The Kid’s Christmas Stories

We have all been writing Christmas stories to send to my parents for Christmas. This is my three year old son Lincoln’s:

“Once upon a time it was Christmas and we were throwing snowballs and we hit a car. And then somebody hit another car. He hit…

A Puzzling Tradition

I love to do puzzles. I especially love to do puzzles around the holidays. As a little girl I would cover my parents huge dining room table from end to end with finished puzzles between Christmas and New Year’s and I always got a few puzzles as gifts each year.

Our Experience in the Seattle Windstorm

Our family, along with hundreds of thousands of other families in the Northwest, had a rough past couple of days. We had a major windstorm two nights ago that knocked out our power and blew trees down all over the place. Brett was at a Seahawks game when it…

A Conversation You Could Have Heard If Had You Been at My House Today

Brett: “I don’t know anybody else who stores their medicine in a box up high in the hall closet.”

Me: “Who, besides your parents, do you know where they keep their medicine?”

First Goal of the New Year

I have made a goal this next year to send birthday cards to everyone in the family. I know this sounds like something that I should have just been doing all along, but snail mailing things has always been something I have had a hard time with. A lot of times I get so far as to…

Musical Memories

Twice in the past two weeks music has triggered a rush of strong emotions and vivid memories of my grandpa, who passed away eleven years ago.

The first time I sat down to play Christmas music at the piano for the first time this holiday season and I started to play…

Thank you for Santa

I have had to resort to Santa threats about three times this year and I figure we have enough time left for one or two more.

The first time the kids would not stay in their beds and I was getting very frustrated. My friend Michelle that lives behind me called and we…

My run in at Wendy’s Jack-in-the-Arby’s

When the power was out last weekend I went to get Brett some food because he was sick and finally felt like he was ready to eat something. It was late, but I packed up the kids so they could get warm in the car and headed out. I came in from the back side of…

Windstorm Worries

I have a very unrealistic and exaggerated fear of windstorms. I know it is unrealistic and exaggerated, but it doesn’t help the anxiety that builds as I see the headlines of the approaching storm. It doesn’t keep me from looking out the window every fifteen minutes to see if the trees are swaying…

Creating Memories

When I was a little girl Christmas was always a magical time of year that I looked forward to more than anything. My Mom was a decorating enthusiast and our house was always red and green from floor to ceiling. I remember one year that we had at least six trees in the house. Some were only a…

This is what happens when a 7 year old boy helps you decorate for Christmas….

Handiwork of my nephew Steele (at Mom’s house)

A Simple Rule

Brett and I have been improving our health and lifestyle over the past few months and although I have really enjoyed exercising more and I love the way I feel after I way I feel after I work out…it is still so hard to get motivated to get my butt to the treadmill! I have worked out better this last year…