A Sinceriously Long Post

First, Happy Year of the Dragon to all of you and yours and the dragons you rode in on. More about Year of the Dragon in a moment.

Second, Emma used the word "sinceriously" a few days ago and I thought it was such a cute word. We've been saying it to each other all weekend. I thought she just kind of coined it herself, and maybe she did (I haven't asked), but a few minutes ago I googled it and it's all over the interweb -- sinceriously this and sinceriously that. Maybe it's a word the kids these days are using and she picked it up at school. Has it been around for years? I think it's a great word.

We went to St. George for the weekend. It was nice to get away. Emma enjoyed busting loose from the first grade rat race and relaxing in relatively balmy 60-degree weather.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel and played two seconds of giant checkers outside in the big rockers.


Later that morning we strolled the grounds of the temple. The temple up close is blindingly white.


In the afternoon we walked along the Virgin River and Em rolled up her pants and waded around and collected various rocks and dug in the sand and it was most relaxing.


So backing up a month -- we welcomed the Year of the Dragon on January 23. We had a nonregulation dinner of fajitas and cream puffs, but did roll out some decorations.


Emma also celebrated last month with a group of friends we see too rarely (only once a year or so), but it's always wonderful to get together with some of the other China Girls and their families.


The kids in the Mandarin immersion program at Emma's school put on a New Year's program earlier this month. That photo's kind of dim -- but Emma's on the front row in the middle.

Here she is with one of her pals from school, the "other" Emma (Emma B.). I knew when we named Emma "Emma" that she probably wouldn't be the only Emma in her class, and I was right. So now Emma has to write "Emma H." on all her school papers, and her teachers call her "Emma H." But whatcha gonna do..


She even writes "Emma H." when she's writing a letter to Mom and Dad (just so we're sure...):


And to conclude: We enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday at Aunt Boo Boo's and Joe took the annual rib-eating photo. The venue changed, so the chair's not the same as in years past, but the tradition continues.







I guess this wasn't so sinceriously long after all...more pictures than words, that helps.

Happy New Year.