Cornelius Chronicles

It's that time again.  Diana and I took Rebekah back to school for another amazing semester of higher education.  Good luck, Rebekah!  You're doing amazing and you are in an amazing place!  Drink it all in! Future Cougar All photo opps were at Diana's request.  She loves her picture taken.   

   Diana has a very special talent.  She is able to color all over herself with markers and not get a single ink stroke on her clothes.  She loves her clothes and does not what to make them dirty.  She does think that drawing on herself makes her pretty and she especially feels pretty when she draws on herself to make herself look like a tiger.  Grrrr!  Careful, this kitty has claws! Funny Diana Big Cat Story: Diana runs up to me pointing to her knee.  "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! A tiger scratched my knee!  No, a baby cheetah scratched my knee!  No, a GIANT cheetah scratched my knee.  Baby cheetah's are cute.  Giant cheetah's are mean."  I carefully inspected her injured knee.  There was no visible scratch.  That little detail did not stop Diana from telling everyone she met for 3 days about her brush with near knee decapitation from a giant cheetah.  :D (Jan. 2025, age 3 yrs)

Xavier has been begging to learn how to ski for the past 2 winters and this year I relented.  Royal helped me buy and fix up some great ski equipment to get Xavier started and Royal and Karen have donated a ski day each to teach him the ropes as a beginning skier.  Xavier is a man with a passion!  He's gone on his own with a few friends a few times already and he has only owned his own skis for less than a month!  I think he loves being in nature with good friend, seeing beautiful vistas, plus the adrenaline of speeding down a snow covered hill is pretty awesome.  I'm so glad he can find another fun hobby and he is so excited to share it with friends and family.  Top of Powder Mountain Ski Resort  

On Christmas Eve John kept careful watch of Santa's journey on the NORAD Santa Tracker until bedtime.  He's pretty sure he saw Rudolf in the the night sky just minutes before bedtime.   Good thing it's 60 degrees outside because the kids lost their voices and the best thing for scratchy throats is a nice cool creamy popsicle. Diana got a cute doll bunk bed complete with bedding made by Grandma Phillips.  When she saw it under the Christmas tree she exclaimed quietly, because she lost her voice, "Oh!  That's for me and Grandma to play!" John refused to tell me what he wrote to Santa for Christmas.  I was sweating bullets all season long worried I wouldn't figure it out and he would be disappointed that Santa hadn't followed through.  This was especially worrisome because it might be the last year he truly believes in the magic of Santa at Christmas.  It turns out my last minute grab of a a bay blade spinning top from the birthday gift box at midnig...

Bekah's home for Christmas Break!!!!!  You know what that means?!?!  Lots of fun craft time fun in the kitchen!  Bekah is the best!  We miss her while she's away at school, but we're proud of her and the effort she is putting into her college experience.  She's amazing! We also decided to start another home renovation project.  Dustin is busy moving walls around to turn 1.5 closets into 3 amazing closets!  It's going to be a game changer around here!  Wish us luck and speed!  

Our beloved friend Grant the Gerbil passed away on Friday, December 19th, 2025 in Loyd's loving hands.  Grant lived a good life.  He was 5 years old and brought all of us a lot of joy and fun.  He was Loyd's guy. Loyd would hurry home every day from school to hold and play with his fuzzy little friend.  Grant loved to eat, chew crazy amounts of cardboard, and run around on Loyd's bed exploring for great spots to burrow into the blankets.  Grant was gentle. He never bit anyone and was so patient with little children when they wanted to pet him and feel his silky, black fur.  He loved to wink at Loyd, and this gave Loyd a big smile every single time.  Grant was a beloved member of our family and will be greatly missed.  His brother Jay Burino morns his loss the most.  It will be lonely without him.  Thank you for the gift of your loving and kind life, Grant.  We love you and miss you!