9 Years Later!

The year was 2000 -early spring -the hour around 5:30am. My mission companion was jogging in circles around the culdesac where our apartment was while I (too lazy that early in the morning to join her) sat in a lawn chair wrapped in a blanket reading/ watching her. No I didn't mind getting up even sooner than required for missionaries because Hermana Vranes was the coolest companion ever! If we were climbing a steep hill (and there were lots of them in the mountains of Puerto Rico where we were serving) and I was getting tuckered out -she would tell me to grab onto her top backpack strap which she called "The Rains of Vranes" and continue to lug me up the hill. Ever positive and full of energy -we had a blast together.

A year later she was one of my bridesmaids, and yesterday I finally enjoyed the privilege of attending a bridal shower for her. Also in attendance was our beloved mission president's wife Darla Davies (who happens to be in my stake). While together we began plans for a mission reunion this April. It will be my first! Although Deb (Hna. Vranes) is getting married in San Diego (her fiance is Blair Carlson is from Escondido) I'm too prego to travel to the wedding. So I look forward to meeting Blair at the reunion.

P.S. Mark -if you're reading this- Deb Vranes has a younger sister serving a mission in Texas that gets home this April :D.

Random Wierdness

Our Lexi bug has this relatively mild disorder. For example today at Costco while standing in line to order lunch Alexis took off to my left I assumed to look at the large poster adds for carpet and blinds. When I concluded we would have the hot dogs I glanced over to see what she was doing then to the shock of the lady behind me busted out laughing. I think it was the add for the blinds that had a woman model in the lower left corner looking off to the right. Lexi (still in her navy jumper school uniform) had positioned herself exactly in front of the model in exactly the same way with a contemplative look and her hand on her chin. I hollered, "Kid -you are random!" She sure does enjoy being silly! Sure wish I had my camera!

Here we go! December in review...

Some of you found our blog during it's construction phase (okay I'm still working on it)which meant you probably visited and said, "Huh???" as there was not a single post to be found. Sorry -sorry! As you all know it was a busy month, but now that I have a few moments to catch my breath, well, truthfully because I've oficially sent the invite to check us out, I'm finally trying to figure out how to make our first entry. Hope I can make this blog interesting for you -so many of yours are such an entertaining experience. Thought I'd initially sumarize our last month. Well, enjoy :D!

Alexis' dance recital at "The Festival of Trees" where they perform each year. Afterwards we enjoyed some fudge together and many of the trees -my favorite being...

this one :).

Christmas Eve I had the pleasure of reliving from my childhood. My parents flew up and were with us as well as Mark and we joined the Packard family in the area at J.D. and Tiffany's. We devoured a wonderful feast, sang Christmas songs, performed a nativity (Alexis was Mary and Micaela volunteered to be baby Jesus :D), did the cousin gift exchange (the girls each opened a gift from us -cozy robes) and Santa even dropped us a line. Once home we designated our hiding places and did a practice run to be ready for Santa in the morning. It was a true delight watching my children experience Christmas the way I did growing up and remembering the excitement.

Santa brought a sled and this was its maiden voyage. Our neighbors the Shmidts took us to a great hill. Of course the kids took to it like fish to water. We couldn't even keep up with Micaela.

It was a great year end!