I'm Dreaming of a...

I Love to watch movies, especially this time of year, I pull out all the Christmas ones.
One movie you will find I watch OVER and OVER again is WHITE CHRISTMAS.
L-O-V-E it!
Here are some of my Top movies that I love to watch this time of year.
I have added TWO new ones to my must watch list...

My First new one THE CHRISTMAS CARD
this made for TV movie was filmed in the town that I grew up in,
Nevada City, CA - cute Christmas-love story! Watching the movie the other night, made me think of all the fun things the little town does during the Christmas season, Victorian Christmas and Cornish Christmas. And there is nothing like snow in the mountains! Sigh, I miss it. (Any one up for a Girls movie night at my house!?!)

My second new pick is THE CHRISTMAS SHOES - and if you have ever heard the song (go here to see the video on you tube), you know what I am talking about. This made for TV movie was based on the song, and short story. Tear jerker for sure! I have never been able to listen to the song all the way through with out crying, and by crying I mean pull out the Kleenex, ruin my make up cry. It too was a good movie, and had a good ending - which is important to me! I NEED a happy ending. They have made a sequel to the movie THE CHRISTMAS BLESSING, but I have not watched it yet.

FYI - these movies are on the Hallmark channel if you get it. They have lot's of fun holiday movies on right now, and so does the ABC family channel, in fact ABC Family, will be doing 25 days of Christmas with back to back Holiday movies -

Ok, back to my movie list...
Little Women (but THIS version)
Elf
How The Grinch Stole Christmas - both versions
Home Alone 1 and 2
The Santa Clause Movies (with Tim Allen as Santa)
All I Want For Christmas
Mickeys Christmas Carol
It's A Wonderful Life
Miracle On 34th Street
I Also like this version of Rudolph (as well as the classic)
and
Babes In Toyland

Also, I found this site on line, for a whole Christmas Movie list
go here.

What are your holiday favorites?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I am thankful for family, snow, my children,

decorating for the holidays (and a husband with
great organizational skills!)

This Thanksgiving we went to my sisters. It is so nice to live close to family. Marlee got to play with her cousin Ella and Ava was held "all" day by Uncle Jeff or Aunt Lyn. We also had the special treat of my Mom flying in for the weekend from SLC. Normally we wouldn't get to see her until Christmas, but she wanted to see her new grand baby, spend Thanksgiving with us and also be here for Ava's blessing and to see Marlee! To make Thanksgiving a bit more cozy we even got our first snow. hoo-ray, I L-O-V-E snow! Keenan even survived the annual NS1 Turkey Bowl.

Today Ava turned ONE MONTH old!
(I know one month already!)
Here are some highlights now that she is a whole month old.
Ava enjoys to sleep the day away, she loves to be held.
She LOVES her big sister!
She makes the cutest cooing sounds and has even let out a laugh for Marlee.
She is quick to share smiles.
She hardly fusses, and when she cries it doesn't last
for long at all, it's usually because she is hungry or wants to be part of what's going on.
Ava likes her pacifier and likes to be swaddled.
She is good at following you with her eyes - turning her
head to see what you are doing. (especially Marlee)
Last night, she slept for 6 hours!!
We just LOVE our baby and all the joy
she brings to us each day!


Today we also put up our Christmas Tree. Keenan spent most of the morning
cleaning out the toy room so the tree could go in there.
Our house is also filled with wonderful smells of Christmas Cookies and Pine - no, we didn't bake, but had some Yummy candles warming!
We did our annual tradition of ordering pizza, trimming the tree, and
watching my holiday favorite White Christmas.
I have to say, Marlee and my Mom did most of the trimming
and what a GREAT job they did.

I love this time of year! Happy Holidays!!

Nurse or Nurse?

From Dictionary.com the definitions of NURSE

* a person formally educated and trained in the care of the sick or infirm.

*	a woman who has the general care of a child or children; dry nurse.

*	a woman employed to suckle an infant; wet nurse.

*	to suckle (an infant).

*	to feed and tend in infancy.

*to suckle a child, esp. one's own.

Last Night, Marlee was helping me change Ava's diaper - one of her favorite things to help with (and of course bath time...) Keenan was complimenting Marlee on how much of a helper she is. Then he asked "Marlee, when you grow up are you going to be a nurse?" Marlee thought on this a moment, then responded "No Dad, I don't have big b* o *s, I have little b*o *s, I can not be a nurse." And she said this so mater - of - fact, it was SO hard not to laugh!
Well, it is what she see' s me do with Ava several times a day, nurse her...
who came up with the English language anyway!?!?

My two Monkeys

Here are pictures of Marlee and Ava, about the same age, wearing a monkey outfit from Aunt Sarah.

Miracles

I put videos I create on Vimeo. You can see my profile.

Dancing with The Stars

WE have a new family Favorite! Dancing with the Stars. Every Monday and Tuesday night we tune in to ABC's reality show. We are junkies. Marlee will put on her dancing shoes, and a dress up dress and dance the show away. Trying to copy the moves the couple is dancing. Last Monday I was able to capture her and Keenan on video. So cute! (I did a bit of a fast forward thinking that someday, Marlee and Keenan would be doing a Father/Daughter dance at her wedding...got a bit teary thinking about that. Sigh!
I am so glad that she is still little and I won' t have to worry about that Daddy/Daughter
dance for a few more years.)

OK back to the show...
I have been pretty good about picking the past seasons winners.
Keenan and I have our top two favorites of this Season. We would be happy to see either of them win...

Melanie Brown and Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Aka: Scary Spice...

Maksim is my favorite professional male dancer and... Julianne is my favorite professional female dancer, all though Her brother Derek has some pretty good moves himself, and he is an awesome choreographer!

Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough

AKA Indy Car Series driver; two-time Indianapolis 500 winner
and he has the best smile...

May the best dance team WIN!!!

A Reason, a Season, a Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson,
love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Cute Friends

Today, our friends came over to play at the park. On the way, we had to stop and take some pictures in the leaves. I love these of Evelyn!
Thanks for a fun play date!

Tiny Hands

I just love looking at my new baby. I love smelling her and holding her little hands. I love that she is still so scrunchy. Even if she keeps me up all night long, I love that I get to hold her. I love her smile,(and for the moment) I even love her little cry.

it's Autumn Time

Marlee and Daddy Playing in their big pile of leaves

Marlee enjoying her hard work

I Love living in the mid-west. I am a mid-west girl. I love the seasons, all of them, Winter, spring, even the hot humid summer, but Fall is my favorite time of year! It's the air, the wind, the smell, the cooler weather, and all the beautiful colors. My favorite thing about fall this year is Marlee singing her autumn songs. I think Marlee's favorite thing is raking up the leaves with her daddy and jumping in them when they are done. I think Keenan's favorite part is when all the leaves have finally
fallen off of the trees and the raking is done...
(But I think he has just as much fun as Marlee playing in those leaves!)

It’s autumn time. It’s autumn time.
The leaves are falling down.
It’s autumn time. It’s autumn time.
It’s all around the town.

It’s autumn time. It’s autumn time.
There’s yellow, red, and brown.
It’s autumn time. It’s autumn time.
Bright colors can be found.

Words and music by Rita Mae Olsen

My Little Climber

Marlee has always been my little climber. Today she showed me some new skills at one of her favorite parks - the "Rock Climbing Park"
She climbed up the rock wall. Glad that I had the camera to capture her big achievement. (Her Uncle Dave would be SO proud!!)

Little Mommy

Yesterday, I was feeling pretty good, and decided to clean up around the house. (not like deep cleaning, but picking things up, putting things away). My mind is so scattered, I think it has to do with so little sleep and the fact that our house is as hot as a tropical island! (that is what happens I guess when our thermostat controls the heat for both apartments.) I kept jumping from task to task, often forgetting why I was going into a room. I asked Marlee so many times yesterday what I was doing. She thought it was pretty funny that her mommy was loosing her mind. Good thing I have such a good helper. As I was folding laundry in my room, Marlee came in and said "Mommy, just so you know, I just changed Ava's diaper and it was very poopy!" All sorts of images ran through my mind as I thought of how my three year old just changed my almost 3 week old's diapers. I said "that's great Marlee thank you for helping Mommy!" as I tried to calmly walk to the living room. There was little Ava on the couch just as happy as can be with a clean diaper almost on and the dirty diaper next to her.
Then Marlee says to me "I really think that you should give her a bath she was pretty poopy." Marlee heads off to the bathroom, to fill Ava's little tub. Gets ready to take a bath with her. Marlee just amazes me, she is such a little mommy! She just LOVES her baby!! I love that she can comfort Ava, get her to stop crying. She loves to sing to her and even "read" to her. She has little foot stools all over the house to grab when she needs to peak into
the bassinet or the cradle to help her little sister. She is always asking if she can feed her. And she also wants Ava to sleep with her at night, so she can take care of her...wouldn't that be nice!

Feeling Good!

Every night as we are tucking Marlee into bed, we ask her "What was your favorite part of the day?" Her responses of course very and it's always great to hear what she comes up with. Yesterday we went on a walk and ended up at a neighborhood park. I was thinking that that was going to be her favorite part of the day, playing at the park. She surprised me by being a bit more specific. "Mommy, my favorite part of the day was you pushing me on the swing!" It hit me how important playing with her is, and just how long it had been since I had felt well enough to push her on a swing. I am so glad that I am finally feeling well! Feeling GOOD! And this week I have made a point of taking Marlee out, even if it is just a little walk. Monday we hit the library, yesterday a walk to a park, and today McDonald's and then off to feed the ducks. It feels SO good, to finally feel GOOD!

Little White Dress

Grams brought a special white dress with her this visit. This little white dress was made by her Great, Great Grandmother. Each girl in the family since, has worn the dress when they were three years old. Here is Marlee at three years in this beautiful family heirloom. I was so touched to have Marlee be part of this tradition. And we got some pretty cute pictures of Grams and Marlee.

Then I put Ava in Marlee's blessing dress so that both girls could be in white.

We Love Halloween

Here are our Halloween pictures. We had such a great Halloween!
I felt good enough to take Marlee out trick-or-treating with
Keenan and Jesica.
Grams stayed home and watched Ava.

I had been talking with Keenan how Marlee
was a year old before I left her with anyone. And
here Ava is a week old and I left her twice in ONE day!

Baby Jaguar, Marlee and Mommy

Grams, Daddy and Marlee cleaning out the Pumpkins

Sleepy Pumpkin (our try at an Anne Geddes pose)

Little Pumpkins!

Spooky Pumpkins!

Miss Witch with her friends!

Little Trick or Treaters up in Glencoe

Little Witch and Daddy Scarecrow

Trick or Treating in downtown Glencoe

Miss Witches Halloween haul from Glencoe
Two Thumbs way up!

Our little Ghouls

Miss Witch with our fabulous pumpkins carved by Daddy
and One by Aunt Keokilani (I took pictures and held a baby)

Trick or treating, waiting for someone to open
the door (they were not home...)

We waited in the car while daddy and Aunt Jesica went through
a spooky house.

Happy Halloween!
2007