New Car

Michael's car died about a month ago, and it was going to be $2,000 at least to resurrect it. Instead, we donated it and opted for this little number. We're all having a blast with it! Morgan especially can't wait to drive it.

Summer Vacation 2010

I realize that these few token pictures do not remotely do justice to the hundreds I took on vacation, but if I feel that I have to post too many, I will not do it at all. Clearly. As was recently pointed out to me, I have not blogged in months. So here's a quick recap.

This was in front of the Albuquerque temple. We visited Michael's parents first for a few days. We did some hiking, saw some prairie dogs. Morgan is not in the picture, because she was at Grandma's house with pneumonia. Lovely vacation, no?

At Hole In the Rock in southern Utah. There's a rest stop, and we always go up the rocks a little way for a picture. Later in the trip, the kids were telling me how they never saw the hole in the rock. At this point I had to explain to them that the rest stop was right behind it, that the store in the front with the painted words "Hole N the Rock" was where the hole was. All this time we've been stopping there, and they never knew.

Our friends, the Gibsons, from Michigan were in Utah at the same time we were, because their oldest daughter was going to EFY with Morgan. We got together at an arcade/bowling alley. Their kids and our kids seem to match perfectly and get along so well.


After the bowling, we had lunch, and then we went up Provo Canyon to Vivian Park. The kids were making their own fishing poles and exploring.

Morgan spent the next week at EFY, but then on Saturday, we went to the Robinson reunion. Hiking again -- which we love! This time it was up Big Cottonwood Canyon up at Brighton Ski Resort. We hiked around Silver Lake -- and even saw a baby moose!

On the mountain side of the lake, we found some rock climbing we could do. Kellen went all the way to the top. He figured if the other kids could do it, so could he.

Later that day -- all the grandkids togther for more than likely the last time. It was impossible to get a picture of everyone behaving themselves, so I just picked the best one.

Olivia's blessing day. It was so nice for me to be around family and fun for the kids to see all their cousins, uncles, and aunts.

After Utah was the trip to Idaho Falls for my high school reunion. We stayed with Richard and Gini, fed the ducks, played the drums, ate raspberries and cherries off of Grandpa's trees and bushes. A short trip, but the kids enjoyed themselves.

And back to Albuquerque on the way home. One day only, and look what happened. The kids had a blast with more cousins, the Bohns -- Michael's sister's kids.

Such a great vacation! We did so much, had so much fun, went so many places, and saw so many people. I even got to see one of my roommates from my freshman year of college. Thanks to everyone who let us crash at their places! We love you!

Texas Snowstorm

Yep, we actually got 12 inches of snow last Wednesday and Thursday. In ten years we've never gotten that much snow -- like all together I don't think we have. I'm not going to look it up. I'm just guessing.

Kellen was sure the snowman needed ears and arms. Liam kept going up and knocking them off. I don't think Kellen minded putting them back on, though.

When the kids got home from school, they had to go out in it too. Yes, even the big ones. There was no school on Friday due to the snow.

Morgan was trying to make snowmen like Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes." She was surprised how hard it was.

Looking down our street.

My angel making a snow angel.

Of course, we don't have any sleds. We tried cardboard, but the snow was so wet that it disintegrated too quickly. We saw people in laundry baskets, but the corners kept getting stuck. Like a flash it came to me to use the pool toys to go tubing. Perfect!

Oh, we had ourselves a blast, but I think the kids were glad it only lasted two days. They were tired of it by then, I'm sure.

10

Overall I have not been a good blogger lately, but I have especially neglected this family blog. Makenzie turned ten on December 1. I can't even believe that. She was a month old when we moved to Dallas. So we've been here ten years.

This was three days after we moved into the house we're in now. She was 5 1/2. She started Kindergarten a few months later. Look at those blue eyes, that perfect skin!

And here she is now -- this was taken 2 days before Christmas. Such a young lady. She is a good big sister. She loves to take care of everyone's babies in the ward. She's going to be an excellent babysitter. She's a good seamstress and is in the midst of making a very complicated quilt. Makenzie gets excellent grades, is in the chess club, the school choir, the Battle of the Books team, is helpful to all her teachers, and is a pleasant and easygoing girl. She has a huge vocabulary and always wants to work above her age level. Sometimes we forget (as does she) that she is just a little girl. But she's growing bigger and more capable each year. She'll be in young women's before I know it. Yikes.

This is my four-year-old Makenzie -- beautiful, perfect features, talks up a storm, singing and dancing all over. She still loves to sing and can't wait to be in the ward choir with Mom and Morgan. I could not do without her, that's for sure. Love you, Kenzie!