not The Vermont Life

When it's time to leave Utah

The sky is falling!

Dean and Dallin, Part 2

Part 1

"Hey Dallin, do you need your shoe? I think you should put on your shoe."

"No thanks, bro, I'm just chillin'. I don't really do shoes."

"You don't do shoes? Hah! That cracks me up! You're killin' me!"

"I know, right? I'm gonna be such a great roommate to you in college. I'm picturing it now, Dean, I'll be the zen-meister and you'll be my overly-emotional sidekick."

"I can't wait, D-Man. Let's hug it out."

"Yeah, I don't really do hugs, either, 'D-Man.'"

"Nah, hugs are cool, dude! Watch, I'll hug your sister."

"I'm not gonna watch that."

"See how easy that is? Now I'm gonna hug you again, all sneaky-like."

"I'm not feelin' it, man. I gotta cut you off."

"Okay, I'll stop hugging you. Let's just watch your parents load up the car. Someday that'll be us, packing up, moving out."

"Then we'll be together all the time, Dallin!"

"Yeah, well, we've got a few years, Dean. Maybe we shouldn't rush into anything, roommate-wise. I mean, anything could happen, right? The zombies might attack. I think I've gotta go practice some survival skills alone in the wilderness."

Thanks for taking us to the dinosaur museum, mom.

"I'm not entirely sure what miniature golf and light refraction have to do with dinosaurs, but I guess science is science."

Dean: "I require another fake blue Tyrannosaurus. This one is unacceptable."

Scott: "My dam seems to be structurally unsound."

"Help! I am surrounded by herbivores roaming in a non-aggressive pattern!"

"This sure is a nice bench. I'm glad the dinosaur museum has a smooth bench for us to enjoy. I wouldn't have nearly as much fun on a metal bench."

"I didn't know standing next to a dinosaur leg could be so fun! Hey Dean, you try it!"

"I am indifferent to the thrills of a dinosaur leg bone."

The token Christmas post, on April Fool's Day, because only a fool would think that Christmas pictures are still relevant

The Sutherland party

Hey, look!

Dean found a stuffed hedghog and thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Scott opened up a battle hamster. Or maybe it was a ninja hamster.

"Train! Train! Open the train!"

A couple of ruffians on a pillow. That's Dave and Jana's son Xander with Scott. They were kind enough to visit us after their party, so it was approaching midnight and the natives were getting restless.

The Young party 

"Check out my eye! I mean, check out my Star Wars shirt!"

Giant lollipop. Dean loves 'em.

Aunt Nancy's party

She had a playroom, and the kids got creative.

If their parents are cousins, what does that make them? Second cousins? Okay, second cousins Erin and Gabe play "Put the bucket on your head, wrap up in a slinky and a Slinky Dog, then try to escape."

Custom nourishment for my picky children so they can continue in good spirits. I keep Stonyfield Farm in business.

Look at all of these relatives! Clockwise from the left, it's Tanya, Kevin/April, Nancy, Carrie, Randy, possibly Clytee, and Barbara. Thank goodness Tanya's husband Rex isn't in this picture, because I don't know what he looks like.

I took Dean outside for a bit, and he found a planter with some melting snow in it.

It only took a second of me wondering, "What will happen next? Let me get my camera," for him to splash all of that mud onto his clothes.

So then Dean was mostly naked.

Second cousin Betsy pushed him around in her doll stroller.

Then Dean returned the favor. What better way to end Christmas than with goofy children acting goofily?