A Matching Set...

We got more snow.
Nothing big...but enough to have the kids itching to go back outside...
The snow was SO crumby!
It wouldn't pack worth a darn.
So I told the kids they could just go play in it.

But those kids....
They were SO determined!
They worked and worked...
I don't know how they did it...but SLOWLY...

They were able to form some snowman body parts.
They were on a mission, to make a pair of snowman to match Snowy.
One made by each of them.

So they worked for about an hour and a half.
And their work paid off!
Here is Makylie's new best friend...

Seriously...SO cute!
She was SO proud!

Her name was pink Seahawk.
She was a little tiny thing...but it was just a perfect Makylie size.
She literally made it ALL by herself...until she needed my help getting the face pieces on.
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Now, here is Tyler's.
He too, was so proud because he made it ALL by himself.
All of it.
His was Blue Seahawk...and a little bigger then Maky's...but also perfect Ty size.

Then Ty went and made a sign for all of our neighbors to see....
You know..."so that they know what we have been working on all day"

It was cute...he wanted to hang it on the siding of the house. :)
We compromised and put it on the stairs.

Such hard workers.
So passionate about what they want.
They are a driving force, let me tell you!
They are my sparkle...my human glitter.
They are every breath of every ounce of fresh air that exsists.
Just look at their amazingness.

Berkley Trip...

After a few traveling hiccups...the debate team made it to California!

This is the group that made it's way to Berkley.
They are mainly Snohomish High kids...with three from Karman's school.
The teams join together since our team is so small.
It makes it a nice size group.

They spent most of the their days, and nights on the beautiful campus of Berkley.

This clock tower is the middle ground...and focal point of the campus.
It was their meeting spot throughout the trip.

This is the furthest she has ever traveled from us...
She loved every second of it. (Go figure:))

On the last day...the group got to go into San Fransico.
That was a lot of fun for them.
Karman did all of her souvenier shopping....and they did some sight seeing.

And some goofing around...

One of the most memorable things they got to do, was to eat at the famous, Bubba Gumps.
SUPER EXPENSIVE...but something to remember too.

Karman did GREAT at the tournaments.
She put in some RIDICULOUSLY long hours...(she not a good lack-of-sleep girl...after a day...she doesn't function so well)
She worked hard!
She made Octo-finals...which is where they narrow it down to 8 finalists...
But then didn't quite make it to quarter finals.
She still got a silver engraved plate award.
That was pretty awesome.

This was a REALLY big opportunity for her. The experience alone was amazing...and she was lucky to be able to join the group this year!
She had a great time...but came home REALLLLLLLLY tired, and sounding like she is getting sick too. So I am guessing that she will take a good week to recover from the fun that she had! :)

The debate season is ALMOST over.
It has been a long season for her, but she has done SOOOO well that it has seemed to have gone so fast.
It ending means the school year, is that much closer to being over.

We are so proud of your accomplishments, and how much you have grown over the course of the year! I truly hope you see how amazing you are at debate...and how much it has helped you in a level that I don't think you quite understand yet!
You deserve every single award you have earned...and we are so impressed by them all!

February Snowman...

The kids couldn't have been happier when the snow fell.
Just enough to go make a snowman.

Only thing is....
For the first time ever...
their favorite playmate, daddy, is out of town!

Mommy actually had to go out and get her snowman on. :)
And we did just that.
It was that kind of day...it was warm enough to stay out and play for hours but I knew we only had a couple hours that the snow was going to stay good enough to pack into a snowman.....
The snow was continuing to come down...but it was that pellet kind of snow at this point....
It wouldn't pack into anything.

So....We got to rolling and packing, and making a dog-gone good snowman!

Our friends came over to check it out too.

The kids named him snowy.
He was a nice wintery addition to our yard!

There is nothing quite like a fresh snowfall...
especially in our area where we don't get A LOT...
But add a snowman to that...
a couple cute, hardworking kids...
and some homemade hot cocoa afterward.
THAT, my friends, is my perfect day.

Waiting....waiting....waiting...

Just standing...waiting....

starring....and waiting...

Just waiting...and wishing....

For the snow to accumulate, enough to go make a snowman!

Family time...

Enjoying a couple of evening milkshakes....

And a rousing game of Connect 4.

A little family time for the crew before daddy leaves on another trip.

Kevin is taking off for another work-cruise.

This time to Mexico.

The kids get so clingy before he leaves...and obviously after he returns.

They don't like him being gone.

Kevin likes having the opportunity to travel for work...

but

he doesn't like to be away from them either.

So...Lots of Connect 4 and milkshakes it is! :)

Artist...

I just adore every stage of having kids.
I have great kids.
I pretty much tend to think I am a good mommy, improvements can always be made...because we are simply born to learn, and change and develop. But overall, I have good, well-balanced kids, who are nice and attentive and loving.
There are stages that they go through.
Some are fun....like, too fun...

Others are not so much on my fun radar...still, I like to think I am learning from them, but more, that I am giving my kids the ability to stretch and shake their wings a little...knowing it is safe to explore who they are.

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Tyler is going through a bit of a...ummm, what do I call it...a "sassy" stage. He talks back a bit, in a way he never has...

he argues some, and says things that are simply not ok for our house.

Nothing terrible, just disrespectful.
We keep saying it is just a stage.
I think it is.
We just keep trying...letting him explore this new side of himself...

but then guiding him back to what is ok in our home.

Hoping of course, that he will just grow out of it.
I am learning.

With it though...

He does stuff...like this...

I love his drawings...I love that he explores so many things!

and...
He has this new sense if humor. He makes me laugh out loud...and can crack us all up.

He has developed this new side...and it is funny. He can do a "valley-girl" impression and, I don't know where in the world he got it...but it is HILARIOUS!!!

also...
He is reading unstoppably. He tested at school at 132 words per minute...
That is really really good. Expectation for the end if the year, is that he can read 90 to 120 words a minute.
He is doing math...he is writing full stories.
He is nice to other kids and has lots of friends.
He plays sports.
He is just all around awesome!
So I guess my lesson is...

that I have to put up with, and grow through all of the stages with him.

There is just too much good in him not to!

He teaches us so much!
As of late, he is even teaching me patience!
And that's okay.
I'll do my time. He's so worth it!

GLOBETROTTERS

Kevin and Tyler got to go see the Harlem Globetrotters with Kevin's parents and sister and family.
Tyler had never heard of them.....
Like most kids anymore...
But he was so excited!
*****
He is really shy...so I don't think his enthusiam was seen by everyone...but he really had a great time. He has talked about it every day since they went!

He thought the tricks that they did were really cool.
Ever since being there, he runs around the living room pretending to be each of the players....
It goes something like this...
"Special K passes to Flight-time. He catches and runs...throws the ball high into the air and it is caught by Ant. He runs and spins the ball as fast as he can. Oh...Oh, he is going to lose it....then Airplane comes in and saves the day. He shoots....He SCORES!!!"

His cotton candy is BIGGER then he is! That is his cousin Elaine in the background.

Kevin has never been to a game to see them play either.
We just all know who they are.
We have seen them perform...and of course, we all remember the classic Scooby Doo's! :)

For a half hour after every game all of the players gather for autographs!
Daddy bought Tyler a ball for autographs...but do you think he would ruin his new beautiful ball with writing...NO...(he didn't quite understand the point.)
So he used the paper that we had brought just in case he was lucky enough to get some signatures!

Look how big they are.
Can't imagine why a little guy would be a bit intimidated!

He was so proud when he showed me all of his autographs!

They had a really good time.
It makes me all warm inside when they have these special times together.
I love that Tyler wants to do everything his daddy does...and loves to be with him.
There is nothing that I could hope more...then to have Tyler turn out just like Kevin.

60 miles in 3 days???

So when I first thought about doing this journey...I din't think I had it in me.

I mean, my heart was there! No doubt in that...but I mean, really.
60 miles.
In.3.Days????
It just seemed next to impossible.

Welcome to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure:

But...
I couldn't get it off my mind. It woke me at night. It sat with me during the day.
I kid you not, when I would truly stop at certain moments...and think to myself....
"WHO AM I KIDDING....I am overweight and out of shape...and don't even get me started on the fund-raising...I don't think I can do this...."
A commercial would come on the radio and remind me...
That it is a choice.
That I CAN DO THIS!

I can help make a change.

It consumed me.
I obsessed in my self-doubt. That is what I do.
I second guess myself, and live in my shell of questioning.
Only to let time pass.
Then I regret.

At some point I needed to break free of my comfort zone.
I needed to become a part of something SO much bigger than myself.

My friend Cindy decided to sign up for this journey.
She inspired me.
She made me want to be better.

So here I am.
On January 31st, I signed up....and now...I want to do better...to be better!
My friend Erin just signed up as well.
It will be an amazing, life-changing journey.

Now on to FUNDRAISING!!!!
Please help me on this journey...
I will blog about it here and over at my 3-Day website.
Please visit me at ... www.the3day.org/goto/bizibean

I so look forward to this amazing experience...
The digging deep to change the introverted person I have become...
And seeing who evolves!

Berkley Bound...

I just dropped Karman off.

Bound for University of California Berkley...for a HUGE debate tournament.

This was a huge honor to be invited to.
We scraped together the money so that she could be a part of it!
It is a multi-state tournament, and is a really big deal!

She leaves today, and will be heading back on the 22nd.
She got a shiny new ID card...and is all packed and walking around with bells on!

Hoping for good news!!!
Good Luck Karman!!!

Family Date Night..for Valentine's Day...

We had a beautiful family date night for Valentine's Day this year.
Funny how things change, isn't it?

Now our table is filled with pink milk, and red jello....
We sure do love our favorite people!

Red Raspberry Jello....

Pink Strawberry milk...

BEAUTIFUL Asparagus!!!

The absolute YUMMIEST Sweet potato oven fries you have ever tasted in your life!

Stir-fried mushrooms....

And of course, gorgeous T-Bones.

I LITERALLY NEVER buy T-Bones. It was a real treat!

I even made some herbed butter that I watched Rachel Ray make on this same day.
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And well...

Ummmm.

Fresh made ganache dipped strawberries...

And homeade fresh strawberry ice cream....

Happy Family.

I adore my family.

I really truly do....from the depths of my ever-loving soul!

They force me to appreciate....

Everyday!

With every fiber of my being!

Happy Valentine's Day my loves...