The End of Two Thousand Ten

Another year has come and new goals have been made.  And quite frankly, I am sad the holidays are over.  Next year I need to decorate the house and pull out the Christmas music much earlier.  

For the Family Home Evening activity during the Christmas holiday with the Bartholomews we smashed our gingerbread houses.  Normally we smash them on New Year's Eve, but we didn't want to haul them all down to Mississippi with us.


Seeing the snow in this picture reminds me that we had a white Christmas! It snowed the day before Christmas and on Christmas day.  So magical!  I love white Christmases.


After a fun time with the Bartholomews in Missouri, we all headed to Mississippi for New Years. Lee and I and family stopped at the St. Louis Temple on our way down.  We arrived at the Erekson's around 9:30.

On Darrell's birthday for an afternoon outing we went to the Cairo exhibit/museum.  The Cairo was a Union gunboat during the Civil War.  It was pulled out of the Mississippi several years ago. We enjoyed the visit and the kids loved running around.


















That night we went to Rebecca's baptism.  We were very happy that we were able to be there.  Rebecca asked me to give a talk on Baptism.  I was very honored that she asked me. Congratulations Rebecca on making this great decision!


The great Miss Rebecca!


We ended the evening with Darrell's party. 


He still looks young and chipper! Happy Birthday Darrell!!


The next morning...someone's birthday...   If you can tell Elden is holding a cinnamon roll.  SO GOOD LENA!  Thanks for making them!!!!!!


My mom set up a placemat craft for the grandkids. 


Here is Cal...poor kid.  He woke up with scarlet fever.  I don't know where he got it, but Sam had it too....and of course others got strep throat.


Pardon the girls' hair....I hadn't made it that far yet...




Later on the birthday day we all went to Port Gibson, Mississippi...the town too beautiful to burn back from the Civil War.


So it's not really a picture of the "town", but check out the tree!!!


After Port Gibson we drove down to the Windsor Ruins.  It was amazing and sad. If you are in South-West Mississippi, this is a must stop!
















The two young-uns escaped.


That night the was birthday celebrated! Paul is checking out his schedule for 2011...


WOW...who has all the candles?




Happy Birthday to me!  The big 3-1!








You took it, I posted it.






Deb had to cut the cake into really small pieces....if you didn't notice all the people...


I had a great birthday and lots of well wishes.  I love being with family over my birthday. I had a great day!  Thanks everyone!!!


We did our annual ladies night out the evening of my birthday.


Some of us got frozen daiquiri's. Virgin of course. Lena and I with Amy.


Deb, Stacie, Shawna and Mom.  Steph, Lois and Brittany.....we wish you could have been there!




They came and sang to me and gave me a free dessert.  I am so glad I didn't order a dessert.  I was so full from the daiquiri and the chips that I didn't eat much of the birthday treat.


New Year's Eve....Shanna wanted Daddy to paint her nails.




That morning a tornado hit base (and we didn't find out about it till that evening) and that afternoon there was a tornado warning in Mississippi too.  We piled in the hallway. 


All the kids were happy eating candy and hanging out with their cousins.  I think only one kid was scared.


That evening Mike did an awesome magic show.  He's been doing one for us over the New Year's holiday for the past couple of years.  He did some new tricks too.  Thanks Mike!


In the family room Mike set up a sheet and a projector for the annual watching of Star Wars. 


Another annual tradition...a picture at midnight.  I couldn't find our camera so this is a few minutes into the New Year.


We had a fabulous time down South with our family. We wish everyone could have been there. Thanks for the fun reunion Mike and Lena!!!  I had forgotten--and my mom didn't, thanks mom!--but in 2006 we did 5 year goals to open New Year's Day 2011.  I enjoyed reading them.  Lee and I accomplished most of them.  One goal was to have $20,000 saved for a house.  We didn't save that much, but we did make a nice dent in that particular goal. Another goal of mine was to have at least two more kids, or have 4-5 kids by 2011.  Well, I got the high end of my goal with 5 kids! We have lots of goals for this year, and are looking forward to see how everything plays out. The past month or so it's been fun getting our feet wet (again after a long drought) with investing and we're excited to continue that on into the new year.  Lee and I are also enjoying the beginnings of a house search (the very very beginnings--online searches, online articles). We will probably buy a house the middle of 2012.  I feel too young to buy a house!!! (I do want to buy that's for sure, I just feel that I should be older or something.) We decided that we will move to Virginia the end of this summer and make that spot of the country "home".  Anyway....it will be an interesting year with wonderful surprises! 

We hope you have a great New Year everyone with all your plans and goals!