It's been another eventful year here at the Boyle plantation ― sometimes a bit too eventful. In mid-November, Tonia lost her balance as she was carrying some jars of homemade applesauce down to the garage for storage. By the time she finished tumbling, her leg was broken in three places, and she's had to keep the weight off it ever since. Tonia says she got the best Christmas present ever when the Department of Motor Vehicles granted her a highly prized disabled parking permit. Despite the disability, she's been keeping up with the garden club ― and keeping up our spirits for the holiday as well.

There were lots of happier events in 2007, such as October's arrival of our new puppy, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Rosie. She takes over the junior dog position while our Tibetan spaniel, Bijou, moves up to top dog.

Alan and Tonia also took their first cruise ever in October, a long-weekend jaunt to Victoria and Nanaimo in British Columbia. We'll be doing that again quite soon, most likely in a less rainy climate.

Tonia and the kids had a Berry family vacation in Michigan this year, while Alan's travel time was taken up by a big business trip to Switzerland and France, to report on multibillion-dollar projects in particle physics and fusion research.

Alan is still the science editor at msnbc.com (note the new lowercase style for the acronym, which matches the outfit's new logo). In June, he won the Almquist distinguished service award from the Society of Professional Journalists' Western Washington chapter, and this year he's listed in Who's Who in America ― all of which leads him to wonder if he's officially over the hill and ready for an ivory tower somewhere.

Natalie is a junior at Western Washington University, still majoring in biology, fascinated by bees and thinking about graduate school.

Evan is a junior at Bellevue High School, an officer in math club and a clarinetist in the wind ensemble. He does some tutoring and is planning to become involved in Youth Court.

All in all, despite Tonia's bad break and a spate of rainy weather, this year's holiday season is shaping up better than last year's ― when we had to cope with Seattle's Hanukkah Eve windstorm as well as the death of our Norfolk terrier, Toby.

Here's wishing all of us sure-footed steps and brighter skies in 2008: Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Blessed Muharram, Joyous Kwanzaa and Happy New Year to you all! 


Evan, Natalie, Tonia and Alan wish you happy holidays from Bellevue's Garden d'Lights. Click on the images below for the year's highlights.
Tonia shows off Rosie, the little girl we picked up right after getting off the boat from our cruise. Having a new puppy is a bit like having a new baby. Rosie has to be watched constantly, and there are plenty of accidents to clean up after ― as well as fights with the older sibling (Bijou). Good thing she's so cute.
Natalie got her first paid job in America this summer ― that's not counting her Girl Scout volunteer work or last year's stint as a summer intern in Britain. She spent this summer working as a desk clerk (and housekeeper, and whatever else needed doing) at the La Quinta Inn in Bellevue. She's continuing to work part time at the La Quinta in Bellingham. 
Evan wore a tuxedo for the first time this November for a "tolo" at a nearby high school ― a formal dance where the girls ask out the boys. He's very focused on academics and helped organize a chem club this year. But he still has time every once in a while for a good video-game workout on the Wii or PS2.
Alan was president of the Northwest Science Writers Association this year and helped organize the group's big party in Spokane during a national convention for science writers. Here you can see him in the Marslike channeled scablands of Eastern Washington, with Palouse Falls in the background.