Happy New Year in Spokane!!

Welcome to 2009!! To celebrate the passing of 2008 into 2009, we braved the snow and traveled to Spokane. First of all- the snow in Spokane was INCREDIBLE - - I have never seen anything like it, except at an alpine ski resort! Spokane got about 65 inches from mid December to last weekend! It melted down some, then would snow again - - so there was only about 2 1/2 feet on the ground, but the plowed snow berms were insanely tall. I felt like I was driving down a gauntlet on every road. We almost couldn't driving on my parents' road, which wasn't plowed well. I am glad we made it, though- I just had to see it all for myself!

The snow "mountain" at the church parking lot:


The snow cave they made out of the berm on my parent's driveway:

My parents' driveway and the front of their house:

Jon's parents' house:


New years eve we met my parents and brother, Jon's parents and my aunt and uncle Barber at Casa De Oro (a Mexican Restaurant in Spokane) for dinner. It is our family tradition to go there every new year's eve. After some good Mexican food, we went back to my parent's house to play games, watch Psych (our favorite TV show) and eat more until midnight!

We let Marcus and Cynthia stay up- they did fine. Isn't it fun to make a lot of noise outside at midnight!



New year's day was another fun holiday of playing games, hanging out and eating, then Friday we took the kids out to the Children's museum in Spokane. This was my first time there! What a fun place. It is called Mobius kids and is located at Riverpark Square downtown.




Daddy also had fun- especially at the water table where you dammed the water with little boards to make water-ways.


There even was a lot for Lillian to do . . .

We loved the straw hut - - especially Cynthia and Lillian who like to shop for food at the little Market and take it home to the hut's kitchen.

Marcus made the perfect crossing guard for the little road! He watched the light signals to know when to put his flag down.


Saturday morning we went to my cousin Melanie's daughter's baptism. I can hardly believe Ashley is 8! I remember so well when she was born when we both lived in Utah, just a few months before Marcus. It was wonderful to be there!


The rest of Saturday was fairly frustrating- mainly because our van wouldn't start. Jon, his dad, and my dad spent the day taking the battery and the starter in to be tested (which were both fine), and trying to get it to start to no avail. I mainly hung out with the kids and my mom in the house, while they slaved away in the bitter COLD outside. We ended up borrowing Jon's sister Cyndi's car for us to drive home in on Sunday- and just as we were about to leave, we tried the van again, and it started! We think it was probably too cold. We think it started because it sat in the garage Saturday night, and it was not quite so cold on Sunday. Either way, we are really glad we didn't have to hassle with it getting towed to somewhere in Spokane, and having to come back to get it later. I am also not ready to buy a new vehicle!! I know it is old (16 years old- and over 200,000 miles!), rattly and sometimes won't start- but we REALLY can't afford a new van, and I am really attached to the old thing. Can we just squeeze another year out of it??? Anyway, we are so grateful to Cyndi for being willing to lend us her car, and our dads (especially Jon's dad) who spent so much effort and time to try to help us.

Saturday night we celebrated my brother Brian's birthday early (it is Jan 6th). He is 19- I can hardly believe it! Missionary age!! It will be an exciting year for him . . . Anyway- I am so glad he is my brother! We have had fun times together, and he as done a lot for my kids as a favorite uncle.