Cindy's Amazn Wishlist

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1YDMKDFX3VZ1F

Krista's Chrismas list

1. Acoustic guitar music
2. An Audrey Hepburn Poster
3. Deck of Cards
4. Gift cards-Urban Outfitters, I tunes, Black Chandelier, Vans.
5. Guitar picks
6. Movie Posters
7. Music Stand
8. Posters
9. Strings

Tyler's Christmas list

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/3J6G2TCHTXV32

Here is the link to Tyler's Christmas wish list.

Rude Awakening

So, this morning I went outside to go to work and as I peered down the front stairs I noticed that my car looked a little funny - namely, the glass was all smashed in the hatchback! I wen tback up to the house to tell Mike and to get the police department's phone number and all that.
When Mike went down to take pictures, he noticed the large rock at the bottom of the stairs. So, it looks like someone had a gret time last night throwing a large rock at the back of my car. You can see the rock in the picture below.

I still drove to work, made all my phone calls and the glass man is out in the parking lot right now making the change. It hurts just a little bit more because Saturday I took the car in to the dealer for the 15,000 mile service - and that already cost me $250 this month - here's to another $250 gone away!

Family Christmas Gift Exchange

So!

If you keep up with the blog, here is the list for the family gift exchange. As is traditional. the first person on the list buys for the person listed next to them.

Tom - Mckay
Shauna - Rachel
Kellie - Charlotte
Will - Brian
Bob - Shauna
Lisa - Mike
Ryan - Tom
Shane - Kristy
Taylor - Cindy
Gentry - Tyler
McKay - Will
Rachel - Olivia
Jim - Taylor
Kristy - Bob
Charlotte - Shane
Olivia - Ryan
Mike - Gentry
Cindy - Jim
Tyler - Lisa
Krista - Kellie
Brian - Krista

Masqued-capades

We took a family trip to a Halloween store to trick out the kids for the holiday. Mike seemed to have more fun trying stuff on than the kids.

Krista is going to be a cat. I made tails for her, Tyler and for a friend of Krista's. But I think K-Bear is the only one who is actually oing to wear one. I told her she couldn't wear it in public except for at costume functions! I really don't want a tailing-wearing daughter. Besides, Stacey and Clinton on What Not to Wear are definitely anti-tail!
So which "hat" do you think looks best on Mike?

October Snow!

Sunday, October 12 we woke up to a winter wonderland. All of nature was shocked just a bit - but we didn't go overboard. No need to shovel or build a fire.
ut I didn't take the opportunity to take some great shots.
The pumpkins below looked nce with their frosting (e harvested more than 16 this year). And Arthur is no worse for wear. In unrelated news - Arthur is going to need a whole new engine. Yikes! But it should be cheaper at this point than buying a new or used car.

Cal Road Trips

This summer Mike bid on and won two tickets to each Cal home game. SO far he has taken Tyler to one, where they met up with Christian (below) and Krista to the other, where they saw the entire Elder clan (above). Mike and I are headed out there Friday night for the Oregon game. It sounds like we may be able to see Ed and Sandra while we are in there.

would show you more pcitures of the kids' adventures with their dad, but these are just about the only pictures they took the entire time!

The Rashness of Tyler

So, On September 20th, Tyler decided to go for bike ride, which he has been doing on and off. But he had only been gone a few minutes when I received a call. He had hit an uneven spot and wiped out. He was just on the other side of the state capitol, so I ran to the car and went to pick him up.

When I got there, there was a police officer keeping an eye on him. I just threw his bike and him both on the car and took him home.
Nothing was broken, but he bore these wounds for quite awhile. I haven't looked for scars lately; I can only hope that there are few! I think we got off lucky with no broken bones!

Shoulder Pain

After putting off the inevitable for far too long, Mike had shoulder surgery in Mid-August. I hung out with him in the surgical center - even though we wer a little late getting in, the surgery itself didnot take long - or at least no extra time (unlike that horrible wrist surgery lo' so many years ago.)

Now, September, Mike has regained full use of his shoulder, without any more pain. Yep, he's back to his full time teasing self. Pity me, please.

80's Indulgence

In August, Mike, myself and our friend Anthony went to see some 80's bands perform at The Depot in the Gateway. The concert was orginally scheduled for Usana Amphitheatre, but the sales were low, so it was moved. Mike and I were admitted early, during the band check, so we scored awesome seats in the balcony, directly in front of the stage.Here is ABC,
Belinda Carlisle (sans the other Go-Go's),
The Human League (with a key-tar!)
And the origal singet of Naked Eyes.

Help! Police!

In July we were also able to take the kids to see Elvis Costello and The Police. It was a pretty good concert. I don't really know any of Costello's newest stuff - he has never stopped performing, I guess.

Sting seems to have lost the upper register of his voice. But, the concert was still a treat.

California Redux

At the end of June, Krista and I took a road trip to Anaheim for the ALA convention. We spent parts of four days in the Magic Kingdom and even had Corrina with us for parts of two days. SHe was overwhelmed by the convention, but had a great time in D-land.
Here I am with Orson Scott Card. His line was VERY long, so we only had a couple of minutes to chat. I don't know whose line was the longest - his, Dean Koontz or R.A. Salvatore.
Here is Krista with lauren Myracle. They balancing Lauren's latest book on their heads.
The boys joined us just in time of Corrina's birthday. Mike came from SLC, but Tyler joined us from Berekely, where he did a summer engineering camp. He said he enjoyed the med camp kids better than the engineers. I talked everyone into going down to the beach for photo ops.
Can you find the stranger in this picture? He was happy to take a group photo for us, but he wanted his picture taken with the kids. Why not!
ANd here are Tyler and CHristian trying to hurt Colin. Split, Colin, split! Afterwards, the boys flew back to SLC and Krista journeyed home again. If I had been able to drive straight through, we would have beat the boys home that day. But I hit the wall in mid-Utah and had to stop for the night.

Hello Mexico

As soon as school got out for the summer, Mike swept us away to Mexico. We disenplaned in Puerto Vallarta, taxied to a small dock at Punto de Muertos in the south end on the city and took a 45 minute boat ride to a very quiet little bay.
This picture is from outside our rooms. Each set of rooms is two large rooms under one roof. Each side has its own shower, so you could have strangers sharing your hut, but we just had the children. In order to get to the village, we had to walk across that stretch of beach every time.
This is how the locals get stuff from the village to the resort. I wish I had had a private donkey to take me back and forth across the beach!
Her ewe all are outside of our hut. We had a nice porch; Tyler had a great time playing with all of the different sizes of crabs constantly scuttling around. We even found one inside our shower one morning.
Here are my feet haning out onthe beach. Tyler liked the hammocks slung under private awnings.
This is one of two docks in the bay. Every evening this group of people would come and fish off the pier. Pretty much every person that worked at the resort lived up the river that projects from behind the bay.


Here inside the kids room. The only things you can't see are the chest of drawers with closet bar and the bathroom/shower.
Here is Tyler with his cusins in El Segundo. The second day of our vacation he stepped on a bee and it didn't heal well. He was swell, instead. So, we cut things short and headed back to the US.

Graduation Day

This picture is actually out of order. Krista's graduation from 8th grade was before Mom and Dad's return from thir mission. But I am so far behind now that I am not surprised that I made the mistake.

This is Krista with her friend Stephanie Metherall.

During graduation, they called students up in groups to accept different kinds of awards. Brainiacs, Model-types and I don't remember really any more of the categories. Krista's group was the Pyromaniacs. Not because they like to start fires, but because whenever they are around, foreworks are sure to happen. I don't know about the other kids, but that certainly fits Krista to a "T".

The Tail End

Here are the final few pictures from the family get together. I think that Mike has a picture just like this with every baby in the new generation - but isn't Charlotte adorable!
Will had a fab time in the pool. He was the king of the floating pool bed. Sometimes he really thought he could swim, but he was well looked after.
And when he fell asleep exhausted, Grumpy finally got a chance to hold him.
And here's a super bunch of crazy kids!!

Swim buddies

With Mom and Dad's return also came pretty good weather, so we were able to hit the pool with everyone except Brian and Kaden. Charlotte took to the water like a fish. What a appy girl!And Olivia was the Princess of the floaties. SHe wasn't afraid of going anywhere with her movable throne.
And here's the whole adorable family.
Here's a funny picture from the homecoming. Shauna was kind enough to make impressions of Krista's teeth so that Krista can whiten her teeth.

Return to Sender

So, Mom and Dad made it back from Indonesia. Bob and clan got info about how to say Welcome Home in Indonesian and made this banner for them. We made a nice sized group at the airport.
At Grummy and Grandfather's house after their homecoming, we took new group pictures of all of the families.



Even Kristy's brother came by with his new, wel not so nw, baby boy.