Was perusing old pics and this one looked pretty cool. 

http://www.northarvestbean.org/html/news.cfm?ID=8

China’s exports of dry beans to Cuba peaked at 99,031 tons in 1997, stopped in 1998 and were only 987 tons in 1999. The average price for China’s exports of dry beans to Cuba rose from $350 per ton in 1995 to $408 per ton in 1997. As Cuba found it difficult to obtain dry beans from other sources at reasonable prices, a return to China for kidney beans occurred in 2000. For all of 2000, it is likely that the quantity of kidney beans exported by China to Cuba will be back up near the 1997 peak. Shipments during the first nine months of 2000 had rebounded to 68,483 tons.

Mike & Brooke

I took some pictures today of Andrew instead of getting professionals done... There will be more to come. These are just the start. 

Who knew Morgan with a gun would get so much screentime?

Happy Birthday! We hope you had a great one and I can't wait to see you at Christmas!
By the way, Treven wants to know how you like your PSP. We are thinking of getting one. Again, happy birthday and we love you!

The Perrys

Hey Mike-

We hope you are having a fantastic birthday full of fun and a few surprises!! We can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

Love,
The Cleveland Clan

Hey Mike,

We wish you a very happy birthday!! Great news that you and family are coming. Get yourself a WII. It looks cool!! I tried it out at Gamestop. Anyway I hope today is great and happy 36th.

Love Brent and Buffy

Mike,

Hope you enjoy this great birthday of yours. We can't wait to see you and to be able to spend time with you guys again. We love you!

Love,

The Olsens

Mike, Happy Birthday bro, we miss you guys. I hope that your birthday is an enjoyable one. We are looking forward to seeing you at Christmas time, it seems like we haven't seen you forever, but the blog and pics make it much easier. May your day be filled with endless games and family time. BTW, was that you atop the Stryker?
Dave & fam

I hope you are enjoying your day with your family! Can't wait to see you all at Christmas! I am so happy you are all coming. :)

M

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE.....from the other side of the world. Mom had a great day with calls and flowers, etc. Friends from the church took her to lunch and the two of us went to a lite dinner together. Looking forward to you family coming in December along with the rest of the clan. Brooke: your mom did a great job of explaining in great detail the Polish nativity scene. L/ Dad and Mom

Hayden with a head massager on!

Hayden gazing down from the top of the Sears Tower

Danica's cheesy smile!!

We had a great Thanksgiving break, relaxing and fun! On Sunday we drove to my aunts house just north of Chicago and met up with my parents there. We went into the city on Monday and went to the top of the Sears Tower and went to a fun house at Navy Pier. Tuesday we drove to the Wisconsin Dells area, where we were joined by my brother and his wife, and stayed at a lodge with three indoor water parks! It was a ton of fun! Late Wednesday night we got back to my aunts house and hurried to get things in order for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was fun and relaxing. Friday morning we went to the Chicago temple and then drove up to my brother’s house in Wisconsin. We stayed there until after the BYU-Utah game on Saturday. WOW!! What a fun game that was!!! Then we drove back home, about a 7 hour drive. It was a fun break!

The best part of the break was finding out that we are moving to San Diego!!! I was in shock for a few days because I figured we wouldn’t really get that assignment but now it has sunk in and I am so excited!! I just want to spend all day looking at housing online! We are hoping to find a 3-4 bedroom townhouse that maybe has a pool in the complex or something. Fingers crossed!!

The second best part of the break was finding out that we will be able to join everyone for Christmas!!! After planning for a quiet holiday around here it will be a big change to get to join everyone for all the fun!! Ticket options are limited this late in the game so we fly out Sunday, December 17th arriving at 12:45PM and we have to leave on New Year’s Eve at 11:10AM.

We are all doing really well and getting excited for the holidays. We have Christmas and the kids birthdays coming up, plus our anniversary so we are very busy!! Brent, do you have any ideas for what you would like for Christmas? Brooke, do you have any ideas for what Jane might like from Hayden? Adina, I have so many questions for you about things like San Diego, a birthday party, gifts, etc. that I am just going to have to email you separately!

Well, I am now scrambling to get everything done so we will be ready for our great trip! We can’t wait to see everyone, and especially can’t wait to meet those two darling babies!!

Tracey

 

Sorry about earlier, My mind was elsewhere but Happy Birthday Mom. We love you and can't wait to see you in less than a month. Thanks for all that you have done for me in the last year and being willing to talk to me so often and help me along the way thru pregnancy and birth. You are the greatest.

Love,
Anne 

I know I already called you, but again I just wanted to say happy birthday and I hope you have a great one! Treven doesn't think he will be able to get it off. He is going to check into it though... so we will see.

Melia had her 2 weeks check up today even though she is 3 weeks now. She weighed in at 9 lbs 2 oz and she was 22 inches long. She is in the 90th percentile for weight and 100th percentile for height. She is doing great and growing fast. We can't wait to come home and see everybody. I am DEFINITELY counting down the days till we come home.

We went to Boise for Thanksgiving and even though the visit was short, it was a great trip. It was so nice to see Anne, Peter and Andrew and to be able to have Thanksgiving with some family. Anne, I want that recipe to the rolls. We finished the bag of them by Saturday. Sad, I know. Anne took pictures of Andrew and Melia together so she will have to post them for you all.

Just to remind everybody that will be in Vancouver on December 17th, that is when Melia's blessing is in Mom and Dad's ward. We would like all the priesthood holders in our family to be involved. Tom, we will be hopefully having the blessing at the end of sacrament so that you can be there.

Well that is it for now... 18 more days till we are going home!

Kimberly

You are the greatest mom I have ever had! :) Really! But seriously, I hope you are really enjoying this day and I hope you know how much I love you and the rest of your HUGE family loves you too! You really are the greatest example and teacher. Thanks for all that you do for me and our family. I can't wait to spend time with you and everyone for Christmas. It will be a great time. Enjoy your day and take some time for yourself!

Love, Marnie

Sorry, I had to change up the page with something. Figured it might as well be my "other" car.

Everyone who owns a Mac has to know that deep down inside, you are unholy. The ease of use, the simple yet elegant design...you're practically laughing in God's face. I mean, one mouse button, seriously. Consider today's comic a warning.

Hey, so not sure you guys have heard but we are going to San Diego for the GPR so we will be out west again soon. We are excited, Happy Thanksgiving.
Tom

I hope all of our scattered family have a great Thanksgiving! Per our tradition, I wanted to start the day with what I am thankful for. My family is the biggest blessing in my life. I love each one of you more than I can express...those who have children will understand part of it but it gets more and more with each year as I see you all growing into such wonderful adults, spouses and parents.

Also, I am so thankful for the gospel and the peace that it gives me in my life...For Our Savior's atonement that allows us to overcome the inevitable mis-steps we make in our life and get us back on the path to return to our Heavenly Father. In conjunction with that, I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had to be an ordinance worker in the temple. Memorizing the ordinances has added such richness to my life.

I am so very thankful for Dad and our 37+ years of marriage...with both ups and downs but mostly ups. I love him so much. I'm also thankful that he is so valued by Willamette that they are trying hard to figure out how to keep him there. We'll see next week if it is worth it to do so!
But we feel pretty confident that we won't be put in a corner to have to put in our letter of resignation right now.

I hope all of you have a great day...and know that we love you!!!!

Love,

Mom