And Here's ... BUDDY

Buddy is not our favorite name for a dog, especially since that is the name we call Collin, the cat, and anyone whose name has slipped our minds (which is happening more and more often with each passing month). We'd like to change it but how do you explain to a dog, in a way that he will comprehend, that his name is now Abercrombie? (That wouldn't be his name because I'm the only one who likes it.) Seriously, any ideas are welcome. But, nevertheless, BUDDY has arrived and we adore him. Except we don't appreciate his woman's shoe fetish - four shoes in four weeks. Other than that he has fit in so well. My favorite things about him are:

* Very soft fur. His ears could possibly be the softest thing I have ever touched.
*  He sits every time you pet him.
*  His lip gets stuck behind his vampire tooth on one side or the other nearly every time he closes his mouth.
*  When you talk to him he cocks his head to one side and looks at me more intently than my children.
*  He gets right up in the morning - unlike most of the other dependents in my household.
*  He sleeps with Katy and not me.

He's definitely a great part of the family. We'll keep him!!!

Life is Good - and pets can make it even better.
  
P.S. We still really miss Cruiser!

Oh Where, Oh Where Did my Little Girls Go?

Tonight was the Winter Dance at the Junior High. The twins were so excited to go. They got new dresses, new jewelry, and new high heeled shoes. High heels? I still don't wear those things for fear I will fall over. The funny thing about the shoes is that Adri and Katy are nearly the tallest girls in 7th grade and with the added height they'll be taller than everyone - especially the boys. Katy even curled her hair. We couldn't remember the last time a curl entered that mane. We had a blast getting them ready. It took forever! Whatever will we do when they both go to a "real" dance and have to get all dolled up? Seriously, we may have to hire help. Can't wait for them to come home and tell us all the stories. When the two of them get excited and start telling stories it is a pure delight. So much speed talking we can't keep up. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Adorable aren't they? And still missing teeth. I guess they are still young.

Katy's "Polka - Dotty Twirly" dress. "Watch me spin, Mom and Dad."

Adri. She loved her silver/gold shoes but I didn't get them in the pic. Drat! "Am I like 6 feet tall in these shoes?"

Life is Good - but going by so quickly!!!

Fifteen Fantastic Facts about McKenna

January 5th was McKenna's birthday. She is an awesome girl, you know! I truly am proud of her. Her birthday was a bit of a shot at reality for her. I don't think that she had realized just how busy she is at this time in her life. She just goes about doing what has to be done. But, on her big day, she had basketball practice at 5:45 a.m. School was calling her attention from 8:00 to 3:30. Then the Freshman Class Officers were in charge of the concessions stand at the basketball game beginning at 4:15. She didn't come home until about 10:00 p.m. She said, "I don't even have time to celebrate." She was right. But we did party the next night. She is marvelous!!!

So, in honor of the girl's 15th birthday I am writing THE 15 THINGS I ADORE MOST ABOUT MCKENNA.

1.  Her smile is like sunshine. It warms your heart.
2.  She has gorgeous long, naturally curly hair that I am totally jealous of.
3.  Her funny sense of humor. She can be quite a practical joker.
4.  Her brilliance. She is REALLY smart. (Must come from her father.)
5.  She is very adventurous. She was the first to want to kayak with me. She's the first to say yes to a hike. She's the first to jump off the roof. And the first to do a back dive off the cliff.
6.  She is very compassionate - especially when it comes to the elderly and animals.
7.  Champion of the one word conversation. Mom: How was school? Kenna: Boring  Mom: How was practice? Kenna: Boring  Mom: What was the best thing at school today? Kenna: Nothing (Everyday for the last 6 years has been like that.)
8.  Extremely competitive. She hates to lose.
9.  Maintains the same happy face, whether she loses or not.
10. A really good example to everyone around her.
11. She is extremely stubborn. No, that is an understatement. What is more than extremely stubborn?
12. Very creative - with a shoe box or two. She can make an entire condo or townhouse with people, furniture, and pets.
13. Very dependable. She is the constant in all her friends' lives. They know they can always count on her.
14. Persistent. She never gives up. Which is why she has become very good at basketball, volleyball and softball.
15. That girl can burp like no other!!! Total earthquake, folks. I didn't know girls could even do that.

She has been an absolute joy in our life since the moment she was born. Sure love you McKenna! Thanks for your wonderful life.

Life is Good  - When McKenna is a part of it!.

Snow Days in November?

As everyone knows up here in the frozen tundra of North East Idaho, "Snow Days" or "Cold Days" are bonus school vacation days. You can count on them ... and we do! We may not get many days for Spring Vacation but we get our two weeks of Harvest Break and then up to 10 days of  school closure days. Every so often, like once a decade, we use all ten of those days. But even more rare is a year without a school closure. They are loved by students and teachers here and envied by every school-aged child everywhere else in the valley.  They usually come during the months of January and February when the cold winds seem to blow the dry snow around and the temperatures can dip well below -20. How nice it is to hear that telephone ring at 5:00 a.m. and know, without answering, that school is canceled. What do you do then? Call all your friends, cheer, praise the bus supervisor, and then crawl back in bed for a couple of more warm winks.

We had NO snow on Friday!

But, a snow day in November? And then two of them - unheard of. Uncouth. Freaky. Absurd. And absolutely WONDERFUL!!! especially if they just happens to come on the week of Thanksgiving. So, with the Blizzard of 2010 (as it is being called) wreaking havoc outside we have hunkered down and baked cupcakes and muffins, designed the Christmas card, cleaned the bedrooms (somewhat, teenagers in charge of that), thought about doing ironing and caught up on the Blog. Oh yeah, we've played in the snow. It is, after all, a SNOW DAY!!!

Gobble Gobble. Happy Thanksgiving!

Kenna's shelter - protecting her from the 30 mph winds.

Katy trying out the shelter. "It's warm in here."

Poor Trent, however, has not had Snow Days and so we have carefully watched the weather report and road reports to make sure that he can get to work safely. Sometimes the 40 mile drive can seem like a 1000 mile drive. When the road report says dangerous ... it is. Lucky for him, he has made down and back safely each day. Our fingers are still crossed for one more day.

Life is Good - and even better on a SNOW DAY!

Fall Activities

One of my favorite activities in the Fall is canning. So, I decided it was about time to get some pictures of the festivities. We can Chili Sauce, Green Beans, Carrots, Corn, Bottle Tomatoes, Peaches, Apples and Salsa - lots and lots of salsa. Canning season does begin to drag toward the end, I must admit. But today, a couple months later, when the roads are drifted over and the wind is blowing like a banshee, I can look in the storage room and be grateful that I don't have to go to the grocery store. 

One of a billion batches of salsa that we made.

The assembly line. From beautiful washed tomatoes to smushy gushy salsa guts.

 Home canned goodness - Life is Good.

Senioritis

I've got Senioritis. Collin's a senior and I'm quite sick about it. I have been heard saying, "I can't wait for that kid to be out on his own." But, seriously, I'm quite nervous about it and not ready for him to be making big grown up decisions. Sheesh. What's he going to do after he graduates? He's got a year after he graduates before he goes on a mission. Should he go to college for the year? Should he work? Should he do half and half? Has he even thought of these things? He's 17. I doubt it. Will he ever without me forcing him?

No matter, I love him. He is fun and brings a lot of joy (and torture [three younger sisters]) to family.

Life is Good - even with teenagers.

On Top of the World

Table Rock mountain is in the Teton Range. It rests at 11,106 feet above sea level. We would climb almost 4100 feet. It is quite a hike (strenuous in all the hiking books) with fantastic views of several mountains, including the Grand, and the valleys below. We hiked it Saturday as a family, not all willing or happy about it, either. But, if we made it to the top, some great lessons would be learned. And some fantastic memories would live on.

Making our way up the trail.

There are two trails up the mountain. One is less steep but longer and is called Huckleberry Trail. The other is about two miles shorter (still nine miles round trip) but extremely steep. It's called The Face and in 1.5 miles you climb 2100' in elevation. We went up The Face - because we could! Aunt Sus was with us and she coaxed the twins along every step of the way.

On top of the world and fairly happy about it.

We all made it. Collin arrived on top two hours before us. (He's lucky he didn't have hypothermia after that long wait.) Kenna got there about an hour before us. (She was so determined. Once she sets her mind on something she doesn't look back.) At the top I felt like crying. It was a great moment. The view was even better than I remembered.

Coming down - like a horse headed to the barn.

What we learned? We can do hard things. And, with family support we can accomplish great things. That is the best part of the hike.

Life is Good and absolutely BEAUTIFUL.