Opening Day! Go Mariners!!

The girls and I have tried to attend Opening Day games for the last few years. We missed it last year, as I had to work that day. So, we aimed for this year. Except Mom missed the first day of ticket sales, and we were almost out of luck. A staff member at school (a season ticket holder) found us some tickets and then wouldn't let us pay her for them! We had a blast! The girls got a batting practice ball (thanks, Wade the Usher!), had their picture taken with the Moose, and then we got to sit with our friend in the first row, center field. I'd never sat that close before. Here are some pics of our big day.

Of course...

Life would be so boring without Hannah around. Sunday morning she wanted yogurt. So, she gets the big container of yogurt out, and then decides to be a goof and call it her "baby". She ate some, then put it back in the fridge. This is what I found when I went to get my yogurt. "Mom, the baby was cold!" For such a smart kid, she's downright strange...and keeps us laughing.

Gorgeous days

I have to confess that, despite being a born-and-raised Washingtonian, I despise winters here. The gray and rainy days really get to me, and I find myself almost craving sunshine. So, imagine my delight in the past few days here -- clear, cold and sunny! I don't care about cold, as long as I can feel the sun on my face. I went up to Wiser Lake yesterday and snapped some photos of Mt. Baker...enjoy.

Tasty Treats

I don't often cook treats with the kids. We all pitch in to make dinners, and the girls are awesome at making breakfast -- usually while I'm still in bed! (I've trained them well :)) But I usually don't have the time or energy to do extras, and honestly, we don't need a lot of sweets around. But, we decided to try a new thing -- Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Slices. They were so easy, and so yummy! We have the leftovers in a freezer bag. I think that'll be my treat later...after the kids go to bed!

You don't want pictures....

Just a quick post to say HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The girls and I celebrated by being up close and personal with the porcelain throne -- yep, we rang in the new year with the stomach flu. Today it had run it's course (no pun intended), and we feasted on popsicles, Gatorade, toast, applesauce, and chicken noodle soup. Big thanks to Beth, Dorene, and Kelly for delivering the necessary groceries!

We Danced Our Best for Him

Sarah and Hannah had their first ever dance recital at the Mt. Baker Theater. They've been taking a Jazz dance class at Dancing for Joy since September. It's been fun to see them interact in class together. I've decided that Sarah is quite the natural dancer (all that gymnastics paid off) and I can see her continuing to dance for a long time. Hannah, well, is certainly energetic! The great thing about watching Hannah dance is that she's so uninhibited! I am so proud of both of them!

Timber

We made it through the annual tree-getting process with little trauma this year. Last year, we found and cut down the tree just fine. After I'd paid for it, I picked it up, took one look at our van, and wanted to hit myself over the head. I'd temporarily forgotten the van doesn't have a luggage rack. So, the tree had to go IN the van. Sarah climbed in the front seat and pulled on the top of the tree while I stood at the back of the van and pushed the trunk of the tree as far in as possible. The van trunk door still wouldn't close. So, using some creative knot-tying, I tied the trunk lid down to the trailer hitch and cinched it down as tight as possible, all the while trying not to swear in front of the children or look like a helpless woman.

So this year, I took all the seats out of the van I could, folded down the back seat, measured the length of the inside of the van, and took the measuring tape with me to the tree farm. We easily agreed on our tree, I demonstrated my honed logging skills, and we had our Christmas tree. Imagine my joy (and relief) when our tree easily slid in and I closed the van trunk. Small victories...