It All Began Innocently Enough...

... A few months ago a friend of mine mentioned having read a book she thought was original and interesting. She said I ought to pick up a copy--if I didn't mind reading something that was intended for "young adults." Well, I loved the Harry Potter series so I had no issue with that. However, it's not easy to find the time to read anything these days so I kind of forgot about her recommendation.  Then I decided to take a short, solo trip to California. The day before I left I was doing a little Christmas shopping at Target and the book caught my eye. It was part of a big display because the movie version had recently been released. Anyhow, I thought to buy it so I would have something...

Read More

Visiting Grandma Purse

I made an impromptu visit to California earlier this week. Greg and I had decided not to trek the family down for the Christmas holiday and I really wanted to see my Grandma. I was grateful to leave my girlies at home with Lulu and Daddy so I could focus on the time I had to spend with my Gram. I flew into Sacramento on Monday evening and raced from the airport to Taro's in my tiny rental car to meet my girlfriend's for dinner. Staci, Janelle, Judy, Betsy, and Anne were able to make it. The sushi was great--the company was terrific! I spent the night at Staci's and had a quick breakfast (thanks Rusty!) with the Bills Family--then it was an hour drive to Manteca to see Gram. Thankfully,...

Read More

Waking to a Winter Wonderland

We awoke to the first snowfall of the season this beautiful Sunday morning!We experienced a few snow "flurries" this past spring... but nothing like this... it's wonderful (but probably only thing so because I haven't had to drive anywhere yet).To kick off the celebration, I made "snow waffles" for breakfast (aka: toasted Eggos with jam and powdered sugar).The snowflakes falling outside were so big. It's cold enough too (28 degrees) for the snow to stick so we're currently enjoying about 3 inches.The little ladies sat in the windows and watched it snow while they patiently (well, not so patiently) waited for Momma, Daddy, and Lulu to have some coffee and get geared up for the chilly weather...

Read More

Me Too!

Not to be outdone by her sister--you HAVE seen Geneva sing Christmas Carols (by clicking the link on the upper right side of my blog)?--Avery decided to do her own vocal performance. It's a medley of songs you might recognize (if you really use your imagination).Enj...

Read More

And the Winners Are...

Not too long ago I had a little contest to see who could help me solve the "Cuddlebug Mystery." Unfortunately, for many of you... you did not bother to play along. However, there were a couple fun ladies who did play and I made both of them winners! Miss Lia won a set of these cards (on their way to you as we speak): And Miss Amanda won these (also on their way to you): xx...

Read More

Things I Love Thursday

Christmastime--once I feel that it's here.Cold (dry) Oregon Decembers.When my children appreciate and enjoy their breakfast:Getting back into my routine at the gym and actually enjoying it.Being liberated from my own expectations regarding holiday cards--no, you're getting one--be ok with that; I am.Walking into Lulu's room and finding Avery pretending to be Lulu:Living with royalty:The smell of December: pine needles, cinnamon, baked goods, rain, coffee, fireplaces... Looking at all of our random, mismatched, funky ornaments and taking a moment now and then to recall the memories that are attached to each one. Where did it come from? Who gave it to us or who made it for us? What was our...

Read More

Tree Hunt

We spent 30 minutes getting ready to leave the house on our Christmas Tree Hunting Adventure Saturday morning; then drove 3 minutes down the street to one of the many tree farms near our house. (Geneva and Daddy getting ready to start looking.) If you look closely, you'll see someone dressed herself. Grandma Lulu came to help us search--there were so many beautiful trees! (And so many stumps to trip over too.) We finally found this gorgeous one...  ... took a quick family picture... ... and made our selection "final." The tree looks a lot bigger in the house (duh) and we were lucky it fit perfectly. Next, we set about decorating the house a bit. We introduced...

Read More