Red and Green... and pink?

Yesterday started out great. Went Christmas shopping at The Cupboard downtown.

Saw beautiful decorative reindeer. Bought impulsively for self along with gifts for others.

Convicted at car of frivolous spending. Marched right back in and returned said reindeer.

Started driving toward home. Thought through numerous lists in head. Reminisced about family and friends in Texas.

Ran right through stop sign.

Right next to police officer.

Pulled over in Safeway parking lot. Had major estrogen rush. Bawled like an idiot in front of said officer.

Got really mad that he observed me bawling like an idiot and so bawled some more.

Received ticket that cost 4 times as much as reindeer.

Do not --as of yet-- plan to frame ticket to include in Christmas decor. (It's pink.)

Backyard Camping

The kids have been begging Daddy for a backyard camp-out for weeks! (THANK YOU, PaPa Bill and Grandma Judy, for the AWESOME new tent!) Let's see. It's 10:52 pm here, and let me check... 34 degrees with a predicted low of 24. I enjoyed a cuddly night of Kate and Leopold with some Ben and Jerry's FroYo (by the way... YUCK! Just go straight for the real stuff.) Now here I am all cuddly under my blanket at the computer while they freeze their little toesies off outside...

Or not! Darin may be totally converted from national parks. I spy a tell-tale extension cord...

*Please note that my husband will deny the above contraband fire-pit.

But the kids will tell you all about it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

For the first time this year, we had Thanksgiving dinner alone at our house. I was torn between the prospects --relaxing versus feeling depressed-- but relaxing won out all the way! This has been one of those rare long weekends where time seems to pause at all the right moments. The kids and I loved getting our Christmas decorations out and preparing some dishes ahead of time on Wednesday, and we were all quite pleased with the results at Thursday's meal: a very juicy turkey, sweet potatoes, homemade rolls with cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and corn (the kids had to have something they could recognize!). That evening we enjoyed dessert and laughter with our friends Josh, Monika, and Anna.

Time together in the kitchen

Time to gather at the table

Our new Black Friday tradition? A family hike.

(you get to sleep in, AND burn off some pie!)

Here we are standing on Nymph Lake.

Memories in the making

Meghan loves having her friend Leila over to play. Of course, neither of them love it when it's time to go! When Leila's grandmother arrived, she and I visited in the kitchen, fully aware that our little charges were hiding in my bedroom. After a while, we noticed that the girls had grown "too" quiet. Evidently they grew bored hiding, and decided to raid my laundry basket for dress-up clothes! Sorry, girls, no sequined dresses here!

Happy Belated Birthday, Meghan!

~since this is so late, I'm just transcribing my journal entry here!

Nov. 4, 2009

Tonight I tucked you in as a five-year-old for the last time. I love the sweet smell of your hair, the feeling of your arms tight around my neck, the smile in those blue eyes.... Tonight you wanted me to sing "All Things Bright and Beautiful" before bed -- funny that you've always liked such grown-up songs....

These days you are so happy to be at home! Even for your birthday dinner you've chosen homemade spaghetti over going out, and homemade pumpkin cake for your party. You are my fun-homebody-child, when I slow down enough to BE here with you.

Age 5 has held so much for you -- you love hiking around Sprague Lake, eating ice cream, and going out to Chipotles. You've learned how to sound out many words, and how to play the piano. You've made your own group of friends from soccer and school. You love to recite school songs and poems with hand motions for us. Several times a week you give me a sweet picture with a note: "Mommy and Daddy I love you XOXOXO Love Meghan."

We love you too, little Meg.

XOXOXO ~ Mommy

Saturday Fun in the Snow and Sun!

Unstructured?

Do you ever have to get past yourself to enjoy something you want to enjoy anyway?

Today, for instance, school was canceled! We have well over 10 inches of snow and it's still steadily falling. Absolutely nothing just had to get done around here -- no groceries to buy, no laundry to do, no dust-bunnies screaming my name (they are bound and gagged under the couches where they belong)...

A day free to just be. The hardest kind of day for me.

Honestly, it doesn't take me long to fill such days with plans. Even making lists of the fun we should have since we don't have to do anything.

Do you still love me?

(Do any of you perhaps see a little of yourselves here? I can always hope...)

So here's to playing Memory, Meg's mini- mani-and-pedi, legos.com, tomato soup and grilled cheese, snow angels, and a very furry dog that hates the cold as much as I hate the heat.

So many possibilities... one reality to enjoy...