More family Christmas photos ...

We're delighted to have received more family Christmas photos courtesy of Mary Miller, who took these at Jane and Ted's on Christmas Day: The Kirkwoods: Tuck, Joe, Sandy, John, Jane and Katie.

Uncle John Kirkwood with his lovely daughters, cousins Sandy and Jane.

Hey! Take a chill pill, buddy! Cousins Sarah Broberg and Teddy Hagberg gave the proceedings four thumbs up. You'd better believe it!

Lavone Broberg, in a stellar Christmas sweater, with niece Sarah.

Marty's one tough dude, but we love how he softens up a little, and therefore becomes even more manly in a wonderful gentlemanly way, around his vibrant second cousin, Moriah Miller. Check out their impressive letter jackets!

Frohes Neues Jahr!

Happy New Year to all the cousins and elders! Here's hoping your 2009 is full of health, happiness and priceless blue plates!

Happy Birthday to two Kirkwood cousins!

Happy Birthday to two of our favorite cousins (though don't take that the wrong way -- YOU'RE ALL OUR FAVORITE COUSINS!), Sandy Kirkwood Turner (Dec. 28) and Joe Kirkwood (Dec. 31). Here they are a few years ago with cousins Pam, Jane and Patty-Lou.

Christmas at Hagbergs'

Photos are trickling in from Christmas Day at the Hagbergs' in Woodbury. We'll add our favorites as we get them, so keep checking this posting. The tall and the petite: Teddy Hagberg, Aunt Anna and Bridget.

Oh, those giggling girls! Moriah and Hannah Miller and Katie Hagberg share a laugh.

A bunch of the boys: Teddy Hagberg, Nick and Marty Broberg, Zack Miller and Alex, Zachary and Tyler Broberg.

Teddy, 6-feet-10, with diminutive cousin Elizabeth Miller. They're good pals!

Katie and Teddy Hagberg. Katie is a freshman at Woodbury High School; Teddy is a freshman at Bethel College in Arden Hills.

It's good to be Hannah!

In this photo of large, delicious Italian entrees (three on one plate??!!) flanked by a kiddie cocktail, you may also notice a young cousin. Yep, that's our Hannah tackling the "Tour of Italy" entree at her fav restaurant, the Olive Garden, after a grueling day-after-Christmas shopping trip at the Woodbury Lakes mall with Auntie Pam and sis Moriah. The Miller girls cleaned up at H&M, New York Co. and Victoria's Secret (the nieces) and Eddie Bauer and Coldwater Creek (Auntie Pam). Sure beats shopping with son Noah, who favors stores with names like Tobacco World, Socialist Books and Electric Fetal Position. (Awww, but we love him too.)

More lovely relatives at Christmas

A nice snapshot from the Christmas gathering of the family of Elmer and Mavis Sprick: Cousins Tanya Cook and Monty Leiser with their mom, Cyndi O'Donahoe, and her husband, DanO.

Merry Day After Christmas!

The scrapblog editor, with Burnt Wienie-quality adeptness, FORGOT to take her camera to Jane and Ted's gala Christmas gathering on Thursday. She's hoping that various cousins who took photos there will send them to us. Meanwhile, here are a few from the Millers' Christmas Eve: Elizabeth shows off the gingerbread house she helped make. Grandma Alverna would have been so proud! Pam and Hannah during a Christmas Eve gathering at Fred and Cheri Eischen's lovely place in Forest Lake. (Fred is Mary's brother.) Pam tagged along as the orphan auntie.

My lovely and brilliant nieces, Moriah and Hannah.

Zachary goes all jazzy!

Your scrapblog editor was impressed to see this painting of an L-shaped farmhouse hanging on Fred and Cheri's wall. It's the Eischens' ancestral home in Duluth.

Britta sends Christmas greetings

Cousin Britta Augustin and friend Larry sent this electronic Christmas card from Deutschland (in the original version, the cats are wobbling their heads, very cute). The text read: "If you see a fat man/ Who's jolly and cute/ Wearing a beard and a red flannel suit/ And if he is chuckling and laughing away/ While flying around in a miniature sleigh/ With eight tiny reindeer to pull him along/ Then let's face it/ Your eggnog's too strong!/ Merry Christmas and Happy 2009!" Same back at them.

A take on cake

In this photo of a delicious, funny-shaped birthday cake, you may also notice some cousins. Dan, Marty, Nick and Pam celebrated Dan's 47th birthday Saturday night at Pam's. A snowstorm was on, so the Broberg boys ended up camping out for the night at Pam's, a luxurious gig for guys used to sleeping in the snow (Pam let them stay inside, though they insisted on using sleeping bags). Both Dan and Sam had birthdays Saturday.

Snow time

Can't resist rerunning this 1960s classic of Dan and Sam playing in the snow of the Millers' Old Frontenac driveway. Those cousins who live away from Minnesota now should know that we're having an old-fashioned snowy Christmas again this year, with piles of snow and three more storms forecast for this week.

Happy Birthday to some cousins!

Today's the birthday of our cousins, brothers Dan and Sam Broberg, shown here in the 1960s, which tells you how old they are, sorta. Dan and Sam have always had to share their birthday with Christmas week; here's hoping they get special treatment today! This week also brought the birthday of David Pepin, son of cousins Patty and Steve; we're hoping to get some more photos of him soon to post.

Two weeks to Christmas! Must...slow...down...

Many of you -- well, maybe one of you -- has wondered why there have been so few posts on the family blog lately. Partly it's because I've completely run out of old family photos, and partly it's because I'm so busy shopping for Chia pets for you-all for Christmas! What a busy time! Hurry, hurry, hurry! We must slow down, cousins. However, if you feel you MUST buy lovely gifts for your cousins -- and really, the rest of us think you shouldn't -- we invite you to browse this hit posting, "What to get your cousin for Christmas," for some hot tips.

How to tell the difference between cousin Pam and cousin Chris

In a hot basketball game today at Hamline University between the majestic Centennial High School Cougars and the hum-drum St. Paul Highland Park High School Something-or-Others, won by the fab Cougars, young cousin Moriah took a hit to the lip and was injured. Blood flowed, and a medic on the scene put on his rubber gloves to attend to our Mo, who

was not terribly fazed by this shocking occurrence.

Aunt Pam, seeing this, wanted to dial 911 on her cell phone, both to page an ambulance for Moriah and to summon the cops to arrest whoever the opposing player was who smacked our Mo! But cousin Chris wouldn't let her, saying that players must be Brave, Strong and Stoic.

This, friends, is the difference between cousins Pam and Chris. At top, Mo shows off her split lip. At right, cousin Chris demonstrates his best "stoic Dad face."

What our family matriarch is thankful for

Aunt Anna Sprick Smith, at 88 our extended family's matriarch (that's her above in her Navy uniform during World War II), wrote this for the blog just for Thanksgiving Day 2008: I was born in 1920, when women first got the right to vote. I'm thankful that I could vote for a gentleman who is black for president of the United States, and also that it would have been possible for a woman to be elected president. Since 2006, I've been especially thankful for my wonderful family and friends, who have helped me deal with a mild stroke. A niece [Patty] calls daily to check on what I may need. A brother [Elmer] phones often and brings fish and the best cookies, baked by his dear wife [Mavis]. A nephew [Sam] writes newsy letters and sends picture of his three sons [Tyler, Alex and Zachary] in their sports uniforms. A sister [Florence] calls weekly from California. A niece [Pam] keeps me informed with a blog of family news and visits often with a tasty meal. A caregiver friend [Jan] visits often with soup and grandchildren and also orders my medications. My sister [Kate] helps me with banking and organizing. Even the mailman hands me the mail with a smile. The sunshine in my living room lights up the world, and the evening sunsets are beautiful. My apartment building hallway gives me a place to walk with my walker without dogs, mud, snow, bugs or snakes. Friends in Apt. 202 bring the church news and the large-print sermons to me every Sunday. Other friends take me to a special communion service each month. Meals on Wheels are brought five days a week by friends who are so welcome. My [very large, Pam notes] armoire photo of our new president with my nephew [Dave] is a bright spot, also. My table often has a bouquet or plant sent by a lady who was a little red-headed first-grader in Mrs. Smith's class in 1956. I am thankful that age 88, I can read, write, enjoy my food sleep well, walk with a walker, have no pain, no headaches, and best of all, a loving family and friends. Love, Aunt Anna We're thankful for Anna! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

What the cousins are thankful for...

Cousin Dan sent this photo to express what he's thankful for:

_______________________________________________________ Cousin Sam wrote that he's grateful for: "Our family ... our faith ... our health ... our friends ... and our future." _______________________________________________________ Cousin Pam is grateful for the basics this year: good health, a good job (for now!), good friends, great siblings and cousins, a wonderful son, food, shelter and HER FABULOUS LITTLE PLACE IN LAKE CITY!

Winter campin' with cousins

Thanks to cousin Sam for sending these photos of young Zack's winter-camping expedition to Dan's Old Frontenac property with cousin Marty's Scout troop: Zack examined the mortal remains of a small forest creature.

The Cub Scout with his Uncle Dan and cousin Marty and the Broberg families' pooches.

A feast of family birthdays

Very Happy Birthdays to ... Sarah Heisler Sprick (Nov. 25), with two of her three daughters.

Steve Pepin (Nov. 25), with son Nathan.

Tanya Cook (Nov. 26), with brother Monty Leiser and mom Cindi O'Donahoe.

Return of the historical photo

Having completely run out of vintage family photos, we were thrilled and delighted to be sent this 1936 gem by Elmer of Ed and Elmer hulling walnuts with a corn sheller. Elmer-Joe wrote this: "Ed cranked the corn sheller while Joe fed the walnuts into the hopper. We dried the nuts and cracked them during the winter. The squirrels had to fend for themselves!"

Millers put their heads together

Can't resist posting this photo of cousin Chris using daughter Moriah as a pillow a few years back. We stole it from Mo's Facebook site.

Our famous relative

At 88, our Anna is still being honored and lauded. This story was in the Red Wing Republican Eagle last week, and an identical story and photo also appeared in last week's Lake City Graphic. Yay, Anna!

A young Marine

Cousin Nathan Pepin, a U.S. Marine, with his proud parents, Patty and Steve of Red Wing, Minn.:

And, below, with Harry Greason and Harry's daughter, Jan Greason, in San Diego:

Two very proud Americans

Courtesy of Aunt Florence, a couple of photos ...

Florence Sprick Bye and Harry Greason at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., this fall.

Harry at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va. During World War II, Harry fought from Tarawa to Okinawa in the Pacific.

Congrats to Tyler upon his confirmation!

We're happy to post these photos of cousin Tyler Broberg, who was confirmed this past weekend. Below, Tyler with some of his good-looking relatives:

Thinking of Mavis

All our thoughts are with Aunt Mavis, who had pacemaker surgery today. Her 81st birthday is tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 7, 2008). All best to you, dear Mavis! Saturday update: The surgery went well and Mavis is recovering. She might even be well enough to watch the Vikings-Packers game tomorrow. Though we're not so sure that is good for her heart!

Happy Birthday to Michael!

We're a day late in wishing Michael Northrup Happy 54th Birthday! Here he is a few years back with cousin Chats at Hilton Head, N.C.

Let the awwwwwws begin

Izzbee Miller was a princess for Halloween, and not at all scary. The kitten was cute, too.

A pre-Halloween frightful moment at the Strib

Ah, nothing like election season to bring out the nutbirds. This was the scene outside the front door of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday after a manila envelope that contained white powder identified by the demented correspondent as anthrax arrived in the little newsroom mailroom where cousins Chris and Pam pick up their fan mail (ha!) daily. Luckily, it was just sugar. But as this photo, taken by our friend and colleague Deb Pastner, shows, it was pretty serious for a minute or two.

Cousin Chats' church throws a party

The Rev. Dr. Esquire Chats' church in Wichita, Kan., First Presbyterian, recently threw a big Heritage Days party celebrating its Scottish background (something it has in common with the Miller family's heritage). Here are some photos from that bash featuring our own bonnie Chatsie ...