~Stephanie and Russell and their Seven~

to say that this branch of the family is crazy about science fiction would be true! this photo is Rose and Brenna and David ready to go to the Anime Bonzai 2009 convention. http://www.animecons.com/  there are neatly stacked(and tightly stacked so little ones aren't able to dislocate them) on bookshelves, many, many years of paperbacks along this subject that have all lovingly been read and often re-read. when Russell discovered Terry Prachett years ago and started reading to the kids in the hall by night it was a floodgate for the kids to begin many wonderful hours of pleasure in reading him and dozens and dozens of other authors. Stephanie and Russell and Brenna are authors also. the types of books has expanded greatly.
to be in their home to witness the passionate and lively debates and discussions of every subject under the sun of this planet is quite the experience.  very thinking family.

  it's a busy house with Ian finishing up his mission papers and becoming a freshman in college this year, and musical instruments running amuck, dances to go to, games to play, dramas, plays, musicals that they get involved with, etc, etc. we will go celebrate with Ian when he leaves for parts now unknown. there will be a post on the day he receives his mission call.    here we see Ian playing with a band he was with for a few years, and then running through Thanksgiving Point with David and Laurel. fun-gi!  Brenna at home and with the group that went to prom together with their dates [she's at top, left]. with  Ian driving, he and  Brenna went together with their dates to meet the group. i love that they love being together in this little family and that they are all each other's best friends.

Russell takes some darn good photos like these of David, Ivy, Laurel and Ella.

In above photo with Brenna, Russell, Rose, David and their Asplund cousin, Eve, they are in front of Cameron Falls, which Russ says is required visiting when going to Alberta, Canada, his former country.  
    Stephanie and Ivy in these last ones, taking in the myriad of people and activities at our family gathering and loving it- July of 2009...

   ...and five pirates attacking Rose-what unfair warfare! with their cousins from WA, Asher and Gavin who don't seem to claim any part in it!! and then a stitched panorama of this family, along with Uncles Matt and Russell, and various cousins, putting up the tramp for our days of fun...Laurel and Ivy and David trying it out. What a gorgeous and creative group!
LOVE ALL MY KIDS!!!

~ RUSSELL AND TRACY AND FAMILY 2009 ~

This part of the family went to school for about 10 yrs, starting in Boston and ending at Utah State U. for undergrad and  Portland U. for their Masters of Fine Arts. I SAY 'THEY' BECAUSE BOTH RUSSELL AND TRACY DID ABOUT AN EQUAL PART IN GETTING THE DEGREES WITH TRACY DOING MUCH OF THE GROUNDWORK AND FOOTWORK.  Tracy spent time with  numerous jobs to help support the family when in Utah and Oregon-and one of the parents were always with the kids! They made a great team and now Russ is teaching high school art in a great place in Washington state. Aftyn 3 yrs, is the joy of all their lives-the little one that the boys used to pray to have come to their family, and who is the sweet spirit they waited for. The boys, Gavin, 15 yrs (he says he loves reading, running endurance, fencing, tennis, guitar) and Asher, almost 13 yrs, ( he loves reading, video games, trumpet, outdoors)  . We've visited them a couple of times and can see what a good place they have to raise kids in and have a good life. in this last photo we are at The Potholes with them, which is an area of small lava lakes not too far from where they live. last water fun of the season before winter set in.
 they have sincere and pure hearts and give them freely-we have such great admiration for these folks of ours!!
LOVE ALL MY KIDS!!!

~glenn and robin and kids 2009~

this is GLENN and ROBIN and some of their family's activities for the year-well...yes, just some of them. they are a fun and neat group. ARIEL became a cheerleader for our local university this year as a freshman and loves it-especially being on the top like this. she cheered her whole high school experience.TRIS continues to find new and fun things to do-he's 13 yrs and going. he's in this pic with some cousins at our family gathering in july, they had some teenage game they were goofing around with.  some of these shots are of their family vacation during the summer, like this one with his mom. GLENN loves his mountain biking! this shot of him is when he went with friends on a three-day to the Stanley area in the high mountains. ROBIN and her dog, Darby, loved each other like mad! unfortunately Darby died last fall. GLENN and ROBIN have rescued greyhounds and had two that also had been a part of the family-Thomas, the Lord of All, and Frankie, the sweetheart. too bad dogs of that size don't have long lives. they sure were good to know in their time spent with this family. this is Rupert, their newest friend, just a pup last summer. but these BUGS, i don't know where they came from?!
these are neat and amazing people!

LOVE ALL MY KIDS!!!

~Matt and Jenn and girls 2009~

i could keep adding more and more of my family...but my goal is to have at least one photo of each of the forty-nine of them~our kids, their kids, and their kids' kids. love them all to death! what a full and grand year it was...on the Florida beach with Jennifer and daughters Anna, Abby and Allie-great fun was had last May when they were able to go to Disney World and area! and then sweet Abby with her bonnet.

 Matthew and Jennifer and their three lovely and fun daughters, Abby now 8 yrs old, Anna 5 yrs old, and Allie(Alora) now 3 yrs old, live very close to us and it's fun to see them often and have three little girls at our house to play with me.

love these last pics of Allie and Anna swinging, and of Abby on the carosel at DisneyWorld.
Matt might be transfered to Colorado next year. that would be cool-we'd have even more excuse to travel to that gorgeous state and be in the midst of Boulder, Red Rocks, Morrison and the dino tracks, the Air Force Academy, the Denver Aquarium, etc, etc. i love to travel for family!
LOVE ALL MY KIDS!!!