CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE HANSEN HOUSE

David showing off his new USMC fleece blanket.

Crystal is learning to play guitar so we got her a beginners book - Good Luck Crystal!

My very handsome grandson Jonathan.

Jonathan with some of his gifts from Grandma and Grandpa.

How cute can you get? (left to right: Celie, Alyssa, Miranda).

Alyssa with her new books.

Alyssa was tickled pink with her new boombox.

Bubble wrap was as big a hit as the actual present!

Celie was thrilled with her new books.

Miranda was in heaven with twins.

Showing Grandma her curtsy.

SHUFFLEBOARD

Shuffleboard is something both Loren and I enjoy but this was a first for me -- both teams scored over 100 points! My partner and I made it all the way to the finals but lost that last, all-important game. Oh well, there's always next time.

Mom's 80th Birthday

David and I drove up to southeast Idaho, and Heidi came down from Boise, to celebrate my Mom's 80th birthday. My brother and sister-in-law, Zac and Tami Parris, hosted a wonderful brunch. There was a really good turnout and everyone had a good time. Thanks again Zac and Tami!!

Mom (Zola Parris) with her beautiful birthday cake.

Mom was standing on the steps -- she is NOT taller than I am!

Cold and snowing... luckily Heidi brought an extra sweater for me!

The roads were rather treacherous at times but David did an amazing job driving to and from Idaho.

Beautiful winter scenery.

LITTLE SISTER FOR RICA

Rica has a new little sister we picked up on Sunday. She is 4 months old and weighs 2 pounds. It is a lot of fun watching the two of them romp although baby Chica makes Rica look huge!

How could we possibly resist this face?

Pretty tiny... almost fits in one hand!

Always ready for a comfortable lap!

KATHLEEN

This is probably the hardest bit of news I have had to post to date. My sister, Kathleen Cutright, passed away on October 25. She was only 54 years old. I will miss her every day but know she is finally at peace. Loren, David, Crystal and I drove up to Pocatello to attend the memorial service. Heidi also came down from Boise.

KIPPER

It is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that we lost Kipper on October 7. We adopted Kipper from the Humane Society in Boise in September of 1993. She was a wonderful dog, with a great personality, and brought a lot of joy into our lives. She is gone but will never be forgotten.

YUMA SUNSET

I was out walking Rica and had to run back to the house for my camera so I could capture this beautiful sunset!

HEIDI

Heidi finally made it to the cabin. The weather wasn't all that great but we had a good time anyway.
She didn't even roll it!
Heidi and the dogs enjoying our massive lawn!!

HEIDI AND GUY

Finally got a picture of Heidi and Guy!!

BOISE

We spent a couple of days in Boise running errands and visiting with friends and relatives. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time!!
I had lunch with my good friend, Eileen, at the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Boise. The food was really good and it was wonderful spending time with her.
Dinner at the Brick Oven Bistro with (left to right) Heidi, Hope, Gracie (my niece), me, Loren and Brett.
A great picture of Brett and Loren.
Cool shot of Gracie. I am so glad she was able to join us for dinner!!
Heidi and Gracie.

THE GARAGE IS DONE!!!

Loren finished the last of the siding yesterday and it looks amazing!! One more big project out of the way. We might actually be able to play and act like retired folks next summer.

A LITTLE BRAGGING....

Just had to do a little bragging. Loren quit smoking one year ago today (September 15, 2007) and I quit June 2, 2007. Needless to say, we are quite proud of ourselves!! Can't believe it took us so long, but better late than never.

SHOWCASE

Loren finally got the showcase completed and it looks wonderful!! Since we will be heading to Yuma soon, we didn't spend a great deal of time figuring out what to display but the pictures below will give you an idea of what it can look like. Loren's creativity never ceases to amaze me!

LEXUS ON STEROIDS

We finally got gravel on the road to the house! However, we realized that my car would always have problems getting up the road so decided I needed to go back to an SUV. After lots of internet studying and shopping we finally decided on a 2006 Lexus GX 470. Hopefully we won't have to look at buying another vehicle for a long time!! Please note: My car is parked in front of the garage, not at the bottom of the hill!!!!

SHORT VISIT

Loren's mother, sisters, niece and great-niece drove up to the cabin today. It was really nice to see them all again!

Arlene, Julie (in back), Madora and Loren.

Four generations - Arlene, Madora, Callie, and Susan.

BUCK LAKE

Loren, David and Jonathan took a day trip to Buck Lake. Challenging hike but what beautiful country!!!

They brought home 11 beautiful trout that Loren fixed for dinner the next night - YUM!