Happy News Years

There is just no way for me to sum up the craziness of the last year. So here it is in some of my favorite pictures.

Have a wonderful New Years and I hope that 2009 brings good things.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

I can't say it enough to Vern. We have gotten well over 7 inches of snow on top of what we had. Right now we have an ice snow mix coming down and it is yukky.

Vern has a snow blower and he has been doing the side walks for me. It's the kind of weather that you shovel the walks, turn around and it is covered again. Anthony and I had to shovel the car out this morning and you can't even tell that we did it.

I am getting ready to go out and do the back yard right now. I learned the hard way, you can't ignore it. It becomes ice and I don't like sliding to the car. Here are a couple of pics.

Backyard. I am standing in the door way.




The front, again I am on the porch.

And down the street

The Day After

My kitchen has been put back together and the living room sort of. There is only so much you can do with Rock Band and Wii in the middle of stuff. I had a real problem going on with my camera for the last couple of weeks. Steve remembered that one of Anthony's friends was checking it out and started pushing buttons. Thank God for reset buttons. She made so many changes I would have never figured it out. Now it is working right again.

Needless to say, I figured this out last night. Most of the pic's I took during the day are not very good. So here are a couple that did work.

Christmas Eve Mass, this is our little choir. Two girls didn't show up, and me and N (in the back) will be having a little talk.


The Kids are various stages of unwrapping presents.

The Aftermath

The house is in ruins. Pieces and parts to toys, games, clothes and a whole bunch of other stuff all over the place. It is hard to believe that just yesterday I was thinking just how nice the place looked.

It was another Christmas success. The kids are pleased with the gifts and so are the adults. However, I will point out that the Nikon didn't make it under the tree. Oh well, there is always my birthday.

Tonight I am tired. I woke up yesterday with Megans pink eye and Steve's cold. Jason was so excited last night that he woke me up every couple of minutes asking "is it time yet." He said the last time he remembered asking was 2am. I guess that must be what time we both finally fell asleep.

Right now I am thinking about telling everyone good night. Taking the DVD's Santa brought me (White Christmas, Holiday Inn and It's a Wonderful Life) and going to bed. In fact that sounds like a really good idea.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Merry Christmas

We are wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday Dad

We miss being able to spend it with you. This time of the year is always difficult not being able to be with our families. But as I have always said, you are welcome here any time. If you where here, you would be enjoying a white Christmas.

All the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. Cookies are baked and fudge is made. Tomorrow I will be getting up early and hitting the grocery store to get some last minute items for Christmas dinner. I will be baking a Buche De Noel (Yes, I have been watching the food network) and a cheese cake for Christmas dessert. Homemade cinnamon rolls for during the present opening, and a wonderful casserole for after the presents. Ham and all the trimmings for dinner. Yummmm!!!!

Christmas eve we will go to the family mass at the church. Jason will be signing in the choir and Steve with the kids will be doing alter service. I might help out but generally I hang back and help with whatever needs to be done. Charlene knows she can count on me to help with whatever needs to be done last minute. Usually I help keep the choir under control. Plus, I can't be on the alter and taking pictures at the same time. Somehow, I don't think Fr. C would approve. After mass, we head home, quickly change cloths and then off to the movies. I know it sounds strange, but we started doing this once we moved away from CA.

Steve's parents always have a big party on Christmas eve. The first year we moved it felt really strange not have a party to go to. We ended up at the mall watching all the people last minute shop. We decided to take the kids to a movie and we have done it ever since.

I am sure I will have pictures of the chaos. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas.

Snow Snow Snow

it wouldn't be long until there's snow. Quick, what movie is that from? One of my favorite holiday movies. It is also not a song that needs to be sung here. We have gotten a lot of snow over the past 2 weeks. We are not shut down like Portland and other places like that. Us mountain people can handle a few inches or feet depending on where you are standing at the time. I am not going to complain about the snow because at least it is not below zero anymore. I can live without that. It is beautiful today but the next storm is coming.

Here are some pictures from sledding the other day. Two blocks from the house is a hill that the city shuts down so the kids can sled.

Before:

After:
Just kidding, she had a good day.

Jason, trying to get more speed, amazed that he didn't hit those two rocks.




Anthony is to cool for this baby hill. Look he isn't having any fun.



Megan was proving to the boys in her class that she is afraid of nothing.

Dear Megan

If you are reading my blog to see if I posted about your Christmas present, you can forget it. I am on to you, my little lotus blossom. You can stop with your trick questions. It's not going to work, I am better at this then you. I can't be fooled.

Now get back to your homework and stay off the computer.

I love you!!!!!

More Updates

and a video. Jason had his school Christmas program last night and what a ham that kid is. He doesn't get it from me. He was really upsetting the two girls next to him then finally the little blond started laughing at him. They are two peas in a pod. The other girl told him that he was ruining the whole show and he told her to "Deal with it". This video is the last song they preformed that night. Megan is doing the video taping so it is really jumpy. Plus she was laughing at him to.



Megan has been home for the last 2 days because of pink eye. What a great thing to have, poor kid. It is getting ready to start snowing again. We are suppose to get another couple of inches with 40 mph winds. Great, so that means that between the wind and ice my car will just blow off the road.

Santa travels through here on a UP train and lucky for us he stops to say hi. We are going to head over there and see him. Jason needs to make sure Santa knows how much he really wants a WII.

I have spent a lot of time talking about how I am simplifying my Christmas. Megan and I just found some cookies that look too yummy. They have been added to the cookie list. I tell you, I just keep adding stuff.

Have a good day.

My To Do List

Don't worry I am not going to post it here. That would just be to stressful for me. I am just happy that I got to cross off something on my to do list. So the plan is tomorrow my Christmas letter will go in the mail. I know how much people are waiting by their mail boxes for the last update in our lives.

Tonight we are going to Jason's school Christmas program. He is so excited, he keeps asking me if its time to leave yet.

I caught Megan on this blog checking to see if I posted what she is getting for Christmas. It's kind of a funny story but I can't post it because she is watching. The little rat.

Today our weather warmed up to 9 degrees. Tomorrow with the wind chill it supposed to be -17 and another couple of inches of snow. Yeah for us. I haven't taken many pictures because it is too flipping cold.

That is it for now, just a quick update. Plus my hands are too cold to keep typing. Keeping a house that is over 100 years old warm is a bit challenging.

Megan- get off the computer.......

Has it really been that long

I guess it has. I don't really have an excuse. I always have a lot to say.

This is going to be quick because I am supposed to be getting ready for a youth group event right now. It is also snowing and we have about an inch on the ground already. The first snow of the season always makes driving a little slower.

I wanted to post a couple of pictures from the Church Christmas program. Jason had a speaking part this year and he played a shepperd. Megan of course was the king. We had three kids from our preschool there too and they did fantastic.

Here is my little shepperd


It's good to be the king. Sorry, a quote form "History of the World".



I will have more pictures later, but I need to get moving.