The winter wind has returned to Washougal - garbage cans and other debris are blowing everywhere! I'm so glad we have a warm, dry house to come home to.

Well, since we now have Big Brother watching our every blog move, I thought I should write - so I'm not labeled a 'looker'. Just kidding - Dave and I were looking at that tracker the other night. Pretty cool. It is very interesting to see who is reading our blog - we even have a fan in North Wilkesboro, NC - hmmm - who is it that we know from there? Hmmmm.

Anyway - we are taking off tomorrow for Seattle. I'm very excited - it couldn't have come at a better time. Dave is thoroughly stressed with the transition going on right now - he purchases the practice in about two weeks - and I think some time away from the lawyers and consultants and lenders will do him some good. We are grateful to K&B for watching the kids - they are excited for some time over there.

Morgan quote of the day: Mom - do you know why I can't run fast anymore? Because my shoes ran out of ammo.

Love you all...can't wait to see everyone.
Adina

Thanks Mom for posting. It has been getting a little draining to keep looking at the blog and having no one post. Plus, with work I use this thing called Google Analytics to track my company's website...it is free so I set up a page to track how many people are looking at our blog! So I now I know exactly who has been looking and how many times they have been looking without posting a thing!! :) So even if you don't think anything interesting is happening in your lives, oh well, post something! (and now Marnie steps down from her soapbox)

All is well in San Diego. I guess I haven't really written anything about my life since before Thanksgiving...T-day was fun. I spent the day with Matt's (huge) family in El Cajon. They are all really great so it was super fun. Things are pretty much normal with work at GTI and Sport Chalet. A little slow at both places but still enough to keep me busy.

Something that could be exciting - anyone heard of VH1's World Series of Pop Culture? It was on last summer. Anyway, Michelle, Matthew (Hannon) and I are auditioning to be on the show for this season! We are turning in our applications today so hopefully they will be calling us with a time and date for our audition. It should be in January sometime. Then we have to go to the audition, play against other teams and the winners get to be on the show! Plus other teams may get to go but that is up to the producers so I guess we will have to impress them. If we make it on the show then they fly us to NYC in March for a weekend to play and do the taping. We are really exciting about the idea of playing so hopefully it all works out. The top prize is $250,000 so that would definitely be nice. Wish us luck! :)

I am excited it is Christmastime and can't wait to be done with work so I can come up and see you all! But I do hope to hear from you before then! :)


M

Well, since I am one of the culprits that looks but doesn't write, I thought I'd give you an update on my life. I just started my new job yesterday with Columbia Basin College in Richland. I will be working remotely from our home for an average of 15 to 20 hours a week...getting paid very well...and it looks like very interesting work. Melody Sims, from Valentine, is the grant director. It is a grant to establish programs at CBC for radiology techs and various other imaging techs. I will be writing curriculum for the programs, drafting memos for various approvals etc etc. Most of the work right now will be reading, reading, reading to get me up to speed on what is going on. I drove over yesterday to spend the day with Melody and to meet the various other people involved. It sounds really interesting and will also give me time to take care of Grandma and continue my shift at the temple. However, I will be spending more time holed up in the study!

We are really looking forward to having everyone arrive next week. This weekend we are taking care of D & A's kids while they go to see Brian Regan(sp?) on Friday night. Dad had planned a night out for his clinic to go see the Gospel Christmas program at the Symphony that night so we are going to take the kids with us. I think they will enjoy it...it is pretty lively! Dad is planning on taking the priest on a skiing outing on Saturday then our ward party is that night. I am in the Stake Choir this year. Their Christmas program will be on the 17th at 7 pm...hope everyone who is here by then can come. I think it will really be worthwhile. It has taken a lot of time! 2 hour practices every Sunday night...but I have enjoyed it a lot. When I went to the program last year, I was determined to be part of this this year!

As Dad has told most of you, his discussion with Willamette went well. He'll be doing the trial with Dr. Wong probably starting in January and, hopefully, will make a decision as to the direction that we want to go by summer. It's lessened the stress around here considerably! Monday I will be going in to have my entire intestinal tract examined...fun, fun, fun... That means that Sunday I can only have clear liquids. I guess that's one way to lose weight.

Anyhow, I need to get to Curves so that I can get all the things done that I need to today. It's going to be a busy one!!! (Brooke, check your e-mail...I have some Christmas questions for you!)

Love you all,
Mom

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
Just had to get that out,
Dave

Click here for more hilarious shots.

Dad
Mom
Mike
Brooke
Jane
Sadie
Elly
Dave
Adina
Isaac
Taylor
Parker
Morgan
Brent
Buffy
Tom
Tracey
Hayden
Danica
Marnie
Peter
Anne
Andrew
Treven
Kimmy
Melia

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