100 TOES!: The End of a Year and New Beginnings

Our apologies to those of you who have checked on us recently and not found anything new since Thanksgiving. You all know how busy this time of year is for everyone, and it's just chaotic around here. It's a wonderful fun chaos though!

What a blessed year we have had. We are so thankful for what God has done in our lives this year. We began the year with our oldest son turning 16, starting college classes. We also found out about the expectation of our youngest who would arrive in September. The spring brought a hiking trip down to Havasupai Falls for Darrell and the four oldest, and a spring musical for our three oldest. The summer held camping trips and preparing for baby's arrival. Lanie Ruth arrived safely on Sept. 11. Fall found us enjoying the beautiful beach in Mexico in October and Thanksgiving in November. Decemer was full with a performance of "Cheaper by the Dozen" with our four oldest, a trip to Des Moines for Cari and Lanie to see Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, our 20th anniversary and of course Christmas.

Lanie's sweet presence in our lives has brought us such joy, and yet we feel the loss of our little Grace and wonder what she would have been like at each stage Lanie grows through. I am sure we will always have these thoughts, even though we are so happy that Grace gets to "grow up" in heaven. She will always be a part of our lives. As we think of her, we are so very thankful for the new life we see in Lanie. God is so very good.

Here are some pictures from this, the last crazy month of 2007. Have a very happy and blessed New Year!

"Cheaper by the Dozen"

Taylor, Bethany and Grant

Taylor and Grant

Myck (right)

A visit to snowy Iowa. See the big tree on the far left of the picture? That's my Grandma's street. I just had to walk down to "Beaverdale" to get a cup of coffee. (Grandma doesn't have a coffee maker.) It was about 20* and snowing. To this desert girl, that's a big deal!

Cari's grandparents' house

A picture of joy

Mom gave up on keeping the thumb out of the mouth. Lanie never complained about the socks, but she never forgot about her thumb either. Oh well. :)

All bundled up for 11* weather

Happy Lanie

Four generations: Lanie; Lanie's mom,Cari; Cari's mom, Betty; Betty's mom, Annamarie

Lanie with Great Grandpa Pete

3 months old!

Picture for Dad's annual handprint t-shirt

Lanie's contribution to the handprint t-shirt (Just try getting a three month old to unclasp her hand long enough to slather it with paint and stamp it on a shirt, without making a mess or getting paint in her mouth!--Feet work much better.)