...from the movie I didn't understand, I DID understand this:

A while back, when it was the cool thing to do...

I went to see a movie that I didn't know anything about.

You know the one.

(now, put your gun away and resist the urge to shoot me)

I never did read the book
(despite having bought it AND considered doing such).

I was (to be sure) in the minority.

All good sense said to read it, especially since:

1.) everyone on the good green earth was raving about it

2.) the blessed author was from my own state

3.) and shared my religion...
4.) I had all kinds of free time back then before we packed up and moved our family 3 states away.

Well, I still never read it, but I DID see the movie because, well...like I said, it was the really cool thing to do.

It was 120 minutes of confusion, yes.
But I DID remember having the thought during
Mr. Vampire's cold-fingered piano solo
that it was, indeed, a beautiful song and that I should seek it out when this whole ordeal of watching the movie was over.

I had forgotten about it until today (I know, shocking that my lightening sharp memory failed me this one time) at a blinking stoplight by the grain silo. (or maybe it was a potato silo?)

Nevertheless, I did some web surfin' this afternoon and spent the rest of the day

tinkering on my ivories to learn it.

While a little somber, it's really quite enjoyable, and fairly easy to pick up.

I may not understand blood-sucking, but can sniff out a good piano solo now and then.

as an aside... and with all due respect to the most-talented author, I did enjoy the story/movie. It was fun to be with new friends and laugh at typical high school students being dorky. I guess I may have to read the second one now, if I want to know what could possibly happen to the vampire's girlfriend. What was her name again?

The Christmas Post, and stuff...

Our first Twin Falls Christmas was indeed very Idaho.
Regardless of the fact that they haven't seen this much snow here in ten years...
we soaked it all in
to our boots, socks, hats, gloves, etc...

It was great fun to have Grandma here this year, as well as Brian and Bobbie on Christmas Eve. In a couple short hours with them we managed to
devour the Cafe Rio salad,
trim Mom's hair,
talk photography
and open a present or two.
We try to be efficient.

Brian brought a new (used) lens (!!) which was for me from Doug, even if Doug didn't know about it at the time. ;-) Husbands such as mine are so grateful they don't have to mess with Christmas shopping.

We participated in the traditional theatrical nativity production, with costume design, direction and narration all provided by Bret and Tate.

After waking (!?!?) our children on Christmas morning, we enjoyed watching the kids open presents while grounding cereal and candy canes into the carpet.

Then, inevitable...they bundled up for some snow fun.

The boys and Doug made a snow fort/barricade which was used in the ensuing
father-initiated snowball fight.

It ended just as I predicted it would; Children with snow in their faces, crying.

It didn't, however, stop them all from going back and doing it again. It ended the same way the second time.

It was all soon remedied when I provided them all with
homemade hot chocolate.

And let me just say....this is the best hot chocolate ever.

Later, before heading over to our neighbor's house for Christmas Dinner and Rock Band (another lovely Christmas duet), I attempted to document the day (and the new Christmas Dresses made by Grandma) by taking a family picture, utilizing an extra set of hands to shoot it.

It was a rather hysterical sequence of events,

resulting in a lot that turned out like this:
(click for larger)

and then I settled for this one.

Now if we can finish our talks for church tomorrow and get that overwith, we can
enjoy the rest of the break!

Greetings...

Merry Christmas
from our snowy corner of the world!

We're hunkered down waiting for our children to wake up.

!?!?!?

I posted this last year too, but had to again. It's just the perfect Christmas Duet.

High Fives for the Uno Queen

Brace yourself. Abby turned five today.

Hallelujah for that since she's been asking everyday for about 45 when it's coming.

She partook of the traditional sibling-prepared waffles with the lefftover "harvest candle" because her mother is a loser.

Then she spent the day baking cookies, shopping for presents, asking when her party was happening, and so forth.
Thank you, Grandma, for arriving just in time to help do the entertaining on such a day as this.

Upon the glorious entry of our father, we trudged off (quite literally) in the record-breaking snowfall to a fun pizza place of her choosing.

She's the Uno Queen around here and is always winning, so we thought it fitting that we up the stakes a little and get her a harder version.

This version is actually really fun, and challenging too!

(yes, we ripped it open as soon as we got home, after putting down some cake and ice cream with the neighbors, and our Grandma!)

She wanted a booster seat at the restaurant. (She has a fettish for such.)
Doug allowed it this last time, but insisted that now, since she is five, would need to abandon the urge to ask for one.

Yikes!!
It's rough growing up.
Welcome to the big leagues Abby!

Sugar n' Spice and Snowmen. How nice!

I'm SO reconnecting with being in the kitchen since having moved here.

There's something heart-warming about being in there, amidst the falling snow and my two year-old running in and out that reminds me of, oh... Wymount Terrace or something.

I feel like that mom again, and kind of just love it.


I spent Wednesday morning baking with Abby. She was the cookie cutter specialist, I was over flour distribution.

Later on, everyone joined in and we had a great time decorating them for friends, pack meetings, school parties, and so on...

No promises on how many germs were or were not passed along in the process.

Everyday after school here is like a Winter Wonderland Paradise for my children. Since having acquired snow pants and appropriate footwear, it's even better.

Regardless of the single digit temperature, they're out there entertaining themselves daily with the powdered bliss. Clearly, they're adjusting well.

I, on the other hand am still trying to strike a balance (while driving in it) between sliding all over and freaking out, and sliding all over, and thinking it's kind of fun ;-)

sibling equality

Of course, when Whitney caught wind of this photo shoot with her sister,

she promptly asked about when hers was scheduled for.

This is what ensued about four and a half minutes after said request...

two numbers and a decimal point...

two numbers, a decimal point and a degree symbol sum up what this morning's bounty brought:

0.1°

It's beginning to look a lot like valium.

the local heartbreakers...

I should proably restrict these kind of pictures to my photography blog, and I DID post some of them there, but I couldn't help it, and since they're all now friends too, I feel like it's okay to post them here too.

I wondered if the kids in Idaho were going to be as cute as the ones in Arizona. As it turns out, they are! These guys were all super fun to shoot in my new makeshift studio.

And...more are coming on Wednesday!
'Tis the clickety-click snap click season.

But hey! Since the roads are covered with ice and snow and it was 15° this morning. I'm just fine staying inside in my pajamas taking and editing pictures all day.

...to the parents of these adorable children:
I'm almost done, I promise. They'll all be online just as soon as possible.

I heard we're getting more snow tomorrow. (It's a good thing we bought all those snow boots today for our children truding to school in their Vans sneakers) The pics might all be done sooner than later if such is the case.

over and out.

you knew this was comin'...

You knew this post was inevitable, right?

and mixed reviews are coming in all down the family line.

The (oldest) Boys would have been out there at the crack of the daydawn if I had let them.

The Girls were more interested in what they would wear to play in it

and our littlest person who brought me his jacket and hat when he saw everyone else livin' it up refused to put his gloves on, so was alright until he gave into temptation and touched it and then freaked out and immediately came running, requesting a "tow-wol" to dry his hands off.

It's now well after noon, and it's still on the ground!
This is new for us.

The general consensus (even from me) is

"More! More! More!"

I may live to regret having said that...huh?