A Good Day

Finally cleaned out the fridge! It had been since before Christmas and it was ugly. I kept wiping down the outside to make myself feel better, but I went on a marathon Costco trip today and it was time. I love January in San Diego! I get all the New Year's brightness and hope without the depressing dark and cold to quash all my good resolutions.

Christmas Break

We had a special treat for Christmas this year: Dirk's brother's family came to visit for several days from Utah. They arrived on Christmas Eve and shared a huge dinner with us of which I have no pictures, but I have witnesses that we ate the tastiest, juiciest turkey I have ever made, if I do say so. Dirk also smoked a turkey, but it was more of a 10 pm snack, since smoking takes a long yet unspecified amount of time. It was also amazing. You can find the recipe I used here. Dirk's is mysterious and I wouldn't even attempt to give a recipe. But it was fabulous and a good reason for you to come and visit us. Then we had pie and those who were not on Santa duty went off to bed.

Christmas morning was predictably wonderful with a houseful of children. Then, the next few days were filled with such unspeakable luxuries as a movie/dinner night out for the adults, a Thai lunch out for Shannon and me, hours of wonderful conversation, and morning 'til night Wii tourneys for the kids. One of my favorites was going to see the tide pools in La Jolla. On our way home from La Jolla, we stopped to watch the hang gliders and other flying things while we ate our lunch. Some of those crazy kids actually went swimming one day, too, even though to most of us it was COLD. They had the Del Mar beach all to themselves.

They left too soon and we wish they would come back.

Kidsville of Poway

I found this place one day when I was all mommied out. It's a warehouse that is set up like a mini village with little shops and dress-up stuff and tons of toys and ride-on vehicles. It was perfect for an afternoon of passive parenting, and the kids had a great time.

Christmases Long, Long Ago

Me and my just-barely-older sister.


This has always been my very favorite holiday. And my mom knew how to do it up right. Check out the sweet '80's clothes! I'd love a pair of legwarmers right now. I'm the blond one in front with the wicked blue tights. Not sure what was going on there.

Christmas Cookies

Our cookies were done in non-traditional colors this year on account of that's all we had left in the food coloring containers. Time to buy new colors, as we exhausted our supply of Yellow No. 5 with these beauties. They even tasted good!

Is there anything better than a Big Wheel?

I don't think so. At least not when you're three. Gigi loves this thing and does elaborate peel-outs and everything. On this particular day, she insisted on wearing her butterfly wings, which kept getting caught in the wheels. It was hilarious.

Remembering My Dad

He was big and strong and loved history, good food, movies, ships, cars, air shows and model airplanes. He could fix anything, but often ended up swearing and throwing things in the process. Once he bought a camper and we had no end of fun in that thing. When I was twelve, I found out that he was shy sometimes, and it confused me. He always took you out to get a treat if you had to go to the doctor. He was born four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He would have been 67 today. We miss you, Dad.



This is all nine of us when we went to visit the Susquehana River and the site of the organization of the Aaronic Priesthood in upstate New York. I am one of the little ones. Second from the end.