This is how the plot SHOULD have gone.

Ummm... let's just say no introduction would be sufficient for this piece of brilliance.

Thanks for posting it, Vern. Gosh, I love that girl.

Twilight Years from Tom on Vimeo.

Career Day 2009

"I want to be a scientist when I grow up!" Kaden, age 6

Christmas Photo Session

The latest and greatest...

Sometimes Being a Flake is Not Really ALL My Fault

Remember way back when I told you all I had this awesome project in the works and it would be finished soon? Yeah, me neither. That post was how long ago?

But anyhow I did have a project I was really excited about. And I did work really hard on it for a really, really long time. And you know what? It got all jacked up because there are lame brain marketing people that put the words "stain-able" on wood putty labels and totally deceive amateurs like me. Yes, it's true. The putty is stain-able. However, they happened to leave out the minute detail that even though it is stain-able there is no way in Hades it's gonna match the rest of the wood.

So I actually "finished" the project back while Jeremy was in Florida, over a month ago. But now the finished project is sitting in the garage waiting for me to get motivation to re-strip it, re-sand it, and wait for it to get above 50 degrees so I can start staining all over again. Yeah, maybe I'll wait just a little bit longer...

In other news there's a new blog post over here!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

It's the 2nd of December. I can not believe it. While quite often time has seemed to creep by the last 8 months, it also has had an uncanny knack for flying by as well. Now, if I ever manage to multi-task like that you better watch out. But just between you and me I think we're safe in assuming that won't happen. I'm already feeling the full effect of the Christmas Spirit and it's going be one perfect month. We are so blessed.

*holiday decor (which I semi- scaled down from last year) is up

*Jeremy braved the roof and strung up the most perfectly straight line of lights ever

*oohed and ahhed over three precious newborn babies

*we've enjoyed lots of quality time with family

*explained, in depth, why the Who's were happy even after the Grinch stole their "things"

*purchased a beautiful tree (with a coupon even)

*decorated this fabulous tree with mismatched, sentimental, and perfect ornaments

*read the book "I Believe In Santa Claus"

*named and placed our "scout elf" who is keeping a watchful eye on our little ones

*cranked up the tunes on the Christmas Station

*finished almost all of the simplified shopping

*making exciting plans to spend Christmas with my family

*Christmas photo, for the grandkids, is scheduled for this afternoon

*our manger is being prepped for Baby Jesus' arrival with lots and lots of kind deeds

I think the only thing we're lacking is some Holiday baking... it's in the works.

Merry Christmas!

A Grateful Heart

topping my list in 2009

:: a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of me, pretty amazing when you really think about it

:: one amazing husband

:: practically perfect children

:: a huge family who loves me {some bound by blood, some by friendship}

:: a warm, cozy, love-filled house

:: the restored gospel

:: faith & hope

We Are Family...

November is National Adoption Month!

*Of the more than one million pregnant teens each year, 500,000 will choose to parent their babies, 450,000 will abort and fewer than 100,000 will place their babies for adoption. (U.S. Census Bureau)

* There are 510,000 children in the U.S. foster care system; 129,000 of these children are available for adoption.

*More children become available for adoption each year than are adopted. In 2006, 79,000 children had parental rights terminated by the courts, yet only 51,000 were adopted

*Each year, one in five children (26,517 in 2006) who are available for adoption turn 18 and leave the foster care system without a family.

*Nearly 40 percent of American adults, or 81.5 million people, have considered adopting a child, according to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey. If just one in 500 of these adults adopted, every waiting child in foster care would have a permanent family.

Statistical source: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System; Department of Health & Human Services (January 2008) via Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, unless otherwise stipulated.

1/3 of my siblings have joined our family through adoption.

Would you have guessed?

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It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.

~Johann Schiller

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.

~Erma Bombeck

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.

~George Eliot