Christmas continued

Here we are on Christmas Day!

Here's Jennifer, Richard, Kase & Jadan Here's Nathan, Bree, Tyler Ann & Walker

Here's my brother Rich & his family

Christmas in Montana

We had a wonderful Christmas visiting my parents in Montana. They live on the edge of Glacier Park so it is always white and beautiful this time of year. This was a first for Gerhard and I -- to celebrate Christmas without any of our children. That hasn't happened in over thirty years! It was quiet and OK, I admit it, a bit lonely . . . but my parents appreciated the company and we tried to focus on all our blessings! We were able to visit the Utah kids before we went to Montana. Then on the way to my parents, we stayed over in Great Falls and were able to attend church with my Aunt Necia and her family. We arrived at my parents in the early afternoon and then attended Doris Shurburn's 90th birthday party that evening.

We stayed at my parents until the following Sunday, December 27th, and then started for home. My neice (Jennifer) and my nephew (Nathan) and their families came to East Glacier the day after Christmas and stayed over night. My brother Rich, his wife Linda, their kids, Cassie and Trista, were also able to visit the day after Christmas. Cassie also had her boyfriend, Josh, with his little girl, Kylie. Trista had her little girl Ahmia. It was so much fun to see everyone. Here's some of the pictures we took while in Montana.

This Christmas season the Plenerts are all going in different directions! Mom and dad are going up to Montana to spend the Holiday with mom's parents, which is what everyone else should be doing but this year they will be empty nesters. Zack and Rick will be staying in Utah because of work and other things that would make it to hard to go away for the Holidays. Natasha and Mark will also be staying in Utah for the Holidays but only because she is to far along in her pregnancy (baby Lincoln is due March 5th).

As for Josh, Amy and Chelsey (me), we are on our way driving to L.A. where we will stay overnight with my cousins. On Friday morning (Dec. 18th), we will be flying to Ecuador. My cousin, Aidan (who is 17), is also going on this trip. We went to Ecuador in August 2008 and helped out an orphanage and a senior hospice care center. We plan to do the same on this trip -- hoping to brighten their Christmas. We will be gone for a month and get back in time to start a new college semester.

Merry Christmas Everyone and a Happy New year!

Our First Post

I enjoyed Mark and Natasha's blog so much that Gerhard and I decided to start one. We have led a very "fractured" life the last few years and many of our friends and family are confused about where we are and what we are doing. This blog will update everyone and in the process, sort out our own confusion!!

In 2007 we decided to put our Penney Way house on the market. The real estate market was beginning to slow down but Gerhard had faith that it would sell after he was released as a Bishop. He had served as Bishop in our ward for over five years and we were sure he would be released soon. Sure enough, the week after he was released, the house sold! Gerhard's job at that time required very little travel and since he worked from home anyway, we decided to buy a lake front property in the mountains. However, family responsibilities and schooling prevented us from moving to the lake right away. By the time we were ready to move, Gerhard's job changed so that he had to work "on-site" which required traveling every week. Unfortunately, there's not a good airport at the lake!

At this time, Gerhard is working on a project for the Air Force where he spends two weeks in Hawaii, one week working from home, and then two weeks in Alaska. This rotation leaves his body completely messed up with the change in temperature and time zones.