January

This month has gone by in a flash. Joseph said the other day "I used to think that time went really slow. Now I think it goes fast, because weeks go quickly."  Very true. Although, at my age the YEARS go by quickly as well!

New Years Resolutions

This month we researched ad infinitum and finally chose a good quality home treadmill. I think we all will get use out of it, but Aubrey in particular really wanted to have a treadmill available. Over the last few weeks she has been really focusing on eating healthy and walking or running.  

I forgot to take a picture of this, but the shipping company delivered a huge box to our front walk, but wouldn't even put it on our porch out of the rain.  By the time Dan got home it was dark and he needed to prepare seminary, so he tipped it over onto the porch on its side and we hoped that no one would steal the very heavy machine overnight.  The next morning we broke open the box and laboriously wiggled the pieces inside. To get the main part of the treadmill upstairs we had to have two strong men come help equally strong Dan. It was so heavy and awkward, that we have decided that the treadmill stays with the house. If we move, it stays!

Super Shooting All Star

Joseph's basketball team all joined a local basketball gym for extra shooting and ball handling practice. It's a pretty cool place, with amazing measurement tools that give instant reports on the angle and speed of the shot and the minutest details about the handling of the ball. I've really seen improvement in all the boys as they have been doing the drills. And Joseph is really a great shot - he is a great asset to his team!

"So Sad to Be All Alone in the World" - Mrs. Meers

And then, there is theater. Aubrey finished rehearsals for her latest play, Thoroughly Modern Millie, in which she played the creepy and delightfully wicked Mrs. Meers. She did SO well, and stole the show again with her comic timing and singing! She received so many effusive compliments afterward. It was a fun weekend!

 Aubrey taking her bows.

 Some of her adoring fans, including friends from school and church. Oh, and her family, of course!

We're so proud of our amazing actress! Aubrey works very hard, and this particular role was one she didn't really want and was really nervous about (she was a pretty despicable character and had to adopt a "fake Chinese" accent), but she really magnified and ROCKED it!

Big changes for the church in Vancouver

And, last Sunday we were part of a huge meeting in a high school auditorium in which two stakes became three (and we lost two wards from our stake to the new stake, which actually makes my stake calling a little easier!).  There will be a lot of ripples from the new callings (three new stake presidencies, and our stake now needs new stake auxiliary presidencies in everything but Primary, 5 new high councilors, etc.  Two bishops also need to be replaced, including the one for our ward.)

This was our view from the very uncomfortable and rickety bleachers.

50 wonderful years

Yesterday was Dan's 50th BIRTHDAY! WOOHOO!  This is what he did for his exciting birthday . . . 

• woke up at 4:30 to get ready for Seminary
• came home and had breakfast in bed (his choice was egg burrito with grilled peppers and ham)
• went to work all day, where his employees had decorated his office.
  
• came home just as I was leaving to take Aubrey to a school theater performance
• got Joseph to Cub Scouts and then sat alone in the house working on music for the upcoming Yule Ball (which is tomorrow - this is the 8th and probably the final year of the Yule Ball since the people that organize it are now in the new stake. He has done the music every year, but since he was released this year as official stake deejay, the new deejay was supposed to do the Yule Ball. However, at the very last minute there was a lot of tumult and the organizers insisted that Dan come back to be the emcee.  It was slightly awkward, but all resolved and now he is frantically putting together playlists and buying all the supplies for running the dance portion (numbered necklaces and mints, etc.))  
  

Anyway, not a very exciting birthday for Dan. He didn't even get to open his super awesome presents until this morning because he was too tired by the time we got home from Aubrey's performance.  

A fun party is being planned for next Saturday, however.  Stay tuned for details!