Merry Christmas & Happy new Year!

Traci demonstrating the way-cool light up menus at our Tuscany dinner
(the name of the restaurant, not the location)

Happy New Year 2010! (From left to right, Duane and Sally, Scott & Traci, Latrice & Trent)
We all went out to a New Years Eve play - and they stopped the production for the New Years countdown, dropped balloons all over the stage, handed out noise makers, etc. Very fun - the only thing missing was the champagne, but this WAS in Utah, remember? ;-)

Clarissa got a Hannah Montana guitar - such the diva!

And modeling her new snow gear!

Traci, our rockin' New Years party animal!

and it's just not Christmas without Autumn kissing the golden reindeer

Trying to figure out how to play Guitar Hero on the computer!

Lissa Birthday Part 2

After a day of ice skating, the whole family went out to Chili's - Clarissa's favorite restaurant - and HUGE kudos to the manager there, who actually sent out one of her staff to go and buy birthday candles for the cake!

Uncle Trent and Clarissa skating... so natural!

Duane and Colin, trying not to run into Traci!

Clarissa's Hannah Montana Cake

Aunt latrice got Clarissa this album - so appropriate, being the only girl - it's All About ME!

Movin' Out and Hittin' the Road

My good friend Jill Price (her husband Gabe also played one of the wise men with Duane - the irony was not lost on us!)

Saying goodbye to Miss Chris and Miss Katie - our babysitters in Pensacola!
(Incidentally, this is at the beach house we rented during the move-out process... what luxury!)

The day before we left Pensacola, Caleb was in a youth group play - he played a reporter who went back in time to interview all parts of the Christmas story. Duane played one of the wise men, along with our good friends Gabe and Jason.

One. Seriously. Freaked. Out. Cat.

Checking out the mounds of snow at the NAU campus (our old school!)

Lissa's Birthday - Part 1

Before we moved, we had Clarissa's birthday party at a local roller skating rink with all of her friends. The heaters had broken the day before, so we could literally see our breath inside the rink - brr!! But everyone still managed to have a good time!

She wanted birthday cupcakes for everyone, but a larger personal one for her - so this is what we came up with!

Doing the limbo!

Colin with his buddies, Ryan and Kyas

The horrible torrential threatening Hurricane Ida... oh wait...

Well, when the hurricane center comes out and says that there is a Category 2 hurricane headed your way, what happens? Well, the local governments issue a voluntary evacuation notice for anyone living on the coast, and schools close down for two days to allow for the schools to be used as shelters, and the locals stock up on batteries, water, and alcohol - you know, to get us through the vicious storm.

Or...

You go bowling with other friends who have restless kids, go to the library, and go fly kites on the beach! Because the Category 2 Hurricane that was supposed to close down the city? Disintegrated into a tropical storm (which, by the way, they PREDICTED it would!) and gave us just a few inches of rain overnight. Not even enough wind to trim the trees in the backyard, which would have been great... I'm just sayin'...

Anyway - here are some fun pictures from us bravely weathering the storm! :-) (Sadly - the photo above is Clarissa's kite, flying off to sea... had a few tears over that one...)

I actually LOVE this picture... the kids and I were playing on the beach and as the clouds broke apart, sun came streaming down and Colin said "Hey look mommy, God is smiling down on us!" A perfect way to end what had been a LONG few days!


We got a bonus - as we were playing, the Blue Angels took off and were practicing right above us!

The boys, chasing down the rogue kites

Clarissa's kite by far was the most successful at staying up in the air - apparently the cheap Barbie ones are the best!

We went bowling with a few other families from our squadron - I don't think the bowling people knew what to make of all of us as we took over the place the minute it opened! Not normally that much activity on a Monday morning!

Colin had his own version of bowling - no cheater track for him, thank you very much!

Fall Adventures

Trick-or-treating with our friends - Caleb (Darth Vader), Joe Rasmussen, Nathan Clark, Jacobline Rasmussen, Stephen Clark, Colin (Storm Trooper), Clarissa (fox), Nathan Rasmussen, and Rachel Clark

Our "foxy" little girl!

In Goldsboro, we spent the afternoon and evening with our good friends and neighbors, the Clarks. The boys had a lot of fun playing together again!

Missy Clark, me, and Jenny Cole (she and her boys also came down for the weekend from Virginia to see us)

Clarissa and her 2nd grade gap-toothed grin!

from left to right, Riley Cole, Colin, Clarissa, Caleb, and Reagan Cole

Yep, a little tight quarters sleeping in the hotel - but they handled it ok!

A few weeks ago, the kids and I drove up to NC to see Duane. The main reason we went, of course, was not only to see him, but to see his promotion ceremony to Major! What an accomplishment - we are so proud of you honey! It was a whirlwind trip - we started driving on Thursday morning, stayed the night with good friends in Charlotte, NC, then got to Goldsboro Friday afternoon. Then, we left to come home on Sunday afternoon and made it home Monday afternoon. We were exhausted! But oh, so much fun!

The sign above is from the squadron bar where Duane's promotion party was held. Too funny!

His squadron Logo - the Lancers. (We were originally in the Lancers for, oh, two weeks maybe, back when we were in the B-course in 2003 - but then a couple of back surgeries changed his training and we ended up in the Eagles)

With what do you celebrate? The good stuff, baby!

Getting the pin-on by family.

The oath - Col. Wizniewski is a good friend of ours who was our squadron commander during the B-course training when we were in the Eagles, and who also performed Duane's promotion ceremony to Captain five years ago. He and his family are also personal friends, attending the same church as us. He has since retired, but Duane asked him if he would be willing to come and promote him to major. We were honored to have him as a part of this!

On our way up to Goldsboro, we stopped and stayed with our friends the Slingluffs who are now living in Charlotte. Rick Slingluff was our pastor in Pensacola when we were here 8 years ago, and Deb and I were in Bible study together. (In fact, she was Clarissa's first babysitter!) They have since served churches in Alabama and most recently were in Kenya for 3 years. They just recently returned to the states, so I was thankful for the opportunity to stop and see them!

Let the Games Begin!

This fall Clarissa and Colin are playing on the same soccer team, The Cheetahs.
Technically, they should be on two different teams because of their ages, but when I told the director that Duane was going to be gone, she took pity on me and put them together.
They are both doing well - Clarissa scored the only goal for her team last week, and Colin is slowly getting the hang of playing as a team!

Yes, the spelled Clarissa's name wrong on her jersey...

But that doesn't keep her from going after the ball!

Colin certainly knows what to do when he's near the goal!

After the kids soccer game, we went over to Jill & Gabe's house for dinner and Guitar Hero - let's just say it's not a party until wine has been drunk and furniture broken! (Both by me, sorry to say) oh dear...

Duane and Aaron, one of our friends from church.