January - March 2010

January 2010

Happy New Year!

Michael started the year off with a hunting trip with his good hinting buddy , Jared Snarr, in Idaho...looks very successful!

He also was able to fly to Glendale, AZ with his dad, to attend the Tostitos, Fiesta Bowl and support the Boise State Broncos! Looking good in Orange and Blue, boys! They truly had the best time, just the two of them, no wives to be looking over their shoulders! Live it up!

February 2010

Lucy's hot new wheels!

Sledding with friends at San Isabel National Forrest. No broken bones!

Riley turned 6 the end of February and requested his birthday dinner at "Joe's Crab Shack". Seriously, our kids take after Michael in this department, because all 3 of them absolutely LOVE crab...and most seafood. (I'm still warming up to salmon and shrimp.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RILEY! We sure love you!

March 2010

At our favorite restaurant (everybody eats well and likes to be there!) Texas Roadhouse. Here Sophie sitting pretty on the lobby saddle...next to the big bin of peanuts. Our kids beg to go back!

Coaching Sophie on how to use the camera. Michael and I as her subject.

Just look at that grin! Michael loves to fish and eventhough it was somewhat warm this day...he has been known to fish in sub-zero temperatures! Nice trout, Michael!

Ahhh! Grandparents. We love them!

A quick meeting in SLC at the Temple Square Grounds.

Little Lucy and HER "Bam-pa"

Our group, gathered by the fountain. What a fun Sunday morning!

New Orleans

Michael and I flew to New Orleans for the annual Orthopaedic Academy Meeting. The kids were enjoying themselves at their cousins in Springville and we relaxed in the Big Easy! We had fun with Michael's parents and brother, Brian, also attending the meeting. Some highlights were all the wonderful restaurants, the cajun/creole cooking class, a make-over, the beignets and hot chocolate, a swamp boat ride, a tour of the city, meeting up with the U of Iowa Alumni, and listening to Original Jazz at Preservation Hall. So much fun!

Self-portraits right before the swamp boat ride.

The whole gang. Such fun people!

I loved the beautiful vegetation in the swamp area. This is a tree covered with Spanish Moss. It looked even more enchanting in the setting sunlight.

This little alligator is named Marshmallow. She liked to pose for Michael and give him a big smile! We all took turns holding this tiny alligator, but saw some real huge ones lurking in the waters as we passed!

The famous beignets...covered in powdered sugar and a tasty cup of cocoa to finish it of perfectly! We went here twice!

At the Iowa Alumni reception, here with Dr. Marsh. We had fun discussing our England memories with him and his wife (are you reading this?) So much has happened and changed in the short time since we had left residency! Fun to reconnect.

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Random lunch photo during Spring Break. Sophie has braids in her hair, so she could have "Hermione Hair" the next day. She is currently reading the Harry Potter series and is totally hooked! The books are almost bigger than she is! Way to go, Sophie!

Riley lost his very first tooth! We had been at a school fundraiser and when we had arrived home, Riley gave it a good yank...Voila! So brave, too!

September - December 2009

September 2009

We found life back in the USA to be very pleasant...especially hanging out with friends and family again! But the respite was short-lived as we had to pack up everything and make our way to our new home, Pueblo, CO... A place to stay settled for hopefully a long while.

Excited to get on yet another airplane! Saying goodbye to Aunt Suzanne.

Sophie and Riley's first day of school in our new town, making new friends.

Saturday outings exploring where we live. A nearby pond stocked with fish. Kids ONLY! Our kids liked that part! Here is Sophie catching one of her first fish by herself.

And Riley, acting quite natural around fish. Daddy's so proud!

ANNUAL PUEBLO CHILE AND FRIJOLE FESTIVAL ...lots of fun and games, good food, and roasted chiles!

OCTOBER 2009

Duck season found three happy hunting partners! Lucy can hardly wait to get taller so she can go, too!

My grandmother passed away in early October. She was an exceptional lady, living a full 93 years. All of my own siblings were able to make it back to Idaho Falls for the funeral. It was a special time to all be together and to remember our Grandma.

Harvesting time and fall are some of my favorite times of the year. We took an afternoon to explore our neighborhood pumpkin patches and pick the lucky winners to be carved!

Sophie and Riley learning how to dig out the innards...their first time going solo! They did a great job and our jack-o-lanterns didn't even get smashed this year! (It must have been the ominous threat written by Sophie and placed next to her pumpkin on the front porch!)

Ahhh, in costume, finally! Lucy as a puppy, Sophie as a cowgirl, and Riley as a sweet-toothed pirate! The kids cashed in on plenty of loot...and we had to turn of our lights when our candy stash was exhausted very early in the evening! (Have to give the kiddos credit for volunteering to give away their recently acquired candy to our own trick-or-treaters!)

NOVEMBER 2009

Family Home Evening kicked off our month of gratitude. All throughout the month we all were able to write on a leaf something specific to be thankful for and attach it to our tree. I love this tradition borrowed from my sister Camille's family! The kids love, love, love it, too!

Michael's parents spent the Thanksgiving holiday with us in our NEW house! Hooray. We entered us all in the 1st annual "Turkey Trot" sponsored by our YMCA. It was a great start to the day, getting us all moving and enjoying the beautiful fall morning!

Our two turkeys ... best of friends (usually)

The wonderful feast of food. Our first one in this house. mmmmm!

A little snow can't hurt! Lucy, still in her PJ's, waiting for the bus to pick up Riley and Sophie. We've found that snow doesn't last very long around here. Gotta play in it while it stays!

DECEMBER 2009

We drove one afternoon to Denver to meet Aunt Cindy and Cousin Katie at the Denver zoo. It was odd to be outside hardly bundled up in the middle of December! We loved seeing the animals, many of which we had seen in Africa. Good Memories!

Not too many photos taken of Chirstmas morning, but the famous Pickle tradition still lives on!

Yummy omelettes for breakfast. Another living tradition...Michael's the best chef, ever!

After an early morning of presents, sweets, and excitement (and hospital rounds/on-call duties for Michael), the typical crash on the couch...no words needed.We went ahead and got outfitted with our very own boots...even little ones for Lucy! Yep, we're here to stay! It's been a wild, wild, year. Happy 2009!

August

August was full of finding time to do all we could possible fit in, before leaving England. We drove to Dover, took the ferry to France and enjoyed a few days in Caen and Normandy, then boarded a train bound for Paris...an absolute highlight of our vacation!

Ferry to France with the famous white cliffs of Dover in the background.

Enjoying really good French food in the beautiful evening air at this quaint cafe.

Family time at the beaches of Normandy after visiting monuments and cemetaries.

Waiting for our train to Paris. (Wish we knew more of the French language!)

One of our first views of the Eiffel Tower.

Victoriously posing at the top of the Eiffel Tower...after enduring LOOOONG lines and the sticky heat of summer! Worth it!

Outside the Louvre museum.

The famous inverted pyramid.

Passing the time whilst their parents took sooo long to look at all the amazing art.

When we returned to Oxford we only had 2 days before leaving England. After the packers/movers finished at our little home, we visited city centre once more...our favorite pasty place (pretending to be hungry pirates!) among other favorite stops.

and a last stop at the fun parks and playgrounds in our neighborhood.

Good Bye, Oxford! We'll see you again sometime!

Much love,

the Daines Family

July

Riley and I spent a Saturday by ourselves in London. We loved it all...The Oxford Tube ride into London, chasing pigeons, crossing bridges,walking and walking, the rain, counting clocks, ice cream, acquiring Riley's "Simba", and the highlight was an afternoon performance of The Lion King. Riley loved the first part especially, but got a little tired by the end. It was an incredible show...music, costumes, and having each other for company!

July 17th was the last day of school. Sophie, Dylanie (friend) and Riley in front of their Primary School, Orchard Meadows. I'm so proud of them all for making friends, adapting so well to a different system, and for being so clever!

We had all of their friends and classmates/teachers sign a T-shirt for each of them to have a fun keepsake of their time spent in school in England. They still love to wear them!

By pure accident and happy mistake, My sister Crystal and husband Pat had a layover at London Heathrow airport for about 8 hours. They were on their first leg of their journey to visit my parents in Africa. We picked them up from the airport and drove them back to Oxford to our house where they could take a shower, have a bit of lunch, sleep a tiny bit, and see our neighborhood. Alright, so it probably wasn't totally accidental...thank goodness for tender mercies! We loved the surprise vist and seeing family...even if it was for just a short time.

Leave it to Michael to find a honey hole in England to fish! He paired up with fellowsportsman, Rob, and spent the day following his 2nd love...fishing! (He assures me that I am still #1!) Beautiful scenery, weather, and fish!

Michael's supervising professor treated us to a week in his holiday home in Scotland. The next few pictures are from our time spent up north. We absolutely loved it!

Our first part of the journey was to Preston, England where we were able to each attend a session in the Preston Temple. We also walked the grounds and visited the distribution center there...such a treat!

The heather was just beginning to bloom when we arrived in Braemar, Scotland. And we lucked out with very agreeable weather! It was fun to walk around the small village and to get a taste of the local lifestyle. We took a few daytrips, hiked, and watched an authentic Highland dance performance!

What a memorable birthday for Michael. We celebrated his 34th birthday while visiting Braemar. He was surprised and happy with the gifts we had packed with us to give him. Definite highlights were: a yummy venison dinner, relaxing in front of the fireplace, late nights with "Jack Bauer," walks in the woods, and spotting red deer and other wildlife in the back woods.

Just a few hours away was Loch Ness. It was such a beautiful drive! We went to the far western side of the Loch to a castle, Urquhart Castle, that had been initially built in the early 1200's. It passed back and forth from clans and the crown and was ultimately destroyed by it's protectors to avoid becoming a stronghold for threatening Jacobites. Very interesting history. Largely left in ruins, yet some parts restored. And talk about location! It is strategically situated on a piece of land jutting out into Loch Ness. The views are so amazing! Looking for Nessie!

On our way home we stopped to explore two more castles, Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle. Being there almost made me want to have lived in the medieval time period. I think Stirling Castle was my favorite. I especially liked watching the restoration process for a number of tapestries...the Hunt of the Unicorn series. Michael and I had enjoyed these unrestored tapestries in The Cloisters museum close to our first apartment in NYC.

Very near the border between Scotland and England is Hadrian's wall. This represents the northern extent of the Roman empire in Britain...around 122 AD! So much history on this vacation! We walked along the wall and enjoyed a break from the car! You can see how it stretches out behind Sophie and Riley, for miles and miles! I was surprised at how thick the wall was ...4-5 feet in some places.