have to clean the house before and after.)

Baron and Brielle...time to go home...it's after midnight and we're going to turn into pumpkins! We're grateful that the weather cooperated with no snow.

The remains of the goodies...cheese balls, veggies and ranch dip, olives, of course, tortilla roll-ups ham/cream cheese/spinach, personal sized bacon/onion/parmesan/swiss quiche, Hawaiian meatballs with pineapple and peppers, popcorn with assorted seasonings, guacamole, chili queso, chips, snickerdoodles, candy...Well, you ARE supposed to eat the old year out and new year in. We didn't have any trouble.

Dad concentrating on Wii Bowling.

We also played a game of charades with 20 headlines from 2009. Brie's moonwalk and collapse on the floor was perfect for the death of Michael Jackson.

Wii Mario Brothers was a hit.

Bowling audience.

At the strike of 12 we saw the ball drop and Mom and Brie and Baron blew bubbles. Then we watched some great fireworks out the back door. We hope 2010 will be a happy and healthy and prosperous year for everyone.

Christmas--It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas Day 2009 was sunny, cold and lots of fun with family visitors dropping in for the ham buffet and the exciting sharing of gifts (thoughtful, humorous, beautifully wrapped, etc.), a treasure hunt, a special video chat with the Hillsboro Barkers (thanks for the tickets to see the Chinese performers!), the new Star Trek movie, Yahtzee, more food, and best wishes all around. Dad captured some of the emotions of the day on film and we’ll remember how wonderful it was to share time-honored traditions with the people we love. Thanks to all for all the toys and goodies!

Santa's Been!

Shiny red presents for Mom.

Yes, he's been a good boy!

Geo Swag and a planter from the Hardys!

A new CD..."Christmas with the Rat Pack!"

Personalized ornament..."The Hardy Boys, Butters & Moochie" with their little whiskered mugs.

If only it were real.

We got a beautiful brown woven basket, DVD of last year's Tabs' Christmas Concert, handmade greeting cards, mint/chocolate malt balls, and the Sierra Club calendar for Dad's office and a clever C3PO thumb drive from Autumn.

Personalized ornament..."Best Friends, Maki & Kaya" with their charming, happy little faces.

Autumn's phish gift...Trey...from the Hillsboro Barkers. Very creative and well done.

A big basket full of goodies from the Stansbury Barkers, including homemade applesauce, homemade scented soaps, a darling photo of Brie & Colby in the canyon, and a really cute M&M Nutcracker who dispenses dark chocolate candies.

Brielle was sooooo excited for me to open this gift. She kept saying "I won't tell you what it is!" as if she were trying to convince herself. And somehow she kept it in, but bursting when I finally discovered the surprise! Oh, the joys of Christmas.

A traditional fish ornament.

Green Bay Packers Mr. Potato Head.

Personalized snowman family ornament for Donette.

New clothes for Brie.

A Princess "Look & See" Book for Brie.

Craft projects using rocks.

Colby in his new Thomas the Train shirt.

Getting interested in his new Disney Book.

Confronting a dinosaur.

Leslie & David & Hannah Montana stickers.

The feast!!

The treasure hunt!

The hawk watches the celebrating/overindulgence.

Till we meet again.