The week before christmas...

I got the chance to break all the rules with Bart and Leslie's children. They went to Mexico for a week so I had their three for 5 days and then the Planks will have them 5 days. That's a long time for children to be away from their parents...
Sooo...

We ate whatever we wanted including junk food for breakfast...
Watched movies... a lot...
Played the Wii for HOURS
even though the boys each earned their ten minutes reward for good behavior.
Indiana was an angel. We got a lot of cold and snowy weather and the kids had coughs so they didn't get to play in it here...
Yes... we did read books, play, eat healthy food and get sleep too.

You don't really know your grandchildren until you've had them over night and all day for days in a row... their true colors shine... the bright ones and the dark ones.

SNOW and ICE!!!
Our h0me teacher from across the
street spent an hour shoveling
the driveway and steps for me
on the 18th. WE had about 3 inches
and I couldn't get the car up the driveway.

Today, the 20th we got at least 7 more inches... pictures to come.

Ben is outside playing in the snow... it's 10 at night...
He got off work at 7:30 and the drive home on the free way was fun, he said, because he was one of very few cars out and he didn't have to worry about anyone else hitting him, or him hitting them.
Weather predictions have swung from ice storm with 30 mph winds to gentle snow up to 12 inches. We'll see what we really get. The roads are ice underneath the snow so it will be a long time before this all melts away. It would be nice to get some warm temperatures and some RAIN!!!

busy,busy,busy

Not much goes on here usually...but lately we've been very busy.
Eric has been on his last international flight in the 777 with a great trip to Japan followed by one to China.
I've been involved in the decorating for one wedding and three receptions, three of which happen this week.... look for photos later on the receptions.

Heidi will be helping me set up a website and Eric will help me set up a business plan for a future business in wedding decorating. My inventory is getting better each wedding I do...maybe the investment will payoff someday.

Here are a few photos from yesterday... the Ferris wedding at the Nisqually Chapel...


It was a private wedding... family and bridal party only but I caught the flower girl at the drinking fountain...she was almost as cute as the bride.

Later

ME

Changes...

President Eric P. Coppin

New Lacey Stake President
In nine years when he is released

he will probably be totally grey.

Ben has been experimenting with hair styles.

LONG is the latest one.

He has just started college classes again...
Forensic Science
Japanese and
Social Problems

Some day he'll go to a socially troubled Japanese province and solve crimes...

We finally finished our kitchen remodeling.

Tiled the window counter

and replaced the lights.

fuzzy pictures????
New Couch and Lamp
We're going for a new look and finally have a real living room couch. Come visit and have a seat!

For the second year Heidi went to girls camp and Grandma stayed with the boys. We decided we should do it every year. Grandma should have a week every year with each family with the parents away... we'll have to think about that... I had Ruby in the spring... The Marshall's in the summer. I suppose I need to spend some time in Seattle with Beren, Asher and Indy.

We created a poll at the end of their slip and slide.

Thought I'd better add the photos to my blog that I had posted on the family web page, since no one looks there anymore. so here they are...





Windy and rainy off and on but when Anna visits it's tradition to go to the coast... and Ruby was a good sport. Wish we had a picture of her "flying".

What a great weekend

What things do you remember of this weekend with the family together? Ruby's first visit to the northwest... first bus ride... first air plane ride...first visit to grandma and grandpa's house... first time playing with her cousins...first visit to a beach and floating on air...first visit with GG and Great aunt Barbara... first baptism... Drake's baptism... first family dinner at the Marshall "farm"