Making Gingerbread (Graham Cracker) Houses

To Find A Christmas Tree

We drove to a nearby tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree today.  It is a tradition that we keep every year on the day after Thanksgiving.  



It was beautiful out there, but it sure was cold!  We chose our tree quickly and hurried back inside to warm up!

Boxes of Love

 Here's Life Inner Cities' annual Thanksgiving Boxes of Love were packed by volunteers at the Here's Life warehouse a few days before Thanksgiving and distributed by local urban churches to people in their neighborhoods.

First Snowfall

 

This is the scene we woke up to outside our window on Saturday, November 13th.  The kids were giddy with delight and couldn't wait to get out and play in the snow! And play in the snow they did.  For hours!  They finally came in, warmed up and went back out for round two.

I admit that I do love the snow, from November through February, that is.  If only it melted away in March and we could enjoy a warm spring...but usually winter drags on and on until sometime in April.  And by then I am pretty sick of winter and snow!

So, for now, I say, "Welcome, Winter!"   (Just don't stay too long!)

Walls!

After many months of stop and start work on the basement, the walls are finally up and they are painted!  Whew!  It is a relief to have actual WALLS down there!  We still have to put up baseboards and trim around the windows, but having walls is a huge step and we are glad to be this far along.  Home improvements seem to take much longer than anticipated!! 

Brunch Date

The kids were at school and my husband had the day off, so we went to a fun bakery/cafe for brunch and then walked downtown.  We had so much fun talking, laughing and just being together.  I know this is a bit blurry, but it captures the memory of our fun date and makes me smile.

Last Warm Days of Fall

Pepper

Pepper is my daughter's guinea pig. He was given to us by a neighbor because their other guinea pig and Pepper did not get along.   I didn't really want a guinea pig,  but my daughter was in love with him, so Pepper came to live with us. I did not know that guinea pigs are sweet, social and cuddly, and that they make the cutest sounds when they are happy! So, now we all love Pepper. What a fun surprise gift he has been to our family!

A Look Back At Summer

Two of my favorite people enjoying summer...

Mom

I am so thankful that my mom could come for a visit!  She has braved the unusually cold and windy weather we have been having in what is typically a beautiful and mild month in terms of the weather.  I'm sure she misses her warm Arizona home, but I am SO GLAD she came!  We all love her so much and wish she lived closer!

Fall

Wow, it is already autumn and the leaves have mostly all turned colors by now!  This shot is of Kate and her friend Elli jumping on the trampoline at their piano teacher's house.  Kate's lesson is right after Elli's, so they often have a little time to play afterward while their moms visit.  Even though this image is blurry, it makes me smile. :-)

First Day Of School 2010

He was up early to catch the bus for his first day of middle school!

This was her first day ever to actually go to school, since she had been homeschooled from  Kindergarten through fourth grade.  She was pretty excited!

Both kids are enjoying school and adjusting to their new schedules pretty well.  It was a bit of a shock for all of us to have to get up and get going so much earlier than we did last year.  (The middle school starts an hour earlier than the elementary school.)  After a pretty relaxing summer, the plunge back into a structured schedule was a bit of jolt, but we are all getting into the swing of things! :-)

Braces!

A Few More Wedding Pics

Bridal Beauty

Wedding Day!

I had the privilege of helping my friend, Claudia, shoot a wedding last Saturday. What an experience that was!  A wedding day moves very quickly from one thing to the next.  There is not much time to set things up perfectly, but you have to get  the shot and you only have one chance to get it before moving on to the next thing.  It's like riding a bullet train!  Whew!  But it was a fun challenge and this young couple and their families are just wonderful. This is the beautiful bride getting ready for her big day.  More to come...

Monet

I captured this image on the 2010 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk about a week ago.  It was a lot of fun!  I think this photo kind of looks like an impressionistic painting. :-)

I can't seem to figure out how to add this button to the side, so I guess I'll just post it here

Determination

Summer Soccer

Two Together

Happy Independence Day!

 

A Few More Engagement Pics

More Engagement Images