Mystery, Magic and Logic!?

I guess I'm just too simple to understand the "ins and outs" of the technical world! So...it seems like "magic" to find my video, which was posted weeks ago, is now working! It is definately a "mystery" to me.

I'm certain there is some egg-head (like a brother or two of mine) who could explain to me the reason my video is now working! But, the "logical" reason for its "timely" debut is it just took four weeks to load. What does that mean. Is my computer that old?

Really, save me from the answer (if you have one) currently my brain, heart and everything in-between feels ready to explode because I have way more complicated problems to solve than this one. Oh.....and I'm training for a half-marathon so that could be part of the heart exploding feeling, not to mention the "in-between" parts like my legs and feet! (Are those parts in-between my heart and brain? Oh well, you know what I mean!)

So....now that you can *SEE* the video... you will know Marisa DID NOT GET BRACES! Instead she got a sore backside! Poor girl.

brace yourself...

this is why Marisa isn't smiling much in the previous pictures at the Canyons.

slowly catching up...

...I have had a difficult time keeping up with blogging. I guess we are just too busy living!

So, since I've been gone....

We celebrated Michael's "13th" BIRTHDAY! We had cake and presents on his actual day...and then we all went skiing/snowboarding at the Canyons! Here are a few pictures...

some more...

As promised....

...some pictures from the past few months.

I'm back!

I'm going to try to keep up with my blog again. Things that have happened since my last post.

Thanksgiving! We traveled to California and had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with Grandma and Grandpa Parkin et al. We went to the beach - rented one of those dorky 4 person bicycles (two of them), saw "Wicked" at the Pantages Theatre and ate way too much because Grandma is such a good cook!

December came and we had a fantastic Christmas celebration at home! Uncle Scott and his girlfriend Cherie spent Christmas week with us and we had so much fun with them. The kids got everything the hoped for (I think) and Mark and I gave each other a CRUISE to the Caribbean in February! December also brought another houseguest.....Richard from Haiti. He arrived the day Scott and Cherie left. Richard was accepted into BYU's English Language program. He stayed with us until January 26th. He is now living in his own place close to BYU.

January came and we celebrated Katiana's "14th" birthday! We had a party at the bowling alley complete with "cookies and cream" ice cream cake! She even had a fellow bowler ask if he could BUY a piece of her cake for $5 buck! I think it was a successful birhtday party!

February came and went in a blink! Katiana was baptized on February 1! This was a wonderful day for all of us. She was absolutely radiant! Grandma and Grandpa came to tend our children while we (Mark and I) ran away to the Caribbean for a little sunshine! We had a fabulous time. We were able to visit: Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts/Nevis, Tortola/Virgin Gorda and San Juan. I love the Caribbean. I love its beauty and its beautiful people. I might live there someday! We came home to more snow then we left. The day after we came home we took Katiana to the temple to be sealed to us forever! It was a beautiful day. Dad was able to perform his first temple sealing and our family was beautiful all dressed in white. We waited a long time for this day. Dad pointed out as he talked with all of us that we had waited 30 months. It was so rewarding to accomplish this important event for all of us. It brought a sense of relief and a sense of excitement to see our family change with the addition of beautiful Katiana. I didn't cry as much as I thought I would.....perhaps because I just felt so happy after all the struggle to get her home -- GOOD DID WIN over evil! She is a member of our family now eternally!

I will post some pictures from the past few months. I love you all!
tash