Oh Christmas Card, Oh Christmas Card

Yosemite Valley Overlook-2008

Each year I have such drama trying to get a card together and this year is no different. Costco lost my order, then they printed them too dark, they finally got it right on Christmas Eve. Then I am missing addresses. The waste of paper and the cost of stamps makes me grumpy. But alas, they are out (to those of you whose addresses I have) and once again I am glad I made the effort. It is kind of nice to use them as a marker for time-a quick way to see how our family is changing. Here is this year's card picture (for those of you who didn't get one-sorry) and the pictures of years past.

White Sands National Monument-New Mexico-2007

Glacier Bay-Alaska-2006

Lake Arenal-Costa Rica-2005

Our Old Living Room (so exotic that you can't go there anymore)-2004

Provo Center Street-2003
Okay, this wasn't our card picture, but look how young we WERE!

And this tour takes me to back before when we had a digital camera, okay, that makes us really old. I'm not sure I can even remember not having a digital camera. No more pics.

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. Have a happy new year!

Speaking of the new year, I wonder where 2009 will take the Howell family? We've got some ideas, but we're taking suggestions!

Complete Honesty

I totally stink at blogging. There. I said it. Are you happy now?

Not too great at my child's hygiene. You are certain to notice in your perusal of these pics that I apparently stink at wiping the food out from underneath my child's double chin and wiping the boogers from her nose. Oh well.

But I do believe I have at least one redeeming quality...I make a darn cute baby. Here are some of my more recent favorite pics of Evie. (And my recently cropped hair-completely unrelated to the cute baby pics other than its untimely posting.)

An Adventure to Say the Least

How's this for a vacation orientation: "you might notice you have a big red button in your bungalow. Don't push it, or only push it in the case of an emergency (like someone is in your room) because it will bring the entire military. Also, if you see men riding around on boats with guns, don't worry, it's just the military." Ah Borneo, they weren't just guns, they were assault rifles.

Well, as you can surmise, it was truly an adventure.

Andy and I had a great time, but certainly it was tempered for me with the constant fear that we might actually be kidnapped or killed. That is the start of a relaxing vacation, right?!?

So, the itinerary was this: Tokyo, Japan for 2 days, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (Borneo) for 3 days, 5 days in Kapali (the resort), 1 day in Kuala Lumpur, 1 day in Seoul, Korea and then alot of flights (9 total) to fill the rest of 14 days. Oh man, we were worn out, so it is a good thing we did it now instead of waiting for retirement.

What did we do? Walked and walked and walked around, ate ALOT, shopped in markets, snorkeled and scuba dived until our ears were sore to the touch, got ripped off by taxi drivers, got sick of eating weird food, missed our baby, actually got some sleep, and enjoyed one another's company. Muy Bueno, I hope you enjoy the pics.

Japan

Compare and contrast: two Tokyo temples

Malaysian Borneo-Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Snorkeling on Sulug, a deserted island. I was a little worried they would forget to come pick us back up.

Sapi

I told my mom that I would use good judgment...

Locals at Poring, a rainforest, hotsprings waterpark.

Why they call it a "rain" forestMmmm, lunch. Warning, you can only eat so many fried noodles, for so many days in a row.

Kapali:

This place is scuba diving heaven. We went on 16 dives-each! Amazing.

A sea cave called "turtle tomb." I left when it occurred to me that both of Evan's parents weren't just scuba diving half-way around the world from her, but that both were at that moment in an underwater cave. Geniuses!



This barracuda was hanging out at the steps one night as we finished our night dive. I was really afraid to get out of the water for fear that it might get me. Look at those teeth.

I'm not kidding, this eel was as big around as my leg and at least as long.

Not a fish you would want to tango with.

A squid (cuttlefish) or as I like to call them "cuddlefish." I just want to squeeze one, but that would probably not be advisable. Did you know that they change colors to camouflage themselves?
Can you see this fish in this pick? We were constantly warned to control our buoyancy and stay off the bottom because there are tons of stone and scorpion fish hidden on the bottom.

a cool anemone

Kuala Lumpur:

Petronas Towers

Batu Caves-A very famous Hindu temple built in the limestone caves on the outskirts of KL.

Monkies in the temple/cave of course!

Andy's favorite picture-superflous breasts

The end.