ch-cha-changes...

she was born on 06.16.2006 and we named her linnea.
she loves hair-doo-dads and bows.
she loves little things, like jingle bells.
she loves peeking outside to see where the daddy is.

she loves being on the top of a daddy pile.

she is sneaky. she is a schiester.

we call her "schi-mi"

(which is short for "schiester-miester")

she dresses properly for indoor,

pretend strawberry-picking.

and she enjoys having cheetos with gram.

in her biker helmet.

and snow white socks.

at the princess table.

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

and, now she has decided to change her birthday.

and name.

her birthday is now october 10th.

and her name is spelled "linneh".

great

7 lbs. 12 oz. of adorableness!
daddy & daughter!
**********

it is official.

i am a great aunt.

now, "adjective-ly" i have been a great aunt since 1981...seriously. and since 1981, i have added 5 more nieces and nephews on my side. and 1 niece on my hubs' side.

but, yesterday...i became a great aunt "relatively" speaking:

my nephew cameron became a daddy yesterday!

wee, sweet genevieve jules has joined our family! she is adorable, was very content when i went to visit last night...but alas my camera's battery died after just two photos...so you do not get to see her full head of wavy black hair! might just have to go back to the hospital again today to see her...

welcome to the world, genevieve!

there is no business like snow business...

the great christmas blizzard of 2009.

began on the afternoon of christmas eve. continued off-n-on through december 26th. changed many people's plans. but not ours. christmas eve and christmas morning are for us alone. but we did encounter some cabin fever. in various degrees. so we bundled 'em and went out! and it was sooooooooo worth it!

in our driveway with the daddy.
wren trekking up "the mountain".
embarking together. happy sisters.

and then falling down together.

onward in the snow!

"we're the king of castle and you're little rascals"

to the top: take two, nea!

to the backyard with the daddy and the shovel.

"hey, don't forget me!"

for wren, happiness is a pink coat and some snow!

for linnea, happiness is her fluffer-white coat and snow!

our snow angels!

we "heart" snow!

"aaaayyyy-eeeeeks! it is snowing again!"

...ummm, no, that is just the daddy throwing snow on 'em!

the daddy, nea and wren!

yep, no business like snow business! although it doesn't come without some issues,

i cannot image not having snow...especially at christmas time.

although i would probably be okay if we were to have "the great thaw of january 2010" later this week......

ice, ice baby...

this is the view out our patio door...been listening to "tink" and "splink" of ice pellets

puttering against the door for most of the morning...

these tiny icicles might be much prettier if the daddy did not have to drive home

(with all the other numerous crazy drivers!) in 5 hours...

the window behind one of the girls' angels...adds a bit of festive-ness and sparkle...

and this is puddy mcfluffkins enjoying the angels and tree last night before "the weather" began...this i like much better than when puddy was hanging out under the tree and pawing at branches and ornaments...the "santa is watching" has no bearing on his behaviour.

i am hoping that the daddy makes it home safely later today and that everyone is able to enjoy a wonderful christmas - even it is altered from the "usual" celebrations due to the weather. i also hope that we can make it to the 7pm christmas eve service, but that just may not be possible...but we will have a good, snuggley christmas all the same...it just might be the daddy reading the story of jesus' birth instead of one of our pastors...and that's okay!

mariann mcmann anderson

this is a small photo, taken many years before i was even born. but this is the only picture i had access to on my computer. it was mom, my sister kathy, my sister brenda, and dad. probably taken in 1963. my mom would've been in her early twenties in this photo.

on this day, december 20, 1985, my mom died. she was in mexico. getting some experimental treatments for the stomach cancer that she'd been battling for just over a year. it was a last chance. but it did not save her life. she was 43 years old. i was 15 years old. i have spent more years without my mom, than with her. and sometimes i cannot remember her voice. and then i will hear someone talk who's voice is like hers. sometimes i cannot remember her perfume. and then i will get a whiff of someone wearing gloria vanderbuilt. and sometimes just the scent of velamints reminds me or her. or wrigley's spearmint gum. or wadded up tissues at the bottom of my purse. odd little things. but mostly i am reminded of her when i see other adult women with their moms. and it makes me wonder "what if...".

who could resist. . .

a face such as this??!!??!!

niceness counts

yesterday afternoon our doorbell rang. i was not expecting anyone. and through the window i did not recognize the man standing there holding a bouquet. as i opened the door, i assumed he was probably at the wrong house. new neighborhood, got the wrong house. it happens. instead, he said my name. yep, that bouquet was for me! and when i got a closer look...

it is cookies! cookies! COOKIES!
beautifully decorated christmas cookies!

the girls could not believe that cookies would come to our home like that - secretly, i admit i did not either! i read the card and they were sent by 3 gals i work with at the accounting firm. what a delightful and delicious house warming gift. wren told me this: "momma, those girls and boys at your accounting work sure can make good cookies! i love them!". so, as i often tell my girls (and i have it on their bathroom mirror):

"niceness counts" ~momma

(thank you, thank you, thank you christi, rhonda & stef!)

the cat's outta the.....

...coat.

all i did was go to the bathroom...

...and THIS happens:

marker + linnea = "bootipul lipdips" (translation: beautiful lipstick)

and some eyeshadow, too, apparently.

luckily it, and nea, are washable.......

the house we did not build

we did not contract to build our new home. someone else did, and then changed their minds. so, we now have a brand new home but did not have any of the choosing headaches. we like that. alot. so, here is the pseudo-tour...as requested by some people:

this is what you see when you walk in the burgundy front door.
this is the coat closet to the right in the entry way.

this is the area that leads to the girls' rooms, their bathroom and the laundry room.

this is the girls's bathroom.

this is wren's room. before she was told to straighten up. probably should've waited to snap the pic, huh? oh well...she was having some fun. we are hoping to have her headboard/footboard soon. and light pink (benjamin moore's "authentic pink") painted on her walls in the next few days. and i heard a rumor that santa might be bringing her some butterflies for her room...

linnea's equally untidy room. see above about the straightening up. and paint. hoping to find the bunkbeds' hardware to put them together soon. very soon.

the laundry room. recently painted "beach glass"...a very soft blue with gray undertones. should evoke a relaxing spa-like feel to encourage me to do more laundry. of course, finally getting the new dryer delivered and installed might also do that. tomorrow. tomorrow it should arrive. barring problems with weather. or me being gone picking my child up from school when they arrive. tomorrow.

the living room. where we watch "imagination movers". and "yes deal, no deal" (according to linnea...). and football, as shown in the photo. also where many dance recitals have already been performed.

the kitchen. hoping to get it organized and tidy soon, too.

of course, it will help to have a refrigerator in the kitchen. and not just the ole cruddy one in the garage. tomorrow on that appliance, too. if all goes as planned.

part of the basement.

other end of the basement (it is h-u-g-e!). no more toys in the living room, wha?? yeah, that's right! banished to the basement!

so there you go! mi casa, es su casa.