New Year's Eve

Here are the chairs, but where are the people?

Here are the chairs and, more importantly, here are the people.

"Another year is dawning: Dear Father, let it be,
In working or in waiting, Another year with Thee..."

Talk about keeping a low profile as a photographer.

Such a stressful responsibility to make sure that forty people don't miss the first strike of twelve. Starting at 7:30, Dad was checking his watch regularly.

A few days before, Dad told Conrad to find something to share. He figured "all I have to share is my dog."

Blanche "obeys" the command to look to her right.

And the moral of the story is: teach your dog what is right and do not allow him to hone his skills as an escape artist.

Did I hear an "Amen" from the Botsford corner?

Charity shares how the gingham dog and the calico cat could not share a table. They...

"...Side by side on a table sat....
There was going to be a terrible spat..."

"Oh, no! I just forgot the rest."
Though really she did not - it's just
That caption the photo fit the best.
(This blogger do not always trust. :)

God's Word and...

...World Magazine. Talk about an equipped Christian!

Mr. Einwechter: What do you think of that? Do you believe World magazine is requisite to the Church's advance in America?

Mr. Jackson, a loyal subscriber, ponders his answer deeply.

Mr. Jackson: Well, I would never put it on par with the Word of God, but I'd say it is pretty influential.

*crosses arms* You can say what you want. I'm still not going to subscribe.

Bet you could get him to subscribe to a National Rifle Association publication though.

Hey, hey. I think we need to slow the pace here a bit. It's only 9:30 - hardly time to be breaking out the guns yet.

A Long Game to Slow the Pace

The game of inevitable doom (U know... Stacko) - just what we need to distract folks from watching the clock.

How am I supposed to Draw Two out of that stack??

Concentration, Hannah, that's how. We all know you're good at it.

Such a Graceful player.

Sherri and skill - there's a reason they both start with an S.

Not to sound like a broken record, but it's no coincidence that Candace and competence both start with a C.

I know all about this.

So you might. But, still, I highly recommend that you stop letting Michaela do all the looking.

Got to admit, it worked... that time.

(You know, it's no coincidence that Philip and prowess... yes, yes, I know you know, so I won't go there. :)

To wreck the tower or not to wreck the tower - that is the question.

To climb or to slide - that is the question of Chutes and Ladders.

That's a bit off subject I know, but...

...I wanted to build the suspense before I answered "the question." (Not to imply that Grace wrecked it. After all I never imply things that aren't true.)

Oh, before I forget, this might be a good time to mention that Mr. Botsford actually does subscribe to World last I heard, and that Mr. Jackson's alleged views on the magazine's influence are just that, alleged. ;-)

I said we had guests; I never said we had mannerly guests. ;-)

*thinks enviously* I wish I were allowed to lick my fingers.

But, hey, members of our family talk with food in their mouths sometimes, so what can I say?


While we're on the topics of New Years and food, I read an acute observation the other day:
"Most people are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between New Year and Christmas." :)

A New Year But Old Friends

Hannah and...

...Ben.
I'm glad you could both be home for this.

*stares at me aghast* What?! You're going to call it 0-ten?!

A new year and a new hat, eh, Monique? If the year's anything like the hat, it will be a great one.

Snowball Express - watched expressly to put us in the mood for a snowball fight.

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."

You can call us pessimists if you want, but we didn't just make sure it left, we shot it out to make sure it was dead and gone!

Josiah's great shot of Isaac's great shot.

He's got a victim.

The same victim that three other hoodlums have, in fact.

We girls know something about ganging up on people too.

Ben Franklin said, "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each year find you a better man." Somehow it seems to me that we have that switched around, warring with our neighbors and giving our violent side free rein.

But appearances have been known to be wrong before. You should have heard all the neighborly good wishes - they were flying thicker than the snowballs.
Which is the way it should be.

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God Bless.
Carmen

If you came here expecting a whole post on the baby, you're wrong. It's not that he's not interesting; it's not that he's not cute; and it's certainly not that he's not loved. It's just that he fits in pretty easily, didn't make a lot of disturbance with his entrance into the family (in other words, life went on), and so, for that reason, he's not making the headlines. Check out the Births Column though - he'll be listed (in fact he'll be the only one listed).

So what is in this edition? Well, quite a few things are "pointed out" in this issue. Also, you may remember the UFO investigation at the end of the last post? There are a few more UFO sightings this time. The rest is pretty much just local news. Enjoy.

Foto For the Fortnight

Taken by Candace. That girl and her bird shots! Wow.

Featured Face of the Fortnight

My second cousin - I think. (I have several hundred of them; let's just say it's difficult to keep track of them all.)

Births Column

His Royal Cuteness...

...who is enthroned in the hearts of his siblings.

They are both named Phares, but one is the other's 100th grandchild.
(Hmm... My readership is pretty smart. I don't think I have to mention which is which. :)

The lion and the lamb?

He was born just yesterday (literally was on this picture) and all he knows is eating and sleeping.

Oh, and how could I forget. Crying.