The day started early with Katey and her friends deciding to convert every square foot of our home in to something relating to American Girl. It was a beautiful day today so they decided to borrow my camera and take pictures of their dolls. Lauren was able to get in the action as she was given temporary custody of “Julie”. After everyone left, we went for a bike ride to the Orange Patch which I’m sure is the last, true general store in America.
This morning, Katie and her friend Paige decided that they would make a movie about grandmothers. I interrupted filming just long enough to snap a few pictures of them knitting and talking about their grandchildren. We all enjoyed church today. Katie and Paige discussed the birth of Jesus and Lauren learned about how much Jesus loves little children.
After church, Katie, Lauren and I spent the rest of the day playing softball, shooting baskets, riding bikes, and reading books in the front yard. It was a beautiful day!
Here are some images of a much improved swing!
Today we discovered that Lauren loves soup! Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup with Stars to be precise. Here she is preparing her 4th can of soup for the day!!!
I thought her prayer was worth sharing as well…
“Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Mark 19:14
Today was a great day! After only a few hours of coaching, Lauren left her training wheels behind and joined the ranks of true bicycling legends. She now enjoys her new sense of mobility and has already set a new personal record – a round trip to the Orange Patch on 2 wheels where she celebrated her achievement with a double scoop of mint chocolate-chip ice cream. Well done Lauren, we are proud of you!
Katey, Lauren, and I just returned from another father/daughter trip to Flagstaff. We arrived with intentions of skiing and snowball fights but soon realized that 9 degree temperatures (on the mountain) were considerably colder than we expected. We had fun nonetheless. We were able to visit with our friend Rob and his fiancee Hester, eat a lot of pizza, then burn it off in the hotel gym. We only got a few pictures and here they are…
Merry Christmas! We had a wonderful Christmas day this year. The girls opened presents then we began to prepare for our annual family dinner. This year, we decided to have a Mexican-style Christmas with green chile, pasole, tamales, tortilla soup, and all the extras. Thanks to all of my family and friends for making it such a great day.
After weeks of study and preparation, Katey has won the spelling bee at her elementary school! I could not be more proud of her. She now will compete at the district level in January. Good luck Katey!!!
Bill and I set out for a weekend of fishing at 9000’ above sea level this weekend. Our first morning, we were met with a failed lift pump in the motor home and high 40’s temperatures. Needless to say, we didn’t get any fishing in as we spent the majority of the weekend trying to find a diesel mechanic. We had a good time nonetheless and were able to get some pics of the fall aspens.
Katey, Lauren, and I decided to spend Labor Day weekend father/daughter style. We went to Flagstaff and visited the Lowell Observatory (and got to see Jupiter). We also took the chair lift to the top of Humphrey’s Peak, visited Meteor Crater, and the History Museum.
Following a stay in London, I flew from Gatwick to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I then boarded the M/V Whirlwind for a week of Red Sea diving and underwater photography. This trip was hosted by Dr. Alex Mustard and was a terrific opportunity to learn from the best. Along with meeting many new friends from all over the world, I was able to photograph species I had never seen before.
