Happy Birthday Katie Hughes...sort of...

In celebration of Katie's two month birthday tomorrow, here is some freakin' cute video taken earlier this week. See? She's starting to play and be more expressive, and it's so fun. Before you know it, she'll be walking and talking!!

News from under the down under

I just got an update email from Kristiana!!! For those who don't know, she and Christian are currently working and living in Antarctica on McMurdo Station until the spring. Kris oversees Shuttles and Christian works in the carp shop (carpenter)... I think. Anyway, for the past three years they've been working there from August or October until February (it's summer there at that time). It's an adventure not many people get to experience, and they've been able to do a lot of traveling with it, especially in New Zealand.
Here are some pics:
Kris at a memorial cross at Cape Evans

















She and some of her crew learned the "Vote for Pedro" dance and performed it at a charity event and raised $4,ooo US dollars for the Kiwi Family Trust in Christchurch, New Zealand


I don't know who that person is on the left, but the beautiful lady on the right is Aunt Nancy. She was back on the ice again this year after a short hiatus to battle AND WIN a fight with breast cancer.

Kristin's Bliss

They named a wedding cake design after me at Schmidt's. Debbi and Lorena made a whole bunch of new cakes for a wedding show this weekend, and they named this one "Kristin's Bliss." Pretty much all of their wedding cakes are named after family members or employees, but I still feel honored. Thanks guys!

Nothing Changes, Nothing Stays the Same

What is it about New Year's that inspires people to make resolutions, to proclaim that they will change some major part of their lives, and be so confident about it? Physically nothing has changed: the weather on Jan. 1 is the same as the weather on Dec. 31, the days are the same length, usually living situation, job, family, and friends are all the same. I think it's safe to assume that people don't look at the next day, or the next week, or the next month as a fresh start to a new life (at least not in the same way as a "New Year".) So what happens at midnight on Dec. 31st that causes people to see the next day and next year in a whole new light? Maybe it's because watching the clock hit 12:00 and flipping the calendar over to January 1 2008 actually forces us to recognize the passing of time. It causes us to look at the last 365 days and determine what we've done to improve ourselves, and in what ways we've grown and changed in various areas of our lives. Maybe that reflection helps us realize how big our role is in our own fate, and in turn makes us want to continue taking charge of our lives in the form of new year's resolutions. Maybe it's simply because New Year's carries such heavy symbolism with it anyway, and no one really experiences all that stuff... I'm sure it's different for everyone.

Fo' Shizzle

Just wanted to share the hilarity of my mother-in-law's new door mat. Enoch and I thought Amber bought it at first, but the truth is actually funnier: Leslie picked it out. It's just funny because their house is in an up-scale, kinda rich neighborhood, so most of the neighbor's doormats probably have cute flowers and designs on them and have nothing to do with Snoop Dogg.

Merry Christmas!! @ the Olsons

Every year my grandparents make the best breakfast in the entire world, complete with cream cheese cinnamon rolls (my uncles favorite). This year was no exception. But, more than the food, I'm glad we get to get together every year and see the whole family on Christmas day... the food just makes it that much better.

It was nice having a white Christmas for the first time in a few years










Amy knitted this hat for Frankie overnight Christmas Eve...overnight!! It fit perfectly and it was one of the highlights of the day. Thanks Amy!!!








Kyle and Nick...chillin'...












Jodi with Kendal and Brennan. The kids make Christmas really fun!









Chris and Jenny playing with their digital camera at the same time Enoch is playing with ours










Marty with Enoch and Frankie.











Frankie even got to open some of her own presents.

Merry Christmas!! @ the Lees

Ours was a very merry Christmas this year, I'd say one of the best because Enoch and I weren't driving all over the place all day and we still got to see everyone, and we ended up with a pretty good haul by the end of the day! (just kidding about that last part...actually it's true, but that's not what made it a good holiday) We slept over at Enoch's family's house Christmas Eve because they still get up fairly early to open presents.



Peter with his new best friend















Charlotte and Leslie











Dan fiddling with something...probably using the magical "Lee touch" to make something miraculously work.












I promise Amber did not pose for this picture, it was totally candid... and you'd never guess what it was that made her this excited so I'll just tell you...












A Hickory Farms gift thing complete with her favorite: the beef stick (three of them).
The funny part is, I'm really not joking!












Amy, the Pajama Princess with her fabulous new robe, pj's, and sparkling new tiara!











The family also got a new electric piano so the kids can practice singing. Peter was just in the musical "Lucky Stiff" in Draper, and the girls are both in the plays at school. Both recently made history in "High School Musical" performed at East High (where the movie was filmed). And Amber will be in "The Wiz" this spring.







And here's a little Christmas action sequence starring Jason!