Merry Christmas from Minneapolis

So, what do you do for 4 hours in the Minneapolis airport on Christmas day? Play with sticker books and magic markers, of course! Good thing Santa Claus came and brought lots of airplane friendly toys. In a couple of hours we'll be off. Too bad we're headed into this:

Let's hope we don't become too familar with MSP. Otherwise, we'll all look like this:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Naomi's Friends

Naomi has four friends. They are (left to right) Wylie the dog, Polar Bear, Brown Bear and Monkey. To insure a tranquil bedtime, all must be present.

My Brother & Me

My brother is six years older than me but I've always felt as if he was one of my best friends. Here are ten favorite memories of my brother Seth:

1. When I was little I remember that Seth could not walk past a mirror without flexing.

2. Once Seth took me out to a long dirt road in Teton National Park (I was about 9). There we ran 2 miles without stopping. It was the first time I had run that far. After we got back into the car we listened to orchestra music all the way home.

3. Seth loves music. If he is in the car and arrives at his destination just as the song comes ont he radio he will stay in the car and listen until the song is over. He is the one who introduced me to the most glorious sound sound I'd ever heard. He told me it was the sound of a trumpet.

4. When Jessica and I were little Seth would put us on the loveseat and tilt the seat back so that it was just balancing on it's back legs. Then he would leave us there.

5. As a child I was always fascinated with Seths' ability to turn his eyelids inside out.

6. One night at FHE Seth decided to teach us all some basic first aid he'd learned from scouts. He had me be the "choking victim" and he did the Hemlich Manuver on me. I wouldn't say this is one of my favorite memories of Seth, but it is one of my clearest. :)

7. I loved to go sledding with Seth down the driveway of our neighbor's house (I think his name was Jerry). We lived on a mountain, and this neighbor would leave Jackson for the winter, so his driveway was all ours. It was a long way to the top, but it was worth it when you came down.

8. Seth was home one night when my high school boyfriend dropped me off after a date. I thought my boyfriend had left, but a few minutes later I heard a knock at the door. There was my boyfriend, white-faced and worried. He asked me to get my brother. "What for?" I asked. "I just need to talk to him." was the answer. I went to get Seth, and they both went outside together. A few minutes later my brother came back in and I could see my boyfriend's taillights leaving our drive way. Seth closed the door and started to laugh. And laugh. It turns out that after dropping me off, he backed right into my dad's brand new pick-up. Seth thoroughly enjoyed the moment.

9. When I was a freshman at Ricks Seth invited me to a Big Band Dance at Utah State. (see the photo). It was a fun "date" and he let me dance with all of his cute college friends.

10. Seth and Debbie came to visit us in Chapel Hill a few years ago and we took them to Duke campus. The Cameron Indoor Stadium just happened to be open and we got to go inside and stand in the center of the court. "Rapture" doesn't even come close to describing the look on Seth's face.


Seth has always been one of my greatest heroes. How grateful I am for him.

Happy Birthday, Seth!!!!

A Blue Quandry

This weekend we took the kids to our annual Duke vs. Carolina football game. This time it was at Duke and we bundled up the kids and prepared to freeze.


The girls immediatley got into the game, cheering and screaming like cheerleaders. I, however, was having a hard time trying to figure out which team to cheer for. I thought I would be all for Duke, but watching the Carolina-blue players bulldoze their way into the endzone for a touchdown stirred up more Tar Heel patriotism than I've felt in the past five years. Do I cheer for the school that gave my husband such a fine education? Do I cheer for the school whose hospital delivered my baby?



Or do I cheer for the school that gives my husband his paychecks, pays for my children's clothing and buys our food?



Then as I listened to Sophie screaming and cheering next to me I knew she knew the right team to cheer for. She had her head screwed on staight. She had been well-indoctrinated in her home by her father. Sophie, with all the energy her little heart could muster was screaming the words, "GO BYU!!!!"