A Great Day at Bogus

After returning to a valley filled with snow, we were anxious to get up to our local ski resort, Bogus Basin, and hit the powder. We were not disappointed! What a great way to end a great year!

A family shot at the summit!

Bryce carving it up!

Blue skies overhead and light powder everywhere!

Ski buddies - ready for another great run. You take the left, I'll match your turns on the right.

New Years in Boise

The return trip from Seattle to Boise was just as snowy and icy as the trip out and it was nice to be welcomed back home by my folks, Gary & Judy. They arrived just before we left for Seattle and spent Christmas in Cascade with two of dad's sisters and their famlies. It was also nice to see everything covered in a nice blanket of snow. Our first morning back we went for a morning walk along the river, enjoying the sunshine and the crunch of the fresh snow.

Mom and the kids scraped up enough snow to actually make a snow man.

Bryce enjoying some 1 on 2 time with Papa and Nana. Albert is never one to miss out on attention too.

One morning we had a special quest drop by for breakfast. Marilyn is mom's cousin and was in Boise for our upcoming special meeting.

Christmas in Seattle

After a special but brief visit with our special reatives visiting Idaho from Hawaii and S. Carolina, we loaded up the Avalanche and headed for Seattle. We had not spent Christmas with Shelly's family in many years and were looking forward to seeing many of her realitives during this special time of year.

Chain control, ice and snow reminded us why we usually make the 8 hr drive during warmer times but the truck proved the perfect vehicle as we continued on with no delays or incidents.

Our first stop was in snowy Snoqualmie, where Shelly's family from her Dad's side had gathered from all over the state. It was great to see so many in one spot. Some of whom we hadn't seen since our wedding reception some 16 years prior.

It was then on to Seattle, where we spent December 23 with Shelly's mom and step father, Myra and Tom. Shelly's brothers joined us in the morning and all enjoyed sourdough waffles, gifts and good times.

It was wonderful to have almost all of the cousins together.

On Christmas Eve, we spent most of the day with Shelly's dad and step mother, Larry and Nita. Keith and Troy joined us, so Shelly got to spend more time with her brothers, neices and nephew.

And the cousins had another day of fun and gift exchanges.

The day after the holiday, we met Shelly's mom in Tacoma at her work and she gave us a VIP tour. We spent the afternoon together in Tacoma exploring the Museum of Glass. Before we knew it the trip had come to an end and we were headed back to Boise.

Happy Holidays!

As the days before Christmas quickly disappear, we look forward to being with friends and family soon. Mom and Dad will be arriving in Boise on the 19th, followed by our Aunt and Uncle from Hawaii along with their son and his new bride.

We will spend a couple days with them before heading to Seattle for a week to be with Shelly's family for Christmas. It has been many years since we have been with them at Christmas time, so we are looking forward to special days.

We plan to return to Boise in time to close 2007 and celebrate New Years Eve/Day with friends and family.

We hope that you all have a safe and wonderful holiday season and that our paths may cross in '08.

Eric, Shelly Bryce & Erica

Bryce's Birthday

Bryce started his 12th year in style as we were joined by Nana, Papa and Auntie Becca!

Having a birthday right around Halloween always makes for more fun. Here, Papa gives the birthday boy some carving tips.

A very scary bunch!

Fall Baseball

In September, both Bryce and Erica said they wanted to play in the fall baseball league. This was Erica's first time playing organized baseball and she did GREAT!

Bryce and I behind the plate - I was one of the coaches on Bryce's team and was also the backup umpire. Bryce mentioned that he may let the high ones go past him. I suggested he catch BOTH high and low ones.

On the last game of the season, we were joined by my former coach and Bryce's Papa. Bryce had a great game, as usual. Erica's game was unfortunately canceled but hopefully she will play again in the Spring.

One more trophy for the shelf!

Oregon Coast

As many of you may already know, on 7/24 Eric received and accepted a great job offer that will allow us to stay in Boise. He will continue to work from home and perform sales analysis for a National retailer that is based here in Boise. With a start date of 8/14, we decided to take a vacation and head to the west coast for a week and a half. Our first stop for 3 days was on the central coast of Oregon, where we enjoyed some big time sandy fun.





The kids drove their own odysseys while Shelly and I tried to keep up on our quads.

Shelly leads Erica across the sandy playground

After of day of blasting across the dunes, we recovered by exploring tidepools and discovering many rarely documented sea creatures.

A trip to the Oregon coast wouldn't be complete without a visit to a picturesque lighthouse. This historic monument was located at Hecta Head, just north of Florence.

Climbing to the top of the lighthouse gave us a great view of the ragged coast.

Who needs an ATV? These kids get more air with their own wheels.

Additional fun included kite flying and finding sand dollars.

Also on the list of stops was a visit to Seaside, where you have to take a spin on Tilt A Whirl.

Working our way north, we HAD to visit the Tillamook creamery and sample their latest concoction. The 3 chief judges gave approving marks.

After spending a few days exploring the northern portion of the Oregon coast, we traveled up to Olympia, Washington for 2 days of convention. From there, we visited Shelly's mom and brothers in Seattle for a couple days before heading back to Boise.

Happy Birthday Erica!

It is not everyday when you get custom made pancakes for breakfast. But you also don't turn 9 everyday either. Other birthday activities included a trip to the waterpark with family and friends and a beautiful cake from mom.

Weekend Escape

With the kids away at summer camp for a few days, Shelly and I decided to escape the valley heat ourselves and also head to the mountains. Our neighbors offered their "cabin" for us to enjoy, which was directly across the lake from the kids and just out of ear shot.

On Saturday, we attended the wedding of some friends, which was in a beautiful valley an hour north from our mountain hideaway.

On the way back from the wedding, we did some side road exploring and discovered this beautiful mountain lake.

A Birthday Celebration!

A group of pretty ladies wait for the parade to begin.












By far, our favorite float in the parade! Awarded the "Parent's Trophy"

After the parade, it was off to the club house for a great lunch and even better fellowship.




Nana and Poppy with the birthday boy!







No lit candle was safe at this party.






















Even Erica got in on the holiday/birthday action!













Enjoying her first July 4th celebration. Her other check says "Made in..."















A great birthday boy enjoying a great day!

Camping at Fir Creek

Following a recommendation from some friends, we decided to visit Fir Creek Campground. Fir Creek is 3 hours away from Boise on the western edge of the Sawtooth Mtns and is one of the tributaries running into the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. On Thursday, we had the small campground to ourselves but by Saturday it had filled up with rafters and hikers.

Hiking to Bear Valley Hot Springs

On Friday, we left Fir Creek Campground and hiked almost 4 miles to Bear Valley Hot Springs. The wilderness trail wound through the lodgepole pines with the river in view most of the way. After 2 hours, we arrived at our destination. The hot water cascaded down the hillside, forming pools which eventually lead to the river. While the top pools were too hot for our liking, the riverside pool was a very comfortable 95 degrees. We were the only ones there and enjoyed the solitude and beauty of this special place. After several hours of soaking and relaxing, we hit the trail that took us back to camp.