NEW YEAR 2011

Well, I believe that was about the longest I have left the Christmas tree and decorations up at our house (January 5th). But this year is a little different. There was so much snow around that it still seemed like Christmas. And since Denis and Sarah returned to the U.S. 7 months earlier than we previously thought, they were my Christmas surprise. Sarah and Denis decided that after 2 months of him trying to get a job in Ukraine (besides him performing a few nights a week), they would get Sarah back in school here and find jobs here. Of course, the family is all happy about that. We have given them free reign of the basement to live in and of course love having them upstairs also. Our December was wonderful with Spencer and Jane's family here for the Christmas week. Wyatt is such a fun little boy to be around and loves his Grandpa and Grandma. Norah is a very good baby and I just couldn't get enough of holding her!

Before the snow grew to be over a foot deep, Spencer and Wyatt went outside and played for a while. They threw snowballs and built a baby snowman.

Wyatt remembered his Grandma Great when we visited her on Christmas Day.

For Christmas Eve we had a traditional ham and turkey dinner and Candace's pretzel jello salad was the hit of the night.

We had an evening of sharing by everyone

and then Christmas morning ate our traditional cinnamon-roll breakfast.

Raidon came over with Andy and got better aquainted with his cousin, Wyatt. He even got to spend a night with us. We fell asleep watching "Shreck". With Skype on the computer, we got to spend a little time with family that weren't in Utah. The gang got to hang out at Diane and Dallon's house in Ogden that they recently moved into. Sophie played with the little cousins and showed us her newly painted yellow and pink bedroom. She doesn't like me taking her picture.

Family, friends, and neighbors were very generous with all their thoughts and gifts to us. We're thankful that we have such good people around us. Please accept our heart-felt thanks!

Bruce and I look forward to our trips this month to see my parents in Alabama and hope to spend time with Kathy and Keith. Then we will fly out to Washington again for Zachary's birthday and ordination into the Priesthood as a deacon. I can't believe how fast they are growing up as well as Whitney who will be turning 16 on February 1st! We hope to see Linda and Rashadd at their new home too.