Jeffrey: Happy Birthday to You!!!

Three decades ago! So fun to celebrate your birthday,Jeff, (a bit early this time) with friends Nick and Jeremy. Great dinner. Lively Quiddler game with your unfortuante win. Need rematch very soon. (You make way too big a deal of beating an English major.) Best wishes for a year of even greater success, happiness, adventure, family and friends. Love you!

Derek's Graduation: What a day of joy!!

After Sacrament meeting on Derek and Hillary's last Sunday in the BYU 14th ward, they asked all those "who are leaving for good" to come to the front of the chapel, while the rest sang a traditional farewell--Aloha 'Oe ("until we meet again")--that left everyone in tears. How many memories for this little family in their island paradise at Laie, Hawaii, that was alma mater and home and the place of so much effort, so many dear friends and adventures--including first years of marriage and the birth of Jocelyn. I can't imagine how difficult it must be today as they leave for the mainland! Ray and I had such a dear time with them. A last dinner at their favorite Thai place, the graduation ceremonies (leis piled high an expression of everyone's joy and delight), the fabulous evening show at the Pacific Cultural Center, a walk in the lush Waimea Valley, dinner celebration at the Turtle Bay Resort and a lovely morning in the 14th Ward on Sunday, where everyone hugged everyone good-bye and wished them well....Aweseome accomplishment, Derek. Where did the years go? I wonder if 20 years ago you would have imagined yourself at this awesome place in time. Congratulations on your achievement!! Best wishes for the best year ever.

Home is where the heart is. Hope you're home for Christmas!

Christmas is joy and remembering the Savior and family. So it doesn't so much matter what day you celebrate it, right? So Christmas this year at the Corbett's is actually going to be on New Year's Day. What a great way to start out the year! With Derek and family back on the mainland, this will be the first time in many years that we can all be in one place to celebrate. Here, I hope. Hope you'll be home for Christmas!

Beginning Ballerina

Clifford, the Big Dog....and Family

Counselor in the Bishopric: New Experiences for Ray

Ray is serving in the Bishopric in ways he probably never imagined. His work as counselor to Bishop Maddux takes him to It's Great to Be Eight nights for soon-to-be baptized, on bike rides with the youth, knocking on doors to encourage less actives, conducting Sacrament meetings, making presentations for sharing time in Primary AND, apparently, a little babysitting while parents counsel with the Bishop! Way to go, Ray!

Halloween Highlights

A princess, a linebacker, a pixie, a monkey and a dragon. Also, a Valley (Utah) Girl and Guy??? Derek and Hillary created costumes for their ward party--apparently a total success! Ray and I watched Oregon clobber USC while droves of treaters knocked on our doors. Fun to see the array of costumes. Not fun to eat Halloween leftovers. Weird holiday. But Will loved it. Blaise said he tried to gather the skulls along driveways, took candy by handfuls and invited himself into peoples' homes. Sunday morning he woke up and came right down for more. "Happy Halloween! Get candy! Want to??"

Jocelyn Speaks!

What a cutie!! Jocelyn at fourteen months!

Close Encounters of the Cousins Kind

Natalie's family arrived on Wednesday and the fun began! Cousin Katherine joined Cousin Will for preschool at his house. Five friends under Aunt Laura's careful tutelage. Ask her about rice in the sandbox?? Then the park for pizza and finally the Santa Barbara zoo!! First time for baby Ian . Wonderful to attend Sacrament meeting with Natalie and family before they headed home....Miss you all already!!

What a Blessing!

What a joyous occasion to attend Sacrament meeting and witness as Blaise took Ian Andrew in his arms to give him a name and a blessing. Also in the circle were Ian's grandfather, step-grandfather, great uncle and others who also hold the priesthood. This little one can look forward to so many wonderful associations! Fun to gather as family afterwards. Sweet day.

Rome, Florence, Venice: The Trip of a Lifetime!

After 15 hours of flight time coming home, Ray and I fell into bed at 8:00 p.m. At 3:00 a.m. we were wide awake! So I listened to my phone messages. One was a frantic call from Washington Mutual with a report of suspicious activity on our debit card....Rome, Italy???!!! I can hardly believe it myself. What glorious week. Sights, history, art, architecture, risotto, pizza, ravioli and gelato!! Ray's brother Tom and sister-in-law Carrie were our well seasoned tour guides and delightful traveling companions. They booked our flights and hotels and scouted out the most wonderful eateries. We took a fascinating guided tour of the colosseum in Rome, of the Palatine and Forum. Ate exquisite quattro formaggio pizza at a little cafe. And LOTS of gelatos. Walked miles and miles through the streets with Tom in the lead, into magnificent churches and past ancient ruins and and swank designer clothing stores. Scary the traffic there! All these midget cars and mopeds and bicycles and carefree pedestrians occupying the same little alley ways....But back to the beginning...After our nine hour flight from Chicago to Rome, I woke up and soon found that it is bad to not eat or drink and be taking a sleeping pill while on antibiotics for an ear infection at 39,000 feet. We no sooner debarked than I threw up in the airport. Not a good start. They rounded up a wheel chair for me and the poor taxi cab driver (I was sitting in the front seat) drove like CRAZY to get us to our hotel. I was out for the rest of the afternoon while Ray, Tom and Carrie headed out to see the Pantheon. I just prayed it would all get better and it did! From Rome we traveled by bullet train to Florence and it was lots more walking to see the Duomo and Baptistery, (Ray and Tom climbed the dome), Michelangelo's David (I got chills), the Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace. Such exquisite art!! Unforgettable homemade ravioli at Mama Gina's. The view from the Arno River. Another bullet train to Venice.... Suddenly we were in this other world of water channeling past long rows of the most colorful house fronts. Speed boats and gondolas and water taxis and domes and cathedrals! I loved St. Mark's square, the tolling of the bells, the lovely strings and piano playing in the open air on the first balmy night as we strolled home from dinner. The highlight of Vienna was the Tintoretto museum--a church and hall covered wall to wall and across the ceiling with glorious Tintoretto artwork. Gigantic canvases depicted scenes from the Bible and the history of Venice. We also toured the Doge's Palace (getting a bit weary from much walking and, sadly, sensory overload, despite the rooms of beautiful paintings and statuary). From Venice four hours back to Rome and a day at the Vatican library, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica (with the Pieta). ....All these marvelous scenes and good times keep playing in my mind and surely will for years to come. We owe so much to Tom and Carrie for inviting us and making it all so easy and fun. It truly was the most wonderful trip of our lives.