Go Lions!!!!

Basketball is soon coming to an end, and I realized I haven't put up any Basketball pictures.... mostly because I can't seem to figure out how to get some decent action shots.  So, instead of posting no pics, I'm sharing a few before game shots.  The girls are having a great time playing this year, and getting better and better.  The whole team is new players, so they have only won one game so far, but have come close several times.  The girls have both scored, and made several free throw shots, and I am the obnoxious Mom on the sidelines screaming like a howler monkey.  This week will be their final games, and soccer starts tomorrow... thus the crazy cycle of our lives keeps going!

Biiiiiiig Owie!

Well, we had a long day yesterday, spending all afternoon in the ER.  Abbey had a pretty bad scooter accident and at first we thought she had broke both her wrists or arms.  She came in the house screaming, which for a girl who can take the skin off her knee and shrug it off, kind of scared Mom.  She couldn't move her arms at all, and it looked pretty bad.  By the time we got to the ER, she was using her left arm, but her right one was swollen  all around her elbow.  She cried, and cried, and Mommy cried too... I just felt so horrible for her.  It was one of those moments where you wish you could take their place and deal with the pain for them.  After two sets of x-rays, we were thankful there was no break at all!  The doctors said she tore muscle fibers around her elbow, and sent her home in a sling.  She is extremely sore, so we are laying low for a couple of days, icing it and keeping her as still as we can.  She is such a trooper!  We are very thankful it wasn't a break.... never a dull moment in our home!

Lucas Michael

Well, little Lucas continues to be a little joy in all our lives.  We got to babysit him this week, and the girls just adore him.  He was such a happy little guy, you just want to scoop him up, and kiss his chubby little cheeks.  He has the sweetest little, low laugh; and can I tell you about his chubby legs?  Oh how sweet he is!  Livie walked and bounced him when he got a little fussy, and was pretty proud of herself, she was quite the babysitter!  Gotta love him!

The Beach in February

Well, the girls are home from school this week for "ski week".  This of course means Mom is off work too.  Today I asked the girls what they wanted to do, and we decided on the ocean. We have had rain most of the week, but there was a little break in the rain today.  We drove out to my favorite clam chowder restaurant and got some chowder to go, and then headed out for "School House beach"  We ate at a table that was right on a cliff overlooking the ocean.  It was windy, but actually we had some blue skies.  The ocean was pretty fierce however, and made me a little nervous with the girls.  Not to mention the fact that NO ONE was at the ocean today.  At this point memories of people being killed on the beach here in Nor Cal come rushing through my head, so we went looking for a beach with a few normal looking people on it.  We did finally find a couple of beaches that we took walks on.  We attempted to go tide pooling, but with the tide coming in quickly we were out of luck.  We pretended we had to hurry and get out of the rocks and back to the car or we would be killed against the rocks and no one would ever know what happened to us.  A bit dramatic maybe, but hey... we were on an adventure.  It really was a great day together.  We drove all over Bodega with our windows down, smelling the ocean breeze, and feeling the cold ocean air. (We did however have the heat on full blast :o)  We checked out some camping spots, however the girls informed me "this is not the wilderness" and decided Wrights Lake is definitely more of what we want.  On the way home, we talked about what a beautiful place we live in, here in Northern California.  We have the ocean, mountains, rivers, the city, redwoods, rolling hills and beautiful wine vineyards all around us.  We decided we are truly blessed to live where we do.  We can go on many different adventures, whenever we want!

Father Daughter Dance

The girls and Chris went to their 5th Father/Daughter dance on saturday night.  This was the first year however, that it wasn't a Girl Scouts Dance.  This year they went to the Redwood Covenant Church for the dance.  They had a spectacular time together, dancing for 3 hours.  They really hoped that the song "Cinderella" would be played, and were not dissapointed when it was the last song of the dance.

I had a great time helping the girls get ready for the evening.  They were really excited for Chris to see them, even keeping their dresses hidden from him last week.  They were all beautiful when they left for the evening, and Daddy was so proud of them.  They already told us they are "soooo going again next year".

Christmas Eve and Morning

Christmas has come and gone, and I am asking myself, "What... am I 5?"  Why is it that I always have the after Christmas blues? Since I was a little girl, I have always felt sad after Christmas day is over.  It was a good Christmas, a little differant this year, working until last friday, but it was still good.  We read lots of Christmas books together, we did a Christmas puzzle (500 pieces, their biggest puzzle so far) baked cut out cookies and made an impressive mess in the kitchen doing it, watched Christmas movies, drank gallons of hot chocolate, wrapped presents, listened to all our big band Christmas music, looked at Christmas lights, and saved the bottom 2 inches of our Christmas tree. It was all great, so why is it sad... I guess because it's over.  So then I say, why does it have to be over?  Yeah, the tree will eventually have to go, and Christmas activities wouldn't be special if we did all of it 365 days of the year, but the spending time together, and the slowing down and focusing on each other doesn't have to end.  So, instead of it ending abruptly, I am trying to keep the spirit of the season going in my heart.  I guess I will always be a sap when it comes to the holidays and start counting down to next year!

Christmas is here!

Well, the house is decorated, the outside lights are complete and last night we had our first "Christmas outing" of the season... (wait! does black friday count?!) Abbey and Olivia were both in their schools choir Christmas performance.  They did great at the singing, however I think the dressing up part was their favorite part of the entire evening.  They looked pretty sweet, and Daddy thought they looked a little too pretty ; )  As we watched the program last night, visions of them all as toddlers seemed to keep going through my mind.  Watching them, looking so beautiful, innocent, and singing a song like "O Holy Night" made me feel like they are just growing up so fast.  It was one of those moments where their beauty, both inside and out makes your heart ache, and you think it was only yesterday  when Makayla and Olivia were in flannel Christmas nightgowns that Grammie made them, with Barney slippers on.  Or that little Abbey had no embarassment in stripping down to her tinkerbell panties to try on a new dress-up dress she just opened at her birthday party.  So.... I tell myself to hold on to these moments, treasure them away in my heart, and enjoy the moments while they are here!

Day of Giving

Well today at church was our Thanksgiving dinner.  It topped a 5 week series on giving at church, and was  a great way to top it off.  I was very thankful for all the wonderful cooks at church today... the food was amazing!  Like Thanksgiving dinner on steroids.  Olivia gave the blessing for dinner, and although she was a little nervous to pray in front of the entire church, she did a very beautiful job.  It was a great day and thankfulness and giving, spent with our family and church family.  A truly beautiful day!

Auntie M's Baby Shower

Well yesterday was Auntie M's shower, and I think it went pretty spectacularly, although being one of the hosts, I really shouldn't say that.... what went so wonderfully is the support that everyone who came gave Amanda.  Not only was there friends and family from here in Santa Rosa, but family from Eureka came down to support her as well.  With 50 ladies there it was a real out pouring of love for Amanda and her soon to arrive Lucas Michael.  Opening all her new baby things sure did make this auntie pretty excited for the big day.  He is going to be a very loved little guy.  Personally I can't wait to help give him a bath, put on that sweet smelling Johnson and Johnson's baby lotion and slip him into some fuzzy footsie pajamas.  She is definitely set though, in the baby department!  His room is ready, and his bag is packed; now if we can just get his Mommy to pack her bag... considering he's already almost 7 pounds and she still has 3 weeks to go, I think she needs to get movin'... if praying her into labor was possible, he would already be here... can you tell I'm excited?

Halloween through the decades!

Well this year we went through the decades in our family for Halloween.  Makayla was a poodle girl from the 50's and skipping right through the dark 60's and moving straight into the 70's with our Disco Diva Olivia.  To top it all of we come to the decade where I personally feel style hit it's all time best... Abbey was our 80's "Material Girl" complete with neon, bangle bracelets, and "walla bangs" that I must say... she totally rocked!  Mommy on the other hand, went for a more sinister feel as Cruella Devile!  We all had a great time at "Trunk or Treat" at church and I think the girls got about 20 pounds of candy.  The girls loved dressing up and playing the part of their eras.  It was a great night and we all had a ball... This morning as we were reminiscing about last night the girls said to me.... "AAHHH... it feels like CHRISTMAS!"   HEY!  What happened to Thanksgiving?

Maggie Mae is home!

 

So, our dear little Maggie came home with us yesterday after the long ride up from San Diego. 

What a sweetie she is... she is a complete little princess!  She was 9 weeks old yesterday, and the smallest in her litter.  She has a pretty mellow personality, and is such a little lover.   She loves to nuzzle her head in your neck when you pick her up.  She has silky soft fur, and smells like puppy breath... she is so far doing good on her accidents.  When we came home from church today, she did kind of "happy pee", but other than that, she is doing good.  Bailey is still kind of trying to figure out if there's a love connection between himself and Maggie, and Jack (out  kitty) sees her as a new chew toy.  We will keep you updated on Maggies adaptation in the the Thompson household... but I will say... so far.... SO SWEET!