tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67533762024-03-18T20:00:27.788-07:00Little UbiquitousUsing my powers for awesome!Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-4198455334717789672008-12-30T21:22:00.000-08:002008-12-30T22:18:16.545-08:00Christmas: Cowell Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O4O2HiLxC1_2lEP3XFY40CcpGnOyKOufo3ustS9qeaYukhf8nB-k8VTCoIKjiywJ21GQqhnyjw2-bpWKLRccxlC1Mb0_bBzEa5ErU9OyhOMF09KlBg7mTmRZToKn2SBolalH/s1600-h/IMG_7442.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285827158971958466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O4O2HiLxC1_2lEP3XFY40CcpGnOyKOufo3ustS9qeaYukhf8nB-k8VTCoIKjiywJ21GQqhnyjw2-bpWKLRccxlC1Mb0_bBzEa5ErU9OyhOMF09KlBg7mTmRZToKn2SBolalH/s400/IMG_7442.JPG" border="0" /></a> So another marathon Christmas is over for us. Oh wait. No it's not. We still have two more Christmases to go: one on Friday night with my family again since Dave and Julie and their girls were up north for the day of, and then (I assume) another get together with all of Nathan's family since Jeff and Heather and John and Jenna and their girls were in Arizona and Texas for the holiday! And then one more....the craziest of all....with the Eatons next Friday. Phew! So, that will make a total of six Christmases for Nathan and me. Is this holiday out of control, or what? I actually like it. It was a little bit harder this year because I didn't get on the ball and buy the presents early, so I got stuck shopping in the week before, but it all worked out.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjwBotXESax120BUmRhSZjwZYnLbj6pgGEEIfWRMo6CoNegLiBxNwc-G2RMcpRsTbySnUP2APAltGSdglU-mZxcaDG_N13BnDzuek81sg_CZ6IC8O4nYZkeeIUw8qBafVY8Mu/s1600-h/IMG_7596.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285826615660093138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjwBotXESax120BUmRhSZjwZYnLbj6pgGEEIfWRMo6CoNegLiBxNwc-G2RMcpRsTbySnUP2APAltGSdglU-mZxcaDG_N13BnDzuek81sg_CZ6IC8O4nYZkeeIUw8qBafVY8Mu/s400/IMG_7596.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our first celebration was on Christmas Eve with just our little family of four. This is our tradition, since it's the only time we have to be alone. We went to the Olde Ship for dinner. We love the atmosphere. I was all excited, but ended up being let down! For one thing, there was no tomato soup. And then - THEN! when I asked for some crackers the waitress brought us Saltines! We began to question how British this British pub really is. When I told her I meant Christmas crackers she apologized and said that they were only giving crackers out to people who ordered the special Christmas dinner. Usually they give them to everyone, and we were seriously disappointed. We weren't jerks about it, we just told our waitress that that was one of the reasons we go there every year, so she snuck us a couple crackers, which was nice, but still doesn't make up for the new rule. We had fun with them anyway, even though they were sans corny jokes this year.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBJKXpKVhDDsc5gvHoSXXdJFAb70pO-LujqdjXTVLorqfTwzQqtI9MuWFuELmZ1ksU9j0A_lOPyJ71shjApsHAF_aEv0CIiqTSKmxAqId64h3LBb5HWBQUYccheN-z8WByMD_/s1600-h/IMG_7595.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285826608061723794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBJKXpKVhDDsc5gvHoSXXdJFAb70pO-LujqdjXTVLorqfTwzQqtI9MuWFuELmZ1ksU9j0A_lOPyJ71shjApsHAF_aEv0CIiqTSKmxAqId64h3LBb5HWBQUYccheN-z8WByMD_/s400/IMG_7595.JPG" border="0" /></a> So we took our traditional round of pictures in crowns, pretending to be wise people.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaOFpW3aZczJY3QKmINkLWJ9wjQL7q0uPi6c8TVudu0D_KKpjXdV-ARMFYBTaZkYyTPihdEfO_tyX-GtRM59WYC4O0Uo0DEpVlhIJSFeVVZC7cXyIbl6sX0-P4_sFKTUzUh39/s1600-h/IMG_7594.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285826594955475058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaOFpW3aZczJY3QKmINkLWJ9wjQL7q0uPi6c8TVudu0D_KKpjXdV-ARMFYBTaZkYyTPihdEfO_tyX-GtRM59WYC4O0Uo0DEpVlhIJSFeVVZC7cXyIbl6sX0-P4_sFKTUzUh39/s400/IMG_7594.JPG" border="0" /></a> And because Blogger's being weird about the order it uploads pictures, the rest of these are out of order....</div><div></div><div>After dinner we came home and the boys opened their presents. Micah didn't care all that much, but Judah did. We got him a bike and he was so excited! He just kept saying "Thank you! Thank you so much!" over and over again. We let him take it out for a spin, even though it was late at night. How could we not? There's a picture below somewhere....<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SlBFbFCmTeARTXAY6PvQkgKtd8C5LzANoLMuKqc86QwqWRSxHlXTr3wrE6LjEkwaJVjr9OomacK_EcVy9dxvAEvjLOEfxiFom-r33FcFR687jx1TFdwkGhVDCDdAkxnGTmXb/s1600-h/IMG_7647.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285824279439057586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SlBFbFCmTeARTXAY6PvQkgKtd8C5LzANoLMuKqc86QwqWRSxHlXTr3wrE6LjEkwaJVjr9OomacK_EcVy9dxvAEvjLOEfxiFom-r33FcFR687jx1TFdwkGhVDCDdAkxnGTmXb/s400/IMG_7647.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Christmas morning was spent sleeping in a little bit (the boys were worn out from the late night before) and then heading for the Cowells' for brunch with Ken and Elly and Brian and Ashlee. Ashlee made ebelskevers (I have no idea how you spell that), which are basically tiny spherical pancakes filled with whatever you feel like putting in them, and I made an egg dish and Elly provided the bacon and juice, and it was delicious! More present opening after that. Jeff and Heather left presents for the boys before they left, and Judah adored the Lightning McQueen rain boots they got him.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSQKNyeHuHMg8GDpKgJAw7tMKnx6wzWVvfzxGAdP2DXO7lcedhDxcnMSl1Johjf9vvTLSUqN-KcZgqT9pp3D5TdQ_cTOiwLU_097ZEz4FEcvOZrhYKDCB5tNHBjaVA7G9IPQw/s1600-h/IMG_7640.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285824277109720594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSQKNyeHuHMg8GDpKgJAw7tMKnx6wzWVvfzxGAdP2DXO7lcedhDxcnMSl1Johjf9vvTLSUqN-KcZgqT9pp3D5TdQ_cTOiwLU_097ZEz4FEcvOZrhYKDCB5tNHBjaVA7G9IPQw/s400/IMG_7640.JPG" border="0" /></a> In the evening we went to my parents' house for a proper turkey dinner and more presents..... We stayed there for as long as we could, until Micah threatened to self-destruct with exhaustion. Then it was back home for another late bedtime for tired but happy boys.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz-QMP-ayQjCOdq-u2uCAPzupULd601dhEGQFcpLG3kThlXM8iCsT2Qob9mVaOlTzLTnfJli8OQueljluU8hVg3PQSIL642B7kEKZCStfONvU9oEygPYYCeUkEbAxLwfl6OLw/s1600-h/IMG_7621.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285824272744044034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz-QMP-ayQjCOdq-u2uCAPzupULd601dhEGQFcpLG3kThlXM8iCsT2Qob9mVaOlTzLTnfJli8OQueljluU8hVg3PQSIL642B7kEKZCStfONvU9oEygPYYCeUkEbAxLwfl6OLw/s400/IMG_7621.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here is Micah with the ball that John and Jenna gave him - he loved it! Unfortunately, so did Judah, so they spend some of their time fighting over it.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV86yhatV2Z8ad5GmTmOcvb-587mzgutC4gW-6UAQkQ2p-bSge6vMnURWlJjtWS_SBp7SH6jGGsMGlVq3lk7iJP4gh-6Ca2FH3KNV8e8onl8h6_jHZJ3QAyhjZOu7h25-sYKGe/s1600-h/IMG_7603.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285824268162474290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV86yhatV2Z8ad5GmTmOcvb-587mzgutC4gW-6UAQkQ2p-bSge6vMnURWlJjtWS_SBp7SH6jGGsMGlVq3lk7iJP4gh-6Ca2FH3KNV8e8onl8h6_jHZJ3QAyhjZOu7h25-sYKGe/s400/IMG_7603.JPG" border="0" /></a>Judah on his new bike.....</div><div></div><div>And, just for you, Jaysen, here is a picture of Judah imbibing. I gave him a sip of my cider, and then Nathan spent the rest of dinner telling him that no, he couldn't have another sip. One a year is quite enough. I hope I don't get arrested or disowned for this picture.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviBmwqwENlRTb3Ar3G8Z3IKhFyeaL6Mw7XmPxtQ8asntxHWRnmlUwglC3zlVlWZYu2ciZCGh7buw9SBGYkbERTKUjKwbs0aD4rc_jFzL0y5u8utV20naM1kxqA00QRiJuUszA/s1600-h/IMG_7599.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285824258536010386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviBmwqwENlRTb3Ar3G8Z3IKhFyeaL6Mw7XmPxtQ8asntxHWRnmlUwglC3zlVlWZYu2ciZCGh7buw9SBGYkbERTKUjKwbs0aD4rc_jFzL0y5u8utV20naM1kxqA00QRiJuUszA/s400/IMG_7599.JPG" border="0" /></a> Merry Christmas, everyone!<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-50249802758348458332008-12-22T11:22:00.001-08:002008-12-22T11:51:56.064-08:00I'm a BelieverI posted this game on my Facebook page, but I wanted to do it again and get different results, so I'm posting it here, too! You should all give it a try, it's hysterical and sometimes strangely accurate...<br /><br />RULES:<br />A. Put your music player on shuffle.<br />B. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.<br />C. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!<br /><br />1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY<br />"Last Dance"<br />The Cure<br /><br />2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?"<br />"Brothers on a Hotel Bed"<br />Death Cab for Cutie<br /><br />3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?<br />"This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave"<br />Pet Shop Boys<br /><br />4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?<br />"Come to Me"<br />Jennifer Knapp<br /><br />5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?<br />"Secret Smile"<br />Semisonic<br /><br />6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?<br />"The Holy Hour"<br />The Cure<br /><br />7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?<br />"The Chauffeur"<br />Duran Duran<br />(HA! This was so true when I was 16...)<br /><br />8.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?<br />"Melt!"<br />Siouxsie and the Banshees<br /><br />9. WHAT IS 2 + 2?<br />"One of These Days"<br />Owen<br /><br />10 WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?<br />"Crooked Teeth"<br />Death Cab for Cutie<br /><br />11.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?<br />"Haunting"<br />The Pogues<br /><br />12. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?<br />"Sweet Lullaby"<br />Deep Forest<br /><br />13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?<br />"Almost Full Moon"<br />Enigma<br /><br />14. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?<br />"Triple Concerto"<br />William Orbit<br /><br />15. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?<br />"Folk Song"<br />The Sundays<br /><br />16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?<br />"Sexy Plexi"<br />Jack Johnson<br /><br />17. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?<br />"Music for Boys"<br />Pet Shop Boys<br /><br />18. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?<br />"Isobel"<br />Dido<br /><br />19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?<br />"Friday I'm in Love"<br />The Cure<br /><br />20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?<br />"Not Only Human"<br />Heather Nova<br /><br />21. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?<br />"Sweet Baby"<br />Mike Barnet<br /><br />22. HOW WILL YOU DIE?<br />"Brad and Suzy"<br />Jude<br />(Yikes! I'm watching my back....)<br /><br />23. WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?<br />"Just Say Yes"<br />The Cure<br />(Barbara, didn't this come up for you for the answer to #23 too? Weird...)<br /><br />24. WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?<br />"Summer Nights"<br />Christine Brown<br /><br />25. WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?<br />"Perfect"<br />Smashing Pumpkins<br /><br />26. WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?<br />"Just Like Heaven"<br />Rockabye Baby<br /><br />27. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?<br />"Disintegration"<br />The Cure<br />(Lot of Cure on this list....)<br /><br />28. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?<br />"Death or Glory"<br />Social Distortion<br /><br />29. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?<br />"See You Soon"<br />Playradioplay!<br /><br />30. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?<br />"I'm a Believer"<br />The MonkeesKristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-66772260748005087772008-12-12T09:31:00.000-08:002008-12-12T09:44:58.038-08:00Completely discouragedFirst the floor under the water heater was rotted out.<br />And there was no earthquake strapping on it.<br />And it was leaning at an alarming angle.<br />And the property manager didn't want to do anything to fix it.<br />Then the ceiling fan broke.<br />And got "repaired."<br />Except now we can't use it on medium or high speeds, or it will fall out of the ceiling and possibly decapitate us all while we eat dinner.<br />Then we were promised new floors to replace the rotting ones in the bathroom.<br />And new carpet.<br />Those promises were made in May.<br />We're still waiting.<br />Then the kitchen faucet broke.<br />Then the dishwasher exploded and flooded our kitchen.<br />The landlord promised us a new dishwasher.<br />We're still waiting for that, too.<br />Last week our heater broke.<br />The electrician said it's 33 years old and if we call the gas company they will red tag it and turn it off, and the landlord will have to replace it.<br />Today the water heater smells disturbingly like burnt toast.<br />I checked the date on the water heater.<br />It's past due for being replaced, too.<br /><br />We don't know what to do anymore. We love this condo, the location, the open feel of it, how big it is. We love the neighbors. Mostly. But every time we turn around something is broken, and our landlord is extremely slow on replacing things. A new dishwasher and new floors we can live without. But it's getting colder, and we cannot live without heat or hot water. And we also can't afford to wait until something explodes and brings this place tumbling down. I'm so totally discouraged. And I'm worried that all these repairs will cause our landlord to raise our rent, which we also can't afford. And which would be unfair, because all these repairs needing to be done right now are a result of years of neglect and cheapskate-ness on his part, and are not our fault at all. If you're the praying type, please pray for us. The economy and the season both make this a really bad time for this to happen. And at this point I'm beginning to worry about our safety and health.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-36581207195764830942008-11-27T22:19:00.000-08:002008-11-27T22:50:53.187-08:00ThankfulWe had a really great Thanksgiving this year. Usually we get to celebrate twice, with both of our families, but this year Nathan's parents are out of town, so it was just my family. Dave and Julie hosted at their house, and it was so wonderful. There were 13 adults and 11 children, and food enough for at least twice that! And the food....it was so good. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, creamed corn, broccoli salad, jello salad, cranberry sauce, rolls, olives, several kinds of pie, a couple kinds of ice cream, pumpkin chip cookies, and a spice cake. Decadence! After dinner several of us and all the kids took a walk around the neighborhood, then came back and stuffed ourselves with desserts, then pulled out the games. We played Apples to Apples, Sequence, and Trivial Pursuit. Our little family left a little before eight, full, happy, and ready for bed (Judah and Micah, anyway).<br /><br />This Thanksgiving has seemed especially poignant to me for some reason. Maybe it's because for the first time in my adult life the future seems uncertain. I feel like we're all at the edge of something that's going to change our lives, and not in a good way. There's so much craziness going on in the world right now, and I want to cling to normalcy in a way I never have before because it seems like we won't have it for much longer. I could be wrong. I hope and pray that I am. But this year I'm more thankful than ever for the things that are constant in my life, that I can depend on.<br /><br />Nathan (always, always)<br />Our two sons who amaze and amuse me every single day<br />My parents, whose love I have never ever doubted<br />My brothers and their beautiful, strong wives who are role models for me<br />Nathan's family and their many personalities and strengths<br />Christi, the most faithful, merciful, generous friend I've ever had<br />All of my other incredible friends<br />The blessings of shelter, enough to eat, clothes to wear<br />Our many freedomsKristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-71801098028167837772008-10-23T12:03:00.000-07:002008-10-24T18:13:19.961-07:00Something I swore I'd never do<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNy8d6x_wlaxg5NAlCPMaalZ6hHJskJexNHYlU5WoVLq4T1PjOUhVcWCApAq_RiAfG8KyU0AHg4uAx7TYVFnUwa3ISPt5OHWtz51hPaPSl2vVflAagmWdiLBPgrz5ExzYpQrI/s1600-h/IMG_1217.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNy8d6x_wlaxg5NAlCPMaalZ6hHJskJexNHYlU5WoVLq4T1PjOUhVcWCApAq_RiAfG8KyU0AHg4uAx7TYVFnUwa3ISPt5OHWtz51hPaPSl2vVflAagmWdiLBPgrz5ExzYpQrI/s400/IMG_1217.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260428260559662962" border="0" /></a>When I was growing up, my mom tried to teach me to cross stitch. I didn't like it, and it seemed like something that only people who were hopelessly old-fashioned did. Plus, most of the designs didn't appeal to me: I'm not a cuddly-kittens-in-a-basket, cartoon-pig-whistling-a-song kind of person. And "country" is a style I've never liked, and, to me, cross stitching great works of art just seems ridiculous (we once bought a refrigerator from a lady who had cross stitched a huge copy of the Last Supper - I kid you not. But that's another story).<br /><br />Last summer I somehow came across a cross stitch of an orange crate label that my mom had started making for my uncle more than 20 years ago and never finished. I needed something new to do, so I thought I'd give it a try. I found that I really liked the process, though I still wasn't big on the finished product. But it was really calming, and actually required more discipline than I'd anticipated: I'm infamous for being a "starter" and not a "finisher." I can't tell you how many unfinished projects I have lying around! But since it was for someone else, I was motivated. I finished the orange crate label, and then found another cross stitch that I liked (a historical sampler, nothing cheesy or "precious" about it) and began that.<br /><br />And then Jeff approached me with a new project. He'd found a program that converts a photo to a cross stitch pattern and wanted me to cross stitch a picture from his wedding to give to Heather for their first anniversary. I was excited because it looked really challenging. It was. Here's the pattern, based on a close-up of the picture above:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB-jTfP5IyThFYrHZBf9fQBIWl0ulkp9701sMtyU5H4E0zUFMGIB9PfI3hbn1m5ENur-F0ph3yjCA7TuMmNmuENf1UMUniviOgWbF1VHKR1c8QOYPChRC9WKioF4JoCD5qRYG/s1600-h/IMG_6991.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrB-jTfP5IyThFYrHZBf9fQBIWl0ulkp9701sMtyU5H4E0zUFMGIB9PfI3hbn1m5ENur-F0ph3yjCA7TuMmNmuENf1UMUniviOgWbF1VHKR1c8QOYPChRC9WKioF4JoCD5qRYG/s400/IMG_6991.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260428224068691874" border="0" /></a><br />And here's a closer look:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8u4q7CaQKOKuXu4-dooG2PIOgfxgPPVeIiw4RoKp-7vV6TH8QI1-3kkgJjXWTg7Z2a_j1coEFG4OPmAC8U2HGvN7jmTgR9v1FYrd2n5lHOt-g0MQ3AMSVKcNSEu6OMhkM6R8s/s1600-h/IMG_6994.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8u4q7CaQKOKuXu4-dooG2PIOgfxgPPVeIiw4RoKp-7vV6TH8QI1-3kkgJjXWTg7Z2a_j1coEFG4OPmAC8U2HGvN7jmTgR9v1FYrd2n5lHOt-g0MQ3AMSVKcNSEu6OMhkM6R8s/s400/IMG_6994.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260428155983748002" border="0" /></a><br />Just the pattern itself was amazing! I took it on, almost lost my eyesight completing it :) and wound up having a lot of fun. It's all in shades of black and white: 13,300 stitches' worth. I loved doing it, even though I spent a lot of time sighing over how many times the needle had to be re-threaded, often times for just one or two stitches. And here's the end result:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PpNfsQIS2oCMjBiYEo9VhGWVbAg1J5JKCeGaKGP8uSUDxw3HPzLdUeyo1Jj_G3iWXZGZzgKN9-8mX0Wop6mhyphenhyphenczvTChj5jgqZ334wUyqrWfIJVkEse5TtP_fniF7pJ-oVhFO/s1600-h/IMG_6989.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PpNfsQIS2oCMjBiYEo9VhGWVbAg1J5JKCeGaKGP8uSUDxw3HPzLdUeyo1Jj_G3iWXZGZzgKN9-8mX0Wop6mhyphenhyphenczvTChj5jgqZ334wUyqrWfIJVkEse5TtP_fniF7pJ-oVhFO/s400/IMG_6989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260428142952032258" border="0" /></a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-45076939802792052092008-10-22T22:00:00.000-07:002008-10-22T22:12:00.933-07:00The joys and pains of renting<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad news:</span> We discover a leak and lots of mold under our kitchen sink a couple weeks ago.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good news:</span> We're renting, so we call our landlord and he has a guy call us and arrange to come fix it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad news:</span> He's not a plumber, he's a handyman.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good news:</span> We don't have to pay for it, so whatever.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad news:</span> He diagnoses the problem and says he needs to get materials and pre-payment for the materials, so he'll be back in a week to fix it.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good news:</span> We still don't have to pay....<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad news:</span> The next Saturday he calls at 9:40 and says he's running "a little late." He doesn't get here til noon.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good news:</span> He fixes the sink!! And cleans out the mold and replaces the rotten wood.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad news:</span> Soon after he leaves, we discover that the faucet's not installed correctly and the pipes are STILL leaking.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good news:</span> We still don't have to pay to have him come back.....<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad news:</span> I run the dishwasher today. Apparently, the handyman didn't hook up the new garbage disposal and the dishwasher line correctly, and all our counters, the window, the kitchen rug, the kitchen floor, and the carpet outside the kitchen get SOAKED when the lines back up and spew water all over the place. Two baskets get drenched, the toaster is wet, we have to throw away two bags of bread, a bag of tortillas, and our phone. Hopefully my heirloom sewing bag is not ruined, but it will no doubt be stained forever.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good news:</span> (**crickets chirp**)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad news:</span> THE SAME GUY is coming back to fix the sink again. Groan.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-19635325053366433002008-10-17T20:41:00.000-07:002008-10-17T21:39:40.649-07:00Inflammatory topic: consider yourself warnedFor those of you still reading, you know that my blog is usually light, funny (I hope), somewhat self-deprecating. I don't write here to bring myself down, or others. But this issue has been on my mind for so long now, and today it totally smacked me between the eyes. So here I go.....this is your last warning to get out. It's probably gonna get pretty offensive if you don't share my views.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reasons Slavery was an Abomination</span><br />1. It declared that one group (blacks) was less human than another (whites)<br />2. It stated that an entire group of people was the property of another group<br />3. It allowed slave owners to murder another person with no repercussions<br />4. It implied that a group of people was solely here for the convenience of another group, and<br /> could be sold or killed when they became an inconvenience<br />5. It denied a group of people their basic rights as humans: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness<br />6. It left a whole group of people without a voice<br /> <br />These are just a (very) few of the reasons slavery was such a hideous practice, such a shameful part of our past as a nation. I think that you all would agree with this, along with most of the people in this country. Here's the part you won't get people to agree with.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Reasons Abortion is an Abomination</span><br />1. It declares that one group (unborn babies) is less human than another (grown women)<br />2. It states that an entire group of people is the property of another group<br />3. It allows pregnant women to murder another person with no repercussions<br />4. It implies that a group of people is solely here for the convenience of another group, and<br /> can be killed when they become an inconvenience<br />5. It denies a group of people their basic rights as human: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness<br />6. It leaves a whole group of people without a voice<br /><br />Is this comparison full of holes? I don't think so. Every part of it is true. The pro-choice contingent argues that a fetus is not alive. How do they define alive? A fetus has a heartbeat at 22 days, measurable brain waves at six weeks after conception. Most women, especially women not expecting to get pregnant, will only be beginning to suspect that they're pregnant at the 22 day mark. So: if it has a heartbeat, let alone brainwaves, it's alive, right?<br /><br />So why are we denying rights to a whole group of people? Mostly, it's for the convenience of the mother. The pro-choicers can cry about rape and incest and threat to the mother's life all they want, but statistics will tell you that those situations account for less than 2% of abortions, even when you include aborting a child because of physical abnormality. And even that percentage is high, because the number of abortions with rape given as the reason don't match up to the number of rapes reported in the US each year, and the probability of pregnancy from those rapes. It's complicated, you can see the research <a href="http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/abreasons.html">here</a>. So, what people are basically saying is that they want to have sex, which can always result in pregnancy no matter what kind of birth control you're using, and not have to suffer the consequences. And society has done nothing but foster this kind of irresponsibility.<br /><br />I am so, so tired of hearing the pro-choice women scream, "No one has any right to tell me what to do with my genitals/womb/uterus!" I agree. But we DO have the right to tell someone what they can and can't do with someone else's life. This issue does NOT hinge on the rights of the mother at all. It hinges on the rights on an entirely separate person. If women are screaming so loudly that they're responsible for their own reproductive organs, then they should BE responsible. DON'T have sex if you're not ready to bear a child. It's not that hard of a syllogism: IF you have sex, THEN you may get pregnant. If you don't have sex, guess what? The chances of becoming pregnant are nil. If you're so opposed to getting pregnant that you'd be willing to kill another person to avoid it, take the easy way out and don't put yourself in a situation where you'll get pregnant. But that action involves self-control, something that most people in this country are sadly lacking.<br /><br />Let's take it to extremes. What if I get pregnant and I'm not ready to have a child, but I want YOUR child to pay for my mistake? Would you let me kill your child? Would anyone? Would anyone even let me kill an orphan with no parents to care whether it lives or dies? No. That's where the principle comes in. You can't kill a child that's outside the womb, even one that ostensibly no one cares about. If you do, the government steps in and you're in for life. Why can you kill one that's in the womb? Here's another: Lyle and Erik Menendez (remember them?) murdered their parents because it had become inconvenient for them to have their parents living. Was that okay? Under abortion reasons, that's acceptable. So why can someone murder an unborn baby when it's inconvenient, but not an inconvenient parent/child/lover/sibling?<br /><br />Talk about brainwashed. The pro-choicers call us brainwashed, religious fanatics, uncaring holier-than-thous. This is not a religious issue, in the least. It's an issue of denying human rights to what is undeniably a human. There is nothing uncaring about standing up for a group of innocent people who cannot stand up for themselves. And brainwashed? I don't think there's a better example of brainwashing than half of a country being convinced, successfully, that a baby whose heartbeat you can see and hear, whose movements you can feel, is not alive.<br /><br />I heard a story today, told by a nurse who worked in a large hospital. She said that in the hospital there were many abortions performed, some of them late term, and sometimes the baby survived the abortion. If this happened, the baby was taken to the soiled utilities room, where, amidst the blood- and urine- and feces-soaked linens, the biohazard waste, and a urinal in the corner, he or she was placed on a shelf and left to breathe its last, alone in a vile place, when, with a little care (or a decent mother), he or she could have lived. Can anyone, in good conscience, tell you that that is not one of the worst atrocities they've ever heard of?<br /><br />I'll leave you with one more chilling statistic: about 90% of unborn babies that are diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted, with the government's blessing. So what they're saying is that one group can be deemed inferior, less human, less deserving of life than another group. I think I've heard that idea before, from another dynamic, persuasive leader: his name was Hitler.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-46333529148066484412008-10-02T16:38:00.000-07:002008-10-03T00:00:05.394-07:00Camp Malabucha 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguYstoiVt5p8RxT1geOAg1Drg9h9Onv8kZ_QYTKR0rifr6by1GBTTNr7j7CaAUVepSjnhAdM6pnUioXDgxd4QZHt7HwbCyf7idFw4bAnyZP4r9J_mnJG8Tnrmei26OZwr9P03/s1600-h/IMG_6971.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguYstoiVt5p8RxT1geOAg1Drg9h9Onv8kZ_QYTKR0rifr6by1GBTTNr7j7CaAUVepSjnhAdM6pnUioXDgxd4QZHt7HwbCyf7idFw4bAnyZP4r9J_mnJG8Tnrmei26OZwr9P03/s400/IMG_6971.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252778960942240130" border="0" /></a>Don't ask where the name came from, no one really knows. It's just a funny word that stuck.<br /><br />Last weekend was our annual camping trip to Pismo Beach with Nathan's family. This was my eighth trip with the fam, the first one being in 1998. I missed 1999 and 2000 because Nathan and I were broken up, then joined back in for the 2001 trip and we've gone every year since except for last year, when Micah was born. Camp was awesome this year, and we had our biggest group ever. From left to right, above, we are: John, Rachel, Jenna, Naomi, Elly, Jeff, Micah, me, Heather, Judah, Nathan, Eszter, Sophia, Ashlee, Ken, Brian, and Josiah.<br /><br />We finally had to resort to two campsites this year, but it worked out really well. We had so much space! And with that many kids, that was a very good thing.......<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG4M6WNU-jDGfqrhM34pA5xsjOKovcjQpgYrSvRTPaX_W7OAFgpbOG4mhyphenhyphenMXzpfIYsuN4yqkWIT83dAXLicsJbozO4wXqQA4Hhh4EQT_SnOLQ0e9-6SntypvP2AcjVmd6-8sr/s1600-h/IMG_6885.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG4M6WNU-jDGfqrhM34pA5xsjOKovcjQpgYrSvRTPaX_W7OAFgpbOG4mhyphenhyphenMXzpfIYsuN4yqkWIT83dAXLicsJbozO4wXqQA4Hhh4EQT_SnOLQ0e9-6SntypvP2AcjVmd6-8sr/s400/IMG_6885.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252778959599952338" border="0" /></a>Judah and Eszter had a ton of fun together, running all over the place and telling each other what to do.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXom5AfX-m-xsY7PThwj0BbMpc_Av5oG9YgwADnxoWr50jxAaqJOrcxGZe-7WEhv73U18602vRnkMoM2FwvcmW830iIzOb7f_LCzHOnBcK33UvN4xPR08PVjBqOD9C-FPIkZK/s1600-h/IMG_6900.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXom5AfX-m-xsY7PThwj0BbMpc_Av5oG9YgwADnxoWr50jxAaqJOrcxGZe-7WEhv73U18602vRnkMoM2FwvcmW830iIzOb7f_LCzHOnBcK33UvN4xPR08PVjBqOD9C-FPIkZK/s400/IMG_6900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252711300268652674" border="0" /></a>Judah spent a lot of time kicking dirt around, much to the annoyance of the family. We had to designate a dirt kicking area just for him, far away from where the rest of us hung out.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxVlggbxPF9-7uusw3xwR5Nm6MNpLrVdW2E-O8nvzBoWC9P3gE4uij5SPAqlGdFbomMfyYa6N_M-_GNgoiq9GMrLh6bqNK9UJvxytNuzVTvlKOPeQSd5IyZc6t8lW961eI8-P/s1600-h/IMG_6904.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxVlggbxPF9-7uusw3xwR5Nm6MNpLrVdW2E-O8nvzBoWC9P3gE4uij5SPAqlGdFbomMfyYa6N_M-_GNgoiq9GMrLh6bqNK9UJvxytNuzVTvlKOPeQSd5IyZc6t8lW961eI8-P/s400/IMG_6904.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252711300144442274" border="0" /></a>We walked over the dunes a couple of times to the beach, where we collected tons of sand dollars and clam shells. The water was freezing! But felt great, since the first two days we were there were sunny and hot.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiMPCPgEoSKiPJ9ioNlbgPDOt2Atkpmcz2XWRBWdEp7Tfyte2yZBdtUc0Tvn8nyPFr08ceiKp3yZIvBSPxQYFv4I8nPqBHAJjtc6g-hODwYrpjsl4d0akfoI_l71P50SiXDNo/s1600-h/IMG_6916.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiMPCPgEoSKiPJ9ioNlbgPDOt2Atkpmcz2XWRBWdEp7Tfyte2yZBdtUc0Tvn8nyPFr08ceiKp3yZIvBSPxQYFv4I8nPqBHAJjtc6g-hODwYrpjsl4d0akfoI_l71P50SiXDNo/s400/IMG_6916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252711303664478978" border="0" /></a>Nathan displaying his mussels and muscles.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZB38ShkAUxa4VVsE4QjRneq1QsFXAYclP6FPLOaCBmyxDCTgYczpBtpNvZlH-FhyphenhyphencuD8JEOir6sY_xqA_l4v4eT7fjns1M96osdfKcH3aDAd7MqKO-IMc50SvvAi9SbUvWMz/s1600-h/IMG_6920.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZB38ShkAUxa4VVsE4QjRneq1QsFXAYclP6FPLOaCBmyxDCTgYczpBtpNvZlH-FhyphenhyphencuD8JEOir6sY_xqA_l4v4eT7fjns1M96osdfKcH3aDAd7MqKO-IMc50SvvAi9SbUvWMz/s400/IMG_6920.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252711307446068450" border="0" /></a>This may have been the only time Micah touched the ground the whole trip! He wanted to crawl, but there were just too many things he would have eaten, the worst of which would have been the hundreds of eucalyptus berries lying around.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2MmJtr6l-FKSyaZF4JYuGNFi5gBnjOSgMA7kaLw_wYOIagPShvY4V_US_rs9CnmADos-1rRrQPf0YuqrOAbKO6pEhUZ2714PDOKLnJ8pySer7PEzOjCNDXscwfZ5CV_MBtDM/s1600-h/IMG_6921.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2MmJtr6l-FKSyaZF4JYuGNFi5gBnjOSgMA7kaLw_wYOIagPShvY4V_US_rs9CnmADos-1rRrQPf0YuqrOAbKO6pEhUZ2714PDOKLnJ8pySer7PEzOjCNDXscwfZ5CV_MBtDM/s400/IMG_6921.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252711310514683858" border="0" /></a>Clam chowder in a bread bowl from Splash Cafe: the reason we go to Pismo.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBd1fpiEtOL_1LlQo7pT2VSLkyI7zoo_bZoxMpW2PCjnHRTdbIAO2Jpb-zqrXI2m433Wh_R-RcQOsAPMIiJ9eJeIwN76khfzLBEHKI7hMqlr4WWzwqzX-mJFslqCQ2HIuJ1bgf/s1600-h/IMG_6926.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBd1fpiEtOL_1LlQo7pT2VSLkyI7zoo_bZoxMpW2PCjnHRTdbIAO2Jpb-zqrXI2m433Wh_R-RcQOsAPMIiJ9eJeIwN76khfzLBEHKI7hMqlr4WWzwqzX-mJFslqCQ2HIuJ1bgf/s400/IMG_6926.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252708354781942594" border="0" /></a>Judah, acting like a little punk at Splash.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPU-AhlguHDr5iVkNz1cd-KvufKX325mhgC3q9aY29uBgfXupco-l_HRRHlVD7KzkM6Fcfky6gq_T4ni8XtOIDSA8cYe_0OxIbUQh06GBHlnDMJO_pJnDHGJQjNIIEl3ddmRf/s1600-h/IMG_6927.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPU-AhlguHDr5iVkNz1cd-KvufKX325mhgC3q9aY29uBgfXupco-l_HRRHlVD7KzkM6Fcfky6gq_T4ni8XtOIDSA8cYe_0OxIbUQh06GBHlnDMJO_pJnDHGJQjNIIEl3ddmRf/s400/IMG_6927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252708356613650210" border="0" /></a>The first night in camp Ashlee and I had to make a run to Target because Nathan and I forgot to bring our pillows. While there, we explored the clearance section and found a couple of wooden puzzles for Judah and Eszter. They were a big hit and kept them entertained for quite a while.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoV0zNksb4zall7cVwYPTAy4lKP5XHPWSzyoG7N3s9pqveauZ08h8IFL1CjaKtZPsH-HlhrGcXE6peB621U5I9fAU6BbFXPrcYAgUnzK4HSENTrJXRR8lbk691_ZdsdjNzeQmB/s1600-h/IMG_6931.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoV0zNksb4zall7cVwYPTAy4lKP5XHPWSzyoG7N3s9pqveauZ08h8IFL1CjaKtZPsH-HlhrGcXE6peB621U5I9fAU6BbFXPrcYAgUnzK4HSENTrJXRR8lbk691_ZdsdjNzeQmB/s400/IMG_6931.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252708359502702322" border="0" /></a>On Friday, I experienced one of those heart-stopping moments that no mother ever wants to go through. I was on a walk with Nathan, Jeff, Judah, Eszter, and Micah, and we had stopped to sit on some logs for a minute. Judah and Eszter ran off to play with Jeff. A minute later we heard Jeff yell something and I looked over toward them and saw my child standing paralyzed in the middle of a swarm of wasps. Let me tell you, that feeling is nothing I ever want to feel again. I froze, Nathan, fortunately, didn't. None of us can quite remember the exact sequence of events, but we were all running and the wasps just kept following. Nathan wound up with Jude, Jeff had Eszter, and I had Micah. Somehow, I wound up running with Judah for a little ways, but Nathan had him most of the time and we eventually got back to camp where the kids went into the motorhome and Jeff and Nathan and I stayed outside killing wasps. Jeff got stung seven or eight times, Judah got four, I got two, and Eszter got one. Fortunately, the stings turned out not to be serious, but it was pretty traumatic. Judah and Eszter were both pretty well shaken up, and after Judah finally stopped crying he fell fast asleep on Nathan's lap, something he never ever does. It all ended well, but it was pretty scary.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvYCRd12ds-VYZDMRvmRatwwxGwbirGb9wyJeqA6lFScTNXQSIytbjVftHK-hSKBheSEiavOiTs_FMBYSmTgfKXQeZgRG0k53cyZIiLuBLmKiGqGnpqYm4Sj9UhhljlXLrhLl/s1600-h/IMG_6937.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvYCRd12ds-VYZDMRvmRatwwxGwbirGb9wyJeqA6lFScTNXQSIytbjVftHK-hSKBheSEiavOiTs_FMBYSmTgfKXQeZgRG0k53cyZIiLuBLmKiGqGnpqYm4Sj9UhhljlXLrhLl/s400/IMG_6937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252708369286010674" border="0" /></a>I had to throw in a picture of our campfire, one of my very favorite things about camping. I loved the evenings, after the boys were in bed (they both slept great in our tent) and we all sat around laughing and telling stories.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05rjSZwFa31TwMs76gWGXlvGlmIDHTi8ygTOjU6adc4TsoF4ksVI_PUkl33u00YjK96nEhWlZ1fML_q5rJTxHih2OpU2vD3EDeIKuG_sebd-pYHMgWdBaDlw2ExV1-P48GyiQ/s1600-h/IMG_6953.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05rjSZwFa31TwMs76gWGXlvGlmIDHTi8ygTOjU6adc4TsoF4ksVI_PUkl33u00YjK96nEhWlZ1fML_q5rJTxHih2OpU2vD3EDeIKuG_sebd-pYHMgWdBaDlw2ExV1-P48GyiQ/s400/IMG_6953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252708370893162802" border="0" /></a>Breakfast at the kids' table.....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkzR12MyJmEwOKQoaiWxRn3myLATw7bNNxU4yJRD5LPrGPj0jeLGTkuuToMoC0B-bUGhIIzepuD00PQegZRILvXAu4ziXBidesjCSKNpCBrPdvlFxDGb0bcSjDf9W3cbmNjge/s1600-h/IMG_6956.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkzR12MyJmEwOKQoaiWxRn3myLATw7bNNxU4yJRD5LPrGPj0jeLGTkuuToMoC0B-bUGhIIzepuD00PQegZRILvXAu4ziXBidesjCSKNpCBrPdvlFxDGb0bcSjDf9W3cbmNjge/s400/IMG_6956.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252706622493089842" border="0" /></a>.....and at the adults' table. I love camp food! There's a place in Pismo called Old West Cinnamon Rolls, and their rolls are to die for. We got them for breakfast two of the mornings we were there. I would be in serious trouble if I lived anywhere near there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UfQxpVpxadBy5YV0g6aOHeEB70YuuEjQX97sBM9cR8aoyMh9bzxDuaU89LHqxc6TK8fPlhAtTtKj0oYSHGhtW-TGnoCHmXGLHDo-6_BR7gQlXHU4l5VUYyPxFCJgi8ilIDD-/s1600-h/IMG_6959.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UfQxpVpxadBy5YV0g6aOHeEB70YuuEjQX97sBM9cR8aoyMh9bzxDuaU89LHqxc6TK8fPlhAtTtKj0oYSHGhtW-TGnoCHmXGLHDo-6_BR7gQlXHU4l5VUYyPxFCJgi8ilIDD-/s400/IMG_6959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252706626394822274" border="0" /></a>This stump formed one of the boundaries of our site, and the kids loved it. It played various roles over the weekend: car, rocket ship, fishing dock. Oh, and also it was Judah's pouting spot, as in this picture. But he looked so cute sitting there that I didn't mind the pouting so much.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDpRSbfTKTiOMWocQzziU9Ic-6QwLCZAPrY7LKQwsOpxZvhQmp7d2oNlZpBIWVJldKoRerQQ1Y7CTRFNLj0sy2r9MZG8i7TIGA1wgw_pFMZ_DYa7j_aALLUHeamdbeDBi8khO/s1600-h/IMG_6962.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDpRSbfTKTiOMWocQzziU9Ic-6QwLCZAPrY7LKQwsOpxZvhQmp7d2oNlZpBIWVJldKoRerQQ1Y7CTRFNLj0sy2r9MZG8i7TIGA1wgw_pFMZ_DYa7j_aALLUHeamdbeDBi8khO/s400/IMG_6962.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252706628393797202" border="0" /></a>Saturday and Sunday were overcast, and I loved the foggy beach. It looked endless.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJJoGGNwI2wW9qQ5AyGOXrqQcWfNv2XiLhbbOR2TBnLT17OijKdhK_k9UhUYncOeDX68WnYxDBTQ-_01HiKmgegNFU8Or2bWOkA8SEDTQfkwy4tcn2Y0_Ne6NMn_4_Yii92um/s1600-h/IMG_6969.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJJoGGNwI2wW9qQ5AyGOXrqQcWfNv2XiLhbbOR2TBnLT17OijKdhK_k9UhUYncOeDX68WnYxDBTQ-_01HiKmgegNFU8Or2bWOkA8SEDTQfkwy4tcn2Y0_Ne6NMn_4_Yii92um/s400/IMG_6969.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252706630853693154" border="0" /></a>Our tent city: our tent is on the far left, then Bri and Ash's, then Ken and Elly's motor home, then John and Jenna's tent, and then Jeff and Heather's.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOTGeCP6cIjXER4qkgp9yR9G8ZZXk1QxS-nSKvndJTZBU7L0BffDBNzPfEEj8DL9GDvjsilaCjUeYHspzjRn75l6mb29dMjhn0EQ6S-BgW_z-Zn2-oTJ4WeYTSTa6K_FiPa6V/s1600-h/IMG_6978.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOTGeCP6cIjXER4qkgp9yR9G8ZZXk1QxS-nSKvndJTZBU7L0BffDBNzPfEEj8DL9GDvjsilaCjUeYHspzjRn75l6mb29dMjhn0EQ6S-BgW_z-Zn2-oTJ4WeYTSTa6K_FiPa6V/s400/IMG_6978.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252706633919204866" border="0" /></a>On our way out of Pismo we went with Brian and Ashlee to the spot where we take our traditional picture every year. We hope to have a whole collection of many years someday. After this picture we jumped in the car for the long drive home.....Nathan and I have agreed that this was one of our favorite years at Pismo.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-37865442949487859362008-09-23T23:45:00.001-07:002008-09-23T23:46:53.132-07:00Time for a change<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZunXInNCATquXLlU5Tlqu3zQWi1sCkngPFBqDmaZ0u1-Z1BE_aNd2h0WoO7CBx3-uJRm0pUfKvz5weUMaSHR0Lh46PqPlYrxol9rhrjN3u06GtaRR0CB1Ig1GztrAj2fWXnqW/s1600-h/IMG_6853.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZunXInNCATquXLlU5Tlqu3zQWi1sCkngPFBqDmaZ0u1-Z1BE_aNd2h0WoO7CBx3-uJRm0pUfKvz5weUMaSHR0Lh46PqPlYrxol9rhrjN3u06GtaRR0CB1Ig1GztrAj2fWXnqW/s400/IMG_6853.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249475614824009570" border="0" /></a>Because it's fall, and this is what I do in the fall.Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-65932153457142550722008-09-21T21:15:00.000-07:002008-09-21T21:22:55.393-07:00Re-discovering an old friend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKIE9m-0rNkQyIJ2S8vIHTn7WHGausz-ezMEU2C2fEpNl0HixzZXnEKvOQXu2xpLD-nxnk82jfS_YQcuoubJciv_m_wV84cC7pTptMQsFNhPkjLYWhHIoK-L91UsM-u7wo4dh/s1600-h/01100009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKIE9m-0rNkQyIJ2S8vIHTn7WHGausz-ezMEU2C2fEpNl0HixzZXnEKvOQXu2xpLD-nxnk82jfS_YQcuoubJciv_m_wV84cC7pTptMQsFNhPkjLYWhHIoK-L91UsM-u7wo4dh/s400/01100009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248695931435947954" border="0" /></a>On the day Nathan and I got married we left the reception and headed straight for Santa Monica. Once there, we walked over to Third Street to have dinner and relax after a beautiful but somewhat stressful day. We decided on Trastavere, and as we were walking down the street to the restaurant we spotted a kiosk selling some interesting and really original jewelry. We stopped to look, and Nathan told me to pick something out for myself. I chose a moonstone bracelet that night, and every year since then we've visited the Antiqua kiosk, where Nathan buys me a piece of jewelry for our anniversary. It's a tradition that I love and look forward to every year. This year, alas, we couldn't find the kiosk. And the mall at the end of the Promenade is pretty much gutted at the moment, so Antiqua's permanent mall location wasn't available either. So a couple of weeks later we took a trip to their main store on Pico in LA. After looking at some necklaces that were surprisingly expensive (compared to the reasonable prices at the kiosk) I settled on an old looking locket on a long chain.<br /><br />I decided to put a picture of Nathan in one side of the locket and a picture of Judah and Micah in the other side, but found I didn't have any pictures I'd be happy using. So to take the pictures I wanted I resurrected my old camera, the one my dad loaned (gave?) me years ago. It's a 1976 Minolta, and I haven't used it really since I got a digital camera. It's completely manual, which means that action shots are kind of out of the question, but the advantage is that when you press the button, the shutter opens immediately, not a second later, like on a digital. <br /><br />I got the pictures developed yesterday and remembered instantly why I love that camera so much. The digital I have is a really good camera, though it's not professional quality, and it takes good pictures, but my old camera...... There's just something about it. I don't know if the pictures will look that special on a computer screen, but the prints are amazing. Here are some of the shots from our "photo shoot" a couple days ago.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiSi73JaGq12IDJVliKiX1-CwXeUYQsFiohwzcXmzrppDTXHqF7Uu19CA4et0e27XLCPrACYFjTnZsSjyKtEdKlPUBTLnp7hdC5EsIDxhqSpNMsxjFn94ls0MYQBNkMq0e0st/s1600-h/01100012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiSi73JaGq12IDJVliKiX1-CwXeUYQsFiohwzcXmzrppDTXHqF7Uu19CA4et0e27XLCPrACYFjTnZsSjyKtEdKlPUBTLnp7hdC5EsIDxhqSpNMsxjFn94ls0MYQBNkMq0e0st/s400/01100012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248695937823646578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiP3V04AtbnkdaF1XN4c6UiVpKI6OQ1XXsvNWrj6qHXlJXZU3z8l5wpaUEBHvoV0Q47vHaqYwk-ltUnBGm6gTmo3IydK1UAB41d34npRXXLg2TXQEDmkFuOdhhyphenhyphenXdgBnSeW7F/s1600-h/01100018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiP3V04AtbnkdaF1XN4c6UiVpKI6OQ1XXsvNWrj6qHXlJXZU3z8l5wpaUEBHvoV0Q47vHaqYwk-ltUnBGm6gTmo3IydK1UAB41d34npRXXLg2TXQEDmkFuOdhhyphenhyphenXdgBnSeW7F/s400/01100018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248695941632511922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39njMwDtv0fixobLV8ot30BAwfHrx4Qtn12-SJWccTAhIIlmR7mBom64lScKTBQAcC2m1t9O8hcUBDAXpmR_JUQal4F5AGHxB_-tf9Wqw8Ofzu1nRwxvlzxZ5aMvwSkj0Qn_R/s1600-h/01100020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39njMwDtv0fixobLV8ot30BAwfHrx4Qtn12-SJWccTAhIIlmR7mBom64lScKTBQAcC2m1t9O8hcUBDAXpmR_JUQal4F5AGHxB_-tf9Wqw8Ofzu1nRwxvlzxZ5aMvwSkj0Qn_R/s400/01100020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248695950786325362" border="0" /></a><br />And here's one I took of Judah at Little Corona del Mar two years ago with the same camera. It's our favorite picture of Judah ever.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MqB89RHLKKomR6r0M8QSB34FMX3DZSrj9KNkhAtQ5RGvjGRcexU6kZgJ5ZL3g73TkX02ysW2LjfRAwzTM7Wj4lLMxqGSs_5ya0fjTh6s8Z1jCfyCvBYYUQwvNd2OKzKGRhyphenhyphenI/s1600-h/Judah's+Beach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MqB89RHLKKomR6r0M8QSB34FMX3DZSrj9KNkhAtQ5RGvjGRcexU6kZgJ5ZL3g73TkX02ysW2LjfRAwzTM7Wj4lLMxqGSs_5ya0fjTh6s8Z1jCfyCvBYYUQwvNd2OKzKGRhyphenhyphenI/s400/Judah's+Beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248695949899684802" border="0" /></a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-673979553382007652008-09-20T20:14:00.000-07:002008-09-20T20:34:05.205-07:00Another season, another playlistMore than any other season, fall inspires me to create playlists of songs that seem to fit the new feel in the air. And since we're almost to fall, here's my most recent.....<br /><br />Never Meant - American Football (from an album that inspired Dave to say to me, "Do you actually like this stuff?" Yes, I do. Very much.)<br />Porrohman - Big Country<br />I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You - Black Kids (SO much fun!)<br />Two More Years - Bloc Party<br />Sunday - Bloc Party<br />Jesus Christ - Brand New (get past the title and check this song out, it's really interesting)<br />Slave to Love - Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music (I can't help it, I'm a sucker for this song)<br />Blue Eyes - Cary Brothers<br />Viva la Vida - Coldplay (after hearing a bit of this album, I'm beginning to think they MIGHT actually be the next U2)<br />The Last Day of Summer - The Cure (find this on iTunes and buy it immediately, you won't regret it)<br />Pictures of You - The Cure (many times the best part of a Cure song is the instrumental part, but in this case the lyrics are perfect as well)<br />#41 - Dave Matthews (from the Live at Luther College album, incredible acoustic guitar)<br />Lover Lay Down - Dave Matthews<br />Come Away to Sea - David Wilcox<br />Brothers on a Hotel Bed - Death Cab for Cutie<br />The Winds that Blow - Duncan Sheik<br />Some Distant Memory - Electronic (a little Smiths, a little New Order, a lot perfect)<br />Let Go - Frou Frou (the best part of the nearly flawless Garden State soundtrack)<br />Thinking About You - Ivy<br />Keep Moving - Ivy<br />Lullaby - James<br />Cloudbusting - Kate Bush (keep an open mind if you listen to this....)<br />Ride With Me - The Lemonheads<br />Bengali in Platforms - Morrissey<br />Turn - New Order<br />A Question of Travel - The Ocean Blue<br />Poor Souls - Owen (I don't think anyone expresses longing quite as well as Owen)<br />This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave - Pet Shop Boys (left over from my college days)<br />High and Dry - Radiohead<br />Little Wonders - Rob Thomas (this song chokes me up almost every time)Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-15817313493200007002008-09-09T15:26:00.000-07:002008-09-09T20:30:01.054-07:00Micah's Beach Bash<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjw7wf4GVtP9dP5pgAkOmhJguo8MAuu8Pfqxa8bW_w55iXl3dac2rQkWFvEnB8Q4RvTeRhc1c1xqCozJDf4pG00TZpb3BrbPan2nP99Y8eWMu4ll2MKD_EtGBuAzYP_i9DiII1/s1600-h/IMG_6814.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjw7wf4GVtP9dP5pgAkOmhJguo8MAuu8Pfqxa8bW_w55iXl3dac2rQkWFvEnB8Q4RvTeRhc1c1xqCozJDf4pG00TZpb3BrbPan2nP99Y8eWMu4ll2MKD_EtGBuAzYP_i9DiII1/s400/IMG_6814.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244222613564761538" border="0" /></a>We threw Micah his first birthday party on Sunday night. Since summer's almost over, I wanted to make it like the last beach party of the season, but I didn't actually want to throw a party at the beach, so instead I turned our backyard into a beach. It turned out to be a really fun day. Our family all came, so there were about thirty of us, which was the perfect sized crowd. I couldn't find a good way to create an ocean in our backyard, but other than that we did pretty good! Micah enjoyed the pool filled with beach balls especially....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2sn_UaoDmNvm_ZORCcCs2SsL3b3oF1FB7Mb51Y7QF6I9bCGs4uCuJXt6eu4WzIdJUNwgyvYWyNScCxjR5Fc2xa5WBzu7A4ZvlEfHcpMG1PmZIS-BkydtpPIK1Ef1a6X3ME15/s1600-h/IMG_6754.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2sn_UaoDmNvm_ZORCcCs2SsL3b3oF1FB7Mb51Y7QF6I9bCGs4uCuJXt6eu4WzIdJUNwgyvYWyNScCxjR5Fc2xa5WBzu7A4ZvlEfHcpMG1PmZIS-BkydtpPIK1Ef1a6X3ME15/s400/IMG_6754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244155929915982402" border="0" /></a>Christi came over a couple nights before the party and helped me frost sugar cookies to look like beach balls. It was a little challenging, and some of them kind of look like the Romanian flag (and the one at the top looks A LOT like a "VOTE" button), but we did our best, and a couple hours and a powdered sugar fight later we had our beach balls! They tasted delicious, thanks to the almond flavored icing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GGJQlTtD914zsE0ikzBbwy9O5pdE3efVxs5MLv2bbNUcgHK4Wojld6vwgBOhpI6g9ooWDjJCcK6cYIjp8OLM85eAiiHPex4TQoyHrKyYjriL5AMMpZR6VvCwDXSff4cP54jL/s1600-h/IMG_6755.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9GGJQlTtD914zsE0ikzBbwy9O5pdE3efVxs5MLv2bbNUcgHK4Wojld6vwgBOhpI6g9ooWDjJCcK6cYIjp8OLM85eAiiHPex4TQoyHrKyYjriL5AMMpZR6VvCwDXSff4cP54jL/s400/IMG_6755.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244155935663021378" border="0" /></a>Ever tried to bake a half-sphere cake? I have now.... I solicited advice from a bunch of sources (thanks go out to Shayleen in particular), and in the end my friend Aimee gave me the easiest and roundest solution: you bake it in a pyrex bowl. She made a monkey head cake for her son that way last year. My mom did the frosting. Good team effort!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DWMgv0I_61cqzRPU7_msD8-F5THKWpuWbU7Wfl7DXfK7fRGkhgemDYTeAJ-CNyxU8Adbns26OaVpVHQBJWTy_W2cZ6x2bMZli2iVx0gQnHz7OmuQ2BvlPqwXBBMsyMYiU9KF/s1600-h/IMG_6756.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DWMgv0I_61cqzRPU7_msD8-F5THKWpuWbU7Wfl7DXfK7fRGkhgemDYTeAJ-CNyxU8Adbns26OaVpVHQBJWTy_W2cZ6x2bMZli2iVx0gQnHz7OmuQ2BvlPqwXBBMsyMYiU9KF/s400/IMG_6756.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244155944003680898" border="0" /></a>Micah got his own little cake to destroy, and when the time came he wanted nothing to do with it! Looks like I finally found something Micah WON'T eat. I knew he'd reject something eventually, but I never guessed it would be PURE SUGAR. Wow, that's a win, I guess....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk6aLCAL2GEFrvBzxiK_lZbN8Obwc0h5q1unySTg22ZO99yspdWPgoSNEGZYaqlm8E9Q2wDRxPUo9TGIWQj_JBpQgB3zxFisz78xIjVWha5ACY3iDgUJQ-EXOyXjus9ngSfVi/s1600-h/IMG_6758.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpk6aLCAL2GEFrvBzxiK_lZbN8Obwc0h5q1unySTg22ZO99yspdWPgoSNEGZYaqlm8E9Q2wDRxPUo9TGIWQj_JBpQgB3zxFisz78xIjVWha5ACY3iDgUJQ-EXOyXjus9ngSfVi/s400/IMG_6758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244155947193702098" border="0" /></a>Judah was completely overjoyed at the prospect of all these beach balls to play with.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNuUEKQlSHstt2JoeU1QJKIx5Qdmh33OuaA4jiSCcL7tEH-6tTn_36IW_P2BC1BWL4FaDpqCZgYWKGbfbJR8rHQ4rSIazNdwNDCLlrNT1e9e3GfuM96dqxUBw-C-2Hd3FNmLo/s1600-h/IMG_6759.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNuUEKQlSHstt2JoeU1QJKIx5Qdmh33OuaA4jiSCcL7tEH-6tTn_36IW_P2BC1BWL4FaDpqCZgYWKGbfbJR8rHQ4rSIazNdwNDCLlrNT1e9e3GfuM96dqxUBw-C-2Hd3FNmLo/s400/IMG_6759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244155956009053906" border="0" /></a>Naomi and all the girls spent a while at the craft table filling baby food jars with colored salt, an old craft I revived from my Girl Scout days. They looked cool, plus it was a way to re-use all those baby food jars we go through on a daily basis. Yeah, we're so green around here. :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWEIM8x3PkJUmI5LSeGjLKIiPjIT9yaK2n04wA4Za2rPSx1TeJ9Yf6VKpFncuVw0P5lRj0j4uDd-hz5hrFuiJrQRGfgAUdU4ailATneHiw0-HelRqW3O4oyqT7nMcibIYXOde/s1600-h/IMG_6761.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWEIM8x3PkJUmI5LSeGjLKIiPjIT9yaK2n04wA4Za2rPSx1TeJ9Yf6VKpFncuVw0P5lRj0j4uDd-hz5hrFuiJrQRGfgAUdU4ailATneHiw0-HelRqW3O4oyqT7nMcibIYXOde/s400/IMG_6761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244154903750055426" border="0" /></a>Part of the fam hanging out on the patio.....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoc9-G8gqpNt7abrJR1x1FUMxHUcpRnzryF_b_d8K9Y47E8Xe3IA7vnGLdR1EJaFGidIH8IeXYSOJun6Cw4iPs2D7a5EH1QzNHsnRqOwb5a-ldO7kdfyLZEwme5Z2Cg9sY-PSU/s1600-h/IMG_6762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoc9-G8gqpNt7abrJR1x1FUMxHUcpRnzryF_b_d8K9Y47E8Xe3IA7vnGLdR1EJaFGidIH8IeXYSOJun6Cw4iPs2D7a5EH1QzNHsnRqOwb5a-ldO7kdfyLZEwme5Z2Cg9sY-PSU/s400/IMG_6762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244154907757078786" border="0" /></a>And Christi and Dean, who aren't technically related, but might as well be. People used to ask Christi and me if we were sisters so often that we began to wonder if we were. The sad part about that was that they'd ask us if we were sisters AFTER we told them our names.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CYcsIrmADaKZyD3NaBvztzfkLJkmzW-gTXAE52TbVmr0m4STZY2FVmPVNzd9Mlu3I_a_d1xKfTpMIRQHaHpuYrmU7kumBMDyh5yZwoULC7vn4H_YEwBHtULwL7sJXUYWkwzz/s1600-h/IMG_6764.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CYcsIrmADaKZyD3NaBvztzfkLJkmzW-gTXAE52TbVmr0m4STZY2FVmPVNzd9Mlu3I_a_d1xKfTpMIRQHaHpuYrmU7kumBMDyh5yZwoULC7vn4H_YEwBHtULwL7sJXUYWkwzz/s400/IMG_6764.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244154912813582066" border="0" /></a>Brian and Eszter, and.....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5aLFy4kawzOUdhEfHhBWflCmLWKP-p0s46XkFPxDditdQq8QU9eliXfey8nCRAux63m2fzdbg8IVkM0yIjpyImpoGAxCsamRyfnuiSMbC9Umri9r8sCp04Fm2NU-dVLH2oqq/s1600-h/IMG_6765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5aLFy4kawzOUdhEfHhBWflCmLWKP-p0s46XkFPxDditdQq8QU9eliXfey8nCRAux63m2fzdbg8IVkM0yIjpyImpoGAxCsamRyfnuiSMbC9Umri9r8sCp04Fm2NU-dVLH2oqq/s400/IMG_6765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244154918004987090" border="0" /></a>Sophia and Josiah munching on some dogs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-kSSJCtRVmn5s6VSC7wTV7i8sfWO9kpIBq0fC9TPMU2oyYmf7n1sskpKEX9owbHcbw8nIZg93TuVIA-WIQYbCcDc99Z4uIg8oqJU8SMoAweCqjbC-DvUhu9jYeQ1kcwyQS46/s1600-h/IMG_6766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-kSSJCtRVmn5s6VSC7wTV7i8sfWO9kpIBq0fC9TPMU2oyYmf7n1sskpKEX9owbHcbw8nIZg93TuVIA-WIQYbCcDc99Z4uIg8oqJU8SMoAweCqjbC-DvUhu9jYeQ1kcwyQS46/s400/IMG_6766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244154922027579874" border="0" /></a>Heather and Jeff, or, as the kids call them, Uncle Teffy and Auntie Ha'er.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A9WzP6hOGfcy7I28nJmUJk7MgQTEU4eeXsedL8QSdlGf-AdKnGEYML1jhyMeinjdXixRH7YBLE4ClWMHCDPHI132etvk37R3L_eI3Zzm23s6zQCBB5VHAAFHn-vYfYH7r7dg/s1600-h/IMG_6771.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A9WzP6hOGfcy7I28nJmUJk7MgQTEU4eeXsedL8QSdlGf-AdKnGEYML1jhyMeinjdXixRH7YBLE4ClWMHCDPHI132etvk37R3L_eI3Zzm23s6zQCBB5VHAAFHn-vYfYH7r7dg/s400/IMG_6771.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244153659177401058" border="0" /></a>I bought a bunch of sand to create a beach/bonfire area. Did you know that 150 pounds of sand doesn't really go that far? Next time I'll get 300 pounds. It went just far enough, though, and the kids had a blast digging and scooping. After Nathan lit the fire we made s'mores and the smell was heavenly.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lQb_PnCgz57AhPCCwlfq7O8PxPYVKTMJ4IaBqsaJD57pbdSZOQiK7tYSnLi_6hnSJUBjJS8zGgNOJuunrEV9HWtXl7KghzsEuh-mKG0APQHYngpb1q7MbB5mOHeWKXVyqlMf/s1600-h/IMG_6791.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lQb_PnCgz57AhPCCwlfq7O8PxPYVKTMJ4IaBqsaJD57pbdSZOQiK7tYSnLi_6hnSJUBjJS8zGgNOJuunrEV9HWtXl7KghzsEuh-mKG0APQHYngpb1q7MbB5mOHeWKXVyqlMf/s400/IMG_6791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244153659743373154" border="0" /></a>Micah rejecting the cake. Not only did he not like it, I think he was actually a little scared by the way the other kids gathered around to "encourage" him and to sneak bites of their own!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiADyayRX7Ql1jT99u7QZmYKTiQdfUqvsImutlgQHWbnDkAGk3T4JhcaJhI-prQEiXgvc74XmIk2wKE3tfz-vZwfnUCBV7YKZbf2Wtvow5_zjQap66ZFHA26KebwjXF5NZ7QuS/s1600-h/IMG_6797.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiADyayRX7Ql1jT99u7QZmYKTiQdfUqvsImutlgQHWbnDkAGk3T4JhcaJhI-prQEiXgvc74XmIk2wKE3tfz-vZwfnUCBV7YKZbf2Wtvow5_zjQap66ZFHA26KebwjXF5NZ7QuS/s400/IMG_6797.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244153667924836082" border="0" /></a>Present time! Micah totally scored! He got lots of new cool clothes that he needed for the fall and for our upcoming camping trip, plus a swing, some toy cars, a Little People garage, and a Little Einsteins "rocket." Judah was more excited than Micah, but in the days since Micah has become interested, too, and we've been having to remind Judah that not ALL the toys in the house are his, these ones are Micah's. He either doesn't get it or he's in denial.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-J7uLtJkHmdtTWjcHXE0O1JsF-kxhyEdBJnshSSAGhoxOVTjZZWZV8dwnMqri2A4UG90wHFcwzzUk4Of5G_n2C5sHq7UqfebPa9LyN9OC3Rl8DPhTkenImeHPPNwKfOvnMePR/s1600-h/IMG_6805.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-J7uLtJkHmdtTWjcHXE0O1JsF-kxhyEdBJnshSSAGhoxOVTjZZWZV8dwnMqri2A4UG90wHFcwzzUk4Of5G_n2C5sHq7UqfebPa9LyN9OC3Rl8DPhTkenImeHPPNwKfOvnMePR/s400/IMG_6805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244153670607645730" border="0" /></a>Micah loved the musical card from Grandma Marie! He was dancing every time we opened it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdQ1Uep1KtwOfwhrs-TzFiTE6GWLsQs0F4CyBrz07nnsXG4h2SoGtIyMGaY0DHQMZtRGLbWkLm8HpbGfuDHcfmB_ehpqfG_WJDhvcTu9RK-mJdTrSYXhEc4yPUkIBerZLn_mW/s1600-h/IMG_6807.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdQ1Uep1KtwOfwhrs-TzFiTE6GWLsQs0F4CyBrz07nnsXG4h2SoGtIyMGaY0DHQMZtRGLbWkLm8HpbGfuDHcfmB_ehpqfG_WJDhvcTu9RK-mJdTrSYXhEc4yPUkIBerZLn_mW/s400/IMG_6807.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244153675551174850" border="0" /></a>The morning after the party, hanging out on his new rocket car. Thanks, everyone, for making Micah's first birthday so fun and special!Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-42160242345535774272008-09-03T22:00:00.001-07:002008-09-03T22:22:02.734-07:00One short year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Wz6_5fv711emO2f4EwuUApSyvuNfUF4Aul-FEUFr_-zQxo2poOrHjBHiO6cTGrp5Sz3dC1lNE0s7TcQz3O2Suu3cL7uv794yU2k1bdceiy22ru4wOWak4_RPz0ZB-MB49io/s1600-h/IMG_6689.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Wz6_5fv711emO2f4EwuUApSyvuNfUF4Aul-FEUFr_-zQxo2poOrHjBHiO6cTGrp5Sz3dC1lNE0s7TcQz3O2Suu3cL7uv794yU2k1bdceiy22ru4wOWak4_RPz0ZB-MB49io/s400/IMG_6689.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242027503809805954" border="0" /></a>Micah is one year old today. I can hardly believe it! This year has gone by so quickly! Micah is such a joy to us, such a happy little guy almost all the time. I'm not a morning person, so I'm usually grumpy when I walk into his room each morning to get him out of bed, but I am always smiling within seconds, because I love the way he jumps up in his crib when he sees me, screeches, and starts laughing and babbling with a huge smile on his face. We love this boy so much! And we are so thankful for him.<br /><br />At one year, Micah.....<br />weighs 20 pounds<br />is 28 inches tall<br />has 8 teeth (I think....I'm not brave enough to stick my finger in there to check)<br />says a couple words (Mama and uh-oh)<br />loves his big brother and watches him whenever he can<br />is sitting in a forward facing carseat and isn't sure if he likes it yet<br />loves the metal stars that hang from his ceiling and points to them all the time<br />loves bathtime<br />tries to eat anything he can pick up<br />can stand by himself for a few seconds at a time<br />crawls like the wind<br />has permanently dirty knees from crawling<br />loves his toy tambourine<br />does not like peas AT ALL<br />can "bonk" his head to someone else's when requested<br />raises both arms above his head when asked "How big is Micah?"<br />claps for himself<br />drinks milk from a bottle (FINALLY!)<br />has never worn shoes<br />has hardly ever even worn socks<br />loves to follow the cat around<br />has white-blond hair that curls above his ears<br />has blue eyes that make strangers stop and look<br />wakes up happy almost every time<br /><br />What a wonderful little guy he is. Happy Birthday, Micah!Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-55299164053146697022008-08-24T23:23:00.001-07:002008-08-24T23:55:40.445-07:00Six<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGS1WiMhtIsoiZdvP2i43j3nF8XFaTIpCsmWuD9aucVJf2kruo2hEN8lvN0U2CYJo69CmPMNRiUNVdfsQY8OYh_NTi-YSdnuGG86fHmX55FFB0Oz9Q6aGa5dEwFb0m1kiV9r8/s1600-h/IMG_6706.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGS1WiMhtIsoiZdvP2i43j3nF8XFaTIpCsmWuD9aucVJf2kruo2hEN8lvN0U2CYJo69CmPMNRiUNVdfsQY8OYh_NTi-YSdnuGG86fHmX55FFB0Oz9Q6aGa5dEwFb0m1kiV9r8/s400/IMG_6706.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238337448734276338" border="0" /></a>You know how in your high school yearbook they have all those categories like "Cutest Couple" and "Best Smile" and Most Likely to Succeed?" If they'd had a category in my yearbook for "Most Likely to Get Married in a Cemetery" I probably would have won. Yeah, I was kind of goth like that. I eventually outgrew my goth phase (but not the music), and then....I went and got married in a cemetery!<br /><br />It's true. Six years ago today Nathan and I got married in the SkyRose Chapel at Rose Hills (I don't have any pictures downloaded, but check out the slide show <a href="http://www.rosehills.com/prodnsrvContent/aboutskyrose.aspx#">here</a>, it's incredible). Our pictures were taken that day in the El Portal de la Paz mausoleum, and it was all so beautiful, even though some might think it's kind of morbid.<br /><br />Tonight we went to Third Street in Santa Monica for our traditional anniversary celebration. First we went to the Miramar Hotel to have our picture taken in front of the bench where we got engaged. The Miramar is also where we spent our wedding night. Then we went to Trastavere for dinner, the same place we had dinner after our wedding. After dinner we walked up to Old Navy so I could get some flip flops and a sweater (it got cold!) and Nathan got a long-sleeved shirt as well. Outside Old Navy I promptly traded my three inch heels for the flip flops and threw the heels away - there was no way they were ever going to be comfortable again, and they were old anyway. Feeling better and warmer, we stopped at Starbucks for drinks, walked down to the pier, listened to a guitarist for a while, then headed home.<br /><br />We had a great anniversary. Nathan, thank you so much for six joyful, fun, interesting, growing, trying (a little), contented, hysterical years of marriage. You are the best husband I ever could have hoped for, more than I ever imagined, and I thank God for knowing exactly what I needed and then sending me you. I have loved being married to you and I'm looking forward to many, many more years together. I love you!Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-89527480070384414822008-08-20T14:47:00.000-07:002008-08-20T14:57:54.946-07:00Easily distracted by shiny objects and stuffI think this is what all of my progress reports from grade school probably said. Yes, your daughter is a straight A student and she always seems to be able to come up with the right answer. However, to get her to pay attention in class we have to tie her arms and legs to her desk, put blinders on her, duct tape her mouth closed, and hire Mary Lou Retton to teach. Otherwise, she's talking to everyone (and everything?) in sight. I can't even count the number of times my collective teachers moved me to different table groups to get me to SHUT UP, already!<br /><br />So I got distracted by a couple of things a couple weeks ago: the Olympics and an evil empire called Facebook. Which is why I haven't been blogging much. Don't worry: the Olympics only have a few days left, and I'm starting to lose interest in Facebook, since my flair board is totally full and I can't add anything else. So, soon I'll be back to my regular amount of slacking, instead of the increased amount of slacking. Until then.... go USA!Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-36595712151708006722008-08-04T09:08:00.000-07:002008-08-04T09:13:24.512-07:00VindicatedThe Cure has three singles in the top ten on Billboard this week. THREE! Who says their day is past?Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-59805458814909369622008-08-02T21:00:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:26:41.379-08:00Fair enough for another year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3UdH_YTFt3iTpkgc_clQPCUKWPPyIRGs9tfG1WciYWUPV_eAiYyYOnXs2hB8gA55P1PHRGrHl6xncN3Y0HJoEcu9oe4VoXI3YqUuQIaD5ymcavKAO-77NCm9fOBXLfrLeneK/s1600-h/IMG_6636.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230138510439997138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3UdH_YTFt3iTpkgc_clQPCUKWPPyIRGs9tfG1WciYWUPV_eAiYyYOnXs2hB8gA55P1PHRGrHl6xncN3Y0HJoEcu9oe4VoXI3YqUuQIaD5ymcavKAO-77NCm9fOBXLfrLeneK/s400/IMG_6636.JPG" border="0" /></a> On Thursday afternoon we set out for our annual trip to the Orange County Fair. Judah was so excited, he'd been talking about going on the Ferris wheel practically since last summer. And from the moment we set foot inside the fair he almost never stopped asking if it was time to go on the Ferris wheel. Now? Can we do it now? How about now? So funny. But we wanted to wait for Jeff and Heather before we went on it, so we did a bunch of other stuff first. Judah spotted these tractors and spent some time playing around on them.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMW-QUanBKVaf40VIrWIZgJC6USQhHQB9NJdF3-m7uY3vng4YupnBv_IXZHRkDtxJWXjThM4BJISY8eBamhOb2OKeszhg2C69Hyj3PHYpSGZFe-61_HNsqS-P_ef7NXlG8wltR/s1600-h/IMG_6641.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230138512853550882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMW-QUanBKVaf40VIrWIZgJC6USQhHQB9NJdF3-m7uY3vng4YupnBv_IXZHRkDtxJWXjThM4BJISY8eBamhOb2OKeszhg2C69Hyj3PHYpSGZFe-61_HNsqS-P_ef7NXlG8wltR/s400/IMG_6641.JPG" border="0" /></a> He didn't necessarily want to sit on the back of this oil drum steer, but we talked him into it and he stayed there just long enough to have his picture taken.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1cOlpMH7oOK6ww05FZJuCy77F45sLz104RFy4WG2hCcL3cdcg9UCx_HDUP_j8tH91rImQMduahwC36pS5JbWCgl4pnuxyHdPwXklQzcdo20mrQo2STgk1sgMOToWSm8yRjFd/s1600-h/IMG_6639.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230138516450092002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1cOlpMH7oOK6ww05FZJuCy77F45sLz104RFy4WG2hCcL3cdcg9UCx_HDUP_j8tH91rImQMduahwC36pS5JbWCgl4pnuxyHdPwXklQzcdo20mrQo2STgk1sgMOToWSm8yRjFd/s400/IMG_6639.JPG" border="0" /></a> I loved that the theme of the fair this year was cheese, because I'm a big fan of cheese. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough specialty cheese food around for my taste. Remember the year the theme was avocados and it seemed like every food booth had a different way of preparing avocados? Not so with the cheese. The only special thing I saw was funnel cake with cream cheese frosting, and I didn't notice that until (sadly) after we ordered our funnel cake with powdered sugar. My favorite thing about the fair is always the food, and this year I indulged in funnel cake, cheesecake on a stick, french fries, and a half pound hot dog that was SO good! It was even better because we got to watch a team of Peking acrobats while we ate.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDknqXH2Ek_DZ2G60gYGGPs_DcOFwW4Avo8qrYW0gEv8TjIuDRO-uOPb2rcAoscYVoiZ3ypZMJIEyzqHGfWOcOWqY6Ej4HUT9imtt7MDAa0n6-svhSr0s1jEQJsRJjm0yAwqwZ/s1600-h/IMG_6647.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230138524520716818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDknqXH2Ek_DZ2G60gYGGPs_DcOFwW4Avo8qrYW0gEv8TjIuDRO-uOPb2rcAoscYVoiZ3ypZMJIEyzqHGfWOcOWqY6Ej4HUT9imtt7MDAa0n6-svhSr0s1jEQJsRJjm0yAwqwZ/s400/IMG_6647.JPG" border="0" /></a> Micah spent most of the day in his stroller, kicking back with his thumb in his mouth, taking it all in. I felt bad for him, just sitting there, but it didn't seem to bother him. He got out to enjoy this car for a while, until Judah came over and demanded to drive.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqR5UYo5cbTZmGl-tw-85pEKh9fJ30Rq4urdcvAH9X478yRCMp9HRCy21VAHk5mYf4y8OUrS7SvLblbfEpGRjp0PULRIhyqCqBpzre6ZsYFHNFOMkHmXoUWVG2X4JZNrWOpG4f/s1600-h/IMG_6650.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230138530087221666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqR5UYo5cbTZmGl-tw-85pEKh9fJ30Rq4urdcvAH9X478yRCMp9HRCy21VAHk5mYf4y8OUrS7SvLblbfEpGRjp0PULRIhyqCqBpzre6ZsYFHNFOMkHmXoUWVG2X4JZNrWOpG4f/s400/IMG_6650.JPG" border="0" /></a> Judah was fascinated by all the snakes in the reptile area. They were some of the biggest snakes I've ever seen. We wanted to have his picture taken with the albino python, but they were charging $8.50 so we skipped it.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuCbCgVt6ecMgIFwMNeXrpwMOUOErxYw5JY7CZqtJPUru5qJGo85B2QnYnsXy9gG4vkDfTOeCxfq0LlAyzZKaKE9VhJy6J1Zg5i1bpJk78G0qCu4H2FAr6GbZ3jy2jWoXnr0P/s1600-h/IMG_6653.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230137396938230466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuCbCgVt6ecMgIFwMNeXrpwMOUOErxYw5JY7CZqtJPUru5qJGo85B2QnYnsXy9gG4vkDfTOeCxfq0LlAyzZKaKE9VhJy6J1Zg5i1bpJk78G0qCu4H2FAr6GbZ3jy2jWoXnr0P/s400/IMG_6653.JPG" border="0" /></a> Micah loved waiting in line for the Ferris wheel......<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrWw7a-RQeLFQfCtFJj9RysIzF_hWFcRgmlCO6xAUu8auFQ1IuhKVdnQTFUEV_CoFEOcbTN7dQGLniR2Xl1qcJzCnu8wKn3wrsCDE-_iksRg9Xd35rmkeqQwPwTpCTvIw01Fn/s1600-h/IMG_6654.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230137406442766418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrWw7a-RQeLFQfCtFJj9RysIzF_hWFcRgmlCO6xAUu8auFQ1IuhKVdnQTFUEV_CoFEOcbTN7dQGLniR2Xl1qcJzCnu8wKn3wrsCDE-_iksRg9Xd35rmkeqQwPwTpCTvIw01Fn/s400/IMG_6654.JPG" border="0" /></a> and that's the first place we went after we met up with Jeff and Heather. Aren't they cute? :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoGQ66vr9V1y03H3rn0FK_qE2YDF5l61BwmvgvMzfiz61c43Oe4mEavqOZcZ_Rr_ST_HhLsuVgE1_gVsCRUg3FHDbxDVrWXUMtwP6EMxDvZ5cKTmtMHHsxrB3Ctz9X8sHjMKm/s1600-h/IMG_6655.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230137411332453922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoGQ66vr9V1y03H3rn0FK_qE2YDF5l61BwmvgvMzfiz61c43Oe4mEavqOZcZ_Rr_ST_HhLsuVgE1_gVsCRUg3FHDbxDVrWXUMtwP6EMxDvZ5cKTmtMHHsxrB3Ctz9X8sHjMKm/s400/IMG_6655.JPG" border="0" /></a> Finally, the Ferris wheel! Judah loved it. He's so brave, he stands up on the seats the whole time and watches all that's going on below us. From the top he spotted a roller coaster he said he'd want to go on. When the ride ended we headed for the roller coaster, only to find that Judah's not quite tall enough yet.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6WvXfGCzuDf6FNmXy593swLu3bMTmWbY5YFCRFYA4bLJ0RMdsXux3Tz-BZRQU639kaW8mxy-tN7pzQ8s8rH9MCTwLDsKZeB8z345gICom0dbnJVkJSNtT6E1YeYDRPvVglpk/s1600-h/IMG_6669.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230137419087873954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6WvXfGCzuDf6FNmXy593swLu3bMTmWbY5YFCRFYA4bLJ0RMdsXux3Tz-BZRQU639kaW8mxy-tN7pzQ8s8rH9MCTwLDsKZeB8z345gICom0dbnJVkJSNtT6E1YeYDRPvVglpk/s400/IMG_6669.JPG" border="0" /></a> So we found one that was more his speed. We were betting he would bail when he was supposed to get on, but he didn't! And then he laughed all through the ride.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMbvKGQPY5h3BROozttZZFLFiCixUf0bid9kun-aYM-knAL4a-uhTpl2AJgaG9lXBxdpGPDYM_14n538wT9cJ8dLfKHzh-aW-4aOucux9GV1jOXoQAJg6qwwVKJuhbERDIlmA/s1600-h/IMG_6675.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230137423909604786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMbvKGQPY5h3BROozttZZFLFiCixUf0bid9kun-aYM-knAL4a-uhTpl2AJgaG9lXBxdpGPDYM_14n538wT9cJ8dLfKHzh-aW-4aOucux9GV1jOXoQAJg6qwwVKJuhbERDIlmA/s400/IMG_6675.JPG" border="0" /></a> Judah met up with a clown who had his favorite thing: bubbles! We spent a while watching Jude chase the bubbles, then went and found the <a href="http://kencowell.com/images/ST-0701.jpg">segmented bowl </a>that Ken entered in the wood turning competition. It won first place! And a bunch of other stuff. After that we picked up our dinner, sat and ate while the acrobats bent themselves into unnatural shapes, then headed out while Judah waved goodbye to the Ferris wheel until next year.</div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-76246135529793726202008-07-29T22:06:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:26:41.770-08:00What IS that thing?!?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhs7BiCk6Ya90mYDlyaI4CRuS7HO0RNAU8rrnSdTK7G2MT7VeHKaZK9eIaAEq6HP4BMwVVi5hYxsed-6bjvGvPLg4pD2JE1rlRKFWc_VdvMr8icJ0Zfig-G-zFaRBEqmdtkEfz/s1600-h/IMG_6610.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228669760259277954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhs7BiCk6Ya90mYDlyaI4CRuS7HO0RNAU8rrnSdTK7G2MT7VeHKaZK9eIaAEq6HP4BMwVVi5hYxsed-6bjvGvPLg4pD2JE1rlRKFWc_VdvMr8icJ0Zfig-G-zFaRBEqmdtkEfz/s400/IMG_6610.JPG" border="0" /></a> It's a mailbox, of course!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJu-dJ0492AL7D8V1ofWf-qfC4duQWypuM387sD3jcF-7iN6X_WEXAHf7KHYCuYnKxKSzrftyG4eEy-Fuy3hg-O95S1nWtSQvF-chyM2IqRYPwVb64koJwiDhkMJw-iqnLMpc/s1600-h/IMG_6608.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228669766258689314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJu-dJ0492AL7D8V1ofWf-qfC4duQWypuM387sD3jcF-7iN6X_WEXAHf7KHYCuYnKxKSzrftyG4eEy-Fuy3hg-O95S1nWtSQvF-chyM2IqRYPwVb64koJwiDhkMJw-iqnLMpc/s400/IMG_6608.JPG" border="0" /></a> I'm just waiting for the note on our front door: "Sorry, but we can no longer deliver your mail to your home. Your mailbox seems to have been eaten by an extremely aggressive vine."<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_prfvsrC6RqfYW5QhfXZJg2Rgby6PR-Dc2eplw6JCtRNCdW52jtEmO3LRWst6JuNA1383SRZIIymDpi2w6QZftmIxIV30wYBxSq7XQ21rwgl8Y-K2ii43TTEzYxFKDYNorZ6o/s1600-h/IMG_6611.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228669770586960338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_prfvsrC6RqfYW5QhfXZJg2Rgby6PR-Dc2eplw6JCtRNCdW52jtEmO3LRWst6JuNA1383SRZIIymDpi2w6QZftmIxIV30wYBxSq7XQ21rwgl8Y-K2ii43TTEzYxFKDYNorZ6o/s400/IMG_6611.JPG" border="0" /></a> I really should trim this back, but it's so beautiful that I just can't! The gardeners came today and even THEY left it alone. And I've historically had a very bad time with gardeners and morning glories. The don't like them, and every time I plant them they do their best to destroy them and make it look like an accident.<br /><div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-42250540449792543332008-07-29T15:57:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:26:41.973-08:00Slightly (or very) rattled<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5m0UZwTelO_igxWDm3cLfgm5rBxa_cS_N4bh82Nf55k3LSSetXklQCLBtcm8O5Trcp9z9myhvjOUyAOFtIzVRHMxl8pYdWTfc1JsPhEQEtQ-OFgPB3iknpu14RBQv9iMzJ6R/s1600-h/IMG_6630.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228574469712487106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5m0UZwTelO_igxWDm3cLfgm5rBxa_cS_N4bh82Nf55k3LSSetXklQCLBtcm8O5Trcp9z9myhvjOUyAOFtIzVRHMxl8pYdWTfc1JsPhEQEtQ-OFgPB3iknpu14RBQv9iMzJ6R/s400/IMG_6630.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is the full extent of the damage the 5.4 earthquake this morning did to my house. One fallen sippy cup. You'd think that was a pretty mild shake, wouldn't you? You'd be wrong.<br /><br />Of the things that I've encountered so far in this life there are only two that really, truly terrify me: flying and earthquakes. Both of them bring on near panic attacks and I simply cannot help it. I know that flying is safer than driving on the freeway, and I know that if you survive the initial earthquake you've made it, because it's not going to get any worse. Aftershocks get smaller, not bigger, no matter what the media hype wants you to think. But still. Before I fly it's good if I can get some Ambien and a Xanax and maybe some hard liquor, and before an earthquake.... maybe that's what gets me. There's no way to be ready for them.<br /><br />I was at my parents' house this morning (fairly close to the epicenter) when the earthquake hit, and it was a good thing I wasn't home alone with the boys. My mom grabbed Judah at the first small shake and headed for a doorway. As for me, all those drills in first grade paid off and I crawled for the dining room table and was under it by the time the really big jolt hit. Unfortunately, I act only on instinct and don't actually think what I'm doing, because I grabbed Micah by the arm to take him with me and ended up dragging him across the floor and possibly banging his head into the table leg. What a great mom, huh? The earthquake alone wouldn't have scared him, but my reaction totally undid him and he cried for a good long time.<br /><br />After the earthquake ended Judah asked if we could do it again. He loved it!Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-12275076581018609782008-07-18T14:43:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:26:42.096-08:00A shout out to Africa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa7ZRISjWVqArnca4ehQ9VRnvg3dgGJS4dZBUR1aOkxsatGe6S1e_xlQYzdrPKQ6MXTgwPYSh0j-6qgxRkj-ygOKFA9GBqDiRn7l3rF_78QUuCnbOGUm6dfyaf5gJ6mcR9Myx/s1600-h/IMG_6571.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224473301508050946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa7ZRISjWVqArnca4ehQ9VRnvg3dgGJS4dZBUR1aOkxsatGe6S1e_xlQYzdrPKQ6MXTgwPYSh0j-6qgxRkj-ygOKFA9GBqDiRn7l3rF_78QUuCnbOGUm6dfyaf5gJ6mcR9Myx/s400/IMG_6571.JPG" border="0" /></a> My dad is in Africa. I know, right? That was unexpected. But the trip makes sense, if you know my dad. It's missions trip with a group from my church, and they went to Liberia to help get African Bible College (ABC) up and running again after years of war shut it down. So they're doing stuff like painting and wiring and repairing, stuff my dad's super good at. He left earlier this week and is gone for two weeks.<br /><br />I took this picture hoping to send it to my dad in an email, but then bubbs went crazy and told me it was too big to send, and since I have no idea how to compress pictures I gave up and posted it here. It was harder to take this picture than expected, since I had to get Judah to take time out of his busy "plant-watering" schedule to stand still for a second. And by "plant-watering" I mean turning the backyard into a mud hole and getting soaked in the process. I tried to fight this at first, but quickly gave up. Clothes and kids are washable, thank the Lord! And hearing him talk to himself and laugh while he plays are too funny for words. Anyway, I told him Papa's in Africa and that that's very far away. He didn't understand, but sends his greetings all the same!<br /><div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-26138462268463314992008-07-12T10:02:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:26:42.615-08:00A little help, my artsy friends?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaK8iEuhlx3VeN5fGdGTnJdeLDA79NW6L5sf2S-vbqeAFsW_Jy23FX3Gc0_2shGx6NKHIQ6Ib45_9cK3ylaGxR5ZCIhlF4GZ6ScS8jqNNw_n5tIs4xGwlUih300ClQ2otqk6JM/s1600-h/IMG_6563.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222174785992344690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaK8iEuhlx3VeN5fGdGTnJdeLDA79NW6L5sf2S-vbqeAFsW_Jy23FX3Gc0_2shGx6NKHIQ6Ib45_9cK3ylaGxR5ZCIhlF4GZ6ScS8jqNNw_n5tIs4xGwlUih300ClQ2otqk6JM/s400/IMG_6563.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTIdui0pjU4pmcvywHpDy98ErT_Tka1uXP7CoTFrHOzUjIJxhANUQUaBw9WSkReVgZL08vEtYxj1-4kqCbUBsEfhRyqY0ZWPeKIxG4A85EPgZJ1FK-vo2CjE9Mi-8D2xWZmps/s1600-h/IMG_6561.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222174794497989490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTIdui0pjU4pmcvywHpDy98ErT_Tka1uXP7CoTFrHOzUjIJxhANUQUaBw9WSkReVgZL08vEtYxj1-4kqCbUBsEfhRyqY0ZWPeKIxG4A85EPgZJ1FK-vo2CjE9Mi-8D2xWZmps/s400/IMG_6561.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb5l72u5ZIXx8G-yrKN48Jd1D3mho6zotXxR-iD2lIWtLT3WWZGxHWQ3il-VkuZ6xTL9Dv2MrHoRra7ipWaUwN3HekPE9iEPiCp-WX7Zsa0wsfhnI2r78doWobHxI8pEKWNrK/s1600-h/IMG_6562.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222174798318709250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb5l72u5ZIXx8G-yrKN48Jd1D3mho6zotXxR-iD2lIWtLT3WWZGxHWQ3il-VkuZ6xTL9Dv2MrHoRra7ipWaUwN3HekPE9iEPiCp-WX7Zsa0wsfhnI2r78doWobHxI8pEKWNrK/s400/IMG_6562.JPG" border="0" /></a> So, I'm working on a project. I thought it would be pretty easy, but it turns out it's harder than I anticipated. For several reasons. I saw this idea in a magazine to go around and take pictures of the letters in your kids' names, then frame them for their walls. Sounds easy, right? Not if you're me, I guess. Here are my problems:<br /><br /><br /><br />1. Most letters are up high, and if I zoom in too much I won't be able to enlarge them enough to frame.<br /><br />2. The style I want is mostly extinct around here. Judah's room is vintage travel, so I'm looking for old Route 66 type stuff, like the "SH" and "WA" above. Micah's will be in black and white and I want kind of an old neon lights feel, like the "M" above. But this area has become so modernized that these cool old signs are all but gone. The few that I found were on Beach Boulevard and when I pulled in to the motel parking lot to take a picture of the M I was afraid I was about to be mugged for drug money by the "tenants" standing around.<br /><br />So, for those of you who are local, any suggestions on places to look?Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-28938683955373202012008-07-08T14:25:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:26:44.005-08:00A few of Judah's favorite things<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86__150xC5QuYlioHUZ6mhFDg_hqRGf-DRIGyhPUK3GdPrqu_Q3tZo-HClwWkNQvg59RZjeqLHy35cTBLaMdtYlesvyvTVknlF0ZtULUxPTwmBnP_giUpF2nfR4Zk_spoHhBT/s1600-h/IMG_6539.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220760077735753778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86__150xC5QuYlioHUZ6mhFDg_hqRGf-DRIGyhPUK3GdPrqu_Q3tZo-HClwWkNQvg59RZjeqLHy35cTBLaMdtYlesvyvTVknlF0ZtULUxPTwmBnP_giUpF2nfR4Zk_spoHhBT/s400/IMG_6539.JPG" border="0" /></a> It's been kind of a miserable day here at Casa de Cowell. I spent last night having nightmares that I can't remember now but which left me exhausted from the word go. Which, for Judah, was at 5:50 this morning. He woke up, his waking up woke Micah up (thankfully Micah went back to sleep), and that was how it started. I took this picture of Judah at 8:30. How tired does he look already? And yet he will not sleep later for love or money or jellybeans. Right after I took this picture he asked me to take a picture of his bench. So I did, and he thought that was funny, so for a while we walked around and I took pictures of whatever Jude told me to. It was pretty fun, a bright spot in a dull day. It was interesting for me to see what Judah deemed worthy of blog-preservation, I have no idea why he picked these things over some other toys that he plays with all the time. But that's a three-year-old for you, right?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA_WXN8I6jMPB5bLDLMWcF3D2wBztbh_CaycmYqU6Atsur68KDLVh9coLD0tAZ4u5SkoAbdwKv5QJAS0u51iqeO9Og9CzMo9prAxn2lQBcoYVRb9kyEVCU2V4Tc_jfbkSOZLz/s1600-h/IMG_6540.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220760090153711826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA_WXN8I6jMPB5bLDLMWcF3D2wBztbh_CaycmYqU6Atsur68KDLVh9coLD0tAZ4u5SkoAbdwKv5QJAS0u51iqeO9Og9CzMo9prAxn2lQBcoYVRb9kyEVCU2V4Tc_jfbkSOZLz/s400/IMG_6540.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hand-me-down toy storage bench from Rachel and Naomi. Judah mostly stands on it to reach the light switch above it (if I'd shot higher you'd see the dozens of dirty finger prints on the wall) and flip it on and off to throw light switch raves.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6GE4IAz_-O6Uvgp-v7bi-xrk2ezE9Np-buPPJGMS-_f7aGiY3CJWE_hNr8L8Zcv4tTF9S-HPupsOaRagB2KSr4N79DKjiqTTF6mLzeQShEGlTL5eQHTfn6meyPSzsExZs5ve/s1600-h/IMG_6541.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220760101955232802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6GE4IAz_-O6Uvgp-v7bi-xrk2ezE9Np-buPPJGMS-_f7aGiY3CJWE_hNr8L8Zcv4tTF9S-HPupsOaRagB2KSr4N79DKjiqTTF6mLzeQShEGlTL5eQHTfn6meyPSzsExZs5ve/s400/IMG_6541.JPG" border="0" /></a> The Cat. Otherwise known as Payasa (pie-YA-suh), or, as Judah says, Payasa (pie-yuh-SAW), like her name's Japanese and not Spanish.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt1mB705P4Kui_1tZyWttWbvnV9_-f_Ms5iz8NOHOiJ1K5_w5qm05kc6X5Dpv8L9zQGJmmJNj3EKHS59AoyGGDqFCfppCPG1BJ0ta2tOpzqgue4k7dOOi1fY1BJ7k-H7M3tcs/s1600-h/IMG_6542.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220760107193204178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt1mB705P4Kui_1tZyWttWbvnV9_-f_Ms5iz8NOHOiJ1K5_w5qm05kc6X5Dpv8L9zQGJmmJNj3EKHS59AoyGGDqFCfppCPG1BJ0ta2tOpzqgue4k7dOOi1fY1BJ7k-H7M3tcs/s400/IMG_6542.JPG" border="0" /></a> Soccer ball, or The Most Important Object In The World.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHcPOZ2P-rsDHag-ktcgCHd8okoKFHcBCbl28GF2PC7Kwi1P6LkaLP95-KBWl4R-0MIGgHVTjaDyrkU94SELZUW9T23I7YDtbfwtXwPCLxb2wv_8IqE8lczgeZKSfhmr5SbSt/s1600-h/IMG_6543.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220760119126217506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHcPOZ2P-rsDHag-ktcgCHd8okoKFHcBCbl28GF2PC7Kwi1P6LkaLP95-KBWl4R-0MIGgHVTjaDyrkU94SELZUW9T23I7YDtbfwtXwPCLxb2wv_8IqE8lczgeZKSfhmr5SbSt/s400/IMG_6543.JPG" border="0" /></a> The red Pottery Barn chair that Jude ignored for the first year and a half he owned it and now likes to turn over to make a "house."<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcU8VDDFdrh7SsWBQSrKd8Y6bSgMegXNNawhn1arglSi377TJfSNpOX3QIYV7RLlNwygUHhM_5EhLn3cGRIHk_3f6ODX5mlcpbRNqWefwtMarP8R5yIaEe7uOwSJ4cfqTsgYb/s1600-h/IMG_6544.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220759061191674498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcU8VDDFdrh7SsWBQSrKd8Y6bSgMegXNNawhn1arglSi377TJfSNpOX3QIYV7RLlNwygUHhM_5EhLn3cGRIHk_3f6ODX5mlcpbRNqWefwtMarP8R5yIaEe7uOwSJ4cfqTsgYb/s400/IMG_6544.JPG" border="0" /></a> Sunday School paper plate art. He's going through his Pollock period at the moment.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6KZVslatfwjQkQPZwaIt2dtpMf16WzAS2yd-UYLP7sWdo9ImB_QbSOT8OXxBO-L981UKT2gvuCkUjqzopFVfRivNguV_BJPGXMjdtowzNKIHa_1HViX25gbt8V9jP4JOBp_x/s1600-h/IMG_6545.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220759068567451746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6KZVslatfwjQkQPZwaIt2dtpMf16WzAS2yd-UYLP7sWdo9ImB_QbSOT8OXxBO-L981UKT2gvuCkUjqzopFVfRivNguV_BJPGXMjdtowzNKIHa_1HViX25gbt8V9jP4JOBp_x/s400/IMG_6545.JPG" border="0" /></a> CD. ???????????<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAY8wurcpM9Xm72wVdJlH8XVALBS0VsrMWihSdMVr7rISekSVp7iuVXSEGQa9E9cr6zJbwS7UB_ySdXw4LAhaYTEZq3cb7X6FI4ZWdr8_bS8RXG1cDeEstTthBW1psWMiRnXv/s1600-h/IMG_6546.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220759086784037650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAY8wurcpM9Xm72wVdJlH8XVALBS0VsrMWihSdMVr7rISekSVp7iuVXSEGQa9E9cr6zJbwS7UB_ySdXw4LAhaYTEZq3cb7X6FI4ZWdr8_bS8RXG1cDeEstTthBW1psWMiRnXv/s400/IMG_6546.JPG" border="0" /></a> Tractor toy from Cars. I have to admit, it's pretty clever, and I probably play with it more than Judah does.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4cEF8U9d59W1y_nMuoLbgtOX-pI56oR8-yHDngDb8zAwYucV3xdE4MV5DN2uVQMG3KkzquPpZ3-XOs9ONrqZlDqNtDxvmo_LQN75bbYx3c36zC9pfZc-3yiB4zJsyb_AkuZN/s1600-h/IMG_6547.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220759093484515554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4cEF8U9d59W1y_nMuoLbgtOX-pI56oR8-yHDngDb8zAwYucV3xdE4MV5DN2uVQMG3KkzquPpZ3-XOs9ONrqZlDqNtDxvmo_LQN75bbYx3c36zC9pfZc-3yiB4zJsyb_AkuZN/s400/IMG_6547.JPG" border="0" /></a> Noisiest Toy Ever Invented (thanks, mom and dad). I actually don't mind this toy, except when Judah gets fixated on the fire truck sound effect at 6:00 in the morning. The steering wheel is broken from that one time Jude threw it down the stairs.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1prz8OzbvT4zcpOSTVKn5N7Jh7Idk2O9SOUQE4tWCB4IDpnkfaOkOaKVh5BAvayz2wCZFq6ULbhTaQSb0E5K6x9153ZlFZfZZZPHaWPhIlWPFI4xcBzvOfuLYamwZFNPwBKb/s1600-h/IMG_6548.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220759110933234802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1prz8OzbvT4zcpOSTVKn5N7Jh7Idk2O9SOUQE4tWCB4IDpnkfaOkOaKVh5BAvayz2wCZFq6ULbhTaQSb0E5K6x9153ZlFZfZZZPHaWPhIlWPFI4xcBzvOfuLYamwZFNPwBKb/s400/IMG_6548.JPG" border="0" /></a> And Baby Tad. Technically, Micah's toy. Judah took it hostage and he and Nathan have a fairly disturbing dance they do when Judah presses Tad's foot and Tad says, "Let's Salsa!" Sometimes I join in, because I love the way it makes Judah fall over with laughter.</div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-73353149156025057482008-07-05T10:51:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:26:45.811-08:004th of July - again!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeKGoD3HVhvd6hyphenhyphenY6vZKvhQw4UgJdUbzse9a9LwNj9_jP7d7U4JjkisGow0sM7s0U4RoT_nYnBLpkSODfVCmpZxTO_84bxqkCKmUGhKDlOkh_XAktTgJdpyVbAL3F4ZXD4XwL/s1600-h/IMG_6483.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219594703445798210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeKGoD3HVhvd6hyphenhyphenY6vZKvhQw4UgJdUbzse9a9LwNj9_jP7d7U4JjkisGow0sM7s0U4RoT_nYnBLpkSODfVCmpZxTO_84bxqkCKmUGhKDlOkh_XAktTgJdpyVbAL3F4ZXD4XwL/s400/IMG_6483.JPG" border="0" /></a> Since I was too tired to write it all up last night, here we go! We spent the early part of yesterday relaxing by ourselves, sleeping in a little (well, not Judah who woke up at his usual 6:30, but Nathan and I slept a little more while Judah watched cartoons and Micah didn't wake up until 11:30 - I'm not even kidding) and going for lunch at Taco Bell. Because nothing says America like Americanized Mexican food, right? After naps we headed for La Habra Heights and Dave and Julie's house where we hung out with the whole clan. The picture above isn't complete: besides the Little and Cowell families, Jaysen and Jessica and Jenna and Jake Humes and Jess and Joyce De La Ossa were there, and it was so much fun! Check out <a href="http://www.socalhumes.blogspot.com/">Jenna's blog </a>for a picture of everyone together. Dave and Jess barbecued incredible carne asada, Joyce made refried beans to die for. Add in Spanish rice, fruit salad, homemade guacamole, vegies, and brownies and ice cream for dessert, and it was a perfect meal.<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyXbH92NIr2kMjQZj1f8BWpwwM4O19qaDKRPWZJ0lRTbe-GsB-RNegjirt2b1463S4mH5JP8BbBcZyXc1WBXsLgQvtaWZOcNwL-sbxNaethJfQXRJ4X44ojp9991it_wicRfF/s1600-h/IMG_6464.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219593768165371042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyXbH92NIr2kMjQZj1f8BWpwwM4O19qaDKRPWZJ0lRTbe-GsB-RNegjirt2b1463S4mH5JP8BbBcZyXc1WBXsLgQvtaWZOcNwL-sbxNaethJfQXRJ4X44ojp9991it_wicRfF/s400/IMG_6464.JPG" border="0" /></a> Before dinner all the kids ran around playing like crazy, spending a lot of time in the pool and on the slip and slide.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKQNvMtPIhRlzM0zV8aCrJqR0r4awXRfLBzxOUtvJficNOOdgwFsLvuHEzBRISRivUmUla54rdYO1d3AP_W6BQXtUF4GU_8QA_tKgmqSqIAOGe5_B8GbuTm0HrFPXe9qmKeDs/s1600-h/IMG_6468.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219593778005721906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKQNvMtPIhRlzM0zV8aCrJqR0r4awXRfLBzxOUtvJficNOOdgwFsLvuHEzBRISRivUmUla54rdYO1d3AP_W6BQXtUF4GU_8QA_tKgmqSqIAOGe5_B8GbuTm0HrFPXe9qmKeDs/s400/IMG_6468.JPG" border="0" /></a> Judah had been looking forward to playing baseball in Dave's backyard all day, and he and Nathan were out there for quite a while. When Judah went off to some other amusement I took a turn as pitcher while Nathan batted. Let's just say that I'm not Dodger material, so Nathan spent a lot of time jumping around, swinging the bat in all directions to hit my very erratic pitches. It looked a little like baseball ballet!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOFfun69r8TBVrBHinjIhigZyHXayAddOdv3QJMRoGVJC44aAIkEisp4II1LmZbdcKKqCYlQM4df9aEWjltlmN3LnWca7-k7L3ChKTtShK8fVXWcbldZUWl1nuYK2K_0TVDE5/s1600-h/IMG_6476.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219593780426550930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOFfun69r8TBVrBHinjIhigZyHXayAddOdv3QJMRoGVJC44aAIkEisp4II1LmZbdcKKqCYlQM4df9aEWjltlmN3LnWca7-k7L3ChKTtShK8fVXWcbldZUWl1nuYK2K_0TVDE5/s400/IMG_6476.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's the fam at dinner on the patio.......<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0R63N3Mj4X-MA5BOLoFRL0Gz9iBPs8cSb2gndOuBw57YbHQg3J5LRPdGuRqTMSHVuqmZLd1nJS5-49T3uGEu1yhMUv5ppqZVv5PkGe7Ju_nfZz98sF45jdyj5cL5mlhEuD3mP/s1600-h/IMG_6477.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219593786796194130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0R63N3Mj4X-MA5BOLoFRL0Gz9iBPs8cSb2gndOuBw57YbHQg3J5LRPdGuRqTMSHVuqmZLd1nJS5-49T3uGEu1yhMUv5ppqZVv5PkGe7Ju_nfZz98sF45jdyj5cL5mlhEuD3mP/s400/IMG_6477.JPG" border="0" /></a> And one of Dave's famous "eating" shots.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uCfCsBtEkG8ZaBcs8_-mTuXflEMOZVZdHZTtEXNNIKpf9mDVcFHLA1R65uJELJpNgzt8KLUWOGFah9-HNHx8492CE0_GkBnAZVGnqegJV4w3SGB6lGdRgUDTIFuKOcmoC6oe/s1600-h/IMG_6493.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219592428798701682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uCfCsBtEkG8ZaBcs8_-mTuXflEMOZVZdHZTtEXNNIKpf9mDVcFHLA1R65uJELJpNgzt8KLUWOGFah9-HNHx8492CE0_GkBnAZVGnqegJV4w3SGB6lGdRgUDTIFuKOcmoC6oe/s400/IMG_6493.JPG" border="0" /></a> After dinner the four of us left to meet up with the Cowell and Stokes families at a park in Yorba Linda for more food and fireworks. We loaded Judah up with glow sticks so we could see him more easily if he ran off. He loved them and used a couple of them as drum sticks. But the real trick to finding your child in this crowd was to NOT dress him in a red shirt. Seriously, it seemed like every boy there was wearing a red shirt and denim shorts and had blond hair. Next year Judah will wear bright yellow or something.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N5RNDIpyMD6tXPfiJPZqsjVCjo7NY8cnW5NvtZkj9aixrq0QsL-3IJwhqhTTGF-gRTmM9V0HLN4vCetBo2O4qYTloEvPvfRjjczayIHkeSoGNH_mcw1Yv_cps8yqhhg_E2sx/s1600-h/IMG_6498.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219592432269438354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N5RNDIpyMD6tXPfiJPZqsjVCjo7NY8cnW5NvtZkj9aixrq0QsL-3IJwhqhTTGF-gRTmM9V0HLN4vCetBo2O4qYTloEvPvfRjjczayIHkeSoGNH_mcw1Yv_cps8yqhhg_E2sx/s400/IMG_6498.JPG" border="0" /></a> Micah had a great time being hauled around by Rachel and Naomi and playing with them on the blankets. He liked the glow sticks too. He liked to chew on them.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DeDwMglxKnGBGn_ViTlIco5FCge3zRm43W-Ix4K7sOgjZH9LjHADBgQ1KL9raEd9cPjC9_TJvPcK5zUmZUuo2Yvo0k94tSf4h49Vw0d2egZ0blK0fBSPTVUVh6n5UZV05VwW/s1600-h/IMG_6510.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219592435394679090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DeDwMglxKnGBGn_ViTlIco5FCge3zRm43W-Ix4K7sOgjZH9LjHADBgQ1KL9raEd9cPjC9_TJvPcK5zUmZUuo2Yvo0k94tSf4h49Vw0d2egZ0blK0fBSPTVUVh6n5UZV05VwW/s400/IMG_6510.JPG" border="0" /></a> We managed to get one shot of just our family. It's not a great one, but it's the best we could hope for at the end of a long day. At least no one's screaming.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUWB4REV0drufODf15aysXj6yyyM9ie4n-en0sq8HiQZVZ6koFftcNKVKGPR1LKO9SoUPK5GmZko9dSgXTQRNuBH5OvSZgSdP2wYNGiSeYbUrADsEfPd-BnPRufdgry46wqx0/s1600-h/IMG_6528.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219592445028326850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUWB4REV0drufODf15aysXj6yyyM9ie4n-en0sq8HiQZVZ6koFftcNKVKGPR1LKO9SoUPK5GmZko9dSgXTQRNuBH5OvSZgSdP2wYNGiSeYbUrADsEfPd-BnPRufdgry46wqx0/s400/IMG_6528.JPG" border="0" /></a> Judah is traditionally terrified of fireworks. And by terrified I mean shaking, sweating, screaming panic. This year we borrowed some of Ken's "ears" that he uses when he's working with loud machines. Judah's worn them before, to a monster truck rally, and now he kind of thinks they're magic. We hyped up the fireworks for days beforehand, gave him some ears, and hoped for the best. They totally did the trick. He was still a little afraid at first, but a few minutes in he was super excited, though he remained cuddled very close to Nathan. Micah did great, sitting in my lap, sucking his thumb (WAY past bedtime at that point), and watching, wide-eyed. At one point he took his thumb out of his mouth to laugh at all the light and noise. So cute.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlX5Ib9RI_ALdnRvb0KtHrtx4BO7ip7Sv-0J3JONyJ2SsBEgouLMJBg_8RHmtfjiK1oLrDGsqaucaVpLE_YNS2d23_oJoBKH6mU4LFn6VwiInHjhfGlaaBYSgC4wmIHdmwaY5/s1600-h/IMG_6534.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219592454440579938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlX5Ib9RI_ALdnRvb0KtHrtx4BO7ip7Sv-0J3JONyJ2SsBEgouLMJBg_8RHmtfjiK1oLrDGsqaucaVpLE_YNS2d23_oJoBKH6mU4LFn6VwiInHjhfGlaaBYSgC4wmIHdmwaY5/s400/IMG_6534.JPG" border="0" /></a> And one last firework shot. What a perfect end to a perfect day!</div></div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-36329648676495301902008-07-04T23:20:00.001-07:002008-12-09T00:26:45.922-08:00Happy 4th of July!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6YZf0NULUaoNG7CZ-VLwuxJeP9csclFTW-5lskT2C78zluFMKIQ6rLsbBgQdwqv73kISluDTKdCreMSPgPhyphenhyphenpL6bRr5oaqdEqDBU-0-zLYBEAeOmceo5sW3_eimTeByEyLNt/s1600-h/IMG_6518.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219411553197433170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6YZf0NULUaoNG7CZ-VLwuxJeP9csclFTW-5lskT2C78zluFMKIQ6rLsbBgQdwqv73kISluDTKdCreMSPgPhyphenhyphenpL6bRr5oaqdEqDBU-0-zLYBEAeOmceo5sW3_eimTeByEyLNt/s400/IMG_6518.JPG" border="0" /></a> I love the 4th of July. It's one of my very favorite holidays: great food, family together, totally relaxed atmosphere, and lots and lots of tradition. But not stuffy tradition! It's all fun tradition, like baseball and cheesy music and FIREWORKS!! It's the one day you can wear totally, unapologetically kitschy clothes and get away with it. Got a skirt made of denim and bandanas? Wear it. A sequined Uncle Sam hat? A quilted red, white and blue vest you've had since 1968? I love it. And so does everyone else! And did I mention there are fireworks? I love fireworks. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that they make me tear up sometimes, especially when they play that really bluesy Ray Charles version of America the Beautiful in the background.<br /><br />I'll post more pics and stories tomorrow, but for now I'm off to bed. I'm beat! Happy 4th, everyone! I know it's cliche, but appreciate your freedoms today.<br /><div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6753376.post-42853077202589086532008-07-04T22:41:00.000-07:002008-12-09T00:26:58.352-08:00Models in the making<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFMRpxF7kjS-xH7vTgH6AKbqdJlq3UdBpb2DwfzeWONsqOYence1__agTkoRgDAObNsH207whUq4jcskQB8i00WbtGIDqe4ZX6mBnVdR35Fq_et6qAWnHg7yp6BLuOaGrU2sy/s1600-h/IMG_2685.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219404846649732354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFMRpxF7kjS-xH7vTgH6AKbqdJlq3UdBpb2DwfzeWONsqOYence1__agTkoRgDAObNsH207whUq4jcskQB8i00WbtGIDqe4ZX6mBnVdR35Fq_et6qAWnHg7yp6BLuOaGrU2sy/s400/IMG_2685.JPG" border="0" /></a> Two of my sisters-in-law, Ashlee and Heather, are collaborating on opening an <a href="http://www.moobabies.etsy.com/">Etsy shop</a>. It's very exciting! Heather recently rediscovered her love of sewing and immediately started making the most adorable dresses for little girls, and Ashlee is making really really cute matching hair bows. It's fun to watch this project develop, and yesterday I got to be a part of it. We met up at Ashlee's parents' house and turned Eszter and Sophia into models. I got to be the photographer, and it was so much fun! They were naturals. :) Here are a few of the shots from the day. There were a lot more cute ones, but they wound up on Ashlee's camera since my battery died halfway through. <br /><br />Anyway, check out the store for the rest of the clothes. They make me want to have a girl SO BAD!!!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3axi6b0cTqOi0rbXDTAPzGNYKZ-YwvF2HOFofKLH0XcawI02bpFgQVxTZ66RcfcDC-63nrOOMhozG_lo8xz1oKqz6ybH13bKdP4F__yIXb4CrNI9iyG7OZGLeVZdiV4T0xsY/s1600-h/IMG_2694.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219403961864921522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3axi6b0cTqOi0rbXDTAPzGNYKZ-YwvF2HOFofKLH0XcawI02bpFgQVxTZ66RcfcDC-63nrOOMhozG_lo8xz1oKqz6ybH13bKdP4F__yIXb4CrNI9iyG7OZGLeVZdiV4T0xsY/s400/IMG_2694.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlQ96yBm8SbcLp-Ma5pqQp1uQeaw7-ZAuH9sPVG9d2pFObQIgu_GTREpID0322ThmOP-0wB6ctuMOllJINyHbA8UjrId4Pr6L0DS4YrF7yZfmz0WT-qOBWI_nKqADWNku5nOx/s1600-h/IMG_2702.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219403147031056818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlQ96yBm8SbcLp-Ma5pqQp1uQeaw7-ZAuH9sPVG9d2pFObQIgu_GTREpID0322ThmOP-0wB6ctuMOllJINyHbA8UjrId4Pr6L0DS4YrF7yZfmz0WT-qOBWI_nKqADWNku5nOx/s400/IMG_2702.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuRec6u5Go7vfoWhzOpOhE1AzXYOljOhGJ1GvbhbBxHwu9fJvtqz9VJijoF6F5Fj38RU8NeexiLtr5VqGC5tr3qjJfcvN_wVkcspAk3T2XT9pM8O5XOsg4vUdHxJbLxrfhm1t/s1600-h/IMG_2706.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219402487485710690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuRec6u5Go7vfoWhzOpOhE1AzXYOljOhGJ1GvbhbBxHwu9fJvtqz9VJijoF6F5Fj38RU8NeexiLtr5VqGC5tr3qjJfcvN_wVkcspAk3T2XT9pM8O5XOsg4vUdHxJbLxrfhm1t/s400/IMG_2706.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqu5ekFtiXfyLC-HP7bymp6e_Tb2k2xNgI8FaVgGkTg_Uz-r6jqeiYEL2UJ9mHhuI9DAw5C8aaBSIv6jxMhyphenhyphenlE4mHcKNFsuz5emdbLOPD0ghsXUx1L1qh-9aD4PlK-iYzrQbx1/s1600-h/IMG_2712.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219401813820624306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqu5ekFtiXfyLC-HP7bymp6e_Tb2k2xNgI8FaVgGkTg_Uz-r6jqeiYEL2UJ9mHhuI9DAw5C8aaBSIv6jxMhyphenhyphenlE4mHcKNFsuz5emdbLOPD0ghsXUx1L1qh-9aD4PlK-iYzrQbx1/s400/IMG_2712.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00042740737345662954noreply@blogger.com0