A NewYear - What a few months

I know that I haven't been very up to par with this blog -as the decor dated it around Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Christmas went well - B's mom came out and we were able to do lots of things with her. My favorite thing was visiting Oatman. Eva walked right into a burro's big barrel chest head on - and looked up at its head about 6 in. about hers. She didn't scream, cry or move really. Then there was the waiter who was licking his hands - and wearing skulls and roses on his shirt. Then there was a magnet that read "It's so hot in Oatman even my ass is sweating- (the reference to the animal prevalent there.)" We had brought a 5lb bag of carrots with us and man - it's truly the catnip of those burros. We had to duck behind store doors and wait for some of them to go find someone else to harass. One burro snatched the bag right out of Nana's hands and you know - she turned around and grabbed that sucker back. It was just hilarious the things that were happening. We even stayed for the gun fight. It was pretty neat but one of the actors had just had hip surgery so we watched him die s.l.o.w.l.y. And one of the shots actually hurt the other guy although they are just blanks - it was not supposed to be pointed right at the other person. So - we made all sorts of memories there.


In February our ward boundaries were redrawn and I was released as RS Counselor. Now I am the Activity Days Leader. I am really excited about all the fun things we can do. The girls are too cute too - and before they get too cool for fun things. Ages 8-11. I'm jazzed, needless to say.

Brian is the ward assistant clerk mainly responsible for membership records. He graduated with his Master's Degree in December, and we celebrated by going to OH for a few days and doing 'the walk' down in Columbus with several other students.

Our visit to OH brought the realization again that AZ is really where I feel at home now - although there's so many great and wonderful people in OH. The sky was gray... the snow was gray.. Gray. Yep. And it was cold. And snowy. I mad a topsy turvy cake for Brian's graduation.



SO in the realization that we felt at home here in AZ - we started looking for a home. We've looked and looked and looked, but in the end it still comes down to savings. Debt to income ratio - yada yada. We don't want to be here forever, but a few more years will not hurt us for sure. Renting was the outcome out of all this hectic chaos for all those who know me. Thia family rearranged practically the entire house this weekend to refresh our flow and view on the house.

Eva had her 4th Birthday ala Tinkerbell and I made a nice cake for her that looked like a pro. I was pleased. She got everything she wanted plus some and she had a blast at her party when we danced Irish jigs and made fairy crowns with pipe cleaners, beads and ribbon. Then they decorated their own fairy wings. It was cool.

B had a birthday and turned 27 - and he's still so handsome. Eva decided for him that he would have a Spiderman birthday and so he did. I think his best gift was the 42" joint grad / birthday gift that we got that outsourced my favorite Entertainment Center. How much do those go for in garage sales, anyways? So we have the 'clearest' TV ever - per Chloe. He's still going for a second Master's in Information Systems Management. The girls did their cards all by themselves and they were so proud - I loved it. They got to pick out who gave dad what. Gabe just isn't too into the production yet - but he liked the recordable card. So much that he's torn it apart to see where the sound was coming from and well - ya.