Music....

Here is a bit of Christmas music for you....

Walk in the park

We like to walk over to the school yard and the park that is a few blocks from our house. Sasha and Jack love to run free.....

Ducks DON'T like Jack. Crazy ducks.

"King Lumpy"


"Einstein"

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Andrew turned 20 today.
No longer a teenager.
Thank goodness.

Happy birthday!!!!

Seriously?
10 photos and not one that had us all looking normal.
That's my family for you.

how many cute fingers does it take to make a beautiful song?

40.
As you can clearly see from this picture......


I'm watching a friend's 8 month old for a couple of days. Shea and her friends are being a great help!! Hadley LOVES all the attention :)

Beautiful....

This is a winter photo of Pennock Island

near Ketchikan, AK

Do you think I could be a farmer there?

I think it would be heaven.

even if I couldn't be a farmer there.

Frugal Challenge - November

This is my accountability post. Keeping me honest. and motivated. and focused. It works amazingly well.

#1: Grocery: $305. Even with Thanksgiving I stayed pretty close to my $300 food budget!! December might be tight since I've already spent $90 and it's only Dec 2. But since we'll be with friends the last week of the month, I'll just mooch off Tammy's food storage. Good thing she has lots!

#2: House: 2.01%. Putting us 96.59% away from being DEBT FREE. Hmmmm - that seems like a looooooong ways to go.

Doesn't every family have a little weirdness?

It's just not usually posted on their blog....

Kayla sent us this card for Thanksgiving and put all the things she is thankful for. Of course there is the normal stuff, but I want to point out the not-so-normal stuff. If you don't understand some of them, don't worry - that just means you aren't as weird as us. That's a good thing.

You're killing me Smalls.
Not a finger!
K-dodd, Ner, Beedle, Bob
Lick my hairy arm-pit.
Hey is what horses eat!
The Christmas Story (and she doesn't mean the REAL one)
Martha and George
Ding fries are done
Rolie Polie Fish Heads
Hansel & Gretal - don't forget your bread crumbs!
Getting lost
A bird's going to poop on your lip



I love my little girl!! I miss her too :)

I'm trying to work here!

I'm battling an extreme migraine. and a little black kitten named Bella.

I'm losing. The kitten has pounced on my keyboard so many times, it shut my computer down.

Did I ask for a kitten?
Do I look like I need ONE more thing that poops in my house?

I don't think so. But obviously I was overruled.

Let the season begin!

We always set up Christmas right after Thanksgiving. I don't really love the setting up part but I do LOVE having Christmas set up and holiday music playing in the background. Here is a glimpse of our house....

A Christmas quilt... of course

more quilts....

My friend Melissa made this hurricane lamp

for me.... looks beautiful!

My sister-in-law made this nativity for me

years ago and I treasure it!

Christmas books. My favorite!


The stockings all hung by the fire...

There was an old lady who lived in a shoe...

She had so many kids, she didn't know what to do!

I have a friend that does foster care.... and so for a family service project we asked her if we could keep all FOUR kids for the day. Cheryl is my mother's age and I seriously don't know how she does it. We had a newborn, 2, 3 and 13 year old. (Anthony is Braden's friend and great to have around!)

After we all went to the park, I tried to get the little boys to sleep. I only accomplished getting me to sleep. Isn't that what all little old ladies do?

Jacob and Jesse playing on the tramp.
Braden and Anthony...
Jacob, Jesse and Nathanial.

Shea and Nathanial