Hello from New York,We have finally gotten some snow! The kids and I were outside most ofthe day on Saturday sledding and building an igloo. Those rectangularrecycling bins are perfect for making ice blocks. It turned out greatand was just big enough for three people. We kind of cheated at the topthough and instead of placing an ice block in the middle we just put adisk sled over the opening and covered it with snow. The kids wereamazed at how warm and quiet it was inside. We're supposed to get moresnow this week and only hope that it will hold off long enough for Paigeand I to make it to NYC. For our winter get away this year we are goingto spend 1 week in the city. We have lived in NY for 6 years now andhave never been so we figure it is time. More to come in next month'sletter.Paige has recorded another two songs on her CD, which brings her up to 6out of the 11 that she has written. The plan is to continue to record 2- 3 every month so it should be done soon. They sound great and thekids love hearing "their" songs coming from the stereo. Paige has spentmost of her time this month planning "Faith in God" activities and theNYC trip.Megan is still just as busy as her mother. I think that 90% of hergenetic make-up is from Paige, which is a good thing when you considerthe other possibility. She has recently written a song and dance thatshe is teaching to a group of her friends with plans to perform it soon.She always has a novel or two under construction, and has decided thatshe will be attending BYU Hawaii for college. Of course she hasstipulated that I have to find a job there as well so that we can all gotogether. I kind of like that idea.Marikah continues to amaze us all with her powers of observation. Sherecently told me exactly where my snow shovel was (the boys had left itin the neighbors yard) and where my keys were (they were exactly wherethey were supposed to be). After Paige and myself, she is the primarycaretaker of little Camilla. We can always trust that if she is incharge she will know exactly where the baby is and what she is doing.Dallin is enjoying cub scouts and just got his bobcat badge. Since thenwe have walked on balance beams, written in secret code, and exchangedletters written in invisible ink as we work on his wolf badge. He hashis first pine wood derby coming up and if I let him work on the car I'msure he will enjoy it.Caleb has actually been fairly calm the past couple of months. I'm sureit is the calm before the storm, but he is such an upbeat kid that youhave to admire his resiliency. He is enjoying his art class and can'twait for this summer so that he can start lacrosse. Again there aresome that would question our wisdom letting Harve play a game where yourun around hitting each other with sticks, but hey he has not shotanyone with an arrow yet so why not.Camilla's big news is that she now has parents that know how to care forher hair. An African American member of our ward kindly informed usthat we were doing it all wrong and came over the next day with a bagfull of combs, picks and hair gel. She then showed Paige how to dobraids. Camilla did not like it very much and voiced her complaints.Our friend said that, "she will get used to it" and continued braiding.As for me I am staying busy with work and family. I was invited againthis month to give a seminar on business planning at the Simon BusinessSchool. I have no experience in teaching (outside of Primary) so it hasbeen an exciting/nerve wracking experience. I was tempted to have theclass stand and sing "Once there was a snowman" but took the slide outof my presentation at the last minute. I also can't wait to see littleKeegan Lance in the next couple of weeks. I hope to see some of you aswell.Love Lance, Paige, Megan, Marikah, Dallin, Caleb, and Camilla

Finally Caved to the Pressure!

Dear Family and Friends,

It was so nice hearing from so many of you from the different eras of our lives. You have added rich memories that we carry with us. Thank you for your tenacity in keeping in touch. And now we hope to make our contribution in the friendship. Our year in capsule fashion is as follows:

Trips and Visits: Lance and I enjoyed our annual get away in the Finger Lakes region of New York. We participated in a murder drama at the Sonnenberg Garden Castle and toured the Harriett Tubman Home and viewed Fredrick Douglas’ grave site. These trips build our marriage. Then Caleb and I buzzed south to Virginia to say hi to Paul, Darla, Jayden and new baby Tyson. The two cousins really had fun together and Paul and Darla are the best hosts. August is Family Reunion Time! This year the Batty’s rented a house in Heber Utah, rafted down the Provo River and hiked Mount Timpanogas to wind through the cold and interesting caves. Porters met at the family cabin above Colorado Springs to play with cousins, swim in the peanut pool and climb Spiderman Rock. To that, add water balloon launchers to the all out water fight around the stream. Then Grandmuzzy hosted GrampCamp while Lance and I spent four fabulous days at BYU Campus Education Week. The final hurrah was with Grandy. We spent the day at the stables riding horses. What would our lives be without our wonderful family? Thank you all for taking the time and energy to gather for meaningful events. Matt and Jeanette and Holly came in the fall and we loved every minute. Thank you for sharing your lives with us. In October we drove to the Old Forge in the Adirondacks and hiked Bald Mountain amid colorful leaves. After that, we settled in for the rest of the year, spending Thanksgiving and Christmas here with good friends. But on January 1, we ventured out at 6:00 a.m. to greet the first sun rise of 2008 from the top of Hill Cumoruh, slide down it on our backs and tummies and build two giant snow people at the bottom with waving stick-arms wishing the world a Happy New Year!

Jobs, jobs, jobs: The children work for our friend, Sara. They clean the kitty litter, help with grocery shopping, and do a few household chores. For the past few months, they have been saving their earnings for an art class starting in February. I’m so proud of each of their work ethics and their desire to save for future goals.

Individual Report: Lance is doing very well in his job. He plays volleyball weekly, helps with homework, and cooks Saturday morning breakfast-- keeping the tradition of Grandpa Harvey C. Foote. Paige loves homemaking and being a wife and mother. She also teaches English, gives piano lessons to Porter kids and friends and is recording a CD of her songs. Megan (10) began her World trip in December when she and Grandmuzzy cruised to Atlantis via Nassau and Castaway Cay in the Bahamas on a Disney Cruise. She loves reading, writing and drawing. Marikah (9) can’t wait to start her world trip and has generously offered to let the family come. Is that all right with you, Grandmuzzy? She loves to read, play with her friends and go on outings with Mom or Dad. Dallin (8) was baptized in December this year and joined Scouts. He and Mom attended an amazing exhibit on the human body at the science museum. He is enjoys drawing and LEGOs, reading and snowboarding. Caleb (6) made a family first this year: the first in the fam to break a bone. While doing a magic trick, he fell out of the apple tree and landed in the doctor’s office. He loves kindergarten, reading, and playing sports. Camilla (16 mo.) entertains us daily with her new words such as Mama, Dada, book, bye bye and down. She has cut 10 teeth and likes to brush them with anyone’s toothbrush but her own. So, don’t leave your toothbrush out if you come to visit this year.
Love, The Porter Family