Wishing it was Spring!

Brrrrrrrrr! It is cold. I don't usually complain about the cold, but it is really cold and I have been complaining today. Just a little bit of news catch up. Mac recovered from her wisdom teeth, but not until she had the opportunity to experience a couple of dry sockets. She returned to Boston safely and now is in the throes of schoolwork, volunteering and job. Can't believe she is in the final months of her Junior Year. She is exploring graduate school and is tentatively looking at Pratt Institute in NYC. They have an excellent Master's program in Library Science http://www.pratt.edu/. She and James have asked for an airline ticket for James to visit her in Boston for their birthdays. We thought what a great idea...limit our shopping for items they usually don't want but always graciously accept. Trained them right!

Mom did not have the flu, but an infection that required hospitalization for four days. Rick came and helped out with Stomie, which gave me a break and time to spend with Mackie. It all worked out with the help of some great friends of Mom and Stomie. Thanks Dave and Marlene for all the help and meals delivered to Mom during her illness. Marye, Joe's mom continues to do great. We need some warmer weather so we can all get out in the warm sunshine.

Joe and I just spent a week-end away from the home front thanks to a client who gave us a suite at the Doubletree. Sometimes just getting away from the responsibilities of home life, phone, clients, work, kids and pets can be such a great rejuvenator for the married life. Joe and I have always created time over the years for each other away from the home front which has really kept our marriage strong. We are heading to Sun Valley with our friends next week-end, I have not been there in a couple of years.

Happy Birthday to our great nephew Mitchell tomorrow. He is Cathy's oldest grandson.

Christmas 2007

What a whirlwind it has been. Mackie arrived home safely but not on the 20th but in the wee hours of the morning of the 21st. This year she got stuck in a snow storm in SLC. Never quite call it right when traveling from Boston. Do we go through Chicago, Denver, SLC or who knows! She thinks she is jinxed by the nor easterners and the snow just follows her. We are so excited to have her home though. We all got together on the 23rd for our Adams Welch party. Both of the Adams girls were in from San Francisco. James, Elise, Miles Grandma Marye and Uncle Fred joined us on Christmas morning for a thrash of gift opening! We then all joined Grandma Rose and Grandpa Stomie, Alison, Keith, Megan and Susan for a wonderful Christmas Dinner in the afternoon topped off by a game of Spoons! Mackie Ruled! As tradition goes Mac and I joined the Adams girls for our late night Christmas Movie (Juno). All is all it was a wonderful family day. Joe and I spent New Years in Donnelly Idaho at our good friends Jill and Bear Smith. Jerry and Susan joined us from Seattle. We had a great time of Mexican Dominoes, long snow walks, great food and football. Jill feeds the fox nightly and we were able to get some great pictures of them.

We had our own little fireworks in the snow on New Years Eve and were also able to see the fireworks from Tamarack Resort since their deck overlooks the resort. We went into McCall and shoveled four feet of snow off of our cabin deck. Mackie had a New Years Eve party at our home with friends and James and Elize took in a few parties in the North End on foot! Miles just turned a year old on 1/4/08, Bailee couldn't get enough of Christmas as the picture shows, and our old cat Bubba is ailing at age 14. We were able to capture this picture of our first large snow fall at a neighbors house. As it snowed the fish pond took on the resemblance of Santa so we topped if off with a hat. I am spending this afternoon with Mackie who just had all of her wisdom teeth removed this morning. Pray for her fast healing as she returns to school in a week. Mom is also ill today with the flu and I will see her later in the day. Pray for her safe recovery. We hope this finds you all healthy and well and enjoying the start of a new year! The picture above is from Stanley this past summer and the picture on the right is Snow Grass which I hope we will see soon.....Onward to Spring!