New Family Room

We have a friend who is a master craftsman and he built this shelving unit around our fireplace. Wow! What a change to the room. It makes the whole space seem larger. With a new TV & Home Theatre system plus a different furniture arrangement and wall color it feels like a brand new room!.

I continue to add pieces to the room. Both of these were IKEA purchases with many alterations. I took apart the original slip cover to the chair and created this new one from a great paisley fabric that ties together all the colors in the room. The cabinet makes a perfect sofa table and storage for cookbooks. It was originally black but is now a red focal point. I'm planning some new window treatments and pillows. What a fun project!

Wood Badge

Kip earned his wood badge and was awarded it this month. There were 4 others in our stake who also received theirs at the same time.

His ticket was an BSA to LDS translation dictionary.

His hope is that it will improve the level of communications with Boy Scout council leaders and LDS leaders.

Kip in Perth

These are pictures from Kip's trip to Perth, Australia. In addition to work, he had a chance to do some site seeing and even went to the beach. The high temperature that day was 108 degrees.

Those of us at home were experiencing extremely cold weather and they even cancelled school two

days because of low temps. The outside thermometer doesn't go to -25 degrees (-45 with wind chill) Yes, that is 133 degrees temperature difference between Perth and Home.

Kip had a very busy travel month--a drive to Utah with Krista, North Carolina, Buffalo, Perth, Hong Kong and other work assignments meant he slept in his bed a total of 8 nights during January.