~New~

Happy New Year~!

~32~

Celebrating 32 years of being married to my best friend~

~Happy~

Jim, Cassie, Meg & Jeff at the Happiest Place on Earth~

~Happy~

Having my precious family home for Christmas and getting to spend time together at the happiest place on earth made this one of THE bestest Christmas' ever~!!

~Christmas~

Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown-up now
Can you still help somehow?
I'm not a child, but my start still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself, but for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
Maybe only in that blind belief can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal our hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end

This is my grown-up Christmas list
This is my only lifelong wish
This is my grown-up Christmas list

~Christmas~

Meg & Jeff by their beautiful tree~

~First~

Jim & Cassie spending their first Christmas together~

~holiday~

~Decorations~

Santa's helper has been busy at work...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here =)

~Holiday~

Our local farmers market has some tastey homemade holiday goodies...YUM~!

~Pageant~

Meg's Sunday School Class at their Christmas Pageant...precious and priceless =)

~1953~

I LOVE this photo of my aunt and uncle waaaaay back in 1953...a true Vintage Noel =)

~Santa~

A picture with Santa...another Christmas tradition~

~tree~

Oh Christmas Tree
Oh Christmas Tree
Thou tree most fair and lovely

~Jammies~

One of our Christmas traditions is getting new jammies. They are packed in the same Nordstrom box for the past 20 years and are placed in the front of the tree for easy access. The kids open them Christmas Eve so they will be all ready for Santa's visit.

~Present~

Since I was born in December, my parents thought it would be a cute idea to put me among my brothers Christmas presents. He took one look at me and then proceeded to play with all his new toys.

~Cake~

~Gingerbread~

~Gingerbread~

Cassie's family has always had a gingerbread house making party. This year Cassie decided to make a Gingerbread Church, complete with a cross on the top and stained glass windows made out of fruit rollups! December 2007

~Tradition~

The tradition of Meg & Jim frosting sugar cookies with Grandmama started when Meg was two years old. It's so much fun watching them decorate their own cookies, lick the frosting off the knife and laughing and spending time with Grandmama. And even tho they are now both married, it's something that we ALL look forward to every year!

~Blessings~

~Gingerbread~

The cruise ship had a gingerbread village set up in the atrium. It spanned three floors and was truly a site to behold! December 2008

~Cookies~

Frosting cookies with Grandmama is a tradition that started when Meg was 2 years old and continues today...28 years later~!

~Reason~

~Santa~

Meg & Jim experience the wonder of breakfast with Santa in 1984~

~oops~!

Jimmy didn't seem to be too thrilled with Meg's placement of her stickers. Perhaps she got just a little carried away! =)

~Sunshine~

You are my sunshine =)

~Blessed~

Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Luke 1:45

~Turkey~

Hope your turkey day was stuffed with lots of food, fun and family~!

~Thanksgiving~

Every time we remember to say "thank you", we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.

~Thankful~

I was so thankful that Meg was able to come down for a quick visit before the Thanksgiving holiday. We had so much fun shopping and seeing movies. But I was most thankful for the time we spent just talking and laughing and hanging out together~!

~35~

Happy 35th Anniversary Tom & Karen~!! Cheers to 35 more~!

~Dad~

Daddy...It's been 19 years and I still miss you everyday~

~Love~

Love is all you need =)

~Love~

All you need is Love~

~Present~

everyday is a gift that's why they call it the present

~Sunshine~

I wanna go where the summer never ends
With my guitar on the beach there with all my friends
The sun so hot and the waves in motion
And everything smells like suntan lotion
The ocean, and the girls so sweet
So kick off your shoes and relax your feet
You say that miracles are never ceasin'
And every single song needs a little releasin'
The stereo bumpin' til the sun goes down
And I only wanna hear that sound

That's the sound of sunshine
Comin' down
And that's the sound of sunshine

And I say
You're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes down
You're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes down,
You're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes down
You're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes down

That's the sound of sunshine
Comin' down
And that's the sound of sunshine
Comin' down

~THIS~

Because of moments like THIS

Because of photos like THIS

THIS...is why I scrap~!

~Kindness~

Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
'Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears,
'Til in Heaven the deed appears -
Pass it on.
Henry Burton

~Wish~

Meg and Jeff and the great wishbone challenge =)

~Picnic~

~Blessed~

Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished! Luke 1:45

~Service~

In honor of Vetran's Day I thought I'd post this layout. The charcoal drawing is by my dad’s bunkmate. It shows a typical day aboard their ship. The date, 7/2/45, is significant because it is my dad’s birthday. It’s kind of nice to know that even in the midst of war, small heartfelt gestures like remembering a friend’s birthday, did occur. I have included one of my dad’s navy photographs so you can see that he drew a very good likeness~
Dad enlisted in the military after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He became a Signalman in the navy and was stationed in the Pacific throughout the rest of the war. Most of his memories of his time in the service, he kept to himself. Whenever I asked him for some details, he always said ~that was all in the past and we need to be positive and focus on now~ I try to emulate his positive outlook on life but more importantly I try to remember just how much of his life he sacrificed so that I could enjoy the freedoms that I have today. Thanks Dad~

~Reservations~

My favorite thing to make for dinner is....reservations =)

~Muerte~

Jim & Cassie dressed up for the All Souls Day Parade...kinda creepy but waaaay cool =)

~Moments~

You can buy back moments that matter~

~Us~

Michael...so VERY thankful for you~

~Me~

Be who you are
and say what you feel,
because those who mind
don't matter
and those who matter
don't mind.
Dr. Seuss

~Daughter~

A daughter is someone you laugh with, dream with and love with all your heart!

~Turkey~

Someone is just a TAD excited about carving the turkey =)