A Toast...

Bring it on 2010!

(*2010 pipe cleaner glasses craft from Makes and Takes.)

Icy...

Last night's ice storm was this morning's frozen fairyland (and this afternoon's mush). I prefer to focus on the beauty though (unlike others I know. ahem. Then again, I don't have any place to be...)

Staying positive, one of my many, many New Year's Resolutions.

Before and After and the Quilt in between...

Grandma Pam made a quilt for Lizzie's birthday. She started the project before Lizzie was even born but was interrupted (remember the fire?) and then (I think) didn't have the same motivation to complete the project after the house was lost.

One of the few things she took from their home as they evacuated was her sewing machine and the makings for this blanket. A month later Lizzie was born and there was no newborn gift of a quilt. The following January (when Lizzie was only 2 months old) we made our way from Italy to California. The fire was such a shock to us all that I think we had to see the destruction for ourselves. It was heartbreaking. By the time we arrived there was nothing, only a few pieces of pottery shards that we lined up on the concrete pad. In the guest closet of the condo they rented shortly after realizing there would be no 'home' to return to Pam showed me the pieces for the quilt. She pulled them out- the pale yellows, greens, and blues, perfect for a little girl- and then folded them up, replacing them back on the shelf.

In the last two years I never asked what happened to the quilt. I didn't want to ask. Somehow, in my mind, that quilt represented something that was being created during a different lifetime, the before. The before that seemed to have been taken and doomed to be left unfinished. But it's different now. It's been two years. Now there is an after. And in that after is a finished quilt, not just one, but two. Lizzie's new baby doll got a matching blankie too.

Thank you, Grandma Pam!

At The Beach...

Mahlon and Lizzie with their cousin Evelyn at Carlsbad Beach (San Diego) just a few weeks ago. I'm too lazy to pick the best pictures so I'm slapping almost all of them (or too many for you to even care about) on the blog (unless, that is, you are related to them.)

This picture makes me laugh because the helicopter they are searching for is behind them over the water.

Ok, no more CA Dreaming time to get back to reality: below freezing DC temps and 50 mph wind gusts. Oh how I miss the beach.

A Total Blur...

It's not just the prosecco talking, the last few weeks have been a complete blur. From our trip to San Diego to new and restored wood floors, a historical snowfall, rescheduled Nut Cracker ballet, my home made Christmas gone commercial, Leslie's engagement party, Mom's Christmas Eve, and now Christmas Day it's no wonder I'm feeling wasted. I'm hoping my photos captured the memories because my brain feels pickled for the moment.

Hope your days have been just as merry and bright!

Just Can't Get Enough...

While Lizzie napped we attempted round two in the snow.

Getting dressed (and staying dressed)

went much smoother this time.

That's a VW Golf buried under there,

just in case you thought we had a mini-van.

Not all of us played.
Hey, that's what Dad's are for-
shoveling sidewalks.
No, the salt trick didn't work.

Ok, I'm looking a bit squishy faced here.
The snow kept blowing around
(this is a blizzard after all)
making me squint and
shrink into my eskimo hood.

I seriously can't get enough of this snow.

I think we are at about 20 inches.

And it's STILL coming down!

I wonder if we'll make it to

tomorrow's Nutcracker performance...

Poor Pansy...

Now look at my poor little pansy. And it's still snowing!

We're off to attempt round two in the snow.

More Snowy Pics from the Blizzard of '09...

Funny, it's never occurred to me to use an umbrella in a snow storm.

Oh! My poor little pansy. Doesn't she look cold out there?


It took us 45 minutes to get dressed.
Mahlon's bottom layers consist of the following:
1) pj pants
2) sweat pants
3) windpants
4) spiderman snow boots
(yes, spidey socks and undies too!)


Lizzie refused to put gloves on.


45 seconds after being in the snow she fell into a drift,
and like a beetle stuck on its back,
couldn't get up.
It was funny, well, it was funny
until her fingers fell off.

All in all, we lasted 3 minutes in the snow before

peeling off all the layers in a wet pile

on our brand new wood floors.

Then it was time for peppermint cocoa and

endless Frosty the Snowman viewing.

I now think I've blogged more in the last 24 hours than I have all month!

Saturday AM, Still Snowing...

Let It Snow...

It just started falling, the snow. It's almost 10pm and there is a beautiful hush outside. Or there was until Chris rushed out to toss salt over the sidewalks, his defense against shoveling out from the 12-18 inches they are calling for. The kids jumped up and down and Mahlon screamed, It's Christmas and grabbed for the closest wrapped gift. I gave in and now he is happily coloring with the new crayons that were tucked into the cutest little fabric crayon roll Jessica made him. Yes, at almost 10pm. We still haven't time shifted back from our trip to San Diego. Did you know we just got back from Cali? Yes, we did. Hopefully pictures from our trip will post soon, that is, if the weight of the snow doesn't topple our power lines.

Just Hear Those Sleigh Bells Jingling...

Giddy up, Giddy up, Giddy up, Let's Go!

Let's Look at the SNOW!

*Note, Mahlon and Kelton would NOT play in the snow!

They were more interested in playing Star Wars. What silly boys!