REWIND: Christmas

Christmas Day - Check out Olivia's face, wondering once again how she ended up in this family...

Christmas Eve Service - We recycled the Flower Girl dresses fro Jess's wedding!

Traditional reading of the Christmas Story. Sophia was really engaged this year.

Family Portrait by the Christmas tree. Why do my pictures always look so posed? Why can't they be more organic?:)

Sophia pretending she is an only child.

Encore

  It snowed again this past weekend so I was able to get the pictures I had always dreamed of...

I think Foo might be more of a beach girl...

Better Late than Never...

Buela came to town today, sled in tow. She and Sophia found the last few patches of snow to play in and took a few thrill rides down a hill behind Braxton Court...

The Foo

"Olivia, You look like you are 32 years old." - Bryce

Olivia (aka Foo) has always had a maturity about her. Perhaps its the hair, or the style, or her sophisticated use of language...But she did turn 15 months yesterday - she's not getting any younger...

Her Own Woman

Recently, Sophia attended a birthday party where all the guests had been encouraged to dress as princesses. She refused and wanted to wear her pajamas. I refused. Somehow we compromised on a hand-me-down-shirt that says "I love my dog" and sweat pants. When  I came to pick her up  I discovered that she had removed her pants halfway through the party and was simply wearing the dog shirt and her two pairs of underwear -this is the one item she insists on layering. In my dark moments I am that parent embarrassed of their tragically dressed child. In my better moments I am proud and hope that this same independent spirit will allow her to blaze all her own trails, and perhaps one day win a Nobel Peace Prize for liberating oppressed princesses everywhere...

Snow Days

So this is the point where you should scroll down and see pictures of my children playing in the snow. Sorry,  I will have to create a word picture. Travis was gone on a ski trip when WINTER STORM '10 descended. I was left to defend my home, swaddle the girls in snow gear and take them frolicking. Olivia took one look at her snow pants and burst into tears. Who could blame her? She screamed throughout the 20 minute dressing process and then continued to cry as I dressed Sophia  and carried both of them outside. At which point I place Olivia on the ground and she face plants it in the snow. Six minutes later we trudged back inside and returned to our pajamas. Somehow I missed taking a picture of this fun. So below are scenic pictures of the neighborhood. I considered just laying out the girls outfits and taking pictures of them because they really were cute but then I thought maybe that was just a bit odd and hardly the same effect.

 Braxton Court. Many of my neighbors have alliances with each other which involve shoveling each others sidewalks.  Apparently we have  some relational work to do...

Town Square

Village School

The Journey Begins

Years ago I stood in the hair care aisle at Target with my friend, and personal life guru, Suzanne.  "What is it Suz?" I asked. "What is it about the hair products that we are so drawn to?" Suz's response? With a sigh, she stated: "It's like hope. In a bottle."

Below, you see Sophia, beginning her own pilgrimage with exuberance. The product of choice? Spray Detangler. We all start somewhere. Unfortunately she has yet to learn that first lesson of product use: less is more and more is matted.