Christmas in Redding

I got a digital camera again!!!! Yeah!!! So, as you see I can post more on the blog. This Christmas we went to Redding to spend with the entire Dyer/Barclay clan and my mom too! There were 18 of us for about a week and we all had a blast. We got to go to Shasta City on Christmas Eve and play in the snow a bit.

Hannah tired after a few sled runs.
Elena burried in presents.
All Hannah wanted for Christmas was a dress. She got her wish!

We were able to go hear Elena's class do a concert for us. It was just the 1st grade class singing for us, and then we got to help them....no watch them....at their Christmas party.
All the students have "big buddies" that are in 4th grade and this year Elena's big buddy got her a Christmas present. She was more than thrilled.
This is Hannah at her Christmas party. They made 5 crafts then had a huge buffet of food. She was not very happy with mommy when I asked her to stop eating and pose. This is the best smile I could get.
Hannah and her friend Katrina at their Preschool Christmas Performance.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Girl's Day Out

The girls and I got to go on a date and see the Nutcracker ballet. It was fun to get

all dressed up together. Hannah's response to the ballet: It was only a little boring. Her

dancer was the little girl Claire because her dress was like Cinderella. Elena's response:

I wish I could do the splits like those girls. Her favorite was the grown up ballerina "Claire"

in her sparkling white dress. She did ask about half way through why the men didn't have any pants on. :-)

OK here it is...a picture of my ever expanding physique. I am 27 weeks (almost 7 months) and I am definitely showing now. Jolene, it's your turn to share some pictures of your belly. I'm waiting. Things are going well. The girls are having fun feeling the baby move in my tummy. They really want a new little sister to play with. We'll know for sure in Feb!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We definitely have a lot to be thankful for, especially that Hannah didn't have to go to the ER on Thanksgiving Day. She took the worst "header" ever against the pavement. Thankfully she feels better than she looks. And another thing to be thankful for..... my rosemary/basil turkey came out delicious! Hope you all have a great one! I know I'm heading to the gym tomorrow!

Old School

Remember those booths that you sqeezed into with either a date or a group of friends?? Well, Joel and I were on a date and just happened to pass one of those booths and on a crazy whim we too some pictures. It was like we were teenagers again. All in all, one thing is for sure, dates are good!

A trip to visit Grandparents

Visiting with grandma and grandpa Burrows in Shelton WA. It was a nice clear,crisp day and the girls had fun running around outside and watching all the chipmunks that grandma feeds with her hanging feeders.

We also went to Oregon to visit my grandma Beresford and Aunt Suzie and family. It was a long trip but thankfully we bought a DVD player for the car. We didn't have to referee the girls the whole time which was nice. On the way up we stopped at some rest stops (not surprised) and did find a very pretty spot to let the girls run around and play. I'm sorry grandma that this picture of us makes us look so pale. Its the only one I have of the 2 of us.

This is my favorite time of year when the colors of the leaves and trees are changing.

This orangatain was so cute. He just stared at the girls for the longest time. He seemed so sad to me. I really felt sorry for him but the girls thought he just liked them. Who wouldn't?
These are the colorful lorokeet birds. Joel and the girls got to feed them juice out of a cup. How fun! Mommy got the pleasure of being pooped on by them.
Not fair!This is my lovable Aunt Suzie. The girls really enjoyed her too and we even taught Elena how to play the dice game 10,000 which is an old family favorite.
The girls in a cave at the zoo.

Pumpkin Patch

We visited the pumpkin patch in Petaluma with Elena's class. Its a neat patch since they also have a petting zoo and hay rides and a corn maze and jumpy houses.

Elena and Hannah especially loved the duck pond where there were 4 baby ducklings that didn't run away even when 10 kids were running towards them. What is wrong with them? The kids, of course, wanted to bring it home along with the bunnies, friendly goat and the "little lambies". They also promised to take care of them. Yeah right!!!
I have to admit this goat was very lovable.
Elena's buddy.

They wouldn't tell me how much these pumpkins cost..
They have rows of beautiful flowers that you can walk out into and pick your bouquet. I loved it.

Roller Skating Party

Daddy and Hannah. Joel even won a free soda for participating in the roller races! Good times...

Mommy and Elena.

Elena and her friend Emma.

Elena and all the party-goers. Elena is now 6 and growing up way too fast. All the kids had a blast trying to figure out how to roller skate since it was their first time, but most of them made it off the side walls by the end of the session. It had been years since most of us adults had roller skated so it was a great opportunity to feel like a kid again. Funny too!

Fresh coat of paint

We finally painted the house. We went with a grayish/tan color and a charcoal trim. My favorite part about the whole thing is the red door. I like red doors. I don't know why but I think it has to do with fall. Its my favorite time of year when all the leaves turn orange and red and gold. Now I will think of fall everytime I come home. My neighbor said red doors are said to bring good luck and harmony to the household. Who knew?

Last ultrasound picture

Now we've arrived at 19 weeks or the baby as the size of a zucchini.

Produce Babies!!!

I think its funny that the pregnancy websites like to compare the growth of the baby to different types of fruit and veggies as the baby grows. Its made it easier to show the girls the size of the baby and given them something concrete to picture the baby in my tummy. Heres the baby at 11 weeks...or the size of a fig.

14 weeks= lemon

16 weeks= avocado

17 weeks=onion

18 weeks= sweet potato

This picture is for my good friend Jolene in PA who is also pregnant. Since we can't compare bellies up close, she asked me to send a picture of my ever expanding tummy. I am now 19 weeks. Things are going well. We had our ultrasound yesterday and crammed the whole caln in the tiny ultrasound room (Joel, the girls, my mom, and Joels mom and dad). The baby looked like he/she was sucking its thumb and crossing its legs at the ankles repetitively, which can only mean another girl right????? :-)
We stuck to our guns and didn't find out the sex of the baby but go ahead and take your guess.......you have a 50/50 chance of being right!

This is me. I could not be any more sad since my digital camera is missing! I wish I could put new pictures but I have no camera. Joel took the girls camping last Friday night at Elenas school and never came back with the camera. Best we can figure is someone either stole it out of the car while Joel was loading up or he dropped it and someone picked it up and kept it for themselves. MAJOR BUMMER! Please pray that this person gets a conscience and turns it in or we find it in some inconspicuous spot!

Just Because....

I love getting flowers from Joel, not because I've done

anything great and not because its a holiday or special

occasion. I love them because he gives them to me and

says I love you. What are these for? I ask. The response is

just because....

I just thought that this bouquet was too pretty to keep to myself.

Ice Skating

We started our first day at ice skating lessons. For the

next 8 weeks its off to Snoopys Ice Arena for an hour

of sore bums and shivering teeth! Here is Hannah's

first steps on the ice with her"walker". They encourage

the children to use chairs or rails to hold on to to learn

how to walk on the ice. All in all mom's just happy

there were no broken bones.

First Day of Preschool!

My other baby is off to preschool. She is disappointed that it can't be everyday but I think 3 mornings a week is plenty! All this to say that I get 9 hours a week to myself. Can you say Hallelujah!!! I know , I know, that will all change in February when the baby comes but I do have this small window of time to do some hiking or swimming. YEAH!

First Day of First Grade!

I can't believe it but my baby is in 1st grade. Mommy

kinda misses her but she couldn't be more thrilled. For

3 days I asked her "So, elena, how was it all day at

school?" And for three days I got the same response,

"WE HAD 3 RECESSES MOM!!!" I seem to remember

that was one fo my favorite parts of the day in school.

I guess some things never change!

Children dirt bike racing?? You Betcha!

Joel and I recently got back from camping outside Yosemite

with almost the whole Dyer clan. It was a lot of fun especially

for the girls who were perpetually filthy. We bought a lovely

camping shower from Cabelas which Joel never used. (5 day
of aroma!!!!) Why did we buy the shower? Anyway, dirt bike

riding was a first for us and was a lot of fun. We even saw a bear

in a meadow in Yosemite Valley. The girls caught their

their own fish with their high tech Tigger and Barbie fishing rods.

Final score= Shan and the girls 18 fish Joel 5 fish

Fisherwomen ROCK!