Another week has come and gone and all continues to be well for us. We had quite a turn in temps this week. Monday we hit a high of 55 and the rest of the week was in the mid to upper 40's. One of the things we like about living in the desert is the milder winter temps. Not much has changed for the family this last week. The boys had a short week of school. Monday was a holiday and Friday a teacher improvement day so only three days of school. Gail was a bit batty by the end of the week, but survived.

Andy was wrapped up in his trial prep, but then Friday the case came to a resolution and so we had him home for the weekend. Since he was planning to work all weekend in preparation for trial, his being home freed us up to work around the house all day Saturday. We ended up cleaning and organizing the garage, which was badly needed.

Not much else to report on this week. We hope all is well with you.

This last week sure flew by. We are all doing quite well and have survived a bit of cold, well at least cold for Northeast Nevada. This afternoon it was in the lower 50's with the sun shining and Matthew was outside with his shorts. While that may be extreme, it sure felt much better than the cold temps we had been experiencing.

The boys continue to do well school wise. This week will mark the 1/2 point of the year and the boys are glad. Nikolas got a nice break this week. Andy had a meeting to attend in Reno Wednesday and Nikolas went along to keep him company. They hit some snow on the way which slowed them down a bit, but they made it safely and had a nice evening together. They stayed at Circus Circus and Nikolas cam home with quite a bit of loot won at the midway.

Andy is in trial mode so we will not see much of him until after next week. He starts trial next Tuesday so this week he will be cloistered getting ready. Gail continues to serve with her theater group and she is getting quite excited about some upcoming shows.

We are starting to work on our summer vacation plans and we are hoping to coincide a trip back to NH with a conference Andy will be attending in Washington DC. We will keep you posted.

That about sums up our week. We hope all is well wherever you may be.

We cannot believe how quickly this last week has gone. It was back to school and work for everyone. Gail was glad to see the boys back to school after a two week break. It was great to be able to do things together as a family, but cannot say heartbroken over Christmas vacation being over. The boys seemed to adjust quite well to returning to school and it is hard to believe that half the school year is over.

Winter started off quite snowy for us, but lately it has been just cold. it appears we may get some snow this week. We shall see.

Gail and Andy were back to work this week and we barely saw Andy for much of it. He was in town, just extremely busy, leaving early and returning late. He did have a quick trip to Wendover Wednesday, but otherwise was in court quite a bit this week. Gail got back to her routine of cleaning, voice lessons and holding the fort down.

A closing thought. It is great to know that from now on until June the days will get longer. Hope this week is well for you wherever you may be.

Happy New Year to all our friends and family. We know two weeks have passed since we last posted. The Mierins clan has been busy and enjoying the holiday. We had a trip to Idaho and then resurrected the Mierins Family Holiday Festival.

Christmas was spent with family in Idaho. We arrived on Christmas Eve and spent the evening with Gail's family at her Grandmother's house. We were able to attend a traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service that brought back many memories for Andy. We all got settled in for the evening and the boys made it to 8am before each discovered that Santa brought Nerf guns this year. Mom and Dad were not happy, but sure enjoyed the excitement. Once some presents were opened, it was off to Gail's parent's home and then to spend the afternoon with Gail's Grandmother. We enjoyed visiting with her and describing our neat trip to Georgia in November. The boys ended the evening at the movies, while Gail got some much needed quiet time back at the hotel room.

Monday was spent doing shopping and everyone picked out what they wanted. Tuesday it was time to return to Nevada. Tuesday morning it was raining/snowing in Boise, but by the time we got outside the city, the rain stopped and thankfully the roads were dry the remainder of the trip.

It was back to work for a few days until New Year's Eve. Nothing exciting happened that evening (Andy slept in the chair, Gail played on Facebook and the boys watched movies on their portable DVD players). New Year's Day was full of excitement as we had a party, the first official in the house. We cleaned and organized and cooked and then greeted 14 guests to our home. We had a holiday feast and it was wonderful. Andy was in his glory cooking away.

Tomorrow it is back to school and work. We are very grateful for a wonderful 2010. Heavenly Father has tremendously blessed us with health, jobs, a house and great friends. We look forward to opportunities to serve in 2011 and wish all of you a Happy New Year.

Christmas is fast approaching and the Mierins family is quite excited. We are looking forward to spending time together as a family. The boys finished school on Friday and have the next two weeks off. Andy will be taking a week off of work as well and so we are glad we will have some much needed time together.

Gail enjoyed a bit of time on her own Saturday as she went with some friends to see the Nutcracker. She said it was wonderful. The show was done here in Elko and was a collaboration with Reno Ballet. Gail got to live her dream of being a ballet dancer.

The boys continue to do well. Matthew enjoyed spending time with his Dad on Friday. Andy had a meeting in Reno, so he took Matthew with him. They left Thursday evening and all reports are had a great time together. They played midway games at Circus Circus and Matthew came home with quite a haul of prizes. The drive home was a bit tricky as it started snowing Friday morning, but everyone got back safe and sound.

It appears we will have a white Christmas in northern Nevada. The snow started Friday and while it shifts from rain to sleet to snow and back, we have snow on the ground.

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Please take time this time of year to seek out those who may be struggling or are lonely and offer what you can to lift their spirits. Despite what the world may say or do, this is the time we remember the birth of Jesus Christ, the exemplar of service to others. May you be blessed as you seek out those who are in need. Merry Christmas.

We enjoyed a wonderful week. Gail finished up the "Forgotten Carols" and she did a wonderful job. Gail's parents came down for the Saturday afternoon show and we had a nice visit. Those that attended the show were in for a real treat and many raved about how wonderful it was. Gail also sang in the "Messiah" last Sunday and was by far the best soprano voice. We are so proud of her and the performances she has given. She will be gearing up for her next show in the spring. Nikolas was also in the show and he did a great job as well.



The boys continue to be excited about Christmas. It is hard to believe it is only two weeks away. Matthew and Nikolas continue to do well in school. Nikolas did a great job at his piano recital and is excited about continuing to study the piano.

Andy had a busy week. He was in Reno at a Drug Court training Thursday and Friday and so was gone. He has several trials coming up in January and February so he is getting ready.

Overall life is good and we hope the same is true for you.

What a great week this has been. We had a bit more snow, but then towards the end of the week it warmed up and Saturday we were back to rain.

Blizzard, our new kitten, seems to be adapting well to her new home. She was sluggish the beginning of the week, but by the end she was chasing her tail and playing which is always a good sign. Salem still does not know what to make of this invasion of his home, but is adapting. He no longer hisses, just sort of lunges, then when Blizzard has no reaction, turns and walks the other way. We are taking her to the vet this week and will keep you posted.

The boys are excited for Christmas and so are we. This was the week of the annual Christmas Creche Exhibit. Nikolas participated in a piano recital and sang in a choir on Saturday. Gail will sing a solo this evening as part of the Messiah sing along. Nikolas did a great job and Mom and Dad were very proud of his effort. He was quite scared, but it did not come out during his performance.

We bought our Christmas tree Saturday. It is a Douglass Fir and has made the house smell wonderful. Gail and Andy got the tree up Saturday afternoon and were still speaking once it was done. They have come a long way. We are excited to decorate. The tree was pretty wet due to the rain so it has taken a day to dry before lights and decorations can go on. We will try and post a picture.

Gail and Andy are busy as always. This coming up week is the "Forgotten Carols" so Gail is in overdrive making sure everything gets done and the show is ready.

We hope you are all well.