2009 Top Ten List

At the end of each year we create a list that highlights the memorable moments that stood out for us as a family.

1. Impromptu Family Trip to Knott's Berry Farm
2.  Wicked
3. Seth's New Job
4. Jeremy Got His Drivers Permit
5. New Hobbies;Guns & Ammo
6. Girls Trip to California
7. Seth's New Drums & Bass
8. No Kids For 5 Straight Days
9. Someone Turned 40
10. Survived One Year Together As a Family

Storm Damage

The media are claiming that this week's storm is one of the strongest ever (top three) sustained by the Phoenix metropolitan area. We didn't get that full force felt by L.A., but we did have record precipitation and winds in excess of 30 mph. Sky Harbor Airport was closed during much of the evening, several highways were closed — I-10, AZ-101, I-17, I-40 — and tornadoes were reported but not yet confirmed.

At home in Chandler, we didn't escape the torrent. Scroll down to see the destruction in our own back yard!

 

(Actually, a couple forty foot acacias fell into our back yard. Click to see the pictures.)

Lots and Lots of Snow!

A couple days after Christmas, Evon and I packed Jeremy and Rachel into the car for a road trip to Utah. We got there just in time for a terrific snowfall. Alex flew into SLC the next day from spending Christmas with her dad. We spent the week at my parents’ home in Pleasant Grove and packed the week (a little too) full of fun! Here’s a little montage that shows how a family from the Arizona desert will go crazy when they see the white, powdery stuff.

We ate in the Lion House Pantry and met my fifth cousin, Sandy, then toured the Beehive House. We walked around Temple Square and stopped in the Tabernacle and visited the Church History Museum. They have the actual pistols Joseph and Hyrum defended with in Carthage Jail. We toured the Conference Center where we saw Arnold Friberg’s twelve original Book of Mormon paintings. We played in the snow, built snowmen and snow forts, went sledding, visited friends who use to live in Arizona, visited cousins and aunts and uncles and second cousins. We went tubing in Soldier Hollow and had the best burgers and shakes at Dairy Keen in Heber, UT. We drove to the west desert and plinked targets and snowmen. We went shopping at BYU Bookstore and looked at everything in BYU’s Museum of Art and saw Avatar in IMAX 3D. And somehow we found time to play Risk for hours and hours.
Happy New Year to you and your families. We wish you peace, happiness, good health and success.

Our Early Christmas

Our Christmas was wonderful this year. We began, as is now becoming tradition, by getting together with our family here in Arizona for Christmas Eve dinner. This year, though, it was held on the 19^th. After a delicious dinner, to which everyone contributed — excellent smokies, Lindsey! — we played our annual white elephant game. We play it so that each item can be stolen three times only and no more. As you can see, everyone is vulnerable.

It was a night of excellent food, good fun, beloved family, and perfect timing … because we planned to celebrate Christmas the next morning — almost a week early! Jealous? Alex was flying to California to be with her father and family. Rachel and Jeremy were spending Christmas day with their mother and family. So we opened presents December 20 in the morning. Know what Santa brought? Three guesses!

We hope that you had a wonderful, Christmas.