For Brock

Brock is an awesome teacher. He has a way of motivating students by helping what possibilities there are with the tools they have.

Here's a sneak preview of a clip that he plans to share with his High School students when he teaches them how to create short films:

Christmas!

Christmas was a lot of fun. Brock and I first went to Denver to meet up with his family, then we made our way to Seattle be with the Skeens.

On Christmas Eve, Cliff treated us and Brock's brothers, Ross and Devin, to some excellent downhill skiing at Loveland ski resort. It lived up to its name, because the snow there was SO LOVEable!

The conditions were just right: sun shining, enough powder to play on along the sides, smooth, little to no lines, and very few people in relation to the size of the mountain. Great day! Speaking of great day, Brock's hair had a great day.

It was so much fun to all ski together. We all stayed about the same pace, though Devin, Brock and Cliff were more daring than I. Thanks to Cliff for such a great memory. It was a real treat.

Our first night in Seattle, Mom and the family held off our Christmas dinner tradition so we could enjoy it with them.... a Seafood and vegies FEAST. We had more crab, shrimp, sourdough bread, asparagus and potatoes than our tummies could handle! This was Brock's first true seafood feast experience, so it was fun to share it with him!

A tour of Seattle for Brock would not be complete without a bike ride over I-90 bridge to Mercer Island. It was a beautiful sunny day, but it was BITTER COLD. If we were to do it again, we would definitely dress differently! Nonetheless, we had a great time together. I love Lake Washington and all the surrounding beauty from the trail by it. I am happy Brock was up for yet another adventure!

We also enjoyed a day in downtown Seattle where we spent time wandering Pikes Place Market and more. We had lunch at the Pink Door... the more delicious Italian ever (homemade noodles and mushroom sauce). We also indulged in a few delicious French bakery treats (saved for later enjoyment) and gourmet chocolates.

We spent some time in the "Ye Ol' Curiosity Shop" as well... a trip into downtown Seattle with a Skeen would not be complete without it!

Other elements to complete the trip: a trip to the mountains for sledding with Mariah, time playing with Hayden and Joey, take-out Tai Ginger meal with Mom and Dad, and a trip to Coulon Beach Park and Ivar's for their delicious Clam Chowder and unbeatable Fish-n-Chips!

We miss Seattle and Mom and Dad (and Joey) already! Thanks for such a great visit!

Some fun with friends and family

I am getting further behind, so these are not in order, but they will have to do for now. It was a really nice November with holidays and great start to December!

In December, Conz treated us all with tickets to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional on Temple Square. It was a foggy and cold evening, so we didn't stick around long, but we did stay long enough in the parking garage to eat chili and rolls! It was fun to meet up with Rebs there and to spend time with Brock, Conz, Brandon, and John.

We went on a date with the Skeens to a local rec center. We loved the kid pool with Kai, and even took a trip down the dark water slide and let the bucket-o-water dump on us. And... the hot tub was REALLY nice. We will seek to find more hot tub time this winter! After swimming, we grabbed frozen yogurt together. It was cold out, but the yogurt was still oh-so-good!
In November, before Thanksgiving, Joseanne invited Brock and I join her and Conz in making pies! I am an apply pie, and Brock made lemon cream pie. They both ended up tasting delicious. We still have some experimenting ahead to perfect our favorites... stay tuned!

This is my apple pie (Lion House pie filling recipe with a Betty Crocker recipe for the crust)
Here is Joseanne's (I love the way she did the leaves on hers- so pretty!)
Here we all are (thanks Brandon for taking the picture!)
Joseanne was dubbed "Martha Stewart" for the night... she is really good at this!

In December we had a "Stairwell Jingle" with our neighbors. There was no singing, but there was music. It was nice to visit with a few neighbors who we did not know. We had a special visit from the fire department and got to treat them to some hot cocoa as well.

I made my first attempt at creating a cheese ball and was not disappointed.