Flagstaff, AZ

Duane and I left the kiddos with my parents and went away for a few days to visit Flagstaff, AZ where we lived for 6 years before joining the Air Force. A dear friend of mine had passed away recently, so it was a time to mourn our loss with good friends and visit our "home". Check out those peaks! Definitely a change, going from 70 degree CA to 5 degree Flagstaff! We love all of you - let's not wait another 8 years before we visit again!

Random fun pictures from CA

I think we wiped our kiddos out on this trip!

Clarissa with her great-grandmother "G.G." and her Webkinz puppy we bought after the traumatic ear-piercing incident! I told you - serious retail and chocolate therapy needed!

Caleb - 10 years old and ready to take on the world!

Our happy-go-lucky Colin!

Birthday Girl!

Clarissa celebrated her 6th birthday while we were in California - her big treat was getting her ears pierced! Now, what started out as a sweet mother-daughter outing turned traumatic as one of the earrings didn't go all the way through and they had to re-do one of her ears... after 15 minutes of crying and screaming, of course... serious chocolate therapy needed afterwards! It's safe to say that neither she nor I nor the poor store workers will EVER forget her birthday!

Clarissa holding baby William Rice - he's only 3 months old but has the chunk of a baby sumo wrestler! What a doll!

Our visit with the Rices

Our Christmas view!

Ahh - the beauty of the Pacific Ocean! This is the view from my (sally) Aunt & Uncle's home in Laguna, California. Gorgeous!

Sally's brother, Andy, goofing off with Clarissa - giving her a new perspective on the world!

A parting shot of the kiddos and Sally - that's her smiling uncle (and incredible lawyer!) behind her. What a wonderful family Christmas we had!