Hangin' Loose in Hawaii....

Thanks to the immense generosity of the Spafford's, the four older kids headed out for the big island of Hawaii to stay a week in Sue and Dave's beautiful rented home.  It came fully equipped with the best company you could ever ask for, a swimming pool, huge common areas to laugh and get caught up on Downton Abbey in, and these macadamia nut chocolate peanut clusters that are such a guilty pleasure I feel I need to go talk to my Bishop...

We loved exploring the island and all the black sand beaches.  Loved the turtles sleeping in the sun...which we immediately copied to our great happiness....

Joey Spafford has got to be the singuarly most loveable person on the planet.  I'm never with him that he doesn't tell me he loves me!  He was game for everything!

                                              
Our gang on the beautiful black beach...

We went whale watching at sunset and saw some whales!

I think everyone decided they hated our life when in an 18 hour period we got a call from Sophie that involved a wound on her head involving blood (come home right now!), a scary call from Katie after a somewhat serious car crash,  James losing his housing in San Francisco, and a friend getting a cancer diagnosis!!!!  Mike was still putting out stake crisises while swinging a golf club as David looked at him incredulously... Ahh!  Vacation!!!!!

It all worked out with Sophie surviving, Katie just a bit traumatized, our friend hopeful, and James finding new housing!!!!

After putting out a few fires, we were able to have a most enjoyable, romantic, funny trip- and we love our family so much!!

KID CATCH-UP

 Mike and Ashley:

They say that the only people who say "Well- no one's perfect" are people who have yet to have their first grandchild!! Perfect, darling, angelic, gifted, funny, genius Haven continues to just squish our hearts with her sweetness and light!  We are counting the days (25 to be exact) that Brooklyn arrives to rattle Haven's world and then become her best buddy and partner in crime....  Michael has had interviews for residency programs all over the country.  The ones he seems most interested in are: Denver, Portland, Mayo (Minnesota), Utah, Sacramento, Cleveland.... In the next few months these kids will crank out a baby, match at one of the above places, graduate from medical school, move across the country and start residency.....We are so proud of you guys and the way you take on enormous life challenges with a smile (and a chocolate frog for Haven)  

James:

James spent last semester in Atlanta Georgia in Master's studies in animation.  He loved the experience socially but found that it wasn't as challenging artistically as he had hoped.  Off he goes -in a week- to San Francisco to study at AUU.  He has an apartment in the middle of the city with easy access to school and all the ammenities.  He is excited to be smack in the middle of Pixar, DreamWorks and Lucas Films.... He will study towards a master's degree while looking and being available for jobs in Story Boarding with these great companies.. Dad is going out to help him get set up and get to know the city.  Sounds like there is a great singles ward there and he is up for the adventure!!

 

Emily and Thayne:

Emily and Thayne just returned from a once in a lifetime trip back to their mission areas!  They left Christmas morning and traveled to Santiago Chile, then into Argentina- seeing members that Thayne had taught and visiting some of the most beautiful areas up in the Andes... They got to know Buenos Aires, and Emily was most excited to see Thayne in his mission element with the people he had grown to love.  Emily has one semester left before her Masters of Accountancy.  She has a job lined up and is excited to never-ever drive to Provo, Utah again!!!  Thayne's company is doing well and expanding and growing.  We're excited they got to go on such an adventure together before they have their 8 children...

Katie and Sam:

Katie and Sam are cool- but not quite this cool...Here they are dressed up for Sam's birthday party with an 80's theme.  I'm sorry to say that Katie found stuff in my (Judi's) closet that she felt was lame enough to be appropriate....Katie threw a party for Sam at Classic skating with a hundred friends...Such a great time!  The newlyweds are almost at their first anniversary! They have moved around a lot!  Lived in Amarillo and Lubbuck Texas last summer for Sam's work, bought a house in Provo, went to Africa once and Mexico twice...Katie is starting her student teaching at Granger High this February and Sam is blasting all records with his recruits for Vivent Alarm Systems.  They are off to Little Rock Arkansas this summer for sales.  Katie is loving her work with Mary Kay cosmetics...

Let's just  hope that Katie and Sam's children are at least as cute as Lucy.  Katie's maternal instincts are just splattering all over this lucky dog... She keeps Katie warm when Sam is away..  Here she is with her twin (Sophie's baby) Lady...

Katie is obsessed with being an auntie to Haven.  They spent the holidays playing together at Jungle Jim's, sledding and hosting hundreds of tea parties.  

Sophie:

Here- making her debut as a blind pirate in the play Peter Pan....  Such style, such grace!  Where does she get it!?

Sophie is in 7th grade and loving the social life at Oly Jr.  She was voted "Most likely to brighten your day"!....  The pesky academics are not her favorite- but we soldier on!  She has a million friends and that seems to be what her life revolves around.  She is taking voice lessons and got a guitar for Christmas.  She is hoping to become the next Taylor Swift.  She is a seagull in the school musical: Little Mermaid.... Her experience in Peru this summer was a great one.  She will either keep me young or kill me off.  The debate is still out on that....

CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!

Christmas morning with half our family gone!!  Mike still made them line up and account for their year before he let them run in for the tree!!!  Emily and Thayne left for Argentina just after we opened our gifts!

We loved having Mike, Ash and Haven come in from New York to celebrate Christmas vacation with us!  They had a week up in  Boise with the darling Peay's, and a week down here with us! Here is a shot of Katie, Sophie and Haven blasting down the hill.  Haven is a bit of a thrill seeker..."Hang on to the short pink one Katie"!

Awkward family photo: Ashley,(Brooklyn-keeping warm), Mikey, Haven, Sophie and Katie!!!

Sophie loves to finally be the bossy/helpful big sister!!!

To Michael and Ashley's horror - Sophie and Haven became twins in the "Bourne to Run" tee shirt that hasn't been off Sophie's body in a year and a half!!! Hey we're good for years!  We have ten of 'em!!

Go Bournes!!!!!!

Fun on the slopes with the 7th graders.  Haven is totally one of the gals...

Hanging out at the Yogurt shop with the gals...

We went to "Jungle Jims" where there are toddler rides that are fast, small and go in continuous if not nauseating circles.  It was just the ticket for Haven.  Michael looks terrified and chooses to close his eyes, as Haven hoops and hollers it up.....

We greased up Michael's hips so that he could squeeze into the zoo train... Haven loved it.  She proceeded to the gerbil playground and was gone for an hour climbing and sliding...Such a fun little monkey!!