11-30-14

Back home and back to family.

Breakfast at Starbucks, check out of our London flat, church, and Thanksgiving dinner at Fischer's.  Here Anastasia poses with one of three dessert choices with Kayla.

11-29-14

Saturday was our out and about around Seattle day.  Woke up to snow coming down.  Explored Pioneer Square (where Weyerhaeuser HQ will be moving), another trip to Pike Place market, and two trips to the 73rd floor of the Columbia Tower to see great daytime and night lit views.  Love this city!

11-28-14

Friday started out weekend away in Seattle.

This year we rented a studio apartment downtown, near I-5 and the library, in a 1900's vintage building.  It was a great unit, a great location, and a wonderful landing pad when it was too cold to be outdoors.  

In the evening we headed to a winery and did  a PaintNite class.  About 30 of us did the same painting with the same instruction and only white, black, red, blue, and yellow paint.  It was so cool to see how similar yet different they all turned out.

I normally only post one photo, but know some will want to see the creative process, so here goes:

11-27-14

Gobble gobble!

Xander photo bombed the veggie turkey.  Thankful for Bruce and the kids, flavored M&M's, extended family, sweet potatoes with pecans, and oh so much more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

11.26.14

Made it to the long weekend!

As we prepare to transition to a weekend on the go, I've realized that this week we have spent a lot of time at home... working on projects, cooking (food and dessert items), and reading college essays for the kids.

Thankful that life is a balance of going and staying.

11-25-14

This is the second time in a month that I used a vacation day to work on holiday projects.  Must be the season of too few hours in the day!  Mom and I enjoyed shopping for and building layered jar gifts.

11-24-14

Christmas decorating!!!

I know it is a few days early, but I needed to get into a bunch of the boxes to assemble and wrap some early gifts.

So as Grampa tried to watch the Ferguson riots unfold, we made the house all festive.

11-23-14

Our big Sunday excitement was watching Fiddler on the Roof.  I haven't seen it since I was quite young, but amazing how the songs come back!

11-22-14

Busy Saturday!

Packing and delivering Thanksgiving food baskets, Mom & Jerry arrive, church, and a Buff Puff fundraiser volleyball game where Anastasia was cheerleading.

11-21-14

Is it time for bed yet?!?  This week has been so long, I am so tired!  I did go to a worship service tonight, that was a nice chance to slow down and soak in the coming weekend.

11-20-14

This week is flying by.  Still, looking forward to the weekend for some extra sleep.  And house guests!

11-19-14

Look who got a perm... but no test results about her blue hands yet...

11-18-14

This evening Bruce and I dropped 52 packed shoeboxes off at the area collection site.  They weren't packed in the car very good, so it was like a clown car of shoeboxes, but the welcome team had fun loading them onto a cart and helping us get them inside to tally while I dealt with the paperwork.

'Tis the season to give back.  Maybe the next thing will be the 15 can challenge Christy posted on Facebook.

11-17-14

Anastasia: What's up, Mom?
Me: I need a blog photo.
Anastasia: Is that why you're following me around?

11-16-14

I went on a photography walk this afternoon, shooting the Washington Way bridge from all angles.  Other photographers were doing the same.  Tomorrow morning it closes.  For an entire year.  The funky green wood will become fancy new concrete.

11-15-14

Today a friend and I traveled down to Vancouver to attend an Operation Christmas Child shoebox packing party.  A mega church packed 1700 shoeboxes in 2 hours.  There were lines for the ages and boy/girl.  Grab a shoebox, pack the essentials, get the box inspected, pack toys to fill it, get a label, add a note, pray over the boxes, repeat.  Think I got 7 boxes packed.  Fun to see another way to bring joy to kids overseas.

11-14-14

Family movie night.  We watched Coming to America.  A blast right back to the 80's.

TGIF!

11-13-14

Family outing downtown for drinks!  Feeling a little cooped up after the weather event that wasn't.  Plotting Christmas gifts, laughing together, and yes, plenty of screen time.  

11-12-14

Today I set up a Varidesk at work.  It is a platform that can raise or lower to work sitting down or standing up.  It's a heavy little bugger, but I stood for two hours this afternoon, which has to be good for me.

"Those things seem to be all the rage." - Brian our IT guy

11-11-14

Tradition!

Tonight our family went shoebox shopping.  Anastasia shopped for two boxes, a boy and a girl.  Bruce and I shopped for two older girls.  And Xander and Jesse shopped for two little boys.

Stuffing all the items in the little shoeboxes is always a challenge, but the Ministers Delight is a sweet reward.

11-10-14

Now that tennis season is over, Xander can find time to volunteer at the Electric Bean again.  He asks me if I want my usual, then he asks me what my usual is...

11-09-14

I wouldn't call our weather this weekend fantastic, but at least the rain stopped long enough to get outside a little.  Bruce and I walked around a lot today, and we kept encountering standing water.  This is the walking path at the lake.  Could be a problem for joggers not paying attention...

11-08-14

I thought I had attended my last swim meet, but today traveled up to Olympia to watch Anastasia swim at districts.  One of her relay teams had a glimmer of hope for going to state, but today ends her high school swim career.  We are very proud, she made great times.

It was also fun seeing kids I knew in Aberdeen, all grown up.  I wanted to walk up to a few and say "I taught you Sunday school when you were two!" but thought that might freak them out, so I just said Hi to the moms.

11-07-14

Maybe I should stick with the shoe theme for awhile.  TGIF!  Bruce and Anastasia are at sub-districts, so Xander, Jessie and I are holding down the fort.  Good thing she doesn't hang out in his room!  Lots of shoes and clothes...

11-06-14

Shoes.

Always all over the house.  Sometimes the center of discussions.  Function and fashion statement.

Sopping wet tripping hazard.

11-05-14

Bruce does not like this shirt.  Well, it's more of an artist frock really.  I like the rich color and the big fancy buttons.  I get compliments on it.

Bruce can't help but make negative comments about it.

Silly silly.

11-04-14

Tonight was the tennis awards banquet at Dominoes.  As assistant coach Bruce handled the JV awards, and as tennis player extraordinaire Xander received awards, including MVP.  There was also entertaining footage of him making a shot but losing his raquet in the process.  Congrats to the co-captain of next years team!

11-03-14

After being under the weather for several days, heading back to work wore me out.  My big evening outing was to the ATM with Bruce to withdraw some cash.  We were hoping to exchange cash for keys with one of our tenants this evening, but she couldn't get moved out.  So the waiting continues.  A dark photo on this dark, grey, wet Monday; my camera didn't want to flash.

11-02-14

A professional photo shoot in the rain today, woo-hoo!  We hung around afterwards and took some more impromptu shots.

11-01-14

Day after Halloween brought a Halloween themed TOLO dance.  Anastasia was Beauty, with her sidekick as the Beast Mode...