More on Christmas break

Siena was able to do baptisms at the temple for the first time while we were in Seattle. Our ward was going to go during Christmas break and Siena was sad that she wouldn't get to go, but since her Grandpa works in the temple baptistry we thought it would be a great opportunity for her to go there. It was still very snowy and the group coming from Olympia couldn't make it, so Siena was the only person there. It was so nice and quiet and not rushed. Her grandfather was able to perform the baptisms and the confirmations. Then he introduced her to someone from the temple presidency and showed her around the cafeteria. It was a peaceful experience for both of us.

It's a New Day

So I was brought to tears today. Not because I turned 38, but because we now have a new president. "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty we are free at last!"
Actually, I started crying when I turned on the TV this morning to see the streets of Washington DC filled to the brim, and heard the newcasters mention that slaves built the Capital Building, and saw how Obama used Lincoln's Bible to be sworn into office. Now we have a black President leading our country. I am optimistic that the future will be brighter for our children.

The Lion King

Something I got myself for my birthday was tickets to "The Lion King" and our friends the Toblers came along, too. We had quite a nice night. We went out to dinner and then to the theater with our girls. "The Lion King" was spectacular. I was amazed at the costume and set design. It is interesting how they were able to make people very animal-like. Of course, the voices were incredible! It was a fun night out.

Chris and Anna's Wedding

I have a new sister-in-law! Paul's youngest brother, Chris, married Anna Wilson on Dec. 30th. It was such a nice day. The snow had melted just in time and the sun was shining, but it was very cold. The temple ceremony was in the morning, then the wedding breakfast was after. Later that night was their party/reception. It was such a fun event. They had delicious Indian food, and Anna's sisters and friends sang and played romantic "oldies" music for dancing. Anna and her family are very musically talented and they are all so sweet. It was really nice getting to meet her great family.

Chris is one of my favorite people. He is genuinely kind, talented, funny, and is an over-all sweetheart. I've always wanted the best for him. Anna is such an intelligent, talented, and lovely person who is very earth conscious. I wish them much happiness in their future together and I know that the world is a better place because they are in it.

Uncle Andy and Aunt Heather came for the big event. They are such jovial people. I love being around them. Stick Susan in there with them and they can't stop laughing. It's contagious. Uncle Andy played his bagpipes of course. It always makes me cry (because I love it! NOT because it's bad.)Chris's school friend, James and is wife Hi-sun, and his Peace Corp friend, Dan, all came to the wedding. They too are wonderful people. If you can't tell, happiness and love filled the air.

Christmas Morning

Like all Christmas mornings, it started too early and was over before you knew it. SaraJane, Siena, and Kingsley were up first and then they got Spencer to come wake me up. After a while everyone was awake and tearing open presents. The rest of the day was spent enjoying them all. Spencer's favorite was his bowling kit. His least favorite was his orange. He was going through his stocking finding presents and candy and when he came across the orange he looked puzzled and said, "This doesn't belong in here," and he pitched it off to the side.

Fun in the Snow!

What can I say about the snow? It was so deep and so beautiful and so much fun to play in!

Cabin Fever!

We were snowed in the first week or so of our vacation. The few times we did venture out in a car were scary and we often had to be saved by Paul's brother, Dan, who owns a big truck. That meant a lot of fun in the house with cousins. Papa was good at keeping them entertained, too. However, it also meant we got cabin fever!

What Have I Been Waiting For?

I don't know why it has taken me so long to sit down and write about our Christmas vacation. The first week after getting home I was busy unpacking, washing clothes, and getting back to our normal lives. Last week I was really busy, but really I think it is because there is so much to tell, I knew it would take too long so I just didn't do it. However, my lack of writing has made some worry about us so I decided I really should write even if it is just a little bit at a time.

Let's go back to Dec 17th and 18th. We heard about Seattle and the whole west coast getting hit with major snow storms. Even southern California had snow. Parts of I-5 were closed, so we didn't know how we were going to drive all the way to WA. We figured it would be just as bad if not worse going through UT and ID so we just decided to go for it. We left Friday the 19th about 5:30pm. The plan was to drive straight through. All went very well until we were only four hours outside of Seattle. There we hit snow. It just kept getting worse and worse until we didn't know what we were going to do. We could pull over and get a hotel and possibly get snowed in there or keep going. Since we were so close we decided to keep going. It was very surreal. The freeway was ski slope- no lanes just a wide open expanse with trees along the side. People weaving in and out some fast and some slow and sometimes crashing into each other or off to the side. To make a terribly long drive not repeat itself, we made it to Paul's parents house around 9pm- 27 1/2 hours after starting just before the snow storm of the century dumped on WA. Really the drive was pretty good despite Lily, Spencer, and myself being sick, Lily throwing up twice, and of course, the snow. I've blocked most of it out, but those are the parts I remember.

This is 18 hours into the trip. Everybody looks pretty good, but Lily is a bit zoned out from her sedative that we gave her to try to get her to sleep during the night.

This is one of the hundred times Spencer sang the ABCs on the trip.

This picture is just shortly after it started snowing. It is beautiful.