Get in the SPIRIT!!!

It is Winter Spirit Week at Karman's high school!

She got quite creative with her dress up. This is Friday, and the theme was WACKY BLUE AND WHITE DAY....

For the record...Her school name is Glacier Peak HS. And the mascot is grizzlies (hence the paw print)

She did those nails herself~I was quite impressed...BOTH HANDS!

This is the actual wacky blue and white day, and how she was dressed!

Saturday, she was at the first, of the last three debate tournaments for the year. Next week, she goes to National Qualifiers (which if she made that...she will be going out of state to compete for that too...) and then finally, on the 14th, are STATE FINALS!!! Which she made it to for one of her two events.

We are very proud, and impressed at how well she has done with this whole thing! We can't wait to see what next year brings!!!

Hair play...

So I am thinking of getting some bangs cut on my little lady...

It is a hard decision for me because she has a cowlick in the front of her hair, just like I do, (as does Tyler)...but as a child I always had bangs, and she has such a high forehead (like me) that I think she needs them...

She has never had her hair cut, and I get sad just thinking of it getting one, but I know it is time...it is very long, and needs a little style now...

For now though....she's showing off the braids! :)

Now he can touch the ceiling!

At an age where his imagination is on FULL speed, we got the perfect toy! :)

So after MUCH begging and pleading, and then more begging...we finally decided to get Tyler a bunk bed!

I did ALOT of searching, and ended up looking for, what turned out to be, a couple of months on Craigslist. I finally found what we were looking for a couple of weeks ago, and we put it up this weekend!

Tyler was SO excited! He said to me..."I'm so big mommy, now I can touch the ceiling" followed by THE biggest uncontrollable belly laugh ever!!!

He got all dressed in his gear...

(could he be cuter???)

Helped daddy take apart and haul the old bed down to the garage.

He is really a miniature work horse, just like his daddy!

That night we set the bed up, but it was late, so we didn't arrange his room, or clean it...and he couldn't sleep in the top bunk, because we needed to get the screws to hold the railing in place...

NONE of that mattered though, he was just GLOWING!!!

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He quickly decided that this bed made a great pirate ship, or airplane or "batman cave"! He has more-or-less been on it non stop for the last couple of days!

These were taken the next day, after the bedroom was all cleaned up and rearranged... He is on the bottom bunk as the rail is still not secured...but he is ANXIOUSLY awaiting that...
The bed is a twin on top, and a double on the bottom, with storage drawers underneath...
The little kids are really looking forward to having a "sleep-over," when Makylie is a little bit older!

He has enjoyed reading on it, and playing on it, and pretending on it...

And most importantly, sleeping in it!

Sends my heart a flutter!

Every SINGLE night at bedtime, since he was born, I have said to Tyler...
"Of all of the little boys, in all of the world, how did I get so lucky to get the best one?"

Everyday we get to see these eyes...

Everyday we get to kiss these lips...

Everyday we get to hold these hands...

Everyday we get to help shape this little man into who he is destined to be...

Now, Every single day, I get to hear him say...

"Of all of the mommies in all of the world, How did I get so lucky to get the best one?"

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Are you kidding me?

The rewards are indescribable!

Happy Heart Day

Happy Valentine's Day...

Our day was full of hearts and love...

Hope yours was too!!!

Ty's Valentine Party!!!

Snow on the ground, and Love in the air :)

Must be just about Valentine's Day in Seattle. :)

Today is actually the 12th, and it was Ty's Valentine's party at school.

Us room mommies did a great job, if I do say so myself! :) The kids had a great time, and Tyler talked about it all weekend. Makylie got to come too, and she had so much fun as well! She got to make a bookmark, and Ty's teacher made her a goodie bag, and for that, she was on top of the world!

There were 5 stations...

At one the kids got to make bookmarks, with hearts of course...

At the next they played a graphing game with conversation hearts...then got to keep the hearts that they used...

Next they got to decorate a heart frame which we then filled with pictures that I had already taken and printed.

The MOST popular was the cookie decorating station...as it always is...

And, finally, they got to look at and open all of the their Valentine's that they exchanged!


It was so much fun! A great day! Thank you to everyone involved!

What did I do to deserve you?

Whatever it was...IT MUST'VE BEEN AMAZING!!!
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One little brown-eyed girl....

One beautiful, little brown-eyed girl...

One very analytical, beautiful, little brown-eyed girl...

One tired, very analytical, beautiful, little brown-eyed girl...

One annoyed with pictures, very analytical, tired, beautiful, little brown-eyed girl...

My annoyed with pictures, very analytical, tired, beautiful, little brown-eyed girl...

Oh so tired of runny noses!

My poor kids. They have just had a really hard year in the "sicko" department.

It seems like we only go a few weeks and then they are sick AGAIN! Kaman has managed to avoid the majority of it...but the little two...have just had it all! We have done the flu thing...and several colds and fevers.

Tyler always gets the respritory end of things pretty bad...needing steriod treatments and such. Every cough turns into a LONG drawn out length of time, that just won't get better on it's own.


And yet, they just keep on smiling...

The last round, two weeks ago, Tyler missed an ENTIRE week of school. He had a fever for a couple of days, but then just had a horrible nasty cold, that I couldn't bear to make his teacher deal with. OF COURSE, as it goes...right when I thought we were done...Makylie (who had just had a little cold) woke up just screaming! This went on all night long...and of course I knew something was wrong. To the doctor we go...Double ear infection! SO, SO SAD!

Now, one week back at school, and the noses are running again.

When will it end! I am so SICK of everyone feeling SICK!

I finally did it~~A new camera!!!

So after LITERALLY months of research....bugging everyone I knew about what camera they had...buying one camera and returning it and going to Best Buy OVER and OVER and OVER agian to "play" I finally decided and bought my new friend!

I made the jump to a Digital SLR! I ended up getting a Canon XS 1000D. This was just the best match for all of my "wants". I have to say...I am in love! From the very first picture I took!

Yup....my first picture. By the time I had the time to open it up and play....everyone else was in bed. :)

Can't wait to figure out photshop now!

Now, I am sooooo looking forward to the tulip festival this year! I am already contemplating my shots!

Inaguration Day 2009

Today, I was unable to stop watching history in the making. When I did finally stop watching...I couldn't stop thinking about how far our nation has come. How much we, as a people, have finally grown! I am so happy that my children are being brought up in a country that has passed "that" point...a country, where the majority finally looked beyond race, and decided based on other factors!

When my son looked at me and asked why I was so involved, I explained that this was our new president, and told him that he is the first African American president ever...and he said...
"so, what's the big deal?"
I am so happy he sees it like that, and wish that for everyone! I hope it is never a "big deal" agian...

This is certainly NOT to say that I do now, nor will ever agree with everything that President Obama intends to do, or might do, while in office. But, as an American, I am proud to stand, and support.
I believe that None of this has ANYTHING to do with party lines....not caring whether you are Conservative, Liberal or Independant,
This was a monumental day in America! A day of exceptance...of new beginnings...of hope.

Highschool Debate...

Karman has joined debate this year.
It seems it is right up her alley...She is very outgoing, and can be well spoken, and always makes a good first impression on people.

We, as parents, are hoping it will give her some experience beyond what is in her comfort zone. To gain some world knowledge, to become even more clear in her thoughts, and learn how to organize them. We are hopeful, as she is excelling, that the intrest remains, because there are MANY scholarship opportunities.

There are many different forms of debate, and she has chosen the speech format. So she has written two speeches. One is informational, and one is persuasive. Throughout the year, she keeps the same speeches, but improves them. Eventually, she will memorize them, and add movements, and visual aides. They are very good, and I look forward to them getting even better as the year progresses.

In her very first debate she got a ribbon...which was unheard of, as she is only in her first year of debate, and at a brand-spankin new school, that barely even has a team. She competed against many very seasoned teams, and still won a ribbon. Her second earned her a metal...At the end of November, her fourth debate, she received TWO trophies....one FIRST place, and one SECOND place! It was amazing. She and I had worked and worked on the speeches, and it paid off!!!

Now she is working toward her sixth competition, she is working on memorization now, and will be moving into open debate (which means that notecards are no longer allowed).

She puts in LONG hours on competition days, and works hard...and the pay off, for the teenage self-esteem, is HUGE!

Where does the time go?

A little Wii

We got a Wii for Christmas.

It is sooooo great! We have never let our kids watch much TV, or play the computer or video games much at all. That, hasn't changed....but I have to say, something that can entertain, two adults, a teenager and two little kids is pretty awesome!

So one of our new years resolutions for the year (for the umpteenth time) was to lose some weight and gain back some strength etc....so I really wanted to get the Wii and the Wii fit for us. It is amazing! It acts as accountability as you weight-in on it, and also gets you up off the couch and moving :) Plus, and this is the best part...it is FUN! So you want to do it again!

Plus, the kids love it. Tyler has the most interest. Makylie is still too young, to really "get it"...and Karman had already played it many times before we ever got it, so it isn't as exciting to her...but she still enjoys it. We still limit to about 1/2 hour a day...but it is so fun to watch everyone play it and learn the skills and the coordination. Plus, it is a great bargaining tool...for cleaning up, studying and staying in bed at night. :)

Happy New Year

Reflecting....


On the love of family, the beauty of the world, and the wonder that is life.


HOW HONORED I AM TO BE A PART OF ALL OF IT!

Happy, Happy New Year!