We are pleased to announce the arrival of...

Fiona... the newest addition to our family.

 
We have been talking about adopting another cat for awhile. A couple weeks ago we went to a few shelters but didn't find the "one." We decided kind of on a whim to go look again today since we had a few spare hours and look who decided to come home with us! She is sweet and fuzzy and needs to fatten up quite a bit but she's super friendly already with us and the girls. We can't wait for her and Floyd to become bestest friends.

30 Days of Truth: Day 14

A hero who has let you down.

I try not to idealize people- there are heroes in my life for sure- but each one of them is a person- and not even one of them deserves to be called out for making mistakes, being human and struggling like every other human on the planet. I'd rather tell you about the special qualities of the heroes in my life- each one of them amazing- and at a personal level.

My Dad is my hero because he has an amazingly childlike part to his personality that children can sense- they flock to him. He has fun and laughs and plays. I hope he never loses his goofiness and sense of fun.

My Sister is my hero for being so brave and for opening her heart up. I am so so proud of her.

My Brother is my hero because he followed a dream- it may have been kind of crazy- and didn't work out like he expected but I give him so much credit for giving it a shot.

Martin is my hero for loving all the girls in his life so much! (Me, Lily, and Kendra of course!) For surprising me with how incredibly thoughtful and giving he can be.

Lily is my hero because of her incredible capacity for forgiveness.

Kendra is my hero for her spirit and spunk and for so easily accepting me as a part of her life.

There are so many others...I can't begin to name them all. Every person in my life has hero-like qualities that are worth admiring- that I do admire. They've all made mistakes too and many of them have proved their heroic status in the face of those adverse conditions.

I believe.

I helped Lily and Kendra put milk and cookies out for Santa last night just as they headed to bed. AFter they were tuked in tight, Martin and I wrapped and organized and planned well past midnight. Finally we finished and at the last minute remembered we needed to drink the milk and eat the cookies- but there was a part of me that didn't want to. The little girl in me just wanted to leave them and see what happened. Though I know that Santa himself isn't real... all of me still believes in the magic of Christmas.

Merry Christmas to my two beautiful and amazing girls!

What we are reading...

Right now Lily and I are reading Nutcracker. I think next year I want to take her to the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker- and this story is the perfect introduction. Their sets in the ballet are also done by Maurice Sendak so it will be kind of familiar to her. I love the story and am actually a little surprised how much Lily is into it as well. She keeps asking me to read it whenever we have a spare moment- at breakfast, during the commercials while we watch Survivor, at bed time...etc.

I just started The Museum of Innocence after kind of randomly picking it at the library. So far the characters are interesting and I can't wait to get further into the story. Though I feel like I will need some good uninterrupted reading time to get through it. The story interested me because it is the story of a "collection" and their relationship to a memory. This concept is something I think about a lot and struggle with to some extent when it comes to letting physical objects go that represent a moment in time. Also a trait I see very much in Lily. This story seems to be the extreme end of that scenario- where the main character shuts himself off from basically his whole life to focus on the memories. Should be interesting. I will let you know! 

What are you reading???

I'm Freezed!

No children were harmed in the making of this video : )

        If you live in the Northwest you know that right now we are having a "Pineapple Express" weather system bringing in warmer temperatures and tons and tons of rain- serious flooding really-so we weren't sure exactly how successful the adventure we had planned would be. Martin had a breakfast place in mind that he had eaten at several times before at the Snoqualmie Pass summit, but when we got there the restaurant had changed. Unfortunately it wasn't the the greatest place- cold food and bad service- but we had afterward we had full bellies and continued with our adventure hoping for better luck. We drove further east and and down a back road to find a good place to get out and play- throwing snowballs, making a snowman and snow angels. The girls lasted about 30 minutes- about 20 minutes more than I expected! But... it was enough. We drove home drinking hot chocolate and singing Christmas Carols with the girls in the back seat making forts out of their blankets.

Chronicle Books Happy Haul-idays Contest

I heard about this contest from Scientific Nature of the Whammy- and how can I resist the possibility of free books...ones that I like too!!! Go here: Chronicle Books to check out their Happy Haul-idays contest. If you are blogger- you can make a list on your blog and enter to win too! What an awesome idea!

I've seen these books and have some kind of morbid curiosity about them...I've got to at least see why these are so popular:

Wow! This one looks interesting...something I have been thinking about lately...basically the "experience" of the modern American woman.

I'm always up for a good murder mystery

I read this author's blog and have long thought about how I could make money making cards...maybe this book could help?

Dang it- I thought this was my idea...too late I guess!

This one just looks like fun...what a creative idea! Love it!

How cute are these kid's books?

And a couple more for me : )

Click on the link at the top of the page to read the contest details and enter to win. Post your own list on your blog and/or comment on other blogger's lists to get a chance at winning the books on their wish list! Leave a comment here to have a chance at winning the books I have selected. Go Literacy!

(Oh wait, was that kind of dorky??)

Why blog?

I feel caught between a rock and a hard place with this blog- I like writing it but often don't have time. I have ideas but my mind goes blank when I sit down to write. Sometimes I feel like I am talking to empty space. What is the point?

Martin, "You aren't writing to no one... you are writing to Lily."

Sarah *tears up* "You're right. I am writing to Lily."

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Dear Lily of the future,

I hope you love this account of our life together as much as I do. I hope that as you read this you know that you are the love of my life and you have allowed my heart to grow so big it holds more love than I thought possible. I hope it teaches you a little something about me and brings back fond memories of your childhood. I know I've got thousands of pictures and scrapbooks (hopefully!) done of you but I hope this blog shows something a little deeper...the everyday stuff that is usually forgotten.

Love Always,

Mommy

A spontaneous game of Hot and Cold

"Mommy, how was your day?"

A very thoughtful gift

A quiet evening at home

Joy : )

Pose!

Kendra's "Fashion Girl" poses. Silly girl!

She just loves the camera : )

30 days of Truth: Day 13

A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough days

Several years ago I discovered a band by the name of Frou Frou. The singer's name is Imogen Heap. I know she has made some other music though only one album has been released by that particular "group." The music on this album has gotten me through some really tough days. The song "Let Go" has inspired me to keep on pushing through- to allow life to happen and not let it get me down even when it wasn't easy.

Once someone pointed out that even though the song has been my "theme song" for quite some time I really wasn't living the words of the song. And I guess that is true. I don't live the words of the song 100% but it is something I aspire to- something I keep in the back of my mind.

Let Go by Frou Frou

drink up, baby down

mmm, are you in or are you out
leave your things behind
'cause it's all going off without you
excuse me, too busy you're writing your tragedy
these mishaps
you bubble wrap
when you've no idea what you're like

so let go, jump in
oh well, whatcha waiting for
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

so let go, just get in
oh, it's so amazing here
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

it gains the more it gives
and then it rises with the fall
so hand me that remote
can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow

such boundless pleasure
we've no time for later now
you can't await your own arrival
you've 20 seconds to comply

so let go, jump in
oh well, whatcha waiting for
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

so let go, just get in
oh, it's so amazing here
it's alright
'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

Oh what fun it is to ride....



We drove down to Chehalis yesterday to Ride the Santa Steam train. It was a long drive- nearly 2 hours each way but well worth it. Do we even need to go get another santa picture taken? This one is great!

Today we are off to go get our tree and *hopefully* get to decorate it! Ooh...my other favorite part...well, I guess all of it is my favorite!

***************

Martin- Thank you for one whole amazing year! You are more than I would have ever known to ask for. I hope we have many more years as good as this one.

LOVE ALWAYS,

Sarah

30 Days of Truth: Day 12

Something you never get compliments on...

I've never in my life heard, "Wow! Sarah, you are sooo spontaneous...such a free spirit!" I know everyone here is dying of laughter. Thank you thank you....

But...sometimes I wish that were the compliment people were giving me. Sometimes I really wish I could just do whatever and not care and not plan every detail but, well, it never seems to work out that way. I can do things spontaneously- I am not completely incapable of it but you can pretty much guarantee that I won't be the initiator of the spontenaity...most likely just along for the ride.

But really, if that is my biggest worry in life... I have a pretty awesome life. No really I do have a really awesome life!

********************

I have all kinds of pictures of the things we've been up to lately but I just haven't felt like putting the effort in. It seems to be taking all my strength just to get through each work day lately and by the end of the day I have nothing left- no energy to put into a good blog post. I'll be back to my old self soon...most likely after the holidays.... after I get some good sleep... after I feel better... after.