Mom's Posting Debut

Hi everyone. We're so excited that Mark put this blog together. We're getting settled here in Provo. We live about 100 yards up the street from Dave and Kat. We enjoy having their kids foisted on us frequently.

Dad put an "escape hatch" to the attic in the entryway and has been working on that as alternate storage. We see Amanda and Dan (and their extraoridinarily beautiful children)frequently as well. It's been snowing a ton here. Check out this photo of Matt shoveling:















We also have a visitor, Sister Vidoni, from Romania. She just finished a mission to Russia. She'll be here with us for as long as she feels like it, and her visa doesn't expire (probably a few months). She's a delight to have around and loves all the kids.





She's the one on the right, next to some other returned missionaries from Russia (Siberia - yikes!). Thus, she has no problem with all the snow.






Funny thing here is that Dad (Grandpa) is the one that hates the cold and the snow so much and he grew up in Pre-Global-Warming Idaho. What's the deal with that? This photo doesn't seem to reveal any shoveling "action". Perhaps he's studying out the best strategy.

So, here we are, having a good time and running the furnace a lot. We'd love any visitors or responses to our posts. We'll probably go to Texas to see James and Mandy in the next month or two (or three). Probably tack on a trip to California too. We'll see.

We love you all. I'm closing with a shot of me by our Christmas tree that was donated by our most dutiful youngest son.

Luke's Eagle Scout Board of Review

Pictures from Luke's Eagle Scout board of review right before Christmas.

This is Luke Clare and Bever in Mexico where we all went with others in the ward to bring gifts, clothes and supplies to a village in need. We also got to help dig out a small house filled solid with 3' of mud from a slide. Great experiance

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I'm going to see if I can put Dad's picture on here. Wow! I did it!

(Thanks Dave and Kat for the Skiing pics!)

Dave & Kat's Christmas trip to Powder Mountain

Emerson telling his grandpa Swenson all about skiing.

Well, we did it again. We went to Powmow with Kat's sisters and parents and respective families. This year we ended up unable to book the 70's condos across the street from the ski school; but in October a new cabin became available.

It was super-deluxe. Kat and I skied (boarded actually) right down onto the porch. We all fit in the same cabin (sixteen of us). We had a great time, and on Sunday we had a very nice family sacrament and testimony meeting.

This photo is the kids making a snow cave - that's Emerson with the frozen hands, and Ava in the blue coat. Their cousin, Revin, is scooping out the snow.

Ava is a super skier and goes right up the lift. Elisabeth has been riding the lift for a couple of years now. Emerson was deeply offended that he didn't have any skis, so I rented him the smallest boots and skis they had. He did great - he can ski just fine, it's the stopping that he doesn't quite "get".

The next photo is Emerson skiing. He turns and goes - but like I said - no stopping.

You'll remember that last year Kat's sister Karrin lost her little girl Forest during the night on New Year's eve, up there at Powder Mountain. We weren't sure if she would come this year, but she did. It was really great. We shared a lot of great memories and some tears and testimony.

I've also included a family photo, and one each of Elisabeth and Ava.