Star

No Christmas tree is complete without the perfect star to go on top...

Don't Ask

Just get a good laugh for the day...

Fancy Food and Friends

With this being our pie selection, you can only imagine how good the rest of dinner was! This was our third year of being able to celebrate with the Dullums and as always it was just like being with family. We had so much yummy food and laughter. We had a bit of a panic moment when the turkey finished cooking a whole two hours early thanks to Marianna's fancy convection oven. I had to hurry to get my part of dinner ready as soon as possible. We arrived at their house at the time we originally planned on meeting even though I was trying to get there early (which Nathan informed me means I was late.) But it all worked out and couldn't have tasted better.

After dinner we started gearing up for Christmas by watching "Elf" - one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. The girls made friendship bracelets and jewelry together while the boys found the loudest trucks possible to drive around the house. It's occasions like this that I wonder what we do without our dear friends. Thanks Nathan, Marianna, Adri, Kyla, and Owen!

Part-Time Job

So when I figure in all my Twilight hours this week, it's like I have had a part-time job! Watching the movie (twice) including waiting time (turns out we didn't need to be there early but it was so dang fun!) took 7 hours. Reading Midnight Sun (the online version of Edward's story) took another 3 hours. Another 3 hours for the after party where we could continue to talk and analyze after the movie as well as the phone calls to my sister and best friend from high school add in another couple of hours. Let's round (down) and add in one more hour from reading stuff on Stephenie Meyer's website, looking at those very hot Vanity Fair pictures, and other online searches and that brings my total to 16 hours in 4 days! This is ridiculous! No wonder everything else in my life is lacking from attention...

My fellow co-workers

I'm sorry family! I'll make it up to you! I'm quitting this part-time job - it doesn't pay very well. (At least I'll try really really hard to...) And I'll clean the house as soon as I finish reading this one last thing on Stephenie's website (all while I am listening to the Twilight playlist - also on her website...)

Dang it - add another 30 minutes that I just wasted looking for pictures to put on this post. It's so easy to get distracted!!! I'm going to go do the dishes NOW!!

Fully Loaded

I am driving by myself with my three darling children to Utah today. I've done it before, however this time is going to be different because I am fully loaded. Here is what I have for this trip that I did not have for my last...

A cell phone (Yeah!!!!)

A GPS (David puts it very nicely when he says I'm "directionally challenged." I now have the tool to correct my disability.)

A working DVD player (ours broke the last trip. So I upgraded to a dual screen. The girls can sit in the back and watch while Karsten can sit by himself in the middle. Splitting them up guarantees less fighting...)

A working DVD player WITH enough headphones for all kids (amazing concept)

A working stereo (ours hasn't worked since Karsten decided to play the "slots" with the CD player and put quarters in it.)

Ipod (which I can hook up with our new stereo and play my music or podcasts... Awesome!)

As quoted from one of my favorite movies, Napolean Dynamite:

"I love technology. Yes I love technology, not as much as you you see, but still I love technology, Always and forever, Always and forever."

Now if I can just not get a ticket...

Historic

I am so proud of my country.

Hike canceled

The weather has been gorgeous for two months - literally. So of course the one and only weekend that me and my girlfriends could do a big hike I've by dying to do, it pours rain. So our 34 miler was cancelled, but that didn't stop us from having an adventuous girlfriend weekend! Instead of hiking,

THIS was our adventure...

A Calistoga mud bath! Yes, it was scary and stinky but it felt oh so good. Add to that some shopping at the Napa Outlets, some yummy food, hot tubbing, a midnight munchy run, and lots and lots of talking and laughing and we had a perfect girls weekend! Thanks to four wonderful hubbies who know our sanity relies heavily on these rare getaways.