been a long time...

I have not posted to this blog in so long!!
Here are some pictures to catch you up on our crazy busy life :)

Of course, I have a TON more pictures, but I can only post so much on here...as it is, it will greatly surprise me if anyone even looks at this blog anymore!

So - these will have to do...I might post more if I can tell that people even still look at this. :)

ice skating this spring - sooo much fun!

Easter! (it was c-c-cold!)

the kids after a long day of hiking...waiting for our dinner at a yummy restaurant

the kids waiting patiently for a beautiful wedding to start - this was in a neat, old church

the girls wishing this was a real horse they were sitting on

my sweet hubby with his awesome dad on Father's Day

and me with my awesome dad on Father's Day

Ms. K & I on the 4th of July

a weekend in the mountains always makes the kids a little crazy

swimming in our pool - which we are loving!

even Charlie likes it!

zap truck

Wonder how long until we all have one of these??

flying is not about wings...

For some reason this song really touched me today. I feel confident in saying that this has got to be one of the best songs I've heard in a while. It's a simple song with simple lyrics...but wow!! At present, "Not About Wings" is the very last song on my playlist (at the bottom of my blog page). Click to choose to play this song, and follow along the lyrics I've copied below. I get goosebumps - don't you!?!? It's amazing to think of all the different meanings this song can have for you and/or your family. What you've been through, decisions you've made, your personal weaknesses, your shortcomings, your imperfections, just where God has taken you on this journey called LIFE. Please listen and think about what it means to you...

Not About Wings - Downhere

Wake dove, stretch your feathers,

Worry not love, how far you could fall.

Fly now, darling find how;

A broken wing can be the best to soar on.

It's not the perch you've climbed to reach,
But the broken wing that's made you meek;
that's when He lifts you high.

Chorus:
Believing is not about seeing,
Faith is not about reaching,
and on this journey I keep learning,
Flying is not
Flying is not
Flying is not about wings.

Sparrow trapped by a window,
every resource spent for just one goal.

It's not by work you find your escape,
but in your defeat when you seek his face;
that's when He lifts you high.

winter garden snacks

We have been wondering what our dog, Charlie has been up to when outside - because whenever we call him back inside - he comes racing around from our sideyard, sometimes with very dirty/muddy paws and beard (he's half schnauzer). Well the other day, when we called him inside, he came running into the house with a big CARROT in his mouth!! AH-HA! Figured it out...he's been eating leftover carrots from last year's garden crop...I guess he may as well eat them!! Someone may as well benefit from our garden! Not sure if I would eat any leftover carrots at this point...??? Are you supposed to eat garden foods that have been in below freezing dirt for the past couple months?! Not sure...but I'm probably not going to find out, either. So - more power to you, Charles! Enjoy it now, because this spring, we're putting up a fence to keep you out! :(

Super Bowl fun

My kids were so excited to watch the 3D movie clip during the Super Bowl game...we got our free glasses at the store before the game (along with some candy treats!) and they wore those silly 3D glasses (much longer than necessary).
***The only way the glasses would stay on the girls' faces was by wearing a hat...without the hat to tuck the bands under, the glasses kept falling off and this did not make for happy 3D campers.***

Ms. K is ready with sweet hubby's hat on...

Since Ms. K was wearing SH's hat...Ms. P had to wear MY hat!!!

tub time (??)

At the request of some of my friends, I will start posting more day-to-day stuff here on my blog. I took a break...but they really want me to start posting again - so here goes. :)

For the past couple of months, my girls have been playing in the bathtub. But - NOT when there is water in it! They bring blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc...The last time they were playing for over an hour! It gets really warm in this particular bathroom - and in the winter months - I think they enjoy a warm place with blankets to play (we keep our thermostat set pretty low).

(sorry - I cannot figure out how to get this picture turned the right way!!)

Reality TV...

I have to admit - I really enjoy 2 specific shows each year. One I'm not ashamed to admit that I like - and as for the other, I'm sure some of you would gasp at the thought of watching! (I'll let you decide which is which!).

The 2 shows are: The Biggest Loser and The Bachelor

(or Bachelorette - it alternates each season)

I am recording the season premiere of The Biggest Loser and just caught a small glimpse of the beginning of the show...I'll watch the rest later...and oh my! It's going to be a great season (like all of them are)! It is such a motivating show - and shows you that no matter how little or how much weight is needed to be lost - it CAN be done. These people are living proof! Their stories are sad, inspiring, and REAL...

If you don't currently watch The Biggest Loser - I highly recommend it - you will be inspired!

As for The Bachelor...well - that's up to you! But - let me just say that the bachelor this season is an incredible single dad...but still probably not a show some people agree with.

That's my 2 cents on these 2 reality TV shows! :)

dear valued postal customer...

So - I'm thinking I will NOT tell the people who sent us this card today about their torn-in-half Christmas card - eek!! THANK GOODNESS it was NOT a picture-card; however, it WAS handmade and is a beautiful (what is left of it) card...bummer!! :(

It says: "I want to extend my sincered apology as your Postmaster for the enclosed document that was inadvertently damaged in handling by your Postal Service......The U.S. Postal Service handles over 202 billion pieces of mail each year...an occasional mishap does happen..."

BUMMER!! Thank goodness it didn't have money in it! :)

12 days of Christmas...down in Africa...

Preschool Christmas Pageant

There were coloring tables set up for the kids and their siblings...that was neat...

***Now - this picture could be taken the WRONG way - please don't take it the wrong way!! We just made a quick trip to the girls room before the show and I still had my camera with me over my shoulder...I just couldn't resist - too funny!!***

We REALLY enjoyed Ms. P's preschool Christmas Pageant/program - actually - it was hilarious and yet so sweet! Just watching 3 year olds - of course - there is bound to be something unexpected happen - and there were. All the kids looked so cute in their manger scene costumes.....loved it!!

tea, anyone???

Did I mention that we like tea?!

I was just fixing myself a cup...and realized my "tea cupboard" (doesn't everyone have one of these?!) needed some organizing. How pathetic is that when you have so much tea that the area you keep it all needs organized?! Oh my...

I had to take a picture of this...we have 12 different kinds of tea in our house...those seasonal holiday ones I cannot pass up at the store...just bought 3 last weekend...and the good old stand-by "Stash" flavors are ALWAYS good. I call them "church tea".

CHURCH TEA: (definition) You know in church lobbies there is usually a countertop or table set up with complimentary tea or coffee? Most churches I've been to have the Stash brand teas...so - I call them "church teas".

If you're wondering - my all-time favorite tea - no matter what time of year - is (STASH) LICORICE!! sooooo good.....

Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride is my (and the kids) favorite holiday blend...(Celestial Seasonings)

But - I'll take a cup of Stash Licorice tea ANYDAY...

G-man will swipe your CHAI if you have a cup...YYYUUUUUMMM...

I was buying decaf Oregon Chai for him and I in the mornings...but he was drinking way too much of it...hhhmmm...an 8-year-old drinking too much tea? Better put the skids on that...!

CLYDE...

...HOOF...

...HUMP...
...HEAD...

IT'S CLYDE - THE CAMEL!


We went to a "live nativity" this weekend. We had no idea there would be a camel there until we saw him - "Clyde" - walking down the street with his handler (is that what you would call him?). Have you ever been to a parade with a camel walking down the middle of the street? Pretty neat...and the kids were fascinated...(is that the word???)...

MS. P WAS A LITTLE "UNSURE" (TO SAY THE LEAST!)

AND - SO WAS SWEET HUBBY!

G-MAN LIKED THIS GOAT...

EITHER G-MAN OR MS. K TOOK THIS PICTURE OF SWEET HUBBY & I. I LOVE HOW THE PICTURE-TAKER GOT OUR FEET AND LEGS *MORE* THAN THE BEAUTIFUL TREE BEHIND US...OH WELL... :)

OTIS!

We "dog-sat" for some friends the week of Thanksgiving...thought these pictures were cute of the 2 little guys~

Charlie (our poodle mix) & Otis (their shihtzu)

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.

~Phil Pastoret

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.

~Author Unknown

If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one.

~Andy Rooney

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.

~Andy Rooney

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.

~Josh Billings

November News

I have not posted in a while!! November has been a fun month. The girls are still enjoying their weekly gymnastics and dance classes...we enjoyed a Family Movie Night (Journey to the Center of the Earth) at G's school...those are always fun. We stop at Walgreens, load up on candy and have a blast at the "Movie Theater" (ie: G's school). Ms. K had her 1st grade Exordium & Speech Meet at school this month. She and her classmates did GREAT! It's always fun to see what songs, Bible verses and poems her class has memorized. SH & I went to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert this month as well - that was incredible - it really got me in the holiday spirit! Ms. P is THOROUGHLY enjoying preschool. We had fun at her school's Thanksgiving Feast - (complete with inflatables set up in the gymnasium!). Are kids spoiled or WHAT?! these days - bounce houses as part of your Thanksgiving Day Feast at school?! Wow...times have changed...I remember thinking that wearing those white pilgrim hats and an apron was pretty special...Now as today is Thanksgiving...we will be having a small family gathering at our house - also enjoying the day with us is our friends' dog, Otis, whom we are dog-sitting. So - he & Charlie can be our floor cleaner-uppers...they will be a huge help, I'm sure...

Letters to Mr. G

Last week, all the kids in G's class wrote him a letter - based on a presentation he did about himself. Each letter was supposed to be 1) kind, polite and in "formal" letter format; and 2) about things the student learned about him from his presentation and/or his "About Me" packet.

So, he brought all of the kids' letters home today compiled in a notebook and I was just sitting here reading all of them. They are hilarious! Here are some of my favorite (random) lines from various kids' letters. (I'll keep the spelling as it is on the kids' letters):

• "Your my best freind" (I'm SO HAPPY that he has made such wonderful friends this year!)
• "Did you know 300+600=900?" (what this has to do with his presentation, I don't know...)
• "Is runing away from girls realy your favorit thing to do at reases?" (too funny - but yes - sad to say that I'm sure this is true...)
• "I like the color green too. Green looks good on me. do you want me to were green tomarow?" (this is sooo funny...obviously written by a GIRL)
• "Your the best person to play with at reses." (aaawww...)
• "I think it is fun at recess when we chase girls."
• "I like that you includ everey one in playing." (ME TOO!!)
• "My fishes name is Gorge. I like to call him Gorge W. bush." (again - what does this have to do with G's presentation? Not sure...but it's cute!)
• "I like you would you like to be friends?" (SO SWEET! I'll be calling this boy's mom for sure to set up a playdate!)

SO PRECIOUS! These will be keepers...

Fabulous Fall Train Ride

Meet "Betta"

Meet "Betta" - the Betta fish. (to me it's like naming your cat, "Cat" - or your dog, "Dog" - but whatever! The kids picked the name and it's nice and easy and not cheesy, so it's all good!)

He is very similar in color to the last Betta we had a couple years ago...which lived to be 2 years old. I eventually got tired of having to clean the fish bowl 2-4 times per month with our last Betta...BUT we were in WalMart a couple weeks ago and they BEGGED to get another one. It was only $4 - how could I say no?! :) We'll see if this one lives to be another 2 years or not like the last one!

Autumns Gone By...(sniff sniff)

A friend of mine posted an "old" Halloween picture of her boys. I LOVED the picture - so cute - so I thought I would do the same.

What fun to look back at "old" pictures!

Ms. P - 7 months old

Ms. K - 3 years old

Ms. K - 4 years old

G-man - 5 years old

Ms. K - 10 months old

Kids' Christmas Shopping

This past week, we received 3 GREAT catalogs in the mail. We get these every autumn, and each year, I always think that they would make GREAT Christmas shopping catalogs. This year - I actually WILL probably buy most of the kids' presents out of these catalogs. Sooo...if you're on the hunt for some neat & unique presents this year (hint, hint to all the grandparents out there - tee hee - just kidding...kind-of...)...look no further!! :)

Here they are - check them out:

Young Explorers: http://www.youngexplorers.com

Back To Basics Toys: http://www.backtobasicstoys.com

Hearth Song: http://www.hearthsong.com

Happy Shopping!! :)

Pictures from Kaua'i