Merry Christmas

We have spent MANY days in the snow. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Christmas Eve

Making ginger bread cookies with Daddy. Samuel likes to have well floured hands!
We enjoyed seeing family via computer.

Christmas Day!

Match Box Cars, Littlest Pet Shop stuff, books, games and movies.

We all had a good day. I think every one received something to be happy about.
I have to send a HUGE "Thank you" out to Virginia and Giti; who sent me Virginia's camera to use becuase I lost mine in SC. You two are the very BEST!


YEE-HAW! Time to Play!

Janna came a day late but definitely not a dollar short! Because they had to reschedule her flight due to snow storms, she was able to fly first class. We are sorry Stephanie didn't make it (because of the storms she was stranded at JFK), but she did get a free trip to NYC. She was able to spend a day with a guided tour; someone she met at the airport. Our Father above is so good!

Sassafras-Lily

Samuel and his guitar (uh... ukulele). He and his guitar are inseparable. He is our music man.


Fancy Dancers

The chopstick throwing Ballerina.

Princess shiny shoes.




Workin Guy!

Mimi got Samuel a tool kit. Daddy got Samuel a tool box. Samuel built me house out of his sisters dressor.

I think you can see the tiniest bit of Nick in this picture.

Thank You!
To all of you who sent gifts, cards, love, and prayers (because prayers are at least as important as the other things). We miss you all. We hope this new year will exemplify, "pressed down, shaken together, and running over...". That every effort you make to love and honor will be multiplied. May Gods favor inspire you all!

More of the Same...Alot more!

Well, the only thing I would change about the picture is me. I am now the one outside with the children. It has been over a week and filled with excitement. A little snow has turned into about a foot of snow; with more to come. I have friends who are constantly telling me, "It is never like this". In May when it was still in the forties "It is never like this", In April when there was snow on the ground "It is never like this", In August when it is raining and barely fifty degrees...
I believe that Seattle weather is like guessing a number from one to ten. Only the Pacific ocean knows the number it has in mind from day to day.

Anyway, visitor number one (Stephanie) got stuck in NYC for 24 hours and will not be visiting. Janna will make it in tonight hopefully; a day late.

Meanwhile, we have had our own adventures. Nick had a long day of "going" to work last Thursday. He had to walk a few miles in the snow toward home, after his bus lost it's chains. He made a Starbucks stop along the way. I was able to slowly drive to pick him up about a mile from home. The next day he took the car to work. Saturday we went for a drive. Ahead of us (picture it) a younger than myself guy, pulled out of a parking lot and fish tailed his Jeep across the median. It was so Duke of Hazard, only not, because of the snow. Nick was filled with a kindred surge of testosterone. He spent the rest of the day trying to find an opportunity to "safely" slide our bright blue mini van around in the snow. My heart went out to him, but not fare enough. The children and I have had lots of laughs and tears, as icy fingers are no fun. We made a spot for sliding in our back yard and Lillian and her girl friends have been enjoying that. Hopefully it will provide Christmas entertainment also.

The Christmas tree is up. Every morning I am directed to the plug by my son to turn the lights on. There are ornaments strewn about the floor under the tree. He is so interested in the trains and bears and snowmen. It is the tackiest tree you could imagine! I let Lillian decorate it to her liking. She found a bag of craft ribbon and really one half of the tree looks like it has been toilet papered. The bottom half is almost bare; a Samuel idea. But, it is very festive!

We hope you all have sweet and maybe exciting times over Christmas and New Years. Love to all!

This is what it looked like shortly after we got out of bed this morning. Please notice how accurate this rendering is (I am in the house). You will have to enjoy my silly sketches for a while. My camera disappeared into the fathoms of suitcases, wild children, and furry dogs, while visiting South Carolina. Lillian like her father, is a cold weather girl. She came in to eat breakfast and is back out with the neighbors (and humming birds, crazy huh?). But, I get to be a good Mommy and stay inside laboring over a hot stove (whaa), a pot of coffee, and some hot chocolate. It is hard being a warm and dry mom in a quiet house.

I don't really know what normal is. Our lives rarely feel routine enough to call normal. We are a nomadic family and always getting ready for the next thing. It seems to be that way. As soon as we returned from Columbia we started getting ready for Stephanie (Nicks sister) and Janna (my sister), who will be spending Christmas with us. What a BIG and LOVING father in Heaven I have. I miss the noise and commotion of family more than anything. I feel like a fish out of water with out a little chaos. I am so glad to have them for their winter break. Nick and I were blessed by a new friend I made though my job at the gym. She had a baby sitting play date (she brought her two) for us so we could go to Nick's office Christmas party. Fancy. Well off to enjoy my sweet little family on a snowy and COLD Sunday morning.