Hello Everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. Things are wet but good in San Diego. It has been raining all day but I had the day off so I am just chillin'. I went and bought Napoleon Dynamite and Garden State today so I have been watching those. I still have 3 other movies from Christmas that I haven't watched yet either. I guess I need to get on that. Matt and I are just hanging out tonight playing Playstation 2 and watching movies probably. We were going to go to Disneyland but we didn't want to drive in the rain all the way up there on New Year's Eve, a little too dangerous.

I am having fun just relaxing and getting stuff done around the apartment. I need to get my resume put together so I can start searching for the perfect job that is just waiting for me! Mom and Dad are coming down in a couple weeks so I am looking forward to that and I start school the next week. The vacation is filling up fast with things to do.

It was fun to go home and see Mom and Dad and the girls and their boys. Christmas was entertaining and there was a lot of laughter. I hope everyone else had fun at their respective Christmases. Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are doing fun things this last day of 2004. I will talk to you all next year! haha!

Marnie

I thought I would add this for Dad. This is a house in Battleground...You thought that your electric bill was high! 

Looking out onto the Freeway in Seattle 

Seattle Skyline 

On the Ferry to Seattle 

Yes, Today we are celebrating our 1st wedding aniversary. It is insane how fast this last year has gone by. It has been hard at times but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Peter is a great husband and I am so glad I made the choice to marry him. We are heading up to SLC to stay at a Marriott for two nights. Tomorrow night (New Year's Eve) we will be heading to the Utah Jazz game against the Sacramento Kings. Our first ever NBA game experience and we can't wait. It should be a fun few days and then we are able to have Mom and Dad and Kim stay at our apartment this weekend.

Christmas was great and we were very happy to be able to relax and enjoy being in Washington with the family. We were able to meet Treven and he seems to be a pretty great guy. We got to go to Seattle like Mom has already mentioned. Peter was glad to be able to go see the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Galloping Gertie). We got pictures of it but I accidently erased them all while trying to do stuff with my camera on the Ferry over to Seattle. We got our XBox finally and are very excited to be able to hook up to Live to play with all of you guys.

Before and after going to Washington, we were able to spend some time with Tom and Tracey and Hayden. He is the cutest little guy but is definitly spoiled like Tom and Tracey say he is. We were able to go to Brick Oven and go bowling with them. We also killed them in a dart game 212 to 0. It is nice to have family here to hang out with.

School starts up next week and in some ways I am very excited to because I won't be taking such a grueling schedule as I did last semester. Also it means that volleyball will be starting up again, and I most definitly need to get back into it. Peter is finally a BYU alumni and it very proud of the license plate frame we have on our car now. He will be starting up his Masters at BYU this next semester and will be finishing in the Fall of next year.

Well I should get going, I need to get ready and pack for the next couple days. We love you all and miss you. Hope to see you all soon!

Love, Anne and Peter

We had a great Christmas with Marnie, Peter and Anne and Kim and Treven. It was a lot livelier here than normal. Today is my first day with Dad at work and noone but Kim home. Kim, however, got up, took a shower and disappeared over to Treven's house so it is pretty quiet here. I have spent my morning getting the Christmas decorations put away (you know how we are!!!) and now I am getting ready to clean up my desk and work on the business plan for the practice. We are still moving that direction but have not proceeded so far that we couldn't change our mind. Our broker is negotiating with the owner of the building that we would like to go into ..if that fell through, it might give us pause for further thought...

Well, what about this last week of Christmas...Peter and Anne arrived on the 18th. That evening we went to a Christmas program at the symphony and then down to Brian's to see Martha and Dick who were up for just that day. We then stopped to eat on our way home which made a long day!! Monday, Anne, Peter, Kim and Treven went up to Seattle for the day while Dad and I met with various people regarding the practice. Wednesday, Anne, Peter and I went to the temple. Marnie came in on Wednesday night. Then I was fully inundated with three girls critiqueing my every move! Actually it wasn't that bad. They had a lot of fun together...lots of games and puzzles and movies going. On Christmas Eve afternoon, we went to see Lemony Snicket... which we really enjoyed and then came home for our usual Christmas eve festivities. Christmas morning was slightly delayed since Kim went over to the Perry's (Treven's family) for gifts at 7 am. She was back before 8, however, and none of the others were awake yet so it didn't cramp our style too much.

We appreciated all the gifts....Adina and David...we really did need the closet organizers. That is one of my projects for these next few weeks. Buffy...I am very impressed by the scarf. It is so soft and I can't believe you just started crocheting and got so much done. I love the puzzle caddy...it has really smoothed out my puzzle making. And I am digging into the Lemony Snicket books also! The puzzle that Tom and Tracy and Mike and Brooke gave me was a real doozy to do. It had multiple pieces that looked like they would fit and then later you would find that they should be somewhere else. Marnie got me a pedicure kit...which will save me a bit of money!! And we have a new BYU ornament from Anne and Peter.....All together a thoroughly satisfactory Christmas!

Of course, the best part of Christmas is not the gifts but the enjoyment of family and reflection on the significance of Christ's gift to us. This Christmas has been wonderful with more excess time to just enjoy being home and listening to Christmas music etc. Very peaceful! We are taking off on Friday after Dad gets done with work to take Kim to BYU Idaho. Then it will really be quiet!

With Dad's plan of going on his own, I really do need employment and I have one promising lead. I just was called back for a second round of interviews for a job at Northwest Evaluation Association. It is a Research Coordinator for their research department. It's a new position and sounds very interesting....in addition, the job starts with 6 weeks of vacation/sick time. Pretty attractive. My interviews are not until next week so I'll let you know how they go. The only drawback is that it is all the way down by the temple so that it would be a long commute:~(.

I just finished reading " The Kite Runner" It is really a great book---makes you understand better all that has happened in Afganistan.

Well, I'd better get to that business plan.

We love all of you! (If you haven't written to the blog for a while....do it!)
Mom

They LOOK like they get along, don't they?! 

Parker with a few of Christmas spoils 

Morgan watching one of her new "Princess" DVDs 

Christmas has come and gone for the third and final year for us here in Japan. It is official. The tree is bare again, the presents are scattered throughout the house - and I do mean throughout - and we are eating Christmas dinner leftovers. It feels great!
First of all - thanks to all of you for your wonderful gifts! Tom & Tracey - the kids loved their stuff! Parker wore his BYU jersey all day and wanted to sleep in it! He had such a great day - he kept saying, "This is so excited!"
In the news...Morgan is potty-trained! Hip, Hip, Hooray! This is the first time in 9 years that we haven't had a child in diapers! She just caught on this last week and has run with it. She even stays dry at night. It's fabulous. In other news, we are planning our trip home in a few weeks. Our plan is to fly to Seattle on the 21st of January. The kids and I will recover from jet lag, then drive down to Fremont til the 2nd. Dave has a "working interview" that week at a practice in Vancouver that the dentist wants him to purchase. He will join us in Fremont after that and drive back to Vancouver with us, where we will be until the 10th or so of February. The main reason for the trip is to secure employment, but we sure are anxious to see family! We are really excited to come home for a while!
The kids are all doing well and growing fast. They are really enjoying Christmas vacation - and so am I. I spend so much time at that school, I should probably teach there. Isaac is a good student, has a lot of friends in the "neighborhood", and is always on the move. Taylor, on the other hand, is content to do a puzzle, play a game, or create a piece of art. Both doing well in school. Parker is a crack up - I think he will be some form of brute when he is older. He breathes like a bull - you can hear him across the room (which is ironic, because when he was born, they couldn't get him to breathe). And he reminds me of that kid on Charlie Brown that always has a whirlwind of mess right behind him - that's Parker. Morgan is very much into Dora the Explorer and is Parker's shadow. I'll say, let's go upstairs and get a book, and she'll say, "Is Parker coming?".
Dave is obviously preoccupied with separating from the Navy and getting into private practice. We are really trying to be smart about everything, without it consuming our thoughts, but that is proving difficult. I know he will make the right decision, so I don't stress so much. Other than that, life continues on. The New Year promises to be interesting, to say the least, and we are ready for the challenge. We sure have loved Japan - an experience we wouldn't trade for the world. Hope all is well with all of you and hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.
Adina

Writing to you all on a wet Georgia day. As Jane says, "the Christmas eve of christmas eve" I guess this will have to count as our family letter. Pictures to follow from Christmas Eve and Christmas...
We are very much enjoying all being at home together except that the last 4 days, everyone but Brooke has been hit by the flu bug. Luckily, I think my FluMist vaccination kept mine to a low-level fever but Jane and Sadie were puking their guts out for a while there. Ellyn faired OK. I have been working half days Tuesday through Thursday so I wouldn't have to charge my leave. But, 4 hours a day compared to 14 seems like quite a day off.
Most of our days at home we are spending finally putting our room together. Also trying to get the Ford Probe I own ready for sale, which I had a blow out in the other day, luckily at 25 mph and not freeway speeds. So now getting it ready means buying 2 new tires since the other one is also showing radial wires. I guess the half full glass here would be full of happiness that I didn't die on I-185 with a blowout? Oh and then the spare tire got a flat, I can only laugh.
Recently a friend of ours was baptized who we had referred to the missionaries. We are having her and the kids over for Christmas Eve and Christmas. It has been a great experience for the family. I was just called as the Gospel Essentials teacher, which I love, so I also get to teach her more about the gospel there.
On a side note, it is official, many Mormon people are stupid. What?! you say? Here is the latest. Well, she actually lives in a different Ward boundary but the mssionaries from our Ward were about 20 times better than the missionaries in the other Ward. Also, we were there as someone that knew her well. So the mission president for ATL, GA said to go ahead and bring her up in this Ward, and our Bishop agreed. Well now the Ward Mission Leader (from the Ward she is technically supposed to be in) comes to her house with the loser missionaries a week after the baptism and tells her she is being disobedient and that she needs to either move or attend a different Ward and essentially paints her as a rebel sinner. So she tears up and asks them to leave and calls us. So I really fell like giving this "Bro. Griffin" a piece of my mind. But, instead I will just have a talk with our Bishop and see what he can do to prevent this aberrant behavior. Luckily, she truly was converted by the Spirit and I don't think this will affect her. Just a rant, but the point is the Church is true, some of its members continue to be Morons. Also, as I think about this situation, I believe one of the biggest challenges to the Church in the next century as it grows larger and larger is the encroaching bureaucracy that is inherent in controlling large numbers of people.
I am approaching the end of my time in command. I think the change of command will be some time in mid-February. From there I will attend the Captains' Career Course here at Fort Benning from March through July. Then we will most likely be moving if I do not get assigned to a local unit. I am requesting Fort Lewis's 2nd Infantry Division or 25th Infantry Division. But, the list is 20 requests long so I may get my 5th, 6th or even 20th choice. It is really all needs of the Army right now for obvious reasons.
A friend of mine from Ranger School that was in my squad was killed last week in Baghdad by small arms fire. Captain Mark Stubenhofer. This hit too close to home, please put his family in your prayers.
Now for some positive thoughts! Ellyn is an incredible baby, always happy. She burnt her finger the other day on the stove and was crying but when she looked at me she was smiling through her tears. Typical Ellyn, a true sweet spirit.
Sadie is hysterical. Very much her own personality. She reminds me of Tom in that now, when she gets tired, she will just say she is going to bed and take off and go tuck herself in and fall asleep. We recently purchased the new Disney "Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas" DVD, which is fantastic. The computer animation is on the same level as Pixar stuff. Sadie will watch it with a smile on throughout the entire show. Highly recommended to Dave and Tom.
Jane is the sweet girl she always has been. She has many friends which is great. Our neighbor Savannah and Jane ("Best Friends") are spending a lot of time at the house playing or going to hockey games. We have been reading the Lemony Snickets books (which are the best kids books out there) and we recently saw the movie. Jim Carrey was excellent, the movie was excellent standing on its own, but we felt a little let down after reading the books that so much had been left out.
The rest of this vacation we will spend playing games, reading and basically having some good family time. Brooke's back is feeling much better, and she has started going on walks at night with her friend Emily. I'm very glad to see it.
Our Golden Retriever Bailey has turned out to be a great addition to the family. She is a very sweet and gentle dog.
As far as my entertainment recommendations go:
Book: The Devil in the White City - Brooke read it all, I am in the middle of it, Mom you would love it
Movie: Man on Fire - best thriller I have seen in a long time

We wish all you a Merry Christmas. We miss you all. Wish we were all together for the holidays.

Mike

Hey Everyone,

Mike --- Brent
Brooke -- Tom
Dave --- Anne
Adina --- Buffy
Brent --- Marnie
Buffy --- Peter
Tom --- Kim
Tracey -- Brooke
Marnie -- Tracey
Anne --- Mike
Peter --- Adina
Kim --- Dave

Just thought I would post the list again so everyone knew again who they have.

-Anne

Beautiful, I know.

Well hello everyone. I just thought I would put up a picture of me and Kim from her trip to San Diego. Crazy how much we look alike huh? My friends all call her my twin now. Things are good. I am roaring into finals week tomorrow so I must go study. Just thought I would drop a line.

Marnie

Parker and Morgan after a long day at church 

Fogettaboudit.......... 

North Korea over the shoulder 

That is a train track that continues into North Korea but is not used. Notice the sign to my right that says "no pictures". I sacrificed the bottom part of my right ear lobe to take this one (sniper fire). What a man will do for THE BLOG. The hills behind me are all North Korea.

Third Tunnel
This is a tunnel that the S. Koreans dug to intercept a infiltration tunnel that the N. Koreans had dug. I went 80 yards deep to go walk in a portion of the tunnel. Very cool. There are 4 others that they have intercepted and there are apparently 20 others that they have not found.

Hello from Japan. Just wanted to give everyone an update on my trip that apparently nobody knew I was on. I guess I didn't publish it for fear that North Korea might try to kidnap the Navy dentist.
I went up there for the 38th Parallel Dental Society conference at the Dragon Hill Lodge at Yongsan Garrison Army base there in Seoul, Korea. I was there from Monday to Saturday. A very good conference, good presenters and one of the best I have been to.
Did some shopping and a tour to the DMZ. Very interesting place. Very interesting situation. I wish you all could have come. I did meet a couple of Army dentists that graduated from the same dental school Tom and I are going to. One poor fella is in Korea for 1 year unaccompanied. He was in good spirits though.
Still don't like Korean food.
I had a few 05/06 people tell me I was doing the right thing by getting out right now. That is comforting. And, I am currently looking at a practice opportunity right there in the heart of Vancouver. Still have a long process of making sure it is what I want, but so far it looks somewhat promising.
Hey Dad, are we part of the family anymore? or are you coming to see us before January?
We miss you all and wish we could be there for the holidays, but it'll just have to wait one more year.

Dave
(btw, please leave your name after your post so that we can tell who is talking.)