Yes, I'm alive... End of 2009 IN PICTURES...

We Bring You Back to this Regularly Scheduled Blog!

Since I've been abolutely horrible in updating this blog since November of 2009, I guess the best way to catch up is through pictures. These last few months have been a whirlwind of busyness, exhaustion and emotions. Hence the huge gap between posts. I hope to be better in 2010. Well, now it's February 15, 2010, but I STILL promise an improvement.

So Halloween is where we left off. Yikes.

We had our annual family photos taken in November. We always try to do it in November because first, it allows for Christmas card pictures and two, it's our anniversary in November so it's always a nice tradition to "update" our pictures every November. Our good friend Gina Murray took our pictures again, as she took the pictures in September with the kids with their Idaho cousins. Despite the fact I look old and beefy in the pictures, I was very happy with them (It wasn't Gina's fault that I look old and beefy).

It freaks me out how grown up Mikelle looks here:

We were fortunate this year to have family around for Thanksgiving. It was something we always took for granted until about 2006 when everyone was *poof* gone and moved away. But this passed Thanksgiving we were blessed with Chris's older sister AnneMarie visiting us with her husband Gary and three very grown up kids. And a special bonus, Mikelle bonded with her cousin Maren. It was sad when they had to leave.

Christian and his Papa the morning after Thanksgiving.

The morning after Thanksgiving before the Hatch's headed back home. Papa and
Georgia stayed 2 more days.

Mikelle and her cousin Maren. (The stupid picture, though saved, won't stay rotated in the vertical flip! Ugh!) Anyway, Mk was sad to see Maren leave.

Christmas was fun. We actually had a seasonal one! Cold and snowy! Yay! We went to up to Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls - Rigby - Rexburg area) where Grammy, Aunt Becca and Aunt Kariann live. It was fun, cold, snowy, and it was sad to leave! There is some Christmas adventures from our trip up (part road trip and part plane ride) that would qualify for a scene in a stupid National Lampoon's movie, but that'll have to wait for another time. Then when we arrived on 12/23 Christian started with a stomach bug. Chris and I got it too, but thankfully our turn waited until Christmas night.

All 5 of Grammy's grandbabies together for Christmas 2009!

Christian fell asleep early on Christmas Eve. He was still recovering from the stomach bug he brought to Idaho....

Our day trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming the Monday after Christmas 12/28/09:

Quite the thrilled look Christian has, eh?

The Grandchildren in their Old West souvineer pictures! Jackson Hole, WY

Mikelle makes quite the pretty lil' Annie Oakley

Christian getting into his Western Duds for the pictures!

The following day (12/29/09), we hung out just the 4 of us and took a few shots by the Rexburg Temple. No, Mikelle's hands aren't that huge. We were in Grammy's car, so she put on Grammy's gloves.


Here we all are. Useful info: It's hard finding a place to set up the camera to use the timer when you're on an incline and there's no one around. Just saying.


And sadly, 12/30 was the last day in Idaho (sniff) was spend getting more fun wintery pictures to remember as we returned to hell, I mean, back to the desert. (cry)

Christian and Brisa

Christian, Brisa and Garon

Mikelle and her Grammy! (that's the house across the street - I liked the candy cane pillars as a backdrop. And we got the dude shoveling snow for the whole "real life" effect too!)

Welcome 2010!

We spent New Year's Eve back here in hell, I mean, the Phoenix area with our friend's Bruce and Liz and their daughter Katie whom is Mikelle's best friend. The girls' fell asleep before the ball dropped (or the west coast broadcast of the ball that dropped in NYC a few hours prior) so we were mean and we woke them up! I'll have to get those pictures from Liz and Bruce! They were better with the camera that night (so check back!).

Most of the happenings in 2010 so far is Christian is in soccer and we've had a nice seasonal wet winter. I wish it would rain more (I'm thinking of how cold and rainy it was in late 1992 early 1993) so there would be more snow on the mountains to see, but c'est la vie.

Christian is the one behind the kid with the ball. It's quite fun watching his energy expelled in a sport rather on everything else. lol

Well, if you've read this far, you are a loyal follower, that is, if I have any followers left. I thank you. And another entry will be coming very soon.