myka's medieval b*day party

This is a pic of the medieval feast we had- we served grapes, cheese, rolls, chicken and a cranberry/raspberry juice.  The kids loved being 'served' and eating with their hands.

Myka doesn't like serious portrait pictures, and therefore, I have silly poses--but that's OK- she's cute however!

The girls dressed their own fairies and put wings on them.  Some went as far as to put arms and a wand on their fairy.



























We also had an archery set from Toys R Us that each guest got to try out, medieval hair-doing, and pie for dessert.  It was pretty darn fun.  And Myka, I am fairly sure, felt special on her tenth birthday!

an imaginary conversation with my blog

blog to me

'So, boss, why haven't you posted regularly for quite some time?'

me to blog

'uhhh...'
...
...

blog

'Yes?'

me

"Honestly, things have been kind of hard for about a year-- '

'It began last summer when I found out my daughter had experienced bullying that had gone on in her class without me knowing it- and- without her teacher noticing it for a whole year!!' (all in angry voice)

'and in between all the regular stuff we have been helping that situation and it really hasn't been all roses, so I haven't wanted to post stuff that isn't rosy...'

---
---

blog

'ok'

'But, you could still post pics of small events, accomplishments, or
even bad hair days.  Blogs aren't all for just happy things, or for
posed pictures that you set up to make it look like your life is
perfect.'

me 

'Ooooooh no!  I can't post about real life!  I can't post pictures that aren't full of cute hair, nails, dresses, handsome-muscular husbands, $100 date nights, new expensive homes, perfect children, clean as whistle kitchens, dream vacations to Hawaii/Europe!  Impossible!  Plus then people will know what's really up...'

blog

'You know, I have been chatting with my blog friends here inside the computer, and we were just having a hoot over you humans and how you don't realize that just because a blogger takes pictures of their 'perfect' life, it doesn't reflect their true reality.  You know the old saying, "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true..."

me

sniffle, 'What?'

blog

'If your friends' blog look too good to be true- then they are not true.  They have chosen to only show one dimension of their life--'

me

(thinking and thinking and then some more thinking...)

Me to Self

'Maybe it would be OK to show more than one dimension of our life on my family blog...'  

kittens, kittens, kittens!

 Oh Heavens to Betsy!  Kittens sure are fun to have around!  They are so cuddly and playful.  Our girls loved this last batch so much--but time to take momma cat in to get fixed...

check out their names:
1. Popcorn
2. Black Star
3. Dragon Star
4. Jambalaya
5. Cheetah

josy & ellie

Josy loves to play with Ellie.  She lives down the hill from us and is a sweet little girl!  Yay friends!

leo's blessing luncheon

My Cousin Meikel and her husband Luke had such a nice afternoon luncheon for the day of Leo's blessing, back in April.  (Myka and Haily helped me snap some pics!)

 

(Meikel always has cute and simple decor in her kitchen- I like following her style)

(I have to- like- threaten horrible punishments to force the redheads to smile nicely for the camera; they didn't believe me for this one, obviously!)

Henry Cavill vs. Kip Dynamite

I have been to Man of Steel twice now.  The first time was to just see it.  And the second time was to make sure my eyes were believing what they were seeing-- I am, of course, referring to Henry Cavill as Superman, I mean, Toogoodlookingtobetrue-man.

How is that fair?  How is it that one guy gets to look like Henry, AKA, Cal-El, and another gets to look like the guy who plays Kip in Napolean Dynamite?  Ok, so, one is showered with opportunities, modeling contracts, women, money, etc-- and then Kip over here hasn't been on screen since the late 90s, right?

All because of looks!?  Why is it that we are so transparent?  Why do we worship beautiful people?
I am so tired of 'us' -collectively- as only seeing people as 'pretty', 'not pretty', 'fat', 'not fat', and on and on and on...

Aren't you?

OK-  anyhoos.

Calming down...

(Heh heh-  There was one cool surprise I found after researching this British-Born-Feast-for-Eyes,
any woman he has dated or had romantic ties with has been totally curvey!!  Look at his girlfriend, in blue, in the picture!  Major curves!  Pardon me, but I'll always love it when curvey figures win over sickly, flat-as-a-surfboard, stick figures-----score curves!)

myka lovely

Here is my lovely girl.  What a beauty.  Love you Myka.

haily in white

Here is our eight year old girl all dressed in white for her baptism day!  We love
little Haily and she is a constant source of happiness for all of us.   Congratulations
Haily, we hope your special day is one you'll always remember.

first place reflections winner!

Here is our little redhead dancing star!  Haily won first place in the dance category of her school district's Reflections contest!  The picture is bad- but she is smiling big!  Go Haily!

valenti'm'es day!

When Haily was little, she called this holiday, "Valentime's Day".  And I will always say it that way in my mind and think of her...

These are the girls' valentine cards they created and handed out today at school- with bazooka gum attached.

Josy got to hang out with her little friend, Ellie.  They were so cute!

going tonight!

Aaron is taking me to this tonight.  And although I have played the music in the house- he still has never seen or read Les Miserables.  How awesome that it is a motion picture now!  I am interested to see if Aaron responds the way I did when I first saw/read it... he asked me on Christmas, 'What is the big deal about Les Miserables?'  So, here we go...