Happy New Year!

Jane, April, Casey and Josey and Paul walking the beach in the Grand Caymans.

In Roatan they have zoo's where you can walk right in with the animals. He didn't want to turn around, so this is me and a monkey's tail - so soft, so cute to look at.. and so unnerving on your shoulder!

Casey went to stand next to Paul, and the bird landed right on his head - priceless shot!

Casey and I left on January first for the west Caribbean. The co-owners of Clear Satellite (Case, Paul and Mark) set up an incentive for their sales men last year and to our delight several hit the mark - requiring us to accompany them on a Cruise! There where 15 in the group, we spent two days at sea and one day in each of the following islands: Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel. We played in the sand, held the monkeys, kissed the stingrays and learned a little more about the world. It was wild being 9 days without kids, like an enormous date 24 hours a day - I loved it. And it was so very good to come home - there is something to that business of absence and fondness working so well together. I really missed my kids. And also,... I'm trying to think of a way to sing "God bless America" here - without sounding cheesy. It was so beautiful to see all those things, and also so apparent that this is a promised land. I'm so grateful for our home.

Christmas Day

Max was up at 3:00am. I had him "sleeping" on my floor - it was killing him! It was almost equally hard on me, if we didn't always go to bed so darn late on Christmas Eve, I would be tempted to wake the kids up myself.. its so exciting!

Lucy woke up by six, so we drug Sam (and Casey for that matter) out of bed to come see what Santa brought.

You'd be hard pressed to find a better way to say farewell to 2010 than this.

Mrs. Clause

The Library invited Mrs. Clause to read Christmas stories to the kids - a big projector shows all the pictures while she reads in a lighted corner of the stage, and then they get to tell her what they want for Christmas.
This picture is just how I feel - the two little ones, and my great big Max! So that's what they mean when they say time goes by so fast. I smiled like I knew what they meant.. but I had no idea. I almost have an eight-year-old. That seems very old, like I'm no longer a young mother - and that only leaves one other adjective, one I'm not sure I'm ready to embrace!

Second Grade Program

Miss Connell's second grade presents "Glow" - featuring Max as the "non-talking bee". Not his first choice, he likes to talk. But true to form, Max can make anything cool.

His good buddy Brandon was the green caterpillar pictured in front of him here. The caterpillar is supposed to sound sleepy, and Max said that Brandon is shy so he murmurs a lot, that's why he got such a good part.


Sam loved watching his big brother, he was cracking us up doing all the actions along with them while they were singing - and then Max let him try on his costume. I guess a true star doesn't mind sharing the spot light.

New roommate

Time for girls to have girly-rooms and boys to have just boyish-rooms.

Lucy was worried about being alone, Max was worried that everyone got a new room except him.. Sam didn't know to be worried, but he did roll out of bed twice (The second time he just rolled over and slept the night on the floor. The next morning Max had to step over him to tell me about it.)

The irony is: When Sam lays in his full size bed, the ratio of bed to body size is better off then any of us.. how is he rolling out of that thing?!

Thanksgiving

It was an off-year for both the Hreinson's and the Atkin's this year: in 2011 we'll have two Thanks- giving dinners, but this year we have none! The Mederios' weren't going to WA for their in-laws, so we teamed up with Craig and Sharlene and drove down to St. George for 3 nights and 3 days. Sharlene found us a 3 room condo with an indoor pool (the kids slept in the closet). We hiked, we ate and laughed. Didn't feel like Thanksgiving when we pulled out the frozen corn dogs and orange Shasta for dinner.. but it was a great vacation!

Lucy was so brave and scaled right up the
mountain!

Swimming was our favorite thing to do. It was about 40 degrees so we all had to wear our winter coats over our swimming suits - but hours of steamy fun in the warm pool and hot tub!

tiny heart beat

Last March I heard the little heart beat - but by the end of April I had lost the baby at 18 weeks. In August I discovered I was pregnant again. I heard the heartbeat 3 weeks ago - but at 15 weeks; this Saturday I lost our second baby in 7 months. I'm thankful that God hand selects my trials with just enough trouble that my weak faith can bear it. I know it is for a reason - certainly to give me empathy, probably to teach me humility and remind me to whom I look for solice. My friend Jana brought me this quote, "Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace, God is awake."

I feel sad today. And thankful for the plan of happiness, and three kids and a husband that make that seem a possibility.

*Max wrote this at school:*

A bruthr I nevr had

Port of the sumr my mom wus having a baby she went throo checup's efrething but sumting hapind vere vere vere vere vere vere vere vere sad the baby diyed rigt befor we fawnd awt. and tats the store. the end