Kylee is playing on a Spanish Fork City team the "Sparks". Between her and Samantha we seem to fill our spare time with ball games. We have certainly enjoyed it. Kylee plays a guard. They won their game today because Kylee was fouled at the end with 9 seconds left and she made both of her free throws. Go Sparks!
Erika Hales, Jessica Cable and Samantha Porter
The Diamondback basketball coaches are really young. . . .
Samantha and her friend Erika. Seems Samantha and friends always are taking 
Ground beef that Jared, Trish, Bryan, Yuko, Matt and I canned this past summer. I am not sure if we will do it again. It was kind of a pain, but are glad to have it on the shelves in case of a power outage. It was a learning experience.
Samantha and friend Alexis.
Kylee and Grandma Ballard. Kylee goes over to Grandma's every so often on Saturday to help her change her sheets and clean house.
Matt took a day off of work and took the kids up to Sundance to ski.
Dustin tried to keep up with dad.
Samantha took her friend Erika Hales and Kylee took her friend Michelle Parrott.
Samantha has enjoyed playing basketball for the 9th grade team at Diamond Fork Jr. High School. She plays the forward position. She has done quite well. She has started every game and the last 4 games has been high scorer. She has enjoyed the friendships she has made with all of her team members. I think these will be friendships to last her years throughout high school. They practice for 2 1/2 hours a night with usually two games a week. She has also enjoyed getting to know the boys on the boys team (which I am not sure that I like). They get to travel on all of the away games on the bus together (which I am not sure I like either). She says "mom they are just my friends". Luckily I have Kylee at the school who is my personal spy. Luckily she has been able to keep up with her studies even though she is exhausted when she gets home every night. It has been fun to sit in the stands and yell her on just like my dad used to do for me. Some of her other teammates have commented that we (the Porter family) are their best fans because we never miss a game home or away. GO DIAMOND BACKS!
It snowed a lot the morning of Samantha's birthday (day after Christmas). But that did not distract her from wanting to go shopping at the Mall with her birthday money. She always hits the great sales and gets a lot of good stuff the day of her birthday. So off we went to the Mall. We first stopped off at Brick Oven for Birthday lunch.
Trish's parents from Safford stayed through the holidays. I think they had a good time
The boys mainly hung out in the basement playing video games and eating sweets.
Christmas this year according to my children was "different", but they couldn't quite put their finger on the difference. I could tell I was just not into it this year sad to say. 
Dustin was having problems with his asthma. After two trips to the hospital down in Monterray Mexico and almost six weeks Dustin was sent home for medical reasons.
