Bringhurst Blather

Nine

2011-12-19T11:22:00.001-08:00

Alice turned nine the other day. She woke up to a room filled with white balloons, post it notes all over the house full of things that we loved about her, a surprise visit at school during lunch, a dinner date with her mom and dad, cake and presents. Poor little Laura tried her hardest to not to rain on Alice's parade, but not being able to blow out the candles was almost too much for her to take.

Well....maybe next year.

2011-12-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

There are so many families out there that have great, beautiful, creative family pictures. We're not one of them. I don't like spending money, but I'm thinking that sometime in 2012 we need to fork over the $$$ for a decent picture.

So while this won't be on the Christmas card, stayed tuned in for 2012. That will give me plenty of time to get my act together. I hope.

Not Good

2011-11-02T07:48:00.001-07:00

Something tells me we might be trick or treating in the wrong part of town.

One on One Time

2011-10-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

One on one time with Mark at the fall festival.

One on one with Laura at Busch Gardens.

One on one with Alice at her favorite museums, The Natural History and the Art Gallery.

A Good Day

2011-10-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

It was a normal day, nothing too big going on. We jumped on the trampoline, read stories, ate hot dogs outside, and ended with a bath with dollar store glow sticks. These are my favorite kinds of days.

Weekend Project

2011-09-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

The other day I came across this nightstand for FREE and turned it into a play kitchen for the kiddos.

They played with it for 5 hours this afternoon! We have tiny pots and pans with tiny food to create with. They're all neatly stored behind the little curtain. There is a slight chance I love this more than my kids do.

My Girl is Five.

2011-08-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is a big deal for our Laura. She's five now and her world is about to change. She now gets to go to Kindergarten, like tomatoes(to her only 5 year olds like those), and learn to trim her own nails.

Talent Show

2011-08-15T07:46:00.001-07:00

We had a family talent show with my brother's kids, mine, my parents and a good family friend.. who sang us a song. Along with a lot of piano solos and duets we also had a harmonica number, an old fashioned duel, more singing and a polka by my mom on the accordion. More on that later...you'll want to stayed tuned for it. Just when you think you're mom can't get any better she pulls this dormant talent out and blows us away.

Just My Girls

2011-08-13T03:27:00.000-07:00

Taylors and Bringhursts

2011-08-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

I've said it before...

2011-07-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

...he's mine.

Ready to Dance

2011-06-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Laura's dance class has their recital soon and had their first dress rehearsal for it today. She's never been on stage with the lights and an audience before. She was a little bit nervous, but she did a great job.

Random

2011-06-17T09:53:00.001-07:00

Alice and her buddy Logan eating smores on a HOT, HOT day.
Laura's preschool graduation. (I was the only cheap parent who didn't buy a gown.)

Mark trying to make it through a whole soccer game.

Making lunch in the playhouse.

Getting into the playhouse.

Trampoline+Sprinkler=Fun

2011-05-26T17:13:00.001-07:00

Spring Soccer

2011-05-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

(side note: I secretly love watching Justin wrangle those chatty little girls into following directions. He does a great job, but it's not without a post practice headache.)

Thirsty?

2011-04-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Don't you remember how great cold water from the garden hose was when you were a kid?

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

Easter dresses have always been a big deal to me. I grew up looking forward to shopping with my mom for the perfect dress. I loved the car ride, I loved going to lunch, and I loved the alone time with my mom...not to mention a new dress and shoes. Normally I search and shop for my girls and do my best in finding what I want for a price my husband can stand. So, this year I decided to really win some points with my husband and not spend a dime. I pulled out some fabric I had and made these dresses that don't coordinate, that don't excite the girls, made me neglect my house and kids for the better part of a day, and my husband didn't to the cartwheels I expected when he learned I didn't spend any money. Lesson learned. Next year I'm going shopping, taking the girls to lunch and dropping a hundred bucks.

In other news, we tried to take a family picture yesterday. Blerg. Mark is a gentle blur in most of the pictures, Laura really wants to take her dress off, I need to drop some pounds, and out of it all I think we ended up looking kind of normal.

Chuck E. Cheese

2011-04-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese's place to mend Alice's broken heart. Her second soccer game in a row was rained out. As you can see, everyone had a good time.

2011-04-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

In this picture Mark looks just like my brother Doug as a toddler.

Mother, Daughter Date

2011-04-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I bribed my girls into going downtown with me to see this years cherry blossoms. They'll do anything as long as chicken nuggets are involved.

What The...?

2011-04-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

My girls never did this.

More Stuff

2011-03-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

We got a trampoline this week (safety net is in the mail). Pure fun all around.

Alice refused for two years to ride a bike without training wheels. She left her bike right behind the car one day and when we backed out the training wheels broke and nothing else. Justin and I thought this was perfect because it was time to move on to the real deal. But Alice completely disagreed. Then the other day the heavens opened and she changed her mind.
Justin was very patient with her and she didn't give up....

...but he did. He took off on the little girls bike showing us "how it's done."

Take a Walk

2011-03-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Mark's legs were itching to walk today. The girls were happy to join him while I followed from a distance.

I love their playful shadows in this picture.

Special Blankets

2011-03-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

My little Laura was wrapped in her "special blanket" yesterday morning. She was peaceful, happy and had her best playmate with her. This blanket was made by a very wonderful lady and it was a beautifully made blanket. Laura has slept with, eaten with, traveled with, played with this blanket nonstop for the last four years. Now this blanket is thin, tired, and torn. So I asked her if she wanted her blanket with her as she grew up. She said yes, but I didn't think it was going to make it and I told her this. She put on a very brave face and said she wanted to put it in a box and keep it safe...all said with huge tears rolling down her face. She suggested the attic, but I thought she needed it closer. We bought a special pretty box at the craft store, and she gently put her blanket in the box. We made a pretty label and she put it under her bed. She can open it and look at it any time she wants. But she still needed a trusty playmate. While at the store she picked out some fabric to make a new blanket that she didn't have to be careful with. As you can she, she felt much better. Her "special blanket" can't be replaced, but this is a good compromise so she doesn't snuggle her blanket into the puffs of what once was.

I also finished a blanket I was making for Mark, and he wanted to be right there for the dirty work too. I tried to get him to snuggle up with the blanket once it was finished, but he's already made his choice about another. Oh, well. By the way...I'm still sewing today and I'll show you what it is later. Nothing big, but fun for me.

The Piano

2011-03-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Mark thinks that when ever the piano is being played, he belongs on the bench too. He sings sweetly and hardly ever pounds, licks or sits on the keys.

Reverence

2011-03-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

We'll just pretend that I didn't snap a picture while Alice was saying the prayer...okay.

Big Changes

2011-02-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy few months for my extended family. In November my Grandpa Jessie, my mother's dad, died. I wish I had some digital pictures of him, especially in his Military Police uniform. They're great and when I get some I'll share a few. Then early this month my Dad's father passed away. They both lived full happy lives and my memories of them are treasures to me. The photo on the left was taken when Grandpa Earl was a young man fishing on the Snake River in Idaho. I've been reading his personal history and here's a small chunk that I loved.

"My earliest memory of Papa is of hearing the front door slam at our home in Lehi, Utah, and of seeing a huge man wearing high-top boots, riding breeches, a leather jacket, and an old felt hat, striding into the living room and calling, "Ruby, I'm home!" I jumped up from where I'd been stacking blocks on the floor, and running to him, I threw my arms around one of those boots. I can still remember the leather laces and the metal lace clips pressing into my cheeks, and the joy of flight as I was carried on the boot foot into the kitchen. There things became a little more crowded as Papa's leg pressed me from the front and Mama's leg pressed from behind. The boots smelled of beet pulp, an odor I love to this day. From the time I was born in 1922 until I watched his casket lowered into the grave at the base of the Wasatch Mountains on May 8, 1942, I was bathed in love by this man."

There's more news about some of the men in my family. We have two new babies since the beginning of the year. My little brother, Brad and his wife had their first little one...a girl. The look on his face says it all.

And my other brother, Greg and his beautiful wife had their fourth child. From what I hear she loves to be sung to and smiles at the sounds and attention.

Daily life in my own house is fun and all, but it's hard to think about those things when loved ones are coming and going with such regularity.

No Title

2011-02-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

I had my sewing machine serviced by a nice young man the other day.

The Impossible

2011-01-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

We tried to get a group photo of the kids where they're sitting nicely and smiling, but it seems to be an impossible task. Oh well, it would have bothered me if I got a good shot and they weren't wearing something nice and coordinating. I just love Alice's face in these pictures though. She's such a pretty girl...but don't ask me, I'm just her mother.

Connection

2011-01-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Laura hasn't seen many of her cousins in years, but the connection was almost instantaneous.

Eight is Great

2011-01-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

Well, my little baby Alice is growing way too fast. Someone gave her permission to turn eight last December and it wasn't me. She was lucky enough to have a handful of grandparents, friends and Primary teachers come to support her at her baptism. She seemed to really understand what she was doing and why. Justin and I are very proud of her and the choices she makes.

Alice with her Grandpa Keith and Grandma Marti...my parents.

The rest of us.

Alice with her Grandma Jeanne (Papa John couldn't make it all the way from Alaska, but she was excited to call him as soon as she got home from the church). In the picture, she holding her new scriptures and wearing her new pearls.

Nothing Really

2011-01-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

I have a few things to catch up on blog wise, but for tonight this will be all. Me and Mark hanging out on Christmas Eve.

The Farm 2010, Part One

2010-12-02T04:45:00.000-08:00

The trees along the driveway are huge, but they're looking more old and mangy than they used to. Still, it's where many of us first learned to drive. Dad was always happy to stop and let his 10 year old drive up to the house. (My apologies for the picture quality on many of these photos.)
They owners planted spruce trees along the front pasture and now they're huge. This is me peeking through them to catch a glimpse of the house. The front pasture is neglected and forgotten about.

I decided to walk to Ice Age trail to see if I could get a better look at the house in a less creepy manner. This is actually where I ran into the owner while she was walking her dogs. (She didn't see me taking pictures, thankfully.) I struck up conversation and she was delighted to invite me over. She took me into the house and walked me all through the property. It was a dream.

The kennel is now her "animal barn". She has chickens, geese and rosters in there. She sells the eggs and has the front room of the kennel set up like a little shop for the eggs. The inside looks almost exactly the same.

The milk house. I was disappointed to see this little house in disrepair. I didn't have the heart to ask her what she planned to do with it because they took out the studio years ago.

The Rose bathroom. It's still the same, as is much of the house. She kept all of Mom's wallpaper up. All the floors are the same, except the yellow bathroom. She took out that pretty tile that was in there and replaced it with vinyl. I don't get that.

It still comes out.

All of the rock planters and the fire pit are gone. The screen house is gone too and she put a lodge pole swing on the cement slab.

This is coming from the door on the lower part of the barn. Notice the aluminium siding on the barn. The inside looks the same except for the lower garage part. They made a two story, heated, insulated "man cave" in there. They took out the floor of the hay loft and put in a two story garage door. But the barn smelled exactly the same. It was a good smell. The pigeon coop is still there too.

I'm sure most of you remember sitting in the living room looking out the bay window during the snowy winter at the fireworks across the street. I was told that Bartolotta's is no longer allowed to test there fireworks there. The neighbors complained.

Also, Fran was in the guest house until three years ago. They took care of her and never raised her rent. The encouraged her to go live with her son because her health was so bad. The guest house is being redone by their son, who will then live in it. Sorry no picture of that.

I'll post the rest as soon as I can.

The Leaf Pile

2010-11-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

Some of us loved it...

...and others of us did not.

A Mother Goose Halloween

2010-10-31T16:10:00.000-07:00

Justin and I were Jack and Jill.

Little Bo Peep and her sheep.

Little Boy Blue...and his horn.

Can you help Little Bo Peep find her sheep?

Happy Halloween!!!!

The Barn

2010-10-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

Our barn on Stonebrook Farm, where I grew up.

We had chickens in there, all named Brittney. We had stake dances, Halloween parties, Ward Nativity/Christmas Programs in there. We would explore the indoor silos, climb and make forts out of hay bails, play basketball, swing, fight and run away and hide from the chores we were supposed to be doing. Looking back it just seems like one of those dreams you have over and over again. Those were great times in our family.

sigh

2010-10-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

I love moments like this.

Gross, I know

2010-10-12T16:14:00.001-07:00

Afternoon at Home

2010-10-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

The weather on Saturday was PERFECT and here's a how we spent the afternoon.

Having a tea party...alone.

Doing the dishes.

Building stuff with Dad.

Teaching Mark the difference between his bottle and any old bottle.

Exploring.

Climbing trees.

Getting the Shot...

2010-10-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

So I was making silhouettes of our family to hang on the wall. I didn't love the silhouette I had of Laura so here is a photo story of my attempt to take a new profile picture of her.

Just Keep Smiling

2010-10-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

Bless his heart. When I say "smile" he still puts on what he thinks is the best little smile he can muster.

Copy Cat

2010-09-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm not creative. We all know this as fact, but I like to copy other more creative and beautiful gals out there in the bloggy world. So, here's my version on the the dollar store "silver" tray painted with chalkboard paint. (I do plan on searching the thrift stores for a great tray that I LOVE and doing this all over again.)

Also I have our family silhouette wall. I could tweak these puppies forever to make them more perfect, but I'm good with them as they are....for now. Please pretend that my ugly brass chandelier isn't in the picture. That's on my hit list too.

The Middle Child...What's her Name Again?

2010-09-28T07:20:00.001-07:00

Oh by the way, Laura started preschool this year too. She loves it, she does well and she's on her way to getting ready for kindergarten.

Mount Vernon

2010-09-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

Little Martha

2010-09-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

There are so many great pictures of my mother, but this is one is too sweet not to post.

That Time of Year

2010-09-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Add this to all those other "back to school" blog posts you've been reading lately. Our morning was smooth and cheerful, a great way to begin the year.

Trouble

2010-09-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

I don't have warm and fuzzy feelings about his new found joy in climbing, but I love this face.

Outer Banks

2010-09-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

In Capable Hands

2010-08-29T18:12:00.001-07:00

At the helm.

Gift

2010-08-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Showing off what his momma gave him...new slacks.

First Birthday for Mark sigh

2010-08-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

Alright, so the pictures are a little out of order. If I take too much time getting it right, I'll never get it posted...please forgive me.

We had a small celebration for Mark's birthday in Texas with my family. The first few pictures are from that party.
He's tired and hypnotized by the flame.

This was taken after we tried to force him to eat his cake.

My big brother Doug's son, Matthew, also turned one. Here my brother and I are out "goochy, goochy gooing" our kids. We're not very competitive, but we'll find something silly to get worked up over.

Texas cousins making silly faces.

A ball.

Now we're at home on his actual birthday. In true Bringhurst fashion, we celebrated a first birthday with our good friend Little Debbie.

Dinner at a steakhouse.

My favorite fellas.

2010-08-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if you've ever noticed the little map at the end of the blog page, but I like to check it out and see the little stars that indicate from where people are checking out my blog. I usually don't have too many stars, but I love them all. Today I checked and there was only one little star, big and bright...deep in the heart of Texas. That's the star I love the most.

I miss you Mom and Dad.

Simple Summer Fun

2010-07-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

Nom Nom Nom

2010-07-25T20:38:00.001-07:00

Baby food is for the birds.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

2010-07-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

This morning we drove two hours to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. We sat in the back of my Dad's pickup while we fed the animals the bag of food they gave us. It was really fun and a little unsettling.

For the Camera

2010-07-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Mark pulls this new, weird face every time I pull out the camera and say, "Smile!". It's like he's trying to smile nice for the camera but doesn't quite get it. Here's Mark "smiling" his way from Virginia to Texas to see my parents.

Highlights from Alaska

2010-07-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Mendenhall Glacier behind us in Juneau.

On the ferry in South East Alaska.

BEAR!!!

Oh, my!!!

She caught a fish.

Papa John and Grandma Jeanne soak up some Mark time at the airport before we left. Those folks in the background are also part of the group...Halley and Jordan.

Uncle Doug

2010-06-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Most of the time my brother Jeff is in town for work, but this time it was my older brother Doug. (Lucky me, I get to see my other brother Greg this week too, but the kids don't so we'll keep that one quiet.)

Always a thrill.

Quick, post something new!!!

2010-06-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

Well, most people laughed at our 1987 Camry. My parents used to gently ask us to park in the back of the house when we were there for a visit. Commuters in the slug line didn't jump for joy when they realized the door they were trying to open wasn't just locked, it was jammed. At one time only one of the four doors opened. I laugh at the mental image of my husband crawling out the passenger side door in his suit and briefcase.

But this car was the first car we bought.

We brought our kid's home from the hospital in this car.

I know, it's just a car.

Justin has a trusty mechanic that he always took the car to. The mechanic calmly put his hand on Justin's shoulder the last time we were there and quietly said in his broken English, "Sometimes you just have to know when to let go."

Two Faced

2010-06-19T14:24:00.001-07:00

I was killing time and dorkin' around with pictures.

Thirty Something

2010-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today's my birthday. It's been fun to see my kids get excited to give me small tokens of their love. My husband made me a cake and did the dishes...all of them. I spent some time with a few friends, went to IKEA and talked to some well wishers on the phone. The day was perfect. But on all my birthdays I always end up spending the day thinking about my childhood and the memories I have of my five brothers.

I'm one of the fortunate ones.

I had a great childhood filled more "ups" than "downs".

Starting here:

Me sitting on my brother Greg.

1984

Brian, Jeff, Greg, Doug, Jenny and Brad all cleaned up.

Me and Brad 1996.

Me and Doug at the Alamo 1994.

On my wedding day 1999.

I love these guys, these are good guys.

Picking Strawberries

2010-06-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Finding the good ones.

Not wanting to share with Mark.

My Alice

2010-06-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

A beauty from the beginning, she's proven to be just as lovely on the inside.

Her eyes are bright, her smile is contagious and she's a joy to live with.

She's sweet.

She's thoughtful.

She's the best big sister a kid could ask for. She enjoys helping others and taking her little brother under her wing. I love her to the moon and back.

My Laura

2010-05-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

She's beautiful, silly, happy, thoughtful, clean, loud..oh, so loud. She loves her family, loves to pray, dress up and try on shoes. She's a good snuggler, for about 30 seconds and then she's flopping around like a fish out of water. The thing I love the most about her, she's mine.

Nine Months

2010-05-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Our little guy is nine months old now and was given the "all clear" from the doctor today. He is healthy and obviously happy. Because it was just the two of us out and about we went to lunch at Arby's.

Like a gentleman, he did the ordering for his old lady.

Nothing fancy, just the classic roast beef.

Nom, nom, nom.

A full tummy makes a happy baby.

Current Favorites

2010-05-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

I have nothing new to say, but I always have pictures to share.

The First Attempts

2010-05-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

Mark is almost nine months now and has decided to venture out and try something new. On Mother's Day he gave me the gift of fear and dread. Mobility.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrO6bsiyzs0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIoj798VgXU

Baby in a Bucket and Easter Eggs

2010-04-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

I know it's a late post, but I'm pretty sure my very small group of readers won't mind. We spent the Easter break with my brother and his awesome family. The kids loved being with their cousins and Mark enjoyed the...um...bucket.

Rock

2010-04-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Justin spent some time this evening teaching Alice the ropes...literally.

"New" High Chair

2010-04-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Kathleen gave me her old high chair a few months ago. It was in pretty good shape, but needed a little bit of TLC.

So I pulled out my favorite can of spray paint and bippity-boppity-booed it into a "new" chair.

Birds

2010-04-14T19:18:00.001-07:00

A Wren built a nest in one of our flower pots this Spring. The girls found her eggs right before Easter weekend. We left them alone, for the most part, but we peeked in on the eggs every couple of days. We didn't want to bug the mom and scare her away with all of our craziness. This morning we found these new hungry little babies. There are five of them total. You can't see it in the picture, but they have a little bit of fuzz on their heads that reminds me of the fluffy fur on Fraggles. (You remember the show Fraggle Rock, right?)

Too Much

2010-04-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Being the oldest kid has it's ups and downs. I expect a lot of Alice and sometimes she's just doesn't agree with what I think she ought to be able to do. So, sorry Kiddo. I'm sorry that I forget that you're just a little person. I'll try harder to let you be you and not my adorable extra pair of hands. (Although, I do appreciate all the help.)

Cherry Blossoms

2010-04-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

We forgot the camera when we went to see the cherry blossoms, but we had a camera phone that did and alright job.

Help

2010-03-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a good example of why having three kid's is easier that one or two. Alice is always asking me what she can do to help. She's graduated from picking out Mark's outfits to putting them on him as well. She's very patient and careful with the little wiggle worm.

Splish Splash

2010-03-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

He's discovered two things:

1. I have hands and feet.

2. When I wiggle them, fun things happen.

Distraction

2010-03-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

There are so many things that can distract a driver. I've heard of and/or done some of them myself. Eating, talking on the phone, picking your nose (my husband, not me), putting on make-up, texting, and I've even seen some people read. I know, READING, it just seems crazy to me. My best distraction is this:

This is the view from the drivers seat. I turn to check on the baby and he's staring at me with this sweet smile on his face. I say, "Mark, please? I'm trying to drive here. How can I look at the road when you're looking at me like that?" It doesn't help, he only smiles bigger because I'm talking to him and giving him attention. It's hard to force myself to look away for the sake of safety.

My Guys

2010-03-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

He drools so much that I ran out of bibs and had to improvise...I'm talking about the baby, by the way. But when Justin is old I'll be happy to do the same for him.

When these two walk into a room together it's like looking at the same person separated by 34 years. I wish I had a baby picture of my husband so I could put them side by side and really compare the two. They share more that just looks though. They're both happy, even tempered and they love me. Thanks guys!!

Under the Big Top

2010-02-24T14:51:00.001-08:00

As a mother, I often feel like a circus when I take the crew out in public..or church, yikes. But living with a bunch of clowns has never been so fun.

Little Projects

2010-02-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

With school being cancelled for over a week I've decided to jump back into sewing and crafting. I made some pillowcase dresses a while ago but still have a LARGE pile of pillowcases to be tweaked. Here are two of the many that I made over the last couple of days. The girls wore them to church today.

By the way, the above picture is my new favorite of the the girls.

(They can't keep their eyes open because of the sunshine.)

Haircut

2010-02-08T07:17:00.001-08:00

Our little boy was blessed at birth with a luscious head of hair. It makes the ladies and church run their finger through it and the men look upon him with a strange feeling of jealousy. But there is a down side...cutting it. Try to imagine cutting the hair of an infant. They don't sit up, the don't hold still, their slobber attracts all the cut hairs and then they look like they have a beard of hair clippings. I'm always waiting for him to hack up a hairball. I know many moms who don't cut the hair of their babies because it's soft and curly and cute. My mom, my mother-in-law and many more of my friends. I don't think ill of them, but it's not what we want for this little guy...who looks a lot like Julia Child in this picture.

Before

After

Now he looks like he's saying good bye to us and leaving for college. Here's to a bright future for my little man.

For the Beauty of the Earth.

2010-02-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

Sunshine and beaches are way overrated. Twenty seven inches of heaven just fell on us. Even though the power went out...twice, we're okay. I'd take a day walking around our property with snow up to my mid thigh over a day at the beach. Call me crazy, but the weather here is perfection.

Project

2010-01-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

Bad picture, I know. These were my Grandmothers chairs that needed a face lift.

Before

After
I still need to polish the chair some more, but you get the idea.

Works of Art

2010-01-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite drawings from Alice.

Her version of Starry Night.

"The Snowy Day"

Alice Taylor

2010-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Isn't she beautiful?!
This is my grandmother who we named our first daughter after.
Mother of nine...who is cheerful all the time. I love her.

Face Painting

2010-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

One of the things Alice got for Christmas was a face painting kit. We finally broke it out for Family Home Evening a couple of weeks ago. With a little more practice she'll have a career to fall back on in her future.

My poor husband.

It took some serious begging on my part for him to let me paint his face. But I think it turned out pretty good for my first try.

2010-01-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

I secretly prayed for a thumb sucker.

My Girls

2010-01-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.

Our Holiday Part 2

2010-01-04T08:45:00.001-08:00

We reenacted the Nativity.

We played games.

We watched movies in Grandma's bed.

We bonded.

Thanks for a great holiday!!!

Our Holiday Part 1

2010-01-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

We played the Wii.

We had cake and hot chocolate for breakfast.

We danced.

We posed.

We snuggled.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

2009-12-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

24 inches of snow.

Last week we...

2009-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

I took the girls to Old Town Alexandria to see a Christmas boat parade on the Potomac, but their favorite part was the city walk at night with all the Christmas lights and going out for hot chocolate. This picture was taken shortly before Laura spilled both our drinks all over the table, bench, wall and floor of the restaurant. (Serenity now!)
Justin and the girls built a snowgal named "Sally". Like all good visitors she stayed for only about three days.

Faces painted.

I had many pictures of Mark and more of Laura, but none with the two of them together.
The look on Mark's face makes me laugh, "Why Mom? Why?"

Sisters

2009-12-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

Moments like this really make me happy.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T16:38:00.001-08:00

This year Justin's brother Jeff came to town for the holiday. It was great to catch up with him and let the kids play and get to know him better. We'll miss him out here on the East Coast when he moves on next year.

Deer Me

2009-11-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

I see deer in our back yard everyday, but they're not usually this close. It's a tad startling to wake up, stretch and look out your window to see a animal that size having breakfast right next to you.

Smile

2009-11-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

I finally renewed my drivers license last week. It's been on my to do list for WAY to long. I braved the DMV with two little kids and maintained a positive and cheerful attitude the whole time. The kids did great, the wait wasn't unbearable, and the lady at the counter almost looked me in the eye. (I try to make eye contact with people, but they don't always engage.) I had all the right paperwork, and all I needed to do was take the photo. Everyone knows the picture is never a great one, but at least there's a smile. Not anymore...her instructions were not to smile and keep my lips together. The first shot I eeked out a tiny smile, but she firmly reminded me not to smile. So I put my lips together and tried to focus on not smiling, it's harder than you might think. She said thank you and I'd get my license in the mail in a week or so. I went on my way feeling confident.

Well, the mail came today with my license. I eagerly opened the envelope and KA-BLAMO, I look terrible! Forgive my vanity, but this is the worst picture of me that I've ever seen. If a stranger were to look at it and judge what my career might be they might say, a bouncer at a bar downtown or a dock worker. All I can do is put in my wallet and try not to get a ticket on sheer fear that I'll have to pull that puppy out and hand in to the officer and wait for him to shudder. No matter what kind of cheek bones you have or how full your lips are, a smile goes a long way.

Yummy

2009-11-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Mark and his big appetite. He's now 13 pounds.

Sheepish

2009-11-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

I think I spent less than seven dollars on their costumes this year. You know your kids look cute when strangers who are giving out trick or treating candy run for their cameras when these kids ring the bell.

The Gang

2009-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to a little waterfall in Maryland with some friends and we had a rare moment when we were all in the picture together.

A Series of Smiles

2009-10-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

He's two months old now.

Blog worthy? Probably not.

2009-10-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

I just can't leave him alone.

Alice and Laura went to a Renaissance Festival with their Dad a couple of weeks ago. They were happy to dress up and participate.