Not New News but Exciting Nonetheless!

Sariah is engaged! She said "yes" to Brett's proposal in the Reno Temple on January 30. They have known each other for about four years. He was first attracted by her smile during their freshman year at BYU. He would make it a point to pass her each day to greet her and get a glimpse of that smile. They dated during their sophomore year. Brett returned to Reno to prepare for his mission while Sariah stayed on in Provo, working and attending school. Both submitted mission papers during the fall and received their calls shortly thereafter. Brett was called to serve in Hungary, entering the MTC in January, and Sariah in Uruguay, entering the MTC in March. Their training actually even overlapped by a couple of weeks. Sariah encountered Brett on the first day she entered the MTC! It was a bit of an awkward situation as Brett was allowed to speak only Hungarian that day. They supported one another during their missions, growing even closer as they shared testimonies and experiences. Sariah returned home last August. Brett returned in December. Sariah was a little worried about what would happen when Brett returned. Would they still like one another? She was happy to discover that they did. They have been inseparable ever since.

Brett and Sariah plan to be married on May 8 in the Oquirrh Mountain temple. We're excited for both of them as they embark on this new adventure. They make a cute couple and are so good to and for each other. We have grown to love and appreciate Brett for many reasons. We look forward to having him be a part of the family. An added bonus: Sariah doesn't even have to change her last name! Furthermore, Brett's first name is actually James.:)

Merriment in McCall

The third annual family reunion in McCall took place the week after Christmas again this year. Our cozy log cabin retreat and the snowy wonderland provided the perfect backdrop for lots of joy and laughter.

Just sitting in the great room beside the glowing fireplace and watching the falling snow was a treat.


While the guys enjoyed skiing at Brundage, the girls romped in the snow with the kids,

watched the romance classics that Grandma got herself for Christmas,

and were entertained by the children. There was never a dull moment!

Hansel and Gretel? Note the tongue.


Grandma's treasure box, filled with activities for the kids, was popular.

The adults played a mean game of "Categories" and another game (like "Gossip") introduced by Jacob which involved writing a phrase, passing the paper to the next person who drew a picture depicting the phrase. That person then folded down the phrase before passing the paper to the next person who would try to come up with a phrase that would describe the picture and so on. Reading the results brought lots of laughter!

"Sorry" and "Hi Ho Cherry O" were popular with the kids. Owen and Becca's favorite was throwing- the-fruits-from-the-basket-in-the-center-of-the-table-onto-the-floor. There was a box of oranges on the floor that got the same treatment. We had fruit everywhere!

The kitchen help was fabulous and the meals delicious! Everyone pitched in.

Wii Lego Rock Band, Mario Bros. and the Raving Rabbids (racing down snowy slopes on water buffaloes, exercising with Miss Fit and dancing with divas) provided hours of entertainment...and more laughter.

Nathan and Matthew built some awesome snow forts.

We discovered that the gravel pit was a great place for sledding.

Owen was a little hesitant at first to careen down the hill on a sled and was easily distracted....

...until he saw Maggie, then Becca, go down on their bottoms.

Owen followed and soon he was hooked!

To our amazement, Becca took a flying leap and started sliding head first on her belly like a penguin down the hill. Owen was not far behind.

We all agreed at the end of the week that this was the best McCall reunion yet. Thanks Grandpa Camper for making it possible. Thanks to everyone for working so hard to make it such a positive experience. I'm looking forward to the next one!