Lisa n Tom (n James n Joseph)

Lisa writes: This is how I remember my little cousins, Eric, Chad, and Trevor. They also have a little sister, Lauren. I guess I hadn't been paying attention, but somehow they all grew up. Here's Trevor and baby girl Jersey. (I like how they have the same hairdo.) And wife Carla and Jersey. And some more kids.... And, holy cow, his and his brothers' kids! It's like ... it's like they're ... REPRODUCING!

Lisa writes: Hey Mom, scroll down. I've been posting retroactively back to Oct. 31. 'Cause I'm sneaky like that.

Lisa's sister, Lori, says: Michael-the-guinea-pig says, "Merry Christmas!"

Lisa's mom writes: Going to church with Donny in California.

Micheal the Guinea Pig writes: This is how I roll!

Lisa's sister, Lori, writes: Michael-the-guinea-pig says, "Merry Christmas!"

Lisa writes: It's an annual tradition -- freezing around the National Christmas tree. Next year, I am SO SERIOUSLY instituting the NEW annual tradition of bringing marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers and s'moring the HECK out of the National Yule Log. Here's me freezing. That's the mini Colorado tree in the background. Here's Tom freezing with another state tree in the background. The big event. It's more lights than tree. But, one little odd thing ... is it just me, or does the tree seem a little ... bustle-y this year?

Lisa writes: I left a voicemessage for Christi, offering to send Chinese take-out to Madison's hospital room on Christmas Day. (Debbie and Kellen had already scooped me by sending balloons and stuffed animals.) Christi texted back: Madi listened to your message. :-) She wants to know if the Chinese Christmas dinner comes with a Red Ryder BB gun she can shoot her eye out with. :-D

Lisa's sister, Lori, writes: This is Cameron's corn snake, Marc. Marc is cute and curious. Marc is also quite an escape artist. Shortly after we got him, he disappeared from his cage. We searched everywhere for days. We'd finally basically given up when, one morning, Dave was in the bathroom shaving when he saw a little head poke out from behind the bathroom mirror. Somehow, this snake had managed to climb (?!?) up the bathroom counter and wedge itself in the tiny gap between the mirror and the wall. We'd never really liked that mirror anyway. (Big, builder's-grade flat mirror glued to the wall.) So we carefully popped it off the wall, retrieved Marc, and put him back in his cage. We left the mirror propped against the counter to deal with another day. Another day came -- Marc got out of the cage again. We searched again. Cameron searched. Dave searched. I searched. The little kids searched, and the little kids were apparently still searching one morning while I was...

Lisa's sister, Christi, writes: Madison, before... Madison, after... Everything went great. Nurse said she was the funniest recovery patient she's ever had. Oh thank heaven for drugs. She's just sleeping now. Madi's first visitor: Liberty-the-super-poodle.

Lisa's brother, Donny, writes: Look at what one of those nice Santas gave me ringing the bell in front of Walmart! (Lisa writes: Donny finally sold his ridiculous, gas-guzzling SUV. To a guy who saw his listing on the internet. For cash. He was last seen walking down the street, flapping this fan of Benjamins. We have very extensive dental records on this kid -- hopefully, we won't need to use them to identify the body.)

Lisa writes: Yesterday, our Sunday School class of 9 and 10 year olds was talking about Christmas presents we're giving to our family. I said I was giving someone a little flashlight that plugs into a car's cigarette lighter. Entire class simultaneously said, "What's a car cigarette lighter?" As far as these kids know, that little plug has always been for charging cell phones and GPS units. I was tempted to march the whole gang out to Tom's car in the parking lot -- a 1993 Honda Civic with an honest-to-goodness cigarette lighter in the dashboard. And then they could watch him use the handcrank to start the engine, and then we could all take turns riding around in the rumble seat. Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. Anything that's invented between when you're fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. ...

Lisa's mom writes: We are in Las Vegas visiting my sister, Joyce, and her family. [While we were downstairs], upstairs in our bedroom 2 year old Chelsea unzipped my gold makeup bag and artfully designed her arms and face with my black liquid eyeliner. She did not get one drop on the white carpet. Memories of my mom telling me how I got into her expensive face cream -- from head to toe -- came back and "I just took you out on the lawn and took your picture." She was very careful and didn't get a drop on grandma's white carpet. Stephanie's Steven. He let me hold him, but I was definitely "not the mama." The Bellagio Hotel decorated for Christmas.

Lisa's mom writes: Two days speaking Spanish. A young lady gave me a flower for my hair. Merry Christmas. Heading to Las Vegas ahead of the storm.

Lisa writes: My sister Debbie's Primary students performing a Nativity pageant.

Lisa's mom writes: Arrived in Logan, Utah Thursday afternoon to begin Christmas with the grandkids. Grandpa and Christian. [Lisa writes: Let the loot begin!] Madison's new school bag. Christi got us on her video. We had fun with the grand kids and they loved Mom's gift of a Wii. We "hurried up and had fun" so we could get to "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" play where Christian was one of the stars. Christian was so good in his role as one of the "naughty" Herdman children and then the best Wiseman. Do you know the play? I had never seen it. It was great. It was hard for Christian to master "the look" that in Hawaii we called "stink eye." Only a couple of times would his darling smile sneak back on his face (his true life role). It was so fun. Christian - in the front in blue..... He went from the "bad kid" too the best Wiseman... It was a delightful play and Christian did a great job. Madison and I made special C...

Lisa's brother, Donny, texted: Hahaha, I have never been more happy that I speak fluent Spanish and look like I would not know a word of it... I am selling my truck and a Spanish-speaking father and son came to test drive it today. Son says in Spanish to dad, "I want this truck, no matter what he is asking!" Dad says, "Let me to the talking. I will low ball him." Me, smiling in the backseat. =) Dad offers $2K less. I tell son he is only $2K from the truck of his dreams. Son says, "Daaaad!!!" Haha sold it for $2K over the blue book. =D

Lisa writes: Did I mention our friends Krystal and Jared are famous? Their do-it-yourself twin table project has been featured on not one but TWO of my favorite websites! Ikea Hackers Apartment Therapy P.S. That's Joslyn on the left and Jakob on the right and they're really a lot more excited about dinnertime than this picture would seem to indicate.

Lisa's mom writes: Our dental assistant, Karen, reported "Baby Jesus is gone...he was here before lunch!" (A sheep "walked" away last year from the toy room.) We looked all over the toy room and in the toy buckets. After all the searching ... I picked up the Mommy Kangaroo who was on her side in a corner. Baby Jesus was safe in her pouch. Joy to the World!

Lisa writes: Happy birthday, Christian!

Lisa writes: My parents are on the move again -- today they're in in Salt Lake City with my nephew and niece, Christian and Madison. They're cute when they're cold, aren't they?

Lisa writes: Tom and I flew back to Virginia the day after Thanksgiving and left everybody else behind to have fun without us. Click on pics to enlarge. Giant Madison (Kellen in the background). Spot Christian in the middle of the pile. Dad dropping us off at the airport shuttle, giving us advice for the road. "Don't take any wooden nickels." "What's a wooden nickel?" Airport shuttle guy, Pat. No one escapes the family photo album. Shuttle. One of the drivers told me that they go through an average of three windshields a season per van. That's irreverent to the picture, just thought it was interesting. That's a lot of windshields. After we left, Mom sent some more pics. This is the kids playing Settlers of Catan, I think. I wouldn't know, really. I've never played. They always wait and do everything fun after I'm gone. I submit this picture as Exhibit A. And this picture is Exhibit B. Christian at the pool.