"MY FRIEND BILL"A few days after Christmas our friend Bill arrived from Utah for a visit - he just had to see what a North Dakota winter was like after spending a year in Iraq. Haley very quickly got over her shyness and Bill became her new best friend. He was such a good sport and she loved having someone to play with - he even played dress-up!
We hadn't had a real cold snap yet, and so were able to play outside. Bill, Rob and Haley bundled up and went out while Jake watched jealously from inside. 
A few days later we all went sledding at nearby Lincoln Drive Park - and were very grateful for the warming house. It was fun to be able to go down the hill with Haley this year - last year I was 7 months pregnant. So much can change in one year!
Speaking of years going by, the kids and I surprised Rob and Bill one afternoon with a Pirate Birthday Party. Argh, matey! Haley was so excited about it and had done an excellent job keeping it a secret. Almost as good a job as Rob does keeping his age a secret...
We rang in the New Year with an oh-so-wild evening of putting the kids to sleep followed by watching movies. We were too tired to even toast at midnight - ah, the life of parents of young children. So we'll toast you all now: Here's to a peaceful and happy 2007!
