I Am From. . . .

This journaling poem of sorts was copied from a friend's blog.
I found it to be very thought-provoking. . . .


I am from a big small town of fried chicken, Top Ramen, and grilled cheese.


I am from the big first home that my daddy built, with a big yard; to the tiny city house with a postage stamp-sized yard, where we became a close family.


I am from the Evergreen tree and rhodedendron bush, to the salty ocean air and breeze.


I am from Sunday School, Lifesaver candies, Certs, humor, and hard work, from Grandpa Ward, and my parents, and many aunts and uncles too!


I am from the God loving and revering, loving, stubborn, born leaders, quick-witted, good with crafts, organized, generous, family-driven Tom and Debby.


From "because I said so" and "wait until your father gets home" and "clean your plate--there's starving children in Africa."


I am from a Christian home, saved by the grace of God, raised in church, sheltered and discipled in a Christian school, given a good Biblical foundation in which to be a light in this world and to teach my children.


I'm from sunny California, born into a blessed family of about 60, from fresh baked bread and apple pies, crispy, golden, holiday turkey, and creamy silk chocolate pie.


From the hard-working mother who taught me how to keep house, to sew, and make a happy family, and the family-man father who taught me to learn everything I can, work first and play later, how to garden, keep the yard, and keep my sense of humor.


I am from a house filled with family photos old and new, big photo albums and boxes somewhat dis-organized but fantastic at telling the stories, a giant antique Bible on the coffee table, lots of collectibles that tell of things we love and wish for, and file boxes of old school papers and projects that are treasures to this day, that have taught me that to treasure these little things.

I Never Thought I Would Say. . . .

I've been jotting down a few things I catch myself saying that I myself cannot believe. With three children I guess I was bound to say these things at some point:

"Please don't throw the horse head down the stairs."

"Will you please let your sister out of the refridgerator."

"Um, you really need to stop riding your brother. He's not a horse. Ok or a bull. Whatever."

"Hey! Get your head out of the toilet!"

You know you have also said some PRETTY wierd things to your kids, once you stop and listen to what just came out of your mouth. Share some of yours with me!

Christmas Vacation

I don't care what you say, my kids are the CUTEST kids God has ever created!

The popsicle gang in Palm Springs in Mimi's pool :)

Peanut jumping with daddy!

Oh yeah baby! Princess can swim and jump with the best of 'em!

Of course the man can do that too! WITHOUT water wings!

Christmas Vacation is not only our FAVORITEST movie of all times but really our most treasured time of the year. We have always taken a vacation, it's usually a sunny local, it's packed full of memories, and me and my hubby's favorite holiday (New Years) is so much fun!

We loaded up the family wagon and headed south like birds, with a babysitter and the Jacob's clan to Palm Springs sunshine. The drive was even fun....blessings to my hubby who's patience astounds me day by day. Our kids travel like seasoned rock stars on tour, my hubby takes no notice of the car-chaos, and I praise the Lord we were able to have our babysitter come on this trip with us. THANK YOU KALIE!

7 days of 70-ish degrees, sunshine, pool in the backyard, and no-where to go. The kids' fav was the pool, I was so relaxed with help from Kalie with 3 kids in a pool at the same time, no accidents, good shopping, warm sunshine, family, friends.........Livin' the good life.

Then we came home. Now I'm not disrespecting my home. Don't get me wrong, I love Washington. Even the rain. But for the 1st time in my ~-a-hhhhemm ~ 34 year old life I GET IT. I get the need for sunshine. I get the reason so many people move to the sunny states. The sunshine draws me out of bed. Makes me want to get up and move and exercise and get out of bed. It made me happy. I get it finally.

Dear Mom & Dad ~

I won't be upset if you move back to Arizona or somewhere warm. I GET IT.

Sorry it took me so long.

I will just visit A LOT so get a big house :)

LOVE YOU!

Kristina

4th week of Christmas

Let is snow let it snow let it snow! More snow! I cannot remember when we had this much snow around here. Now for those of you who are used to plenty of the beautiful white stuff, 6.5 inches is nothing, but us western Washintonians are NOT used to this. It snowed and stuck, froze, snowed, stuck, froze.... Super fun really. I also don't remember having this much fun in the snow since I was little growing up in Spokane..... ah the memories!

We live down a sloping road, which made for a fabulous sled run. Not fun for driving up and down, and we didn't get our milk or packages because of it, but GREAT sledding!

I whipped out some Christmas cards in my procratinating fashion with some fabulous scrap supplies that have been winking at me for oooohhh about a year now (I bought them last Christmas for our cards which never were made....50 photos printed from Costco but never sent....). I must say, they turned out really cute ;) The inside, which I forgot to photograph but do have a copy of for the book, is a mini newsletter with another 6 random photos of the fam. Man do I have cute kids! LOL

Christmas was wonderful. Christmas eve with J's family for breakfast, gifts, naps, dinner, more family, more gifts. Christmas day at our house with my fam. More gifts, special to me because my parent were with us this year, and great food (home-raised prime rib....you betcha baby!)

Hope your Christmas was very merry.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Thank you for your gift!

3rd Week of Christmas

Snow friends!

Me and the girls sledding...the view from the back....

Our country snowman

Our country snowman 2 hours later

Fun with friends having dinner and making snowman cupcakes
WAY more marshmellows and candies got eaten than onto a cupcake!


Not exciting to you, I know, I'm sorry. But really I'm cataloguing it for my brain and for the future scrapping I need to do!

Dec. 15th~
2 hours late to school by choice because of icy roads
Dec. 16th~
The Lord answered my prayers and MOPS is on! The theme was "The Lost & Found". Our pastor's wife, Virginia Tiefenthaler spoke on the gift of Forgiveness. She was talking to me and I cried the whole day long. Great message! Thank you Lord for speaking to me today.
Dec. 17th~
School cancelled. Shopping errands with the kids. Pumpkin broke out in hives on his face, went to doctors, got a shot. Ouch. AWANA cancelled.
Dec. 18th~
School cancelled although I had snowflake popcorn snacks ready! Made pancakes shaped with cookie cutters and snowed with powdered sugar and whip cream! Sledding and made a big country snowman. Jacob's came over for dinner and snowmen cupcakes!
Dec. 19th~
Cancelled everything. More snow! More sledding!
Dec. 20th~
More snow! More sledding! Dick drove the "chair lift" taking all the kids to the top of the hill over and over, while Hubby and I sipped hot tatties (sp?) with the neighbors. LOL
Dec. 21st~
Hubby off to the Seahawks game. Good luck driving! Off to the mall with the kiddos. Dinner at the new Ram. TONS OF SNOW!

I just don't remember this much snow here ever before. I'm taking lots of photos....

2nd Week of Christmas

I guess I should title it "Week of December" but anyways. . . .

Dec. 8th~
School 2 hours late by our choice because of icy roads
Dec. 9th~
MOPS Leadership meeting. We played a hilarious Christmas carol pictionary game. I LOVE games
Dec. 10th~
Preschool and nothing exciting....
Dec. 11th~
School, preschool, Pumpkin's Christmas program, then Dairy Queen of course!
Dec. 12th~
Daddy and pumpkin off for a hunting trip (skipping school)
Dec. 13th~
Peanut to grandma's, Princess and I to the Nutcracker Ballet at the Pantages Theater with friends. Then home to meet the babysitter and off with Kelsy to the Olive Garden and to see "4 Christmas." (hilarious)
Dec. 14th~
Church with the girls, baked molasses cookies and snowballs, daddy and pumpkin made it home safely through the thick snow and ice from Eastern Washington, annual family cookie exchange at grandma's

First Week of Christmas

I thought about how much we do in the month of December (and the last week of November) and how interesting it would be to document it all. Just for fun, ya know. Ok really because I have THE worst memory on the planet. My sister once gave me a magnet that says "If it's not in the scrapbook, it didn't happen." That just spells it out for me....

So here it is, our December in a nutshell (is it just me or when you say that phrase do you also think of Mike Meyers saying it too?). . . .

Dec. 1st ~
Mother in law's birthday, payroll at the office, errands, and preparing & setting up for MOPS
Dec. 2nd ~
Preschool, MOPS....The theme was "The Hobby Hall" and we did a Christmas frame craft, purchase Christmas tree
Dec. 3rd ~
Preschool, shopping, errands, begin decorating the house
Dec. 4th ~
Bible study, preschool, keep decorating the house
Dec. 5th ~
Work day, Zoo Lights with grandpa & grandma, Frisco Freeze dinner!
Dec. 6th ~
Put up tree, finish decorating, Christmas parade, pizza & late night games with friends
Dec. 7th ~
Seahawks game (we went down onto the field through kickoff), shopping