let it snow!

The wrestling match to get the boots, mittens, and hat on were worth it...

thanksgiving feast

hanging with my cousin Connor

our gracious hosts Rodney and Shawna

I'll eat this by myself, thank you

(making piggy noises)

What a difference a year makes. Video taken of Bree last year on Thanksgiving shows her eating pureed baby food turkey for the first time, much to her distaste. She wasn't even crawling then, and would still stay put wherever you laid her down. This year was so much different! She loved her Thanksgiving feast - especially the plate of whipped cream Aunt Kathy gave her for desert. With family and friends to play with, kittens to chase, and pies to stick her fingers in, Bree really enjoyed this Thanksgiving!

Edward's side

So my friend Nadine told me about a new book Stephenie Meyer is working on. It is the Twilight story, but told from Edward's point of view. Interesting idea - to write the same story but from another character's perspective. I wasn't sure how it would be, but you can actually read the first chapter online. Click here to check it out.

lovely saturday

What an absolutely lovely day! It started this morning when Bree slept in a bit - which NEVER happens. I slept in a little, too, but then got up because I was excited about my day. I dropped Bree off at Grandma's. She was in a good mood - singing and dancing to the blues as I left. I drove to the movie theater to meet my friend Marika. Marika is the person who got me hooked on blogging, and we have a ton in common, almost uncannily so. (Such as our love for popcorn, cherry coke, and reading.) Despite arriving 45 minutes before the movie started there was a long line at the door, but we didn't wait very long to get in.

The movie was SO GOOD! I am surprised that I liked it as much as I did. I even want to see it again, and I hardly ever enjoy re-watching movies. Whoever did the casting was spot on. Months ago when I heard Cedric Diggory would be playing Edward I just couldn't see it - but he did and he did it well. So well. (sigh)

After the movie Markia and I walked down to the sushi restaurant on the corner for a lunch of edamame and mugaro. Yummy! We chatted for a nice long while. I am so glad to have Marika for a friend. I don't think we'd ever run out of things to talk about.

One topic of conversation was the genius/luck of the Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer. I attached a video of an interview she did awhile back. It makes me want to pull out my dream journal again...

www.pandora.com

Awhile back my friend Simon told me about this site. I finally spent some time on it and must say I am hooked. This website utilizes the Music Genome Project which catalogs music attributes, or "genes." The great thing about Pandora is you can enter a few artists and/or songs that you like into your profile and it searches the genome to add more songs and artists to a playlist that is created just for you.

I get excited to see what song it will play for me next. You can also give feedback by telling it if you like the song it chose or didn't like it. My station right now is called "Jack Johnson Radio" - I'm having a really hard time thinking of a new name for it, and Jack Johnson is the first artist I entered. Check out my side bar to see songs I have bookmarked on Pandora!

cool quote

The way we choose to respond when others make mistakes can cause them to feel ashamed or can allow them to remember our kindness and share our stories with future generations.
-Michelle Sedas

withering heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this in high school but didn't remember it very well so I thought I'd give it another try. It was slow-going. The vocabulary is much different than my personal speaking or writing vocabulary and sometimes I would just stop and ponder at Bronte's choice of words. This novel was written many years ago and I wonder if the language used was more commonplace then. And then there was the servant Joseph. This part I do remember from my high school reading - I have no idea how to decipher his dialect. "Aw'd rather, by th' haulf, hev 'em swearing i' my lugs frough morn tuh neeght, nur hearken yah, habsilver!" Ummm... what? I tend to read before bed and didn't have the energy for his commentary, I started skipping over his parts and the reading went faster. A worthwhile read, maybe even twice, but I won't be reading it a third time!


View all my reviews.

brrr

Some real snow this morning. The bummer was that April and I had playground duty. No fun.
However, I did manage some grateful feelings. I was grateful for the new coat my husband bought me for my birthday and the new hat, scarf and gloves from my mom and brother. Thank you for keeping me warm, guys!

thankful at the zoo

We took advantage of the nice weather and spent some family time at the zoo today!
I'm grateful because:
1. It was nice spending time with my family.
2. The animals were active and the zoo wasn't busy. We ran into some old friends. (Emma - she shot our wedding.) The grizzly bear was playful and entertaining!
3. Dan and I pulled together and worked as a team to handle Bree's meltdown. She left the zoo screaming (again) but we handled it well! We even laughed about it a bit and didn't worry about all of the looks we were getting from people as we left.

you can vote however you like

These kids are amazing - I saw them on the news in their debate class and I love the song!

election day

Well, not today exactly.

Two things I'm grateful for:

#1 - I have the right to vote and I didn't have to fight for it.

#2 - I voted by mail and did not have to stand in a really, really long line like the one at my school today.

today I'm grateful because...

We had Bree's 18 month well-baby check and she is healthy, healthy, healthy! Never an ear infection, in fact she has only had a couple of colds and a bout of stomach virus in her whole life.
I can't even begin to explain how wonderful that is. We are so lucky.

gratitude

This being November, it is perfect timing for me to reflect on being grateful. I have been meaning to start a gratitude journal - I've heard there is a book out there about them and would like to check it out if anyone knows the title. Basically I just feel the need to focus more on the good things that surround me rather than feed my feelings of dissatisfaction with life. Gratitude seems much more productive.

One thing I am grateful for today: my girlfriends.

Brunch with my long-time friends Mindi and Corinne today was a treat. It is always nice to see them and the best part is, no matter how long it has been since we've been together it doesn't take us much time to fall back into feeling comfortable to chat about anything and everything. Mindi mentioned today that we are the sisters she never had - and that is certainly true! I love these girls and know that whatever is happening in my life, they will be there for me just as I will be there for them.

I am grateful for you girls!

new family traditions

mummy dogs - easy and fun

family karaoke night at Shawna's

halloween