The last of our pictures in California

Our favorite ride...we actually purchased a different picture but you have to come over to see it. Jeff is....well...being Jeff and I can't post it here. So come over and I'll give you a warm cup of hot chocolate and you'll see why.

Our second favorite ride...

(we love to fake Emily out every time we are on an elevator now which is going to result in some adulthood therapy I'm sure.)

You know, it was so crowded and I loathe people blocking the pathway to take pictures that you can pull from the internet and with a little photoshopping you can recreate your memories. Thats why I didn't take many. Too bad I don't have photoshop. Well, here they are in front of the rodent we all think is magical.

Back at the Marriott this was our lovely view.
sigh...it hurts to look at it because I need me some sun right now.

and thanks to Grandma we had a great Thanksgiving day craft.

So thats it folks.

In other news...My Christmas tree is dead and crumbling.

Garretts Birthday is coming up next week.

We are proving Christmas for a little 8 year old and all he asked for on his wish list is:

"a shirt, pants, and underwears"

so that means mama heartstrings have been pulled resulting in me wanting to foot the bill for everything including his Harvard education. Jeff is making me tone it down though.

ahhhh...the beach

Since I'm watching the snow fall and freezing my jibblets I decided to post about Sunny California. Our trip was fantastic. Jeff and the kids came home with tan lines (not so much for me, I had 3 books to read. Now do you see why I'm not the fun parent?)

So here we are at Newport Beach. Its on Emily and Gilly's top places to go. I happen to love it too because I get a huge kick out of them finding creatures and begging me to let them keep them. Some things include:

three dead lobsters

numerous hermit crabs

sea cucumbers

sea anemones

sea snails

tons of seashells

(its a state park so you can't take anything out which is why we sneak them in our pockets)

Abby here wouldn't touch anything at first. She didn't want to get her feet wet..

That apple didn't fall far from the tree

I finally convinced her that its okay to get her feet wet and explore

but she still wouldn't touch the dead lobster.

This was probably the coolest thing I've seen so far...Its a sea anemone eating a lobster tail.

Also notice the little hermit crabs. I love tide pools.

And here is Emily holding up some of her goods.

She actually found a midsize conch shell.

She named it chonchy and takes it everywhere she goes.

ahhhh well, I guess I'll go shovel some snow now.

sigh

My Man

I don't talk about Jeff as much as I should on here. I guess the reason why is I can't find the words to translate his humor. To me he is everything. To my kids he is everything. Without sounding sappy I hope I die first because I get a rash thinking about not having him.

Look at Gil checking him out, trying to mimic every move. I have never seen anger or rage in him and that reason alone is enough for me. There is always a laugh to be had, even in the smallest events. Even when he isn't home I'll be cracking up as I watch something on TV because I know what his response would be.

and the strangest thing to me...he wakes up happy. Every. Day.
Can't say the same for me!

Yeah, i guess you could say...He is the favorite.

Conversations with Emily

Me: Em, lets talk about Christmas...what kind of things would you like this year?

Em: oh (short pause)...An American Quarter Horse.

Me: Same as last year Em, we can't get a horse right now...what are some other things?

Em: Well, I've been thinking mom, all I want is an old halter from Blitzen. You know, just an old one that maybe he isn't using right now.

Me: Thats all? Isn't there something that maybe they sell at Target?

Em: No, that pretty much is it.

So part of me is loving the simplicity of this child and the other part of me is wondering where she come up with these things....

oh, and another part of me is wondering how Santa will fulfill this wish.