Merry CHRISTmas to all!

Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed CHRISTmas this year. Levi was able to spend Christmas with Grandad and Grandma Dixie down in Yuma, I hear it was quite the dinner and a very enjoyable family time. We are hoping to make it down there next year for an even bigger holiday dinner!

Jacqui has spent the last week between Grandad #1's and Grandma Quack Quack's houses while I stay in Spokane and work. I have enjoyed the break (I have been sleeping in every day!), but also miss my little 'helper'. Grandad #1 sent some pics to post on the blog so here they are. Jacqui has been very excited about Christmas this year and was very impressed that ALL the presents under Grandad's tree had her name on it "not even one little one was for Grandad, they were all mine!" They had dinner with some of his friends from work, and she was happily the center of attention as she was the only kid there. She has been giving his puppies lots of attention and love. Grandad was pretty smart for her presents this year and wrapped up the fixin's for s'mores, her favorite. She was very excited and told me all about it on the phone. They also had a tea party outside by the fire, in the freezing cold... Grandad #1 tells me they spend hours out there, it is Jacqui's favorite thing to do with Grandad! They also went to see 'The Princess and the Frog' the new Disney movie, which Jacqui was pretty impressed with. Grandad #2 and Grandma Dixie got her the Princess Tiana doll for Christmas, and she thought that was pretty neat! Hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful. It was cold in Spokane, but no snow. I worked the whole week, but enjoyed some time scrapbooking and looking at family pics. I will put up more pics and stories from Grandma Quack Quack and Grandad #1 as I get them over the next few weeks. God Bless!

Happy Birthday Mikey/Thanksgiving 09'

This year Mike and I were happy to have Thanksgiving at our little home:) We fit 12 people into our space, and it worked! Katie and Sean made a delicious pie and turkey, mom and Matt brought mom's famous candied yams, dad and Diana made a delightful dinner salad, Cass and Eric decorated the cute x-mas cookies in the picture, and I had to make mashed potatoes of course. Mike's brother John and his son Billy joined in on the festivities.


Mike also celebrated his birthday on the 2nd. We had a few gatherings for his birthday. Here are a few pictures including lunch at Ivar's on the pier in Seattle with dad and Diana, and the Outback Steakhouse with mom, Matt and friends.

Lion King on Broadway

Jacqui and I took our friends Cori and Kris to the Lion King last night as our Christmas present. It was a spectacular show! The set was absolutely breathtaking, the lights, colors, details, everything was just amazing. The costumes are so creative, the dancers are the animals, as the costumes, and the lines of the animal blends right into the person. You cannot differentiate where the animal ends, what is costume, and where the human and the dancer begins. The dancers were all so graceful in their portrayal of zebra, elephants, antelope, lions and the other animals of the pride lands. It was a great performance and we really enjoyed it. It was a 3 hour long show, but Jacqui was even able to sit through it, and stay awake (we were up way past her bedtime on a school night!). At the end of the performance they were taking donations for Broadway Cares, a charity for fighting AIDS in South Africa. Jacqui and I were able to donate and got a picture with Mufasa and little Simba. Little Simba is a 10 year old boy, and he was amazing on stage, he has quite a voice and is quite the little spunky dancer! It was a great show and we really had a great time. The Lion King has a great message and if any of you get a chance to see this show, there is definitely a reason it is a number 1 Broadway production. You will not be disappointed, we are hoping to go again next year, if they still come to Spokane. The set was so intricate and detailed, the lighting exquisite, you really felt like you were right there in the Pride Lands, or part of the jungle... The singing was marvelous, these guys can sing! My favorite was Rafiki, who was played by a woman. Her voice was very powerful and moving. It was a great show, and a wonderful Christmas memory.