RE: Header

#1. Is it summer yet?
#2. How is it that they have grown up so fast?
#3. When will we ever get to the beach again?

Photo: July 2006 (Taryn 9, Grace 6, Reagan 4.5) Netarts, OR

Mini-Me

Taryn got her braces last Monday. For the record, she is much tougher than I was when I got mine on. She only has the tops ones so far. The bottom braces will go on once her molars come in a little more. All four of us needed braces, Marc is a 'been there, done that' so we are 3/5 of the way through the braces.

Homemade Noodles

My mom bought me a pasta maker a few years ago for Christmas.

I don't have much counter space but I engineered a pretty sophisticated system to dry my noodles.

-Yep, a $9 shower curtain rod.

The Chicken Noodle Soup was wonderful. I had enough noodles left over for my lunch on Monday. (Shh... I am hiding them from my girls.)

The Girl Scouts

In order to suck every last ounce out of Christmas vacation this lot of girls hit the mountains with moms and dads in tow. Tony delighted us with hot cocoa and lemon bars. Yum. Before heading down the hill toward home we visited the little girls room at the lodge. As we were wrapping up a lady came in to use the facilities and said, "Oh, you must be a group of girls scouts or something."

It made me giggle. Nope just God's way to keep Marc and Tony in touch with their sensitive
side.

This picture of Kyndra was so fun to play with in Picassa because there were so many bright contrasting colors.


First graders be kind to teacher tomorrow, it will be the earliest that she has gotten out of bed in two weeks.

A Special Gift...

I left home one day shortly before Christmas to go run errands... I barely was a mile away when the girls called me. There was crying in the background. Not-there's something terrible wrong- crying... more-uh-oh, we're in trouble now- crying.

I have a very small (3) collection of Christmas snow globes. I haven't actively tried to collect them, but the few I have are very special to me.

The first snow globe is a Peanut's snow globe I got from Larry and Sally Blanc. They are Godparents to my girls. Sally was one of my first friends when I moved to Pendleton. We only worked together for a year or so, but the trauma of that job (ok, it wasn't really that bad) bonded us tight. She and her family are very special to us and I think of them every year I take it out.

The second snow globe I got from my mom. It is shiny, elegant, and grand. The music box base is silver. Inside is a vintage looking glass Santa. I put it in the center of my Santa display.

My third snow globe I got at a Christmas exchange. It has a wooden base and holds a Nativity scene. It clearly was the least expensive of the bunch... but it held an important place on my Nativity table for Christmas.

You can imagine that the snow globes are very enticing to little girls. I don't hover around my decorations telling them to keep their hands off ~ but they have been reminded numerous times that many of them are fragile.

On this day... Jesus, Mary & Joseph came crashing down onto the hard wood floor. Shattered. There are conflicting alibi's regarding the location of each child at the time of the accident. I did a lot of 'self talk' on the way home. I knew from the crying on the phone that they already felt bad... I figured my remaining two snow globes would lead safe lives. The consequences of a dropped snow globe would be etched in their minds for a long time.

Imagine my delight when I unwrapped this globe for Christmas. Girls, I love you and we all must remember that 'things' can always be replaced.

Random Christmas Photos

Eager anticipation!

Round one of opening presents was in Klamath Falls at my families house.
Nice hair Marc.

The girls and I got lots of paper so we can start creating fun things on my Cricut*
*My get up at 3:30 am the day after Thanksgiving best buy!

Mom opening her water bottle.
(Note to mom: There were other photos worse that this one)
(Remember when you told me not look at pictures of myself until
5 years later...
and then I would love them all because I would look younger?)

Dad loves his Girls Scout chocolates...
Gotta love when the store bag is pretty enough to be the gift bag too...

Uncle Jason always spoils the girls ~ translation ~
He sends me a generous check and I pick out wonderful
goodies for my girls. He feels a little out of touch with what
their interests might be.

We got him a really cool OSU sweatshirt.
Same as last year.
I'm kinda out of touch with what to get him too.
Maybe I should just send a check?
Naw, I think I am safe with OSU gear.

What she looks like...

This is one of Taryn's many looks when she steals my camera and takes self portraits.



This is what Grace looks like when she is sick. Poor thing got the pukes the morning we needed to drive to Klamath Falls. (Best trip ever for mom and dad. A puny sick little girl = a quiet little girl.)



This is what Reagan looks like when she is singing her first (and probably last) solo at her Christmas concert.