The Christmas Picture

This is our try at family pictures 

 

 

Brothers ...

Things got a little ... interesting at times...

 Or the camera wouldn't focus...

Or someones head got chopped off...

 Brothers picked up sisters ...

 And we eventually decided to be grateful that we got at least one good picture for this years Christmas card

=).

Christmas!

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.

For us it always starts the day after Thanksgiving when we go to Roberts Christmas Tree Farm and get our tree. Usually we go for the 10-13 foot ones, the kind that have to be tied to the ceiling. But this year we opted for a 7 footer. I like it better, it doesn't take up the whole living room like the old ones used to, and it just stands there! It doesn't need to be tied to anything! It's like magic!

This year my brothers all went and played a football game before we went treeing. I was up before Mom and by the time she came down stairs the stockings were up, the Nutcrackers were on the media cabinet and I was putting bells on the front door. 

We are listening to Charlie Brown Christmas music by Vince Guaraldi. That guy has incredible piano fingers!



 

Oregon; stage two

I LOVE MY DUCKS!!!

Oregon

I have a sister in college in Oregon and we (Dad, Brother and Myself) are headed that way bringing a treasure chest full of things needed.

 I love OR. We spend a week there on the cost in Cannon Beach every Summer.

In my mind Oregon always has been and always will be, connected to some of our family's most fun times. A 12 hour drive in an over full van is not everyone's idea of fun,

but for me it has always been filled with books on tape, silly games, fun music and important family time, when every one is (usually) happily looking forward to our yearly week of heaven.

This time the drive will be in the autumn with just the three of us. But it will still be fun, memorable and tinged with tradition. We will stop at all of our favorite coffee shops and all the old gas stations. The trees will be tinged with red and gold and the forecast is for rain. But we will still get there on highway 5, it will still be green and beautiful, it will still be Oregon.

Red Shoes and Peacock Feathers

I love red shoes,

 and peacock feathers

 =)