Family Portraits

We were excited to have Brandon take our family photo again this year. The last time he took our photo was in May 2009.

I think this may be the best picture of Darren and me ever taken.

I was quite pleased in the end, with the way our colors came together. Everyone was agreeable and just put on what I told them to wear.

They did a pretty good job of holding it together and not fighting, too much.

Don't we look like a happy family?

Read more...

Happy Birthday to Me

Yummy cupcakes were delivered to my house.  One of these was quite spicy!

Bea found this great bag that was just what I was looking for!

Beautiful flowers to brighten my day.
I have great friends.

I don't enjoy birthdays anymore, but I do enjoy a happy moment with my kids.   We celebrated at Cheesecake Factory and the kids were very nice and appreciative.  I wish all our moments could be as harmonious as this looks.  Ha Ha.

Read more...

Not a Very Happy Day

Annabel would say that this was her worst birthday ever. She is now 12, and she was mad at me and I was mad at her. So, not such a good day.

She is not happy with her gifts.

Boy, it sucks to be a 12 yr old girl.

Darren has about decided he needs to celebrate his birthday on another day. Sharing is not all it's cracked up to be.

Maybe, next year will be better.

Read more...

Gold Fish and Cotton Candy

For the Lilac Festival this year, Annabel had a mission. She wanted gold fish. I did not.

I have no idea how much money (her own) she spent, but we went home with 3 gold fish in bags.

Bea wanted cotton candy and a snow cone.  That I didn't mind.

Annabel and Emma disappeared for a while.  I am not ready for two, pretty 12 yr olds to wander the Lilac Festival alone. Too many crazies out there.

What happened to just enjoying the flowers?

Read more...

Faith in God Talent show

Bea has become an accompanist. She and four of her violinist friends performed I am a Child of God for her Faith in God Talent show.

Practice makes perfect.  Bea had never accompanied before and it is a new skill, but she worked really hard at it.

She also performed a harp piece.

Annabel and Katherine sang Don't Stop Believing.

I

Read more...

If you take a dog to school...

Annabel did a power point presentation in her science class on vertebrates. She did dogs and was allowed to have Winnie be part of her presentation.

Winnie was a very good dog. She was well-behaved and loved the attention.

And, Annabel was well-behaved and loved the attention.

Read more...

Snow Day

Friday was snow day for the kids.  Noah was invited to a friend's house for hot-tubbing, and I took the girls and a few friends sledding. The plan was to go ice skating again, but the rink was snowed in--go figure.

It was a very snowy day.  The snow was wet and heavy.  I ended up in the car after a while, because it was so wet!
That didn't bother these girls, though.
They were drenched by the time I told them to load up.

We went to Star Bucks for a little liquid refreshment and warming up.

We had lots of snow this week and this is the pile from the neighbor's driveway that gets pushed up into our yard.  These two spent several days building a snow fort.
Just a little idea of how deep the snow is. It is up to the mail box.

Read more...

Dentist

We spend a lot of time at the dentist office, thanks to Darren's fine dental genes, and his good insurance.
This was always a happy place for the kids, until Annabel had 6 teeth pulled.

She now hates the dentist, but her lot in life will include more time in the chair.

Noah gets to visit every 6 weeks to get his braces rewired and new elastics. He doesn't hold a grudge for his 4 pulled teeth.
That boy will have great teeth in a few more years.

Read more...

Pinewood Derby

Our girls Faith in God group had a Pinewood Derby activity this week. We came home from our trip and had to quickly get the cars ready for Tuesday night.

Bea designed her car all by herself with no help from anyone. Annabel did as well, but I have no pictures of her work.

Annabel's is the red ferrari  and Bea's is the green caterpillar --in the 2 and 3 positions.

The girls were eating this up.

Annabel's car won hottest design.
BTW, doesn't this leader look like Taylor Swift?

Bea's car won most creative design.
Let's hope this is a one time event. Lot's of fun, but lot's of work and stress.

Read more...

A Starbucks moment

Annabel stayed after school today and walked across the street to Starbucks to study and be cool while she waited for me to pick her up when Noah finished swim practice. This is the sight I saw when I went in to get her. I took this picture with my iPhone. She really was working on her homework and drinking hot chocolate. She was so cute, it nearly killed me. She told me all about her afternoon being a sophisticate at Starbucks. She is only 11, but in her mind she is 17.

Read more...

Annabel's party

Annabel just had her birthday party, even though her birthday is in May. She was waiting for warmer weather and for Noah to be gone, so she had it while he was at scout camp. She planned out all the details, from the handmade invitations to the Luau theme. Luckily, for me, she only invited a handful of girls and only 2 spent the night.

Read more...

Annabel's poem

 

The Empty Canvas

I am blank, no color at all.
I wish to be famous, like the Mona Lisa
Make me amazing, magnificent,
Perfect.

Is Di Vinci still alive? Can you get him?
I can't be sculpted, built or molded.
Just pick up a pencil, draw a line or
a dot, and see where it takes you.
I know you will do fine. Then I will be
amazing, magnificent, and perfect.

They'll put me in the Louvre
where people can see.
They'll put me in art books
and never again be forgotten.
You and I will go down in history.
~Annabel Pulley

Read more...

Fencing

Annabel just finished a week of fencing lessons through our town rec. She wasn't so sure that she would like it, but what do you know, she did.

Read more...