All I want for Christmas is...

As written by Anya:

Dear Santa,

How are you and Mrs. Claus doing? I hope you guys are good. How are your reindeer doing? Say hello to Mrs. Claus please. Thank you so much for the toys you gave me last time Santa. Me and my sisters are doing good today. I like you guys!

What I want for Christmas this year is a little Mermaid doll, some bubble gum, a candy necklace and a my little pony, tinker bell figurines set, lip sparkler celestial strawberry, some caramel candy, fairy and a fairy acorn house, chocolate marshmallow Santa, Beauty and the Beast movie, Belle doll and some twister color crayons, a princess and the frog doll and a Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue movie.
Are you allergic to nuts, or other things?

Love, Anya


As Dictated by Lila,

Dear Santa, 

How is Mrs Claus doing and the reindeer?  How are the elves?  How do your reindeer feel?   Can you send me a picture sometime?  I would like to see how big you are.  Do you always eat cookies, or do you eat healthy stuff, what do you eat?  
    Can I have some Tangled figurines, a fairy log house with fairies, the Great Fairy Rescue movie, and a set of old fashioned cars?  But most of all I would like to have Aunt Cheryl for Christmas and snow.

I love you,  Lila



And by Annette (exactly):

Dear Santa,

I love you so much and I love Mrs Claus, I love the elves, and love cookies.  I love to eat them with Santa and Mrs. Claus too.  I love Daddy and Mommy, and Lila and Anya and Santa and Mrs. Claus.  I love to get pictures with you.  I love Santa,  I love Mrs. Claus!  I love Grandma Ahmi, and Mama Teri!
  I would like a John Smith doll, a pink marshmallow (Mushroom) fairy house with a pink roof.
I would like some toy cars to play with Justin. I love Justin I want to marry him when I grow up, and I would like a picture of Justin and me.  I would like an elephant family, a mommy, a daddy, and brother and sister.

Love Annette.



Six in the blink of an eye.

Happy Birthday Baby girl!

July: Water and Babies

Heritage Camp

 The sidewalk chalk picture is of Roald Amundsen at the South Pole, by Anya his great, great, great, great niece. This past week we had heritage camp at the Son's of Norway in Poulsbo here is a sampling of our week learning more about our past, and enjoying our friends. 

Move Over Mr. Darcy

Thank you Tess!   I have just finished watching North & South, by Elizabeth Gaskell, I think it's just replaced Pride and Prejudice as my new favorite  Um, yep pretty sure it has.  WOW what a great movie.

Swimming Laps Around Mother

I could use a nap,  I'll bet if you are a mother reading this you could use one too.  My kids on the other hand are tough, they have the stamina of  an Olympic athlete.
 Recently the girls started swimming lessons and I told Lila if she just listened to her teacher and did exactly what Miss Kerri said she could win a metal at the next summer Olympics.  I wasn't kidding she could!   The energy alone would win the race, and could easily power our house if I was smart enough to find a way to hook her up to treadmill, I know she could exhaust Michael Phelps.  (Bless her swimming instructor, she is teaching the kid that when asked to do something and gives me a look that is pure Clint Eastwood and  says "Make my day.")  

Annette was so excited about swim lessons she had her goggles, new suite and a 'lets get this show on the road' attitude to get her started, and everything was going well until that little boy let go of the side when the teacher wasn't looking.   He survived but between his mother's reaction and his screams (Evidently this was not his first "attempt" at swimming lessons his mother later told the teacher.)  Netta took one look at what was unfolding around her and started crying herself, refusing to re-enter the pool.   We, another instructor and I, talked her down and she finished the lesson.  The next lesson she wouldn't even sit on the stairs until I took away her goggles, she had to show Mommy she would swim if she wanted them back.  Boy did she, with steely determination she plunged into the pool, floated on her back and blew some bubbles in the water just to prove her point.  She had her goggles back!

Lila Says

Lila can't wait for the 22ndeth of June, she says it's her favorite day in the whole world, and her favorite fruit is camel-lope.   I could hardly believe it myself when she told me.