tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49872203830001508262024-03-13T11:19:54.266-06:00Kuab Ci lub Tswv Yim(Drew's Wisdom)
<p>The rantings of the artist formerly (and presently) known as Kuab Ci</p>Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.comBlogger506125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-64907647222324871652022-12-24T22:16:00.003-07:002022-12-24T22:16:34.083-07:00Annual Christmas Eve Journal Write 2022<p>I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve.</p><p>I can't believe how many times this year I've uttered the phrase "I can't believe it's [enter date here]."</p><p>I have felt continually behind and like I'm continually catching up but I guess the important thing is that it's continual, meaning I'm still trying to.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoeQsfQtS6XBBeZ9zEVsraMS-KEtpA4q3fO1Y3gVZVrDH1k-dfH2swCh9BX9_7giiXqt3jRtGCFuWBkgG2F0lXKi-70Dxx5Y28cSobK5f1nelOalMdv2PrrjwMeLsdpfK5qUoHv1Qcb9BtiJgjwbvekfs9e6twfNd9yl525xsNLtb9YOR7eYt8A/s4080/IMG_20221211_003630332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoeQsfQtS6XBBeZ9zEVsraMS-KEtpA4q3fO1Y3gVZVrDH1k-dfH2swCh9BX9_7giiXqt3jRtGCFuWBkgG2F0lXKi-70Dxx5Y28cSobK5f1nelOalMdv2PrrjwMeLsdpfK5qUoHv1Qcb9BtiJgjwbvekfs9e6twfNd9yl525xsNLtb9YOR7eYt8A/s320/IMG_20221211_003630332.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-15403895627107852762022-12-24T22:04:00.005-07:002022-12-24T22:04:46.462-07:00Christmas 2021<p> Good grief, I never posted this last Christmas. I literally post on here twice a year, you'd think I could manage that at least.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx621RnoNxOi-1e8Tp9GGarm7wo-xzYiKwLPk09sE2-zhv4fnmvZqX0Ab7BRh8-QmnZorh2EVJrxcMQcQIISiBMhFC9tA30zyQcM6p1wzM1ANh4xY-JuVJu9sL61zXc630cdJcSns6Ki80q5eGKa4vxWiFM0PjETZvPQdACFXzXBlyaiU7Pg0Uw/s2048/Christmas%20card%202021%20front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="2048" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx621RnoNxOi-1e8Tp9GGarm7wo-xzYiKwLPk09sE2-zhv4fnmvZqX0Ab7BRh8-QmnZorh2EVJrxcMQcQIISiBMhFC9tA30zyQcM6p1wzM1ANh4xY-JuVJu9sL61zXc630cdJcSns6Ki80q5eGKa4vxWiFM0PjETZvPQdACFXzXBlyaiU7Pg0Uw/s320/Christmas%20card%202021%20front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmOWn8HHTT6qh2kRrBtlqSQViuEyZkMcVB6-jiU9rHZ9aJxi4ByUYORmc-ll1CC7yiN_NPvzCLWdCq6vTtpnhLUv5IBXACOlVq_sOMcIsPSzcuibIbBy2DOun2caraBgNg2_XHw_Rvfm0g-p1XQ6FNu3VBSoxGCkdoyITNu20Gbs2aBe1qq2oGw/s2048/Christmas%20card%202021%20back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="2048" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmOWn8HHTT6qh2kRrBtlqSQViuEyZkMcVB6-jiU9rHZ9aJxi4ByUYORmc-ll1CC7yiN_NPvzCLWdCq6vTtpnhLUv5IBXACOlVq_sOMcIsPSzcuibIbBy2DOun2caraBgNg2_XHw_Rvfm0g-p1XQ6FNu3VBSoxGCkdoyITNu20Gbs2aBe1qq2oGw/s320/Christmas%20card%202021%20back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I thought this was a really good one too.<br /><p><br /></p>Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-45647698325617080202021-12-24T22:47:00.000-07:002021-12-24T22:47:07.465-07:00Annual Christmas Eve Journal Write 2021<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Another wonderful marvelous incredible (truly) year and we've made it at least to Christmas.</span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Things are pretty gnarly right now and I'm afraid they're about to get gnarlier but I'm also somehow still somewhat (sometimes) optimistic.</span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Whatever happens will happen and much of it is and will continue to be out of our control so we just need to be as prepared as we can for it so that's the current mindset.</span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">God bless us, every one.</span></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY7ExgiMyDgbxv-l0w8TPnOTjEhLKl6u7VWv62qF7kZQk9Lhgcm4Oi7vErjE5UoFaXkPCy-aAMr4ClqFNdcnZGRcpPdsekjPPI7hDKEx1oAi9aIUXz_Oyp8RnhkZniLXpCdjZG0u7WlvdPemlbGPJ1FVTbz0zpVtQIjzjkkioZBHYBVizdY9nT3Q=s4073" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4073" data-original-width="3258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY7ExgiMyDgbxv-l0w8TPnOTjEhLKl6u7VWv62qF7kZQk9Lhgcm4Oi7vErjE5UoFaXkPCy-aAMr4ClqFNdcnZGRcpPdsekjPPI7hDKEx1oAi9aIUXz_Oyp8RnhkZniLXpCdjZG0u7WlvdPemlbGPJ1FVTbz0zpVtQIjzjkkioZBHYBVizdY9nT3Q=w256-h320" width="256" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(The goal this year was to have a complete mess of lights upon lights upon lights and so I bought a bunch of new lights and it still doesn't look like enough lights. Okay tree though.)<br /></span><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div>Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-78539414582166639132021-04-26T14:26:00.000-06:002021-04-26T14:26:24.754-06:00Christmas 2020<p>I literally just noticed I never posted our Christmas card.</p><p>So here it is.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9WoYNJV41YM/YIcgLIAlyuI/AAAAAAABPns/py15bWzBMeQhIM6eukXHWQPqqUlGWBt7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Christmas%2Bcard%2Bfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9WoYNJV41YM/YIcgLIAlyuI/AAAAAAABPns/py15bWzBMeQhIM6eukXHWQPqqUlGWBt7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Christmas%2Bcard%2Bfront.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gyFRRTR7IDI/YIchnrRMEhI/AAAAAAABPn0/Dlpv53IAexsmNc1W2PeZGYrJV0eD-YZMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Christmas%2Bcard%2B2020%2Bback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gyFRRTR7IDI/YIchnrRMEhI/AAAAAAABPn0/Dlpv53IAexsmNc1W2PeZGYrJV0eD-YZMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Christmas%2Bcard%2B2020%2Bback.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I mean to be real we still wear these pajamas all the time so we're</div><p></p>Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-32771309316192495372020-12-24T22:50:00.000-07:002020-12-24T22:50:26.679-07:00Annual Christmas Eve Journal Write 2020<p> What on earth can possibly be said on this Christmas Eve 2020?</p><p>I don't even know where to start.</p><p>And I'm afraid once I do I won't stop.</p><p>So I won't.</p><p>The kids are asleep and soon so shall we be.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eSxRenNq0IA/X-V9IhmelTI/AAAAAAABFvY/7hCQH40xaiEcMlA5eA3uR-ypMcHL5O7JACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20201224_063823_906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eSxRenNq0IA/X-V9IhmelTI/AAAAAAABFvY/7hCQH40xaiEcMlA5eA3uR-ypMcHL5O7JACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20201224_063823_906.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-39789358064581329492019-12-29T22:01:00.002-07:002019-12-29T22:01:44.029-07:00Christmas 2019We wanna wish you a:<br />
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Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-36119570308132653322019-12-24T22:50:00.002-07:002019-12-24T22:50:48.848-07:00Annual Christmas Eve Journal Write 2019I just read through last year's ACEJW and felt a grim realization that I failed in my resolve to get and stay caught up on blogging for 2019 almost 100%. Then I realized I have done okay staying caught up on Instagram and really that seems to be the way things are going anyway and I refer to that a lot instead soooo maybe that's just what's going to happen.<br />
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But you know I'm still going to drop a line here once or twice a year, even if it's just to say hello and merry Christmas Eve.<br />
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I've been doing a bit of a juggling act lately but I think I'm finding a pretty good balance. It's true that I don't even have a picture of our Christmas tree to put on here but wait, you know what? I can go take one right now, why not? Stand by...<br />
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THERE. I did a thing. I had an idea and I stood up and followed through, and that's a Christmas Eve win. And I just realized that there's the white lights in that middle section are out. This is real life.<br />
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Anyway, it was a busy and crazy and wonderful year and 2020 is looking to be a pretty good one too.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-50935585551257387032019-12-24T22:34:00.001-07:002019-12-24T22:34:17.680-07:00Welcoming FBGI may not be blogging regularly anymore but you know I'm going to document this:<br />
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It's a boy</div>
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23 September 2019<br />
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8 lbs 6 oz</div>
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20.5 inches</div>
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Beloved by all.</div>
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Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-74781355888899447152018-12-26T20:32:00.000-07:002018-12-26T20:32:08.246-07:00Christmas 2018From all of us to all of you:<br />
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Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-81221385361520925432018-12-24T23:00:00.001-07:002018-12-24T23:00:25.486-07:00Annual Christmas Eve Journal Write 2018I had grand plans to be caught up by tonight but I'm not but I still want to do my annual Christmas Eve Journal Write.<br />
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(Incidentally one of my goals for 2019 is to be better about staying caught up on my blog by the way. I know no one reads these anymore but I actually refer to it quite often and find it a great resource even as a personal journal and photo depository.)<br />
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We had Mom and Dad over for fondue again this year and it was sooooo delicious and I'm not regretting in the least all the treats I've been eating over the last week or so.<br />
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Christmas is all set to go and the kids are asleep and I finished my 4:50 dead hangs (ouch why) and we're looking forward to a loud and busy and tons of fun day tomorrow. We watched The Small One tonight and it was a little magical to watch Charlie (5.5) figure out the twist in the last seconds.<br />
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The Wife is sitting at my side working on her brand new laptop with a light-up keyboard and it brings me a lot of joy that it brings her a lot of joy.<br />
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This year's Christmas pajamas from Mom featured shorts and I'm okay with this.<br />
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Anyway, Santa should be here any second, in fact I think he already showed up, so I better get to bed.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-29718788010384954092018-11-28T16:27:00.003-07:002018-11-28T16:27:55.455-07:00July the Fourth 2019We had a great Independence Day. Hiking with the fam, fireworks shirts, all the foods and panorama fireworks from the backyard, and kayaking the next day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l2oBpi9V64M/W_8jrnm7qxI/AAAAAAAAnGw/EqJJdVNfqXg2XkVgdh9n2H0zumwhSi0fACLcBGAs/s1600/0704a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="600" height="319" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l2oBpi9V64M/W_8jrnm7qxI/AAAAAAAAnGw/EqJJdVNfqXg2XkVgdh9n2H0zumwhSi0fACLcBGAs/s320/0704a.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom's four zones </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice big group!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we shall call it... This Land...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A's side-eye...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water babies</td></tr>
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Happy birthday, America! There are troubles but honestly things have been and could be much worse.
Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-53163301443594048302018-11-27T16:37:00.000-07:002018-11-27T16:37:08.285-07:00MDG's Year the First!Well, for the first time in maybe ever I'm like six months behind. But I do not accept this as an inevitability! At least not yet. So here's a quick update on Milo's first birthday.<br />
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At his first birthday this little man is eating most things and teething and waaaaalking all over the place. I may or may not have mentioned that he seems to be making up for being such a mild newborn and using his recently discovered voice most vehemently, but he's just sooooo cute that it's easy to forget about that. He doesn't really like sitting still but he occasionally likes a snuggle. Doc says he's a healthy boy and his birthmark is pretty much here to stay and he's almost always happy.<br />
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He's a good boy and so loved by his parents and older siblings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jAbqv7fSVdE/W_3TKL0QulI/AAAAAAAAnE4/7x9cFF7OoXQWz36q-Q6Btuwk5qEzC27JgCLcBGAs/s1600/0523a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jAbqv7fSVdE/W_3TKL0QulI/AAAAAAAAnE4/7x9cFF7OoXQWz36q-Q6Btuwk5qEzC27JgCLcBGAs/s320/0523a.PNG" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Discovering the ceiling fan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2LDhZtrRf8/W_3TKdQZYVI/AAAAAAAAnFA/wfGfu2PHwO8TOxVgnsMMDqAiq5aowNQeQCLcBGAs/s1600/0523b.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r2LDhZtrRf8/W_3TKdQZYVI/AAAAAAAAnFA/wfGfu2PHwO8TOxVgnsMMDqAiq5aowNQeQCLcBGAs/s320/0523b.PNG" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fascinating!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2a_Xi6jFw5A/W_3TKRyflCI/AAAAAAAAnE8/mv9PFamXJKApOzwHAoE59TWg9Q7p2b32ACLcBGAs/s1600/0613.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2a_Xi6jFw5A/W_3TKRyflCI/AAAAAAAAnE8/mv9PFamXJKApOzwHAoE59TWg9Q7p2b32ACLcBGAs/s320/0613.PNG" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New trick!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d42iQmzndE4/W_3TK-QpHMI/AAAAAAAAnFE/rFBK3D0P4T0LGXqAEfv5HwJXXb9v3BUdACLcBGAs/s1600/0614a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="490" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d42iQmzndE4/W_3TK-QpHMI/AAAAAAAAnFE/rFBK3D0P4T0LGXqAEfv5HwJXXb9v3BUdACLcBGAs/s320/0614a.PNG" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An artist</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hwhm38YZ56U/W_3TLGgqrNI/AAAAAAAAnFI/jNe1KhXgcN8ntebsmgfwi2-YbSUG6z34gCLcBGAs/s1600/0614b.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hwhm38YZ56U/W_3TLGgqrNI/AAAAAAAAnFI/jNe1KhXgcN8ntebsmgfwi2-YbSUG6z34gCLcBGAs/s320/0614b.PNG" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves a bath</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xxeBUi7HuU/W_3TLcLf7dI/AAAAAAAAnFM/ksuCcNHXi6AhE5QYDB6T1r8_vQ32-XDdgCLcBGAs/s1600/0616.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="607" height="319" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xxeBUi7HuU/W_3TLcLf7dI/AAAAAAAAnFM/ksuCcNHXi6AhE5QYDB6T1r8_vQ32-XDdgCLcBGAs/s320/0616.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And he loves his mommy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3UFcnrg0xec/W_3T0D-ukOI/AAAAAAAAnFg/Bpjw5lDgwJETJvcDbW30i_8Mn-dohF3rACLcBGAs/s1600/0616c.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="609" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3UFcnrg0xec/W_3T0D-ukOI/AAAAAAAAnFg/Bpjw5lDgwJETJvcDbW30i_8Mn-dohF3rACLcBGAs/s320/0616c.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st birthday photoshoot </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2OmIGaRYppw/W_3T0FAnSwI/AAAAAAAAnFk/uRuzlxaATWUQUXYpPjK7qnPjrhF8jcCaQCLcBGAs/s320/0616d.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That baby face</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CAKE</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2wstgweyZM/W_3T0NeQUKI/AAAAAAAAnFo/PuYULyq5SvguwaGhfXsz1ge2jQ3zB2cOgCLcBGAs/s1600/0616e.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i2wstgweyZM/W_3T0NeQUKI/AAAAAAAAnFo/PuYULyq5SvguwaGhfXsz1ge2jQ3zB2cOgCLcBGAs/s320/0616e.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think he liked it.</td></tr>
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That's all for now! I wish I could remember more but it's my own fault for waiting so long. What matters most is that he's a happy, healthy, loved boy.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-30596827550897975152018-06-30T22:10:00.000-06:002018-06-30T22:10:08.248-06:0011 Month Little ManWhat the, I was just sitting here about to procrastinate doing his first birthday post when I realized I haven't even done his 11 months. Well then here goes.<br />
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Little Man did indeed hit 11 months! The room was given a mini-makeover to feel more like his own, and he's done well in his own place. He's eating a lot and sleeping pretty great and walking around like nobody's business, months earlier than either of the older two. He has absolutely found his voice and makes it heard often, and often quite loudly. He's still pretty easygoing most of the time but when he's upset or impatient he doesn't really hold back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gpVz2Npi9yk/WzhSfDlKqdI/AAAAAAAAmDI/7k_hCBtsKScTeQW4i731HBltyU41AbkIwCLcBGAs/s1600/01%2B0422.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gpVz2Npi9yk/WzhSfDlKqdI/AAAAAAAAmDI/7k_hCBtsKScTeQW4i731HBltyU41AbkIwCLcBGAs/s320/01%2B0422.PNG" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They finally booted me out of Primary but at least the company in EQ is good.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="599" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SSjRE2FzHFc/WzhSfGnXCxI/AAAAAAAAmDM/xESHgpWbDrE37mu-l3uisI--YjNn905WwCLcBGAs/s320/02%2B0424.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a change half a room of color can make.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thumbnail for a video but still so cute! He approves of the new baby swing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y5V-A67mBbQ/WzhSgLP07LI/AAAAAAAAmDQ/BkyXK-T8ggwUT4-xmb5eCKaUsq0jDwPBgCLcBGAs/s1600/04%2B0429.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="604" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y5V-A67mBbQ/WzhSgLP07LI/AAAAAAAAmDQ/BkyXK-T8ggwUT4-xmb5eCKaUsq0jDwPBgCLcBGAs/s320/04%2B0429.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a fun church buddy. Always keeps me on my toes. Or on my feet at least.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrunnM5w6dg/WzhShToKJKI/AAAAAAAAmDU/Kg0KRIeIIushZZHb-IcPJ3aAUwvLo8_MACLcBGAs/s1600/05%2B0515.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="1378" height="178" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrunnM5w6dg/WzhShToKJKI/AAAAAAAAmDU/Kg0KRIeIIushZZHb-IcPJ3aAUwvLo8_MACLcBGAs/s640/05%2B0515.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yawn and Back Again," by Milo Baggins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ect_vDbh3FE/WzhSisPbQSI/AAAAAAAAmDY/uKPy2KOWwAYirzvSmhkdjHLK1LaspR_MwCLcBGAs/s1600/06%2B0516.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ect_vDbh3FE/WzhSisPbQSI/AAAAAAAAmDY/uKPy2KOWwAYirzvSmhkdjHLK1LaspR_MwCLcBGAs/s320/06%2B0516.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He loves his mommy so much and is looking so big.</td></tr>
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Okay then, next time it will be time to ready on birthday the first. Such a big boy, full of life and personality and sweetness.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-37100023744310826252018-04-26T15:39:00.001-06:002018-04-26T15:39:27.591-06:00MDG at 10 MonthsIt's been another month already! Little Mister is growing so fast and keeping everyone in the family on their toes. He's moving all over the place and yes, already walking. He can often be seen standing up on his own and taking several steps, which is amazing and also pretty crazy. He's a bottomless pit in the high chair, eating just about everything he's tried and always hungry for more. He's found his wail at last, making himself heard quite often and seeming to make up for lost time, but never without reason (Feed him! Hold him! Put him to bed!), and never for too long. He has this funny nasal whimper he does that makes it kind of hard to be upset at the whining, ha ha. He's a good sport through some recent sniffles and once we put him in his own room -- blessed day! -- started sleeping through the night again. We're thinking he would wake up in the night and see us there and be like, what the heck, why aren't you coming to get me?? when if the same thing happens in his own room he usually just realizes no one's around and goes back to sleep. A plan has been enacted to turn sister's room into his own space.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNo0aZLrA68/WuJFzhbOJRI/AAAAAAAAlYs/on45GKPt9zwf4N_XEdQ24G-NcJgYHsjzACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180317_174008345_BURST000_COVER_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNo0aZLrA68/WuJFzhbOJRI/AAAAAAAAlYs/on45GKPt9zwf4N_XEdQ24G-NcJgYHsjzACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180317_174008345_BURST000_COVER_TOP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a great traveler on the airplane back from CA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7C49GWzATRk/WuJFlx34HkI/AAAAAAAAlYg/XUBHhobN5M8L8sbzRhr5blmwyzq-HEnqACLcBGAs/s1600/0401.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="228" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7C49GWzATRk/WuJFlx34HkI/AAAAAAAAlYg/XUBHhobN5M8L8sbzRhr5blmwyzq-HEnqACLcBGAs/s320/0401.PNG" width="161" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Easter!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0cd65egDe-k/WuJFzkLn8gI/AAAAAAAAlYw/uQ3LgUXMCYM60csznpTqZTLXfyoMmkL8ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180407_094857354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0cd65egDe-k/WuJFzkLn8gI/AAAAAAAAlYw/uQ3LgUXMCYM60csznpTqZTLXfyoMmkL8ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180407_094857354.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at him smiling around that binky.</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5BuczE4vOnA/WuJFznAkTqI/AAAAAAAAlY0/AMuygqIcBr82trDtArZiYKsWVBPCeWiPACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180407_095006290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5BuczE4vOnA/WuJFznAkTqI/AAAAAAAAlY0/AMuygqIcBr82trDtArZiYKsWVBPCeWiPACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180407_095006290.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supporting Mommy at her 5K.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRqzBqQdVd0/WuJFmDG6RLI/AAAAAAAAlYo/AnvP2EDQARQQaefkcoGz-VFhVvXSXfuZQCLcBGAs/s1600/0408.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="457" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRqzBqQdVd0/WuJFmDG6RLI/AAAAAAAAlYo/AnvP2EDQARQQaefkcoGz-VFhVvXSXfuZQCLcBGAs/s320/0408.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-bath surprised faces.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Aoon2KTYJw/WuJFmB7FfOI/AAAAAAAAlYk/ltPOBa0RG-IQKGm-UDwitWbSdR5F0Md2QCLcBGAs/s1600/0416.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="457" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Aoon2KTYJw/WuJFmB7FfOI/AAAAAAAAlYk/ltPOBa0RG-IQKGm-UDwitWbSdR5F0Md2QCLcBGAs/s320/0416.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 months! Look at that smile! Look at how the hat barely fits!</td></tr>
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Sweet boy, keep growing but stop growing.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-77879511426276195252018-04-19T16:04:00.003-06:002018-04-19T16:04:51.463-06:00Easter 2018This year's Easter was a little different in a few ways. It fell on General Conference Sunday, so we didn't have our usual church outing (and so The Wife couldn't figure out the right time to put together her Easter outfits, which it turns out didn't arrive in time anyway).<br />
<br />
Easter morning was as exciting as could be expected. It's amazing how much kids get such a thrill out of plastic eggs and candy, but I so love their enthusiasm for the magical and festive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAWCB2xBbFA/WtkOTXfmr_I/AAAAAAAAlTM/qP2Jqeas2Zs0uNnB0dkjCRx3QQoMZKyDwCLcBGAs/s1600/01.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="599" height="319" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAWCB2xBbFA/WtkOTXfmr_I/AAAAAAAAlTM/qP2Jqeas2Zs0uNnB0dkjCRx3QQoMZKyDwCLcBGAs/s320/01.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everybunny is having a great morning.</td></tr>
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We opted for a family brunch situation rather than the usual dinner, just for something different and since people might start having their own evening plans. There were eggs to be hunted and so much delicious food.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R65Ft2hiUw8/WtkOUhAEEyI/AAAAAAAAlTc/lSFazjw_73U7YqLMza1nUMcN9obpiC8bgCLcBGAs/s1600/06.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="607" height="214" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R65Ft2hiUw8/WtkOUhAEEyI/AAAAAAAAlTc/lSFazjw_73U7YqLMza1nUMcN9obpiC8bgCLcBGAs/s320/06.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When your sister is a pro photog you sometimes get the most lovely photos of your kids at special occasions! See her work at <a href="http://www.bluehillimages.com/">Blue Hill Images</a>.</td></tr>
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In betweentimes we visited our new favorite tradition, this cool replica of the tomb, located right here in Alpine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ovSTq1pxoqw/WtkOTbHAdlI/AAAAAAAAlTI/6PP48eRl8po17TPBgZcTHoPrMr19tyg-ACLcBGAs/s1600/02.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="606" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ovSTq1pxoqw/WtkOTbHAdlI/AAAAAAAAlTI/6PP48eRl8po17TPBgZcTHoPrMr19tyg-ACLcBGAs/s320/02.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So nice, but I do mean to suggest to them to change up the music loop (that is, to include more than one song in said loop).</td></tr>
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Then we invited Mom and Dad over and joined forces with Elise & Co. for their wonderful Mediterranean feast (it does make more sense as an Easter meal when you think about it), which we might have to make a tradition if the Rs are amenable!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6_ifrX10OU/WtkOUJYFAcI/AAAAAAAAlTY/wEJ6QbNAoSc9idvHzUuZ8YaAjzSgCWuRgCLcBGAs/s1600/05.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="604" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6_ifrX10OU/WtkOUJYFAcI/AAAAAAAAlTY/wEJ6QbNAoSc9idvHzUuZ8YaAjzSgCWuRgCLcBGAs/s320/05.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8]</td></tr>
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This was also the project of the weekend... Hurray, no more worrying about the giant gaps where the springs inevitably pop off every time I jumped on it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3KAjR9sEgPQ/WtkOTbBdVdI/AAAAAAAAlTQ/p7dcVxkgDBkZlo-vjlj2o6L1jVrO9lxGwCLcBGAs/s1600/03.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3KAjR9sEgPQ/WtkOTbBdVdI/AAAAAAAAlTQ/p7dcVxkgDBkZlo-vjlj2o6L1jVrO9lxGwCLcBGAs/s320/03.PNG" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old ones looks so wilty compared, ha ha.</td></tr>
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And that's all there was to it! Julie made a marvelous angel food cake that was praised by all, the kids had a great time grounded in the purpose of the day, we caught some GC talks and discussed the news and overall enjoyed the spring weather (until it turned to winter again a few days later) (but now it's spring again so it's fine).<br />
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<br />Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-84713680173906918842018-04-04T17:15:00.000-06:002018-04-04T17:15:40.202-06:009 Months and 37 years, Pasadena and HogwartsIt's not every day your young man turns 9 months, now is it, eh?<br />
<br />
Or 37?<br />
<br />
Well, Little Man and I both did, respectively, and on the same day.<br />
<br />
It happened to coincide with a most auspicious event, a choir tour to Pasadena, which meant that The Wife and I had to take advantage of heading over to see Harry in Hollywood. Having already experienced <a href="http://kuabci.blogspot.com/2011/05/florida-i-want-to-go-back-already-part_24.html">The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on the other coast</a>, and visited <a href="http://kuabci.blogspot.com/2018/02/disneyland-2018-party-of-7.html">Disneyland just a month before</a>, it was just the right timing to finally see That Other California Park.<br />
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We flew to teeny-tiny Long Beach airport (and lost a baby toy, alas), rented teeny-tiny Kia Rio (despite their insistence that I upgrade for a larger care and my insistence that I and my very small party picked Economy size for a reason), drove DIRECTLY to the beach (which was wonderful and different from other recent beach visits), and then made our way to teeny-tiny Ramada in Pasadena (it wasn't the best place ever but they did [eventually...] have a crib, which was of utmost importance).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww4j_3zQntw/WsVL-f3czlI/AAAAAAAAk9M/mN19kGyIN7gkfSB_Q4iwYHjQB7khWoKNACLcBGAs/s1600/beach.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="609" height="242" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww4j_3zQntw/WsVL-f3czlI/AAAAAAAAk9M/mN19kGyIN7gkfSB_Q4iwYHjQB7khWoKNACLcBGAs/s320/beach.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front-facing camera is a game-changer I tell you.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aGXV8BMGNA4/WsVL-_yCKGI/AAAAAAAAk9Q/08GMxsmmjUc2iMpsr5TLzDtJjTqIkZfxQCLcBGAs/s1600/beach2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="608" height="241" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aGXV8BMGNA4/WsVL-_yCKGI/AAAAAAAAk9Q/08GMxsmmjUc2iMpsr5TLzDtJjTqIkZfxQCLcBGAs/s320/beach2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We missed our babies!</td></tr>
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We had some food at the impressively named Top Restaurant and the next day headed first thing to see Harry.<br />
<br />
When we went to Universal Orlando, Harry only inhabited one of the theme parks, and I will say that based on our experience there at the time, Hollywood's version seems almost identical. We bought our passes online which allowed us early entrance (but not free parking -- wah waaah), and this turned out to be a really great thing. We were able to do all the big time attractions before most people even had a chance to get into the park. The weather was great, the rides were few but fun, the experience was unique (all the escalators!) and the tour was worth is for the Bates Motel. I had a birthday button from the very start which I'm pretty sure led to my being chosen at Ollivander's. It was all very magical and the wand that chose me was cool but I ended up getting the Elder Wand instead (eep!). We borrowed a friend's interactive wand so we could try that new feature, and I didn't feel AT ALL silly waving my wand and needlessly uttering incantations in front of shop windows...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X9-1NZvtZY0/WsVL9TNsx6I/AAAAAAAAk80/jYm-jzem_LElJ8fIzw-FM3PgyZgzPhK_ACLcBGAs/s1600/bday1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X9-1NZvtZY0/WsVL9TNsx6I/AAAAAAAAk80/jYm-jzem_LElJ8fIzw-FM3PgyZgzPhK_ACLcBGAs/s320/bday1.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't think I missed an opportunity to flaunt this little baby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YH4sJiuwOew/WsVL9s2sYNI/AAAAAAAAk84/6brIjfCAQDEElXh0sfjHDgXPGjcTuwVzgCLcBGAs/s1600/bday2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="602" height="319" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YH4sJiuwOew/WsVL9s2sYNI/AAAAAAAAk84/6brIjfCAQDEElXh0sfjHDgXPGjcTuwVzgCLcBGAs/s320/bday2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or this one!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9HkD_TksEU/WsVL9rpCLyI/AAAAAAAAk88/54YfXhfazdgPkPi8DoDydYrMkh2-4pdngCLcBGAs/s1600/bday3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="524" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9HkD_TksEU/WsVL9rpCLyI/AAAAAAAAk88/54YfXhfazdgPkPi8DoDydYrMkh2-4pdngCLcBGAs/s320/bday3.PNG" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's what we in the fandom like to call a REAlly Hidden Mickey.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GongHcKQyq0/WsVL-CVoS2I/AAAAAAAAk9A/cG7_GoEP-RMdUsFcze3k15AyrgkQNbA7gCLcBGAs/s1600/bday4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="607" height="220" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GongHcKQyq0/WsVL-CVoS2I/AAAAAAAAk9A/cG7_GoEP-RMdUsFcze3k15AyrgkQNbA7gCLcBGAs/s320/bday4.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worth the hour-long backlot tour just for this set.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KlvlLyM_CZs/WsVL-XyOVgI/AAAAAAAAk9E/w-HDG0h3FoEDLwHmyTdTgNPcAWsaN8YFgCLcBGAs/s1600/bday5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="609" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KlvlLyM_CZs/WsVL-XyOVgI/AAAAAAAAk9E/w-HDG0h3FoEDLwHmyTdTgNPcAWsaN8YFgCLcBGAs/s320/bday5.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was other stuff there too, like Squishee Milhouse.</td></tr>
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Little Mister didn't seem to realize it was his 9 months, but he had a good time anyway!<br />
<br />
I realized only too late that we were actually driving RIGHT PAST the Disney animation studio, which seems like a huge misstep on my part not to take more advantage of, but as far as I've learned we couldn't just traipse in and ask for a tour anyway. It was enough for now to just see it, along with all the other Disney landmarks I've heard so much about (Griffith Park, Forest Lawn, etc.).<br />
<br />
Later that night my choir met for rehearsal and dinner, which featured a lovely birthday sing-along and delicious ice cream sundae, and then the next day was the actual purpose of the trip:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AmY7CQni4-o/WsVL-RE-ovI/AAAAAAAAk9I/5vJrR8UQHCgjooEiVHjqDBDI_YeAPkeMgCLcBGAs/s1600/bday6.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AmY7CQni4-o/WsVL-RE-ovI/AAAAAAAAk9I/5vJrR8UQHCgjooEiVHjqDBDI_YeAPkeMgCLcBGAs/s320/bday6.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twohey's! AKA 2ee's. Don't ask, I don't know.</td></tr>
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We were invited to perform a 23-minute show at ACDA. It's a real honor to sing there, and we made the most of our time by showing just what a community choir can do -- wide vocal range, four languages, variety of style from early sacred to contemporary musical theater, and some effective and subtle choralography to top it off. We were informed later that this ain't Utah, not just anyone gets a standing ovation, but...<br />
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We had just a few hours to wrap things up and get back to the airport, which is indeed teeny-tiny, and then head back home to see our other babies, from whom we had never until now spent a night apart, but who were safe and happy in the care of Nana and Papa.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufDmpNwnOFU/WsVL9cCpzJI/AAAAAAAAk8w/xo9REdunqhww_tXcyPSIbK647knENKlDQCLcBGAs/s1600/ACDA2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ufDmpNwnOFU/WsVL9cCpzJI/AAAAAAAAk8w/xo9REdunqhww_tXcyPSIbK647knENKlDQCLcBGAs/s320/ACDA2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reunited! And pretty happy about it!</td></tr>
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It was nice to have another mini-vacation just a handful of weeks after our full-on family event, and baby boy did a great job on the airplane both ways, Julie was a great sport trooping along on my choir tour, and I mastered that last phrase of German that I had been struggling with.<br />
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Back home, back to work:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ah1Xx0XXf14/WsVO7R5FqbI/AAAAAAAAk94/QF8tA3V8kcACR5Yx6GnQMlDQoWgPWgKwQCLcBGAs/s1600/bday10.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="610" height="284" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ah1Xx0XXf14/WsVO7R5FqbI/AAAAAAAAk94/QF8tA3V8kcACR5Yx6GnQMlDQoWgPWgKwQCLcBGAs/s320/bday10.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wasn't there for my birthday but they decorated for when I came home all the same.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3gZVszUjFec/WsVO7QuQcsI/AAAAAAAAk90/Ig-1PWd3C0gpr0CweYx2r-XSfXJpv8KxACLcBGAs/s1600/bday7.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3gZVszUjFec/WsVO7QuQcsI/AAAAAAAAk90/Ig-1PWd3C0gpr0CweYx2r-XSfXJpv8KxACLcBGAs/s320/bday7.PNG" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then of course there was this...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N1hRpAqAY2Y/WsVO7EyHohI/AAAAAAAAk9w/VuSWgEUo3W8iUrLw7_FGV1HqCvUbXBwvgCLcBGAs/s1600/bday8.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N1hRpAqAY2Y/WsVO7EyHohI/AAAAAAAAk9w/VuSWgEUo3W8iUrLw7_FGV1HqCvUbXBwvgCLcBGAs/s320/bday8.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHcegmTFthg/WsVO7y_rCNI/AAAAAAAAk98/q3m-vkgI3aQJJ1ZIi4iL8aPx5PwSxkg6wCLcBGAs/s1600/bday9.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHcegmTFthg/WsVO7y_rCNI/AAAAAAAAk98/q3m-vkgI3aQJJ1ZIi4iL8aPx5PwSxkg6wCLcBGAs/s320/bday9.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS!!!</td></tr>
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As for Little Mister, he's still a happy healthy boy. He's very active and crawling all over the place, he's eating plenty, he's having trouble sleeping through the night (at the time we had a plan which is now set in motion...), and he's starting to be more... vocal... More on that in the weeks that followed. He's really starting to prefer his mommy, especially to strangers, but he's still pleasant around relatives and friends. He's been a champ through some sniffles and is showing real signs of more teeth appearing. We're pretty sure he has a late-arrival birthmark, his hair is lightening considerably, and he is still tall and chubbsy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52Lpvmje9VQ/WsVL8GmiOHI/AAAAAAAAk8c/1nH00b4TmWQCvLT9PtarEpfYsRqByw-OgCLcBGAs/s1600/0226.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52Lpvmje9VQ/WsVL8GmiOHI/AAAAAAAAk8c/1nH00b4TmWQCvLT9PtarEpfYsRqByw-OgCLcBGAs/s320/0226.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy! Even when his nose is runny!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uzHt2L_DG-0/WsVL8FVMPiI/AAAAAAAAk8g/A-1uBKTcHSQpQXnPIxgUo4EBy2PG6hQXgCLcBGAs/s1600/0315.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uzHt2L_DG-0/WsVL8FVMPiI/AAAAAAAAk8g/A-1uBKTcHSQpQXnPIxgUo4EBy2PG6hQXgCLcBGAs/s320/0315.PNG" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach boy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--RawFziy4Vg/WsVL8J93_fI/AAAAAAAAk8k/UQ8xSHoVrdgCezSBGxIoDkq8THXOkbNNwCLcBGAs/s1600/0316a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--RawFziy4Vg/WsVL8J93_fI/AAAAAAAAk8k/UQ8xSHoVrdgCezSBGxIoDkq8THXOkbNNwCLcBGAs/s320/0316a.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy! Clever Mommy to remember to bring his li'l hat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEFgpJgeR2M/WsVL82sqqAI/AAAAAAAAk8o/9Fr5GOEmGyklwFvMfWmucJhPSYwZg1UHgCLcBGAs/s1600/0316b.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEFgpJgeR2M/WsVL82sqqAI/AAAAAAAAk8o/9Fr5GOEmGyklwFvMfWmucJhPSYwZg1UHgCLcBGAs/s320/0316b.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*blink*</td></tr>
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Love that boy! I was glad to share my big day with him! See you in a couple weeks!Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-25581436367260252902018-03-14T16:36:00.000-06:002018-03-14T16:39:01.851-06:00Baby Girl Turns 3Just like <a href="http://kuabci.blogspot.com/2017/04/2-and-36.html">last year</a>, it's hard to believe another birthday for Smoochface has come and gone. We still call her Baby and she's more adorable than ever with her snuggles and funny faces and that little Head Tilt she does and everything, but she's definitely growing up. She makes jokes and tells stories and has tantrums on occasion, and is generally starting to figure things out.<br />
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In the name of keeping it real, for quite a while we've had this really weird and often distressing bedtime regression where the majority of the time she just screams when we leave the room no matter what we try or do or don't try or don't do, and no matter if we gave in to the stalling tactics or ignored them completely, and though all the websites say to just let her cry it out all over again it didn't seem to be doing the trick. It was extremely frustrating and disheartening and causing our hearts to break on the regular but we just didn't know what to do about it. She's just generally so sweet the rest of the time but we truly dreaded bedtime. But, at long last, we've made some progress. We feel like she's probably just lonely, because she's fine while we're nearby, so usually one of us will just lie on the floor next to her bed and read or write or elsewise multitask, so she knows we're not there to visit or play, but to keep company while she reads and goes to sleep. Miraculously, it has really been working, and it's absolutely worth the time spent in her room (then we get some nice companionable silence with her instead of listening to her cry for an hour or two). Next: how to get her to stay in her bed all night, though I admit the cozy snuggly warm body in between us at night is not an unwelcome thing to wake up to on cold nights.<br />
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Anyway, back to the real business: She is so cute and funny and sweet. She loves Nursery, she loves her bros, she loves her mommy, and I'm glad to report she loves her daddy too. She dropped the binky with little to no reluctance ages ago, potty training was a relative breeze, she has a good and pretty varied appetite, she gets the usual scraped knees and bonks on the noggin that come with trying to go generally faster than her little legs will allow. She sometimes has trouble listening but also knows how to obey. She is observant and makes relevant remarks and jokes and always wants to know what we're talking about. She has a lot of unique interests but she's also aware of what others are doing and enjoying. She's both average and she's extraordinary.<br />
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Pictures!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dA2LwAr-OW0/WqmeD7vsdSI/AAAAAAAAkuA/HpeWSbrCV3gflMWUzLdGtc36i325d9XPACLcBGAs/s1600/01%2B0916.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dA2LwAr-OW0/WqmeD7vsdSI/AAAAAAAAkuA/HpeWSbrCV3gflMWUzLdGtc36i325d9XPACLcBGAs/s320/01%2B0916.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great baking helper</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zV4P9dTftIU/WqmeD_EqX6I/AAAAAAAAkt8/iJoYHhp1SM8U2uILF1Qf4nOB5EKv7vbGwCLcBGAs/s1600/02%2B0923.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zV4P9dTftIU/WqmeD_EqX6I/AAAAAAAAkt8/iJoYHhp1SM8U2uILF1Qf4nOB5EKv7vbGwCLcBGAs/s320/02%2B0923.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearly enjoying her (and our) first ever Comic Con. She had a princess dress when we arrived but had an Accident before we even entered the venue, immediately outside of the bathroom of course.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T82J_q12XT0/WqmeDze9EdI/AAAAAAAAkuE/Tfq9RlWeCAI8VQEBqmWWqCiHHXdxSQQfQCLcBGAs/s1600/03%2B0925.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="565" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T82J_q12XT0/WqmeDze9EdI/AAAAAAAAkuE/Tfq9RlWeCAI8VQEBqmWWqCiHHXdxSQQfQCLcBGAs/s320/03%2B0925.PNG" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She made up for the lack of costume the next day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3cDDaFNcMSg/WqmeEpdmLsI/AAAAAAAAkuI/JKCheLznTy4wAKP3RZhwxSK9DPJe2xtlgCLcBGAs/s1600/04%2B1004.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="610" height="319" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3cDDaFNcMSg/WqmeEpdmLsI/AAAAAAAAkuI/JKCheLznTy4wAKP3RZhwxSK9DPJe2xtlgCLcBGAs/s320/04%2B1004.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's like she knows she's so adorable or something.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DNBICoA_LAM/WqmeE__wr4I/AAAAAAAAkuM/MK92rusODFslJ3-vOSCHJPn8c5Kuw1j9QCLcBGAs/s1600/05%2B1006.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DNBICoA_LAM/WqmeE__wr4I/AAAAAAAAkuM/MK92rusODFslJ3-vOSCHJPn8c5Kuw1j9QCLcBGAs/s320/05%2B1006.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Except when she makes faces like this lawlawlawlawl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sUc9z89Vic/WqmeFIKLt5I/AAAAAAAAkuQ/lmZmKj61Jx06cxHHrzDD0PhLV91lsHECQCLcBGAs/s1600/06%2B1102.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5sUc9z89Vic/WqmeFIKLt5I/AAAAAAAAkuQ/lmZmKj61Jx06cxHHrzDD0PhLV91lsHECQCLcBGAs/s320/06%2B1102.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, based on the number of stickers on these charts... I'd say she has the concept of using the potty pretty well down.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZejLr7GYhM/WqmeFEAzPwI/AAAAAAAAkuU/3skWX6iHoAMQBVceF2adXQ-h-ZK7T9eAgCLcBGAs/s1600/07%2B1119.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="607" height="288" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZejLr7GYhM/WqmeFEAzPwI/AAAAAAAAkuU/3skWX6iHoAMQBVceF2adXQ-h-ZK7T9eAgCLcBGAs/s320/07%2B1119.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ward choir buddy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Givm-8E5xWI/WqmeFYG73nI/AAAAAAAAkuY/0h3SM-z6I3U_6C9mjpkQr9f0tt8d7IDTQCLcBGAs/s1600/08%2B1129.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="607" height="259" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Givm-8E5xWI/WqmeFYG73nI/AAAAAAAAkuY/0h3SM-z6I3U_6C9mjpkQr9f0tt8d7IDTQCLcBGAs/s320/08%2B1129.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday picnic. Those crossed ankles!!! <3 td=""></3></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QoO451eqdUw/WqmeF3RpwuI/AAAAAAAAkuc/HcpQuwvPUX45l7HBNmk7uQSdwS5K1_1kwCLcBGAs/s1600/09%2B1206.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QoO451eqdUw/WqmeF3RpwuI/AAAAAAAAkuc/HcpQuwvPUX45l7HBNmk7uQSdwS5K1_1kwCLcBGAs/s320/09%2B1206.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her smile! (And his!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzEYLa418RA/WqmeGf1wyWI/AAAAAAAAkug/dqb3F_E2qI0LBNH4uBuVlwVtndWZtAjWACLcBGAs/s1600/10%2B1214.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="610" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AzEYLa418RA/WqmeGf1wyWI/AAAAAAAAkug/dqb3F_E2qI0LBNH4uBuVlwVtndWZtAjWACLcBGAs/s320/10%2B1214.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quoth Mommy, cool shades, girlfriend!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xj5AU0jVz0M/WqmeG9to1xI/AAAAAAAAkuk/tInx0-ESSR4Ut0QF9gRn9v_qTQtIrtqOgCLcBGAs/s1600/11%2B1215.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="606" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xj5AU0jVz0M/WqmeG9to1xI/AAAAAAAAkuk/tInx0-ESSR4Ut0QF9gRn9v_qTQtIrtqOgCLcBGAs/s320/11%2B1215.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noticing a startling resemblance when we introduced the kids to a certain Christmas classic.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w9-UNSbiynQ/WqmeHNs_3QI/AAAAAAAAkuo/ZM6hNZmkMzYOhHdKDr8CwKGZCdlBNDwKgCLcBGAs/s1600/12%2B1217.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="601" height="319" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w9-UNSbiynQ/WqmeHNs_3QI/AAAAAAAAkuo/ZM6hNZmkMzYOhHdKDr8CwKGZCdlBNDwKgCLcBGAs/s320/12%2B1217.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A budding artist! All the grandkids love Nana's watercolor corner.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGCKwpgWDBs/WqmeHMWM3FI/AAAAAAAAkus/-zp73QLWOxkWEPD5H-j1akWA9kKz37ZUgCLcBGAs/s1600/13%2B1231.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGCKwpgWDBs/WqmeHMWM3FI/AAAAAAAAkus/-zp73QLWOxkWEPD5H-j1akWA9kKz37ZUgCLcBGAs/s320/13%2B1231.PNG" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If there are Christmas lights on display we will find them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p7rz6-hekng/WqmeHZ-fG6I/AAAAAAAAkuw/0SUM3ZpYTGMs8SdVVHWfUUO2sU8NyPjkQCLcBGAs/s1600/14%2B0206.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="609" height="241" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p7rz6-hekng/WqmeHZ-fG6I/AAAAAAAAkuw/0SUM3ZpYTGMs8SdVVHWfUUO2sU8NyPjkQCLcBGAs/s320/14%2B0206.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First visit to Disneyland!!! She had her concerns the first time on the Carrousel but she shortly overcame them and to this day tells us how she was "so brave!" thereafter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--6-sMDWhsaI/WqmeHyU0aGI/AAAAAAAAku0/3g3BqpOcbZkXvlBbJ9W3475J-eQYawjmgCLcBGAs/s1600/15%2B0207.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="611" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--6-sMDWhsaI/WqmeHyU0aGI/AAAAAAAAku0/3g3BqpOcbZkXvlBbJ9W3475J-eQYawjmgCLcBGAs/s320/15%2B0207.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a little daddy-daughter walk one morning to the esplanade to clear the motel room space and give her a little breather.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aUxJweR1-NY/WqmeIZVrOrI/AAAAAAAAku4/Vi9QoV7TcsgGXsyrJ4qTBnbd2dCuusgygCLcBGAs/s1600/16%2B0208a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="607" height="241" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aUxJweR1-NY/WqmeIZVrOrI/AAAAAAAAku4/Vi9QoV7TcsgGXsyrJ4qTBnbd2dCuusgygCLcBGAs/s320/16%2B0208a.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reposting this to draw your attention to...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvfK4-wtxno/WqmeI2AwXjI/AAAAAAAAku8/MFkiFhFvKJAQ2PhNOuJaZVXUjPJrxBHCwCLcBGAs/s1600/16%2B0208b.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="608" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvfK4-wtxno/WqmeI2AwXjI/AAAAAAAAku8/MFkiFhFvKJAQ2PhNOuJaZVXUjPJrxBHCwCLcBGAs/s320/16%2B0208b.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...THIS. XD XD XD</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfIXoWjVQU0/WqmeJa5hkiI/AAAAAAAAkvA/Jac_m1G_r10jCBPhPmWG0Fp5i6uY0KIxACLcBGAs/s1600/17%2B0224.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfIXoWjVQU0/WqmeJa5hkiI/AAAAAAAAkvA/Jac_m1G_r10jCBPhPmWG0Fp5i6uY0KIxACLcBGAs/s320/17%2B0224.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into Narnia at another small con in Sandy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oVeYHfbSbOc/WqmeJ2Y8DeI/AAAAAAAAkvE/4RehW2RSgG4bdVgn13Vo7NtxV-_yr2LvQCLcBGAs/s1600/18%2B0224.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oVeYHfbSbOc/WqmeJ2Y8DeI/AAAAAAAAkvE/4RehW2RSgG4bdVgn13Vo7NtxV-_yr2LvQCLcBGAs/s320/18%2B0224.PNG" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She loves a balloon animal. I think the remaining portion of this poor creature was only just disposed of.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zpCeivGnMws/WqmeKXtndUI/AAAAAAAAkvI/AB0SzxI0h1cu2zLPQNGzVgK2UKXw2wdsACLcBGAs/s1600/19%2B0309.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="606" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zpCeivGnMws/WqmeKXtndUI/AAAAAAAAkvI/AB0SzxI0h1cu2zLPQNGzVgK2UKXw2wdsACLcBGAs/s320/19%2B0309.PNG" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her last night as a 2-year-old. So adorable when she sleeps. *sigh*</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1zqXO3Lc7g/WqmeKs5SVHI/AAAAAAAAkvM/WCswtkaynp8wa5G4DQjE5psU1oGPPEejgCLcBGAs/s1600/20%2B0310.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1zqXO3Lc7g/WqmeKs5SVHI/AAAAAAAAkvM/WCswtkaynp8wa5G4DQjE5psU1oGPPEejgCLcBGAs/s320/20%2B0310.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birthday cereal box isn't really enormous, it's just enlarged to show texture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WXE0_4AKtwc/WqmeKow5p7I/AAAAAAAAkvQ/pp1wpV6rpHM1jJjn5V9f3HK_fQvQMRW5ACLcBGAs/s1600/21%2B0310.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="607" height="291" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WXE0_4AKtwc/WqmeKow5p7I/AAAAAAAAkvQ/pp1wpV6rpHM1jJjn5V9f3HK_fQvQMRW5ACLcBGAs/s320/21%2B0310.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cake by Mommy is so amazing!!! She loved it so much!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n8cwAF_csLg/WqmeK-L7uWI/AAAAAAAAkvU/BgkB2ml2N98F04Wm-BmjnmyvvRjYgAmawCLcBGAs/s1600/22%2B0310.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="609" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n8cwAF_csLg/WqmeK-L7uWI/AAAAAAAAkvU/BgkB2ml2N98F04Wm-BmjnmyvvRjYgAmawCLcBGAs/s320/22%2B0310.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big birthday smiles (and a photobomb by Charlie)</td></tr>
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Happy birthday, Smooch. You know how to work your Daddy but he also knows how to work you (as much as anyone knows how to work a toddler, ha). We can't wait to see what 3 means for you.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FErU_qf4eOg/WqmkeTqqP9I/AAAAAAAAkv0/Bax8-uiGl38tkifo0_ju8AmYS3CvTtGXACLcBGAs/s1600/sketchbook%2B2018_0310_smooch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="738" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FErU_qf4eOg/WqmkeTqqP9I/AAAAAAAAkv0/Bax8-uiGl38tkifo0_ju8AmYS3CvTtGXACLcBGAs/s320/sketchbook%2B2018_0310_smooch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-50176167773508025472018-03-07T13:53:00.000-07:002018-03-08T11:00:07.657-07:00Our Funny Valentine At 8 Months8 months! Our little man is still such a happy boy. He's trying new foods and unfortunately sleeping not as well (plans are in place and being gradually carried out... once he's in his own room things will really improve we're sure), but he has a ready and willing smile and is babbling and crawling all over the place and starting to cruise and is generally as pleasant as ever. He's always learning new tricks, like waving and clapping and maybe even saying recognizable words... He has two little storybook illustration bottom teeth and beautiful baby blues and his hair is growing in (surprise surprise) fine and fair. He did a really awesome job on his first long road trip and family vacation, and obviously enjoyed his first visit to Disneyland.<br />
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It occurs to me again that for the other two kids I had spent a lot more time at home with them by this point so I kind of feel like I haven't had as much face time with this one (and not as many pictures...), but it makes the time we do spend together that much more special. I often sit him on my lap for church meetings -- and we often nod off together, ha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wQpoHhlE6kY/WqAmly4qIrI/AAAAAAAAknQ/rVvpCvpxlJM8A-Hokk3Yo0fJOnTb4PytACLcBGAs/s1600/01%2B0129.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wQpoHhlE6kY/WqAmly4qIrI/AAAAAAAAknQ/rVvpCvpxlJM8A-Hokk3Yo0fJOnTb4PytACLcBGAs/s320/01%2B0129.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a happy boy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best traveler!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IY65t2N6_0g/WqAmnJb7BOI/AAAAAAAAkng/2rNywCUJYlABI9ICntEeUvP2yJg99AJ6wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180209_091106818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IY65t2N6_0g/WqAmnJb7BOI/AAAAAAAAkng/2rNywCUJYlABI9ICntEeUvP2yJg99AJ6wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180209_091106818.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying goodbye to CA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bvbiNE5eL34/WqAml_gEWeI/AAAAAAAAknY/eD7_-_sk4CQt5G7ox1MtYoBNoIeqIJeXwCLcBGAs/s1600/03%2B0216.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="458" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bvbiNE5eL34/WqAml_gEWeI/AAAAAAAAknY/eD7_-_sk4CQt5G7ox1MtYoBNoIeqIJeXwCLcBGAs/s320/03%2B0216.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That hat is barely fitting these days!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifGqzJBJRy8/WqAmmUi82vI/AAAAAAAAknc/KyqMv0J2WaQxb641cCDkEVsWSNQgEOrAwCLcBGAs/s1600/04%2B0216.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="455" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifGqzJBJRy8/WqAmmUi82vI/AAAAAAAAknc/KyqMv0J2WaQxb641cCDkEVsWSNQgEOrAwCLcBGAs/s320/04%2B0216.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone is smiling! I think I was making some ridiculous face and sound effect combination but it worked.</td></tr>
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Then there was Valentine's Day which of course I don't have a single picture to prove. Oh wait, yes I do!</div>
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The Boy enjoyed his party at preschool and there were flowers and chocolate and promises I intend to keep, the usual family couples' sushi party with some nice modifications, and conversation hearts aplenty (two thoughts: I had some of the littler ones this year and what is the point of them if the words are so smudged you can't read them?? Also, did anyone else know these are actually specific flavors?!? What.). Of course I have to read them first and this was a random pick, which I showed to Julie, at which she replied, "I did!" And I'm so glad she took the chance and sent that email, almost twelve years ago exactly.</div>
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Also a couple arts! <a href="http://penandpencilarts.blogspot.com/2018/02/entreat-me-not-d.html">This one</a>'s kind of melancholy but <a href="http://penandpencilarts.blogspot.com/2018/03/happily-ever-two-weeks-later-d.html">this one</a> makes up for it.</div>
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Until next month! Which is like next week.</div>
Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-53882382799359937632018-02-28T16:44:00.000-07:002018-02-28T20:51:27.285-07:00Disneyland 2018, Party of 7A handful of months ago we realized it had been <a href="http://kuabci.blogspot.com/2012/06/thing-third-vacation.html">five years</a> since we went to Disneyland, which is basically like 17 years in Regular People Time, so we decided to finally follow through with our sixth or seventh blue-skied trip and take the kids at last (the fact that our off-season scheduling coincided with a big student loans milestone and tax refund time made it all the more appealing).<br />
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SO WE DID!!!<br />
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We did it!<br />
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We took the kids to Disneyland!!!<br />
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We invited Grandma Sue to come along, so after picking her up at the airport and another day of final preparations, we loaded up our new <a href="http://kuabci.blogspot.com/2017/07/one-month-for-little-mister-inc-4th-of.html">wheels</a> (thanks to last year's refund, ha) and in the dark of the next morning popped the kids in their car seats still in their jammies and made our way south and west. The drive was pretty amazing, with only two stops for gas and potty and nursing (hello St. George Temple sisters and shady Baker gas stations) and had no whining whatsoever, and we didn't even do the big on-board DVD player reveal until the last couple hours! We took a wrong turn or two in LA but we didn't have to deal with much traffic and we were so happy to see these:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pggAF2Zq_-0/Wpcj8l6YAII/AAAAAAAAkeA/D5S6FdwVd8scVrJh7qA5QsK-koW7YJiGgCLcBGAs/s1600/01.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="456" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pggAF2Zq_-0/Wpcj8l6YAII/AAAAAAAAkeA/D5S6FdwVd8scVrJh7qA5QsK-koW7YJiGgCLcBGAs/s320/01.PNG" width="319" /></a></div>
We breathed in the air and checked in to our usual favorite Del Sol, literally across the street from the Disneyland entrance, opting for a family room complete with bunk beds, which were apparently the best thing that's ever happened in the history of ever.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was happy to take the top bunk.</td></tr>
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A dip in the pool and the great hot tub and some pizza takeout and then to bed with everyone after a long day of traveling (though I was itching to get over to that esplanade and just see it...).<br />
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Did I mention that we didn't tell the kids we were going to Disneyland?<br />
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WE DIDN'T TELL THE KIDS WE WERE GOING TO DISNEYLAND.<br />
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We told them JUST the night before that we were going on a long drive in the morning when it was still dark and going to the beach, all of which was true. So the morning of Day 1, we just were like, let's take a walk and see if there's a park around here or something...<br />
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And then we waited to see how long it would take for them to realize where we were. We've listened to the albums and looked at a lot of our books so we thought the sights and sounds of the entryway would clue them in before too long, and I actually think Baby Girl figured it out first (though she kept calling it Wonderland -- works for me). Then the Monorail went by and The Boy was like... whaaaaat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDv-QjLIUvA/Wpcj8lY4hZI/AAAAAAAAkeE/l4xlxpxD_KwD5CQsoju7xBzgFbJ9RgyDwCLcBGAs/s1600/02.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="457" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lDv-QjLIUvA/Wpcj8lY4hZI/AAAAAAAAkeE/l4xlxpxD_KwD5CQsoju7xBzgFbJ9RgyDwCLcBGAs/s320/02.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not even inside the gates and dreams already coming true.</td></tr>
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We were prepared for the many closures and construction walls (and numerous locals) and other such things that come with going during the "off"-seasons, but even so it was wonderful. We had also made sure to manage our expectations, since the last time we came we didn't have ANY kids of our own whatsoever and knew this trip would be a lot different, but we really made it work. We met The Wife's aunt Carol who was so fun and join us for every day in the parks and offered many services, including coupons and a willing wait-outside-with-the-baby volunteer! It was also great that she and Grandma had a chance to get lunch together and talk and catch up like sisters do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fPgWOI4PRVM/Wpcj8kbcWCI/AAAAAAAAkeI/Ru0pfA8vVRE8klmDpc87zfDOaPpCShQOgCLcBGAs/s1600/03.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fPgWOI4PRVM/Wpcj8kbcWCI/AAAAAAAAkeI/Ru0pfA8vVRE8klmDpc87zfDOaPpCShQOgCLcBGAs/s320/03.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie meeting Charles, catching sight of the castle, my kids recreating old family photos, me happily sitting on the teacup sidelines, getting a churro despite all my intentions not to, eating Dole Whips due to all intentions to, everyone enjoying the submarines and dinner at French Market!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZf3DqTPA5o/Wpcj9U_i1rI/AAAAAAAAkeM/dX2n90iQbcU4A5xWfET3Ubt5IBLpJez9gCLcBGAs/s1600/04.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="456" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZf3DqTPA5o/Wpcj9U_i1rI/AAAAAAAAkeM/dX2n90iQbcU4A5xWfET3Ubt5IBLpJez9gCLcBGAs/s320/04.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMwKXtK7aRo&t=1s">Date Night at Disneyland</a>! This particular menu item was top priority on Julie's list. Next time I am getting that same sundae but with cookie dough ice cream om nom nom.</td></tr>
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One of the perks of having Grandma with us is that she was ever so nice to stay with the kids while we gallivanted about for the extra hour after bedtime and before park closing like we were <a href="http://kuabci.blogspot.com/2009/09/glorious-honeymoon.html">honeymooners</a> again. Enough time to catch a ride or two and a treat on the way out!<br />
<br />
Day 2!<br />
<br />
Top of list and mind was to immediately go to Radiator Springs. Let it be realized that Julie and I hadn't even been here yet, as it was days away from opening the last time we were there, which was fine for us at the time, and really it worked out because first of all, crowds and lines were quite manageable and secondly, if we went there before kids we would have been like, cool, Cars, looks like the movie, now let's go do something else. But when your kid is clearly the biggest Lightning McQueen fan in the world... it's like the best thing that's ever happened to anyone in the history of ever. Yes, Cars Land was created for my son (in part by his own great-aunt's husband! Amazing!!!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iCAbVMBo7ds/Wpcj9jZgToI/AAAAAAAAkeQ/2wcTjQOjo30QRYlDSSb2mdhjvIhRLlTbwCLcBGAs/s1600/05.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iCAbVMBo7ds/Wpcj9jZgToI/AAAAAAAAkeQ/2wcTjQOjo30QRYlDSSb2mdhjvIhRLlTbwCLcBGAs/s320/05.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's impossible to describe the joy and amazement as it slowly dawned on him where we were and what everything was, and then the absolute glee as he recognized each and every element of the street and atmosphere, and then the tears-inducing moment when he saw his BFF live and in the... flesh? When he saw Mickey he was like, wow, Mickey! But when he saw Lightning it was like his world was complete.</td></tr>
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We spent most of this day in DCA, which was fun to gradually remember is quite different from last time we went. The Little Mermaid is always great, a bug's land has taken on a whole new meaning, I should have taken my Dramamine, I had ribs at Flo's, Adelaide was TOTALLY into Turtle Talk with Crush, Thor and I acknowledged each other, Guardians of the Galaxy gets a big MEH from me, and Frozen on stage gets a smaller one.<br />
<br />
But nothing else matters because Cars was a big win.<br />
<br />
Date Night again! Thanks, Ma!<br />
<br />
-- BEACH BREAK!!! ---<br />
<br />
I kind of wanted to immediately drive along the ocean the first day we arrived but it would have to wait... until this day. We took our time in the morning and made our way to Huntington Beach. I confess the entire day didn't quite live up to what I had expected, though I don't know what I was expecting since it was largely like any other time we go to the beach. I think it was just different with little kids and we didn't quite have the supplies we needed (no beach toys?!? Rookie mistake!) and the water was kind of cold (it is February after all). Anyway, they were shooting some kind of fitness advertisement nearby and the bathrooms were gross and the weather was perfect so it was just great. Also, BIG NEWS: The Costco there has an outdoor walk-up food place. Yes, food place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9LDUerB2f8/Wpcj9uMuMbI/AAAAAAAAkeU/7wczleHfGjQztDr_68KIpYvFeyARu_uxQCLcBGAs/s1600/06.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="457" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9LDUerB2f8/Wpcj9uMuMbI/AAAAAAAAkeU/7wczleHfGjQztDr_68KIpYvFeyARu_uxQCLcBGAs/s320/06.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break with sleepy and fretful Baby after two days of vacation while everyone gets ready for the day back at our room. So lovely that we can just walk across the street and hear the telltale music.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IldTkjYSJhs/Wpcj97NBH0I/AAAAAAAAkeY/M6g3sq0YQDAd3wZNg7k95JQGy6Ytq9NiwCLcBGAs/s1600/07.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="452" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IldTkjYSJhs/Wpcj97NBH0I/AAAAAAAAkeY/M6g3sq0YQDAd3wZNg7k95JQGy6Ytq9NiwCLcBGAs/s320/07.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good for the soul.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pDreOy0y_PI/Wpcj-frVPzI/AAAAAAAAkec/o6aLGIgb3EwOsjl8UCZfvyLhU1lO4k3mACLcBGAs/s1600/08.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="366" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pDreOy0y_PI/Wpcj-frVPzI/AAAAAAAAkec/o6aLGIgb3EwOsjl8UCZfvyLhU1lO4k3mACLcBGAs/s320/08.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why even go into the Parks?!? They were amazed beyond amazed by this fountain at Downtown Disney.</td></tr>
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We rounded out the day by shopping at Downtown Disney and eating at last and the famous and infamous Earl of Sandwich and getting very expensive and delicious ice cream and then prepping for our last Day.</div>
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Day 3!</div>
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Filling in the gaps on all the things we didn't catch the first two days and already sad we would be leaving the next day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zBfB_iTeziE/Wpcj-3MntOI/AAAAAAAAkeg/XgB_53omYOEL7cCqkGbJM9eSilCtKoSlACLcBGAs/s1600/09.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="451" height="319" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zBfB_iTeziE/Wpcj-3MntOI/AAAAAAAAkeg/XgB_53omYOEL7cCqkGbJM9eSilCtKoSlACLcBGAs/s320/09.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adelaide overcomes her Carrousel fears, the kids test their strength, Charlie looooves the roller coasters, stern at the helm, funny faces as the Royal Theatre (huzzah! Also new since last time), my recent favorite, Charlie enjoying what was always my favorite Main Street attraction, MEETING RED, Julie Gets That Turkey Leg, and enjoying the great new Soarin', which just amazed Charlie.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g-F0AK-wOW8/Wpcj_aAuCbI/AAAAAAAAkek/T40FH1rT8egWlAX5nV9PcOYXQSpTTUqGgCLcBGAs/s1600/10.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="456" height="319" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g-F0AK-wOW8/Wpcj_aAuCbI/AAAAAAAAkek/T40FH1rT8egWlAX5nV9PcOYXQSpTTUqGgCLcBGAs/s320/10.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party of seven!</td></tr>
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By the way, there haven't been many pictures of this poopsie, but that's because mostly he was sleeping or snuggling or being generally happy but not going on too many rides. I mean just look at that face.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-japOTOSyqF0/WpckUA9rucI/AAAAAAAAkew/CWjiRnaHFfUOf45aVNsfacEvGPleufVHwCLcBGAs/s1600/13.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="455" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-japOTOSyqF0/WpckUA9rucI/AAAAAAAAkew/CWjiRnaHFfUOf45aVNsfacEvGPleufVHwCLcBGAs/s320/13.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><3 td=""></3></td></tr>
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Something else I did this time around that was new and different was a series of art drops. It was hard to decide which ones of the prints I made so I just picked several, ha ha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VRWcfwu_O-o/Wpc9gxRJS7I/AAAAAAAAkfk/yXKbL4DsQmc_1V6dsYIHwFIknJfZblwMQCLcBGAs/s1600/PhotoGrid_1519857662553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VRWcfwu_O-o/Wpc9gxRJS7I/AAAAAAAAkfk/yXKbL4DsQmc_1V6dsYIHwFIknJfZblwMQCLcBGAs/s320/PhotoGrid_1519857662553.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As far as I know all were discovered! Though no one followed the instructions and posted as such, wups.</td></tr>
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I wish I could take credit for the idea but I had seen other artists do this so I thought I would try. I placed a 2-3 prints each day we were in the parks along with a few shots of clues as to their location and just walked away! A few people reached out and let me know they found them, others I witnessed incognito and others I presume were found because they were no longer there when I (or others) checked. So even if they were picked up by Cast Members brushing up popcorn or doing their nightly sweep they all found a home which is fun. It was like a reverse treasure hunt or something.<br />
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We caught dinner all together where I had ribs again (Korean this time, and some too-loud live music at the Lunar New Year). Then one last Date Night and trying to get some sleep for the inevitable drive...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XfVUPLwRnsQ/Wpc9gO62HHI/AAAAAAAAkfc/HuHx2qv3JbYGtqmP_p0oFxjwF-OZG57EACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180209_091148518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XfVUPLwRnsQ/Wpc9gO62HHI/AAAAAAAAkfc/HuHx2qv3JbYGtqmP_p0oFxjwF-OZG57EACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180209_091148518.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new addition to our farewell hotel photo tradition.</td></tr>
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Then, alas, it was time to go home. It's funny, not long after our first Disney day started The Boy was like, can we go home now? (Possibly he meant the motel, which of course is the best place ever on vacation), but I knew that it wouldn't be long after leaving that they would be asking to go back, and they have, though not ad nauseam, ha ha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ftJwoSRvxkE/Wpcj_0Fl7JI/AAAAAAAAkeo/bMz9h0O7UhUVkQtYTbR8n7o3uTlRmmgSgCLcBGAs/s1600/11.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="457" height="228" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ftJwoSRvxkE/Wpcj_0Fl7JI/AAAAAAAAkeo/bMz9h0O7UhUVkQtYTbR8n7o3uTlRmmgSgCLcBGAs/s320/11.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who needs audio-animatronics?!? Note his "squishy" Cars (bath toys). We didn't buy many souvenirs, but we did buy those, and almost left them at this gas station, ha.</td></tr>
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The drive home was [almost] as great as the way there (though I will never again take any crap from California drivers complaining about Utah drivers... don't get me started), though of course it seemed to take twice as long. We didn't leave in the dark of morning, but we did arrive in the dark of evening, and though the two younger kids only had a few moments of... distress (understandable, we were all pretty much over it after five days of vacation and 8 hours in the car), they were able to recoup, after a potty break and with a little help from Nemo and Lightning, and we pulled into our garage in pretty good time and very safe and the car did great.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vMVvXbxkImM/WpckAXoOzHI/AAAAAAAAkes/3JRlh1qwBj0BoE-gV7QUWN8veeYnuVL3wCLcBGAs/s1600/12.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="457" height="297" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vMVvXbxkImM/WpckAXoOzHI/AAAAAAAAkes/3JRlh1qwBj0BoE-gV7QUWN8veeYnuVL3wCLcBGAs/s320/12.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She earned her ears.</td></tr>
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So it was as good a trip as we could have hoped, the weather was perfect, the crowds were manageable, construction notwithstanding, the app was very handy, the kids had a great time, Mom and Dad kind of needed another vacation after, but WE DID IT. WE TOOK THE KIDS TO DISNEYLAND. There were some boxes that need to be checked off next time we go, but at least they've been. Now they have context for their beloved Disneyland music and some memories are firmly in place, and we had some great Grandma/Aunt time and overall we just loved it and felt kind of unjustly jealous when some family went just a few weeks later. Disneyland is definitely different with kids, but its own kind of magical. It's not like we can up and go there twice a year like we used to, but I'm so glad a lot of my childhood memories' seeds have been planted. I can definitely understand by Charlie costs and Adelaide (and younger) doesn't, as his enjoyment was exponentially higher, and Aunt Carol even remarked that she's never seen a kid more excited about Disneyland, which is gratifying and even inspiring. Ah, youth. Ah, magic.<br />
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Until next time, Land.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-87034403389754952102018-01-31T16:20:00.002-07:002018-01-31T16:28:09.279-07:00Blogkeeping -- Winter 2016/Spring/Summer/(Some Fall) 2017Starting just over a year ago! 100 movies from December 2016 to July 2017. Lots of so-so and also terrible library selections (two false starts! Unheard of!), the end of Grimm and the beginning of Psych:<br />
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Captain America: Civil War [r] *** • Psych (Season 2) *** 1/2 • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh [r] **** • Silver Linings Playbook *** • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 *** • Psych (Season 1) *** 1/2 • Doctor Strange [r] *** • The Amazing Race (Season 17) [r] **** • Anastasia [r] ***** • Gotham (Season 3) *** • The Secrets of Crickley Hall **** • My Cousin Rachel *** • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End [r] *** • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest [r] *** 1/2 • The Amazing Race (Season 29) ** 1/2 • Prison Break (Season 5) ** • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl [r] *** • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales **** • Split **** • Survivor: Game Changers (Season 34) *** • Lion **** • Cars [r] *** 1/2 • Documentary Now (Season 2) *** 1/2 • Bambi II [r] *** • Bambi [r] ***** • The Light Between Oceans *** 1/2 • Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens [r] *** 1/2 • Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi [r] **** • Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back [r] **** • Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope [r] **** • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith [r] *** • Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones [r] ** 1/2 • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace [r] ** 1/2 • The Scarlet Pimpernel [r] **** • Assassin's Creed (false start) --- • Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them ** • La La Land *** 1/2 • Bates Motel (Season 5) **** • Sense and Sensibility (1995) [r] ***** • Sense & Sensibility (2008) [r] **** • Jupiter Ascending * 1/2 • A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 1) ** • Just Let Go *** 1/2 • Star Wars: Rogue One [r] ** 1/2 • Daria (Season 3) **** • Passengers *** 1/2 • Legion (Season 1) *** • Grimm (Season 6) ** • Napoleon Dynamite [r] **** • Arrival **** • The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials ** 1/2 • The Maze Runner ** 1/2 • Victoria (Season 1) **** • Beauty and the Beast (1991) [r] ***** • Beauty and the Beast (2017) *** • Moana [r] x2 **** • Tangled [r] ***** • Tangled Before Ever After *** • Warcraft (false start) --- • Into the Woods Live In Central Park **** • Grantchester (Season 1) ** 1/2 • Enchanted [r] **** • Deepwater Horizon **** • The Magnificent Seven (2016) ** • Jack Reacher: Never Go Back ** 1/2 • Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children ** 1/2 • Moana [r] **** 1/2 • Daria (Season 2) [r] **** 1/2 • Florence Foster Jenkins *** 1/2 • Newsies LIVE ***** • Ever After [r] ***** • Cinderella (2015) [r] *** • Sully *** 1/2 • Cinderella (1950) [r] **** • Pete's Dragon (1977) [r] *** • Daria (Season 1) [r] **** • A History of Violence ** 1/2 • Into the Storm ** 1/2 • The Help (mostly) [r] ***** • Star Wars: Rogue One ** 1/2 • Prisoners **** • Pete's Dragon (2016) *** 1/2 • The Bourne Identity [r] **** • The BFG *** • Jason Bourne ** 1/2 • Lucy *** 1/2 • Gone Girl *** 1/2 • War & Peace (2016) [r] **** • Anne of Green Gables [r] ***** • Sherlock (Season 4) *** • Doctor Thorne **** • The Hunchback of Notre Dame [r] ***** • Project Runway (Season 15) ** 1/2 • Office Space [r] **** • The Wrong Boyfriend (Wuthering High School) * 1/2 • Inside Out (mostly) [r] ***** • Kubo and the Two Strings **** 1/2 • Hail, Caesar! *** • Mickey's Christmas Carol [r] ***** • While You Were Sleeping [r] *****<br />
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100 books from January to October 2017. More of the usual: lots of children's books (including probably the worst one ever written), and almost none of the other variety, ha ha:</div>
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Madeline (Ludwig Bemelmans) ***** • Get Dressed! (Seymour Chwast) *** • The Loud Book (Deborah Underwood) *** • The Quiet Book (Deborah Underwood) **** • Thank You and Good Night (Patrick McDonnell) ***** • Chloe (Peter McCarty) **** • My Bike (Byron Barton) ** 1/2 • Books Always Everyhere (Jane Blatt) **** • Boo, Bunny! (Kathryn O. Galbraith *** • The Heart and the Bottle (Oliver Jeffers) **** • Orion and the Dark (Emma Yarlett) ***** • The Not So Quiet Library (Zachariah Ohora) *** • Little Tree (Loren Long) **** • A Visitor For Bear (Bonny Becker) *** • A Few Bites (Cybèle Young) **** • Vanilla Ice Cream (Bob Graham) *** • The Red Hat (David Teague) ***** • Dog Loves Book (Louise Yates) **** • BabyLit: Emma (Jennifer Adams) *** • BabyLit: Treasure Island (Jennifer Adams) *** • BabyLit: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (Jennifer Adams) *** • Hooray For Today! (Brian Won) **** • The Very Clumsy Click Beetle (Eric Carle) **** • Chicken and Cat (Sara Varon) *** • Ragtime (E.L. Doctorow) *** 1/2 • Tell Me the Day Backwards (Albert Lamb) ***** • Your Hand In My Heart (Mark Sperring) ***** • Sam and the Firefly (P.D. Eastman) **** • The Lamb and the Butterfly (Arnold Sundgaard) *** • Otis and the Scarecrow (Loren Long) *** • Otis and the Puppy (Loren Long) **** • The Unholy Trinity: Blocking the Left's Assault On Life, Marriage, and Gender (Matt Walsh) ***** • The Nine Old Men: Lessons, Techniques, and Inspirations from Disney's Great Animators (Andreas Deja) *** 1/2 • All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr) **** • It's Only Stanley (Jon Agee) ***** • Polar Bear Night (Lauren Thompson) *** • To Market, To Market (Anna Miranda) *** • I Love You the Purplest (Barbara Joosse) *** • Twenty Big Trucks In the Middle of the Street (Mark Lee) **** • My Car (Byron Barton) ** • Feminist Baby (Loryn Brantz) * • The Bossier Baby (Marla Frazee) **** • Miss Rumphius (Barbara Cooney) **** • Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Ed Emberley) *** 1/2 • This book is out of control! (Richard Byrne) *** • The Airport Book (Lisa Brown) ** • The Five Chinese Brothers (Claire Huchet Bishop) **** • My Little Sister and Me (Maple Lam) **** • It Is Not Time For Sleeping (Lisa Graff) **** • Good Night Like This (Mary Murphy) **** • The Light Between Oceans (M.L. Stedman) ***** • Ben's Dream (Chris Van Allsburg) **** • Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion (Mo Willems) *** 1/2 • The Hueys In The New Sweater (Oliver Jeffers) ** 1/2 • Just a Dream (Chris Van Allsburg) ** • Cars Go (Steve Light) *** 1/2 • La Luna (Enrico Casarosa) **** • Goodnight Everyone (Chris Haughton) *** • There Are Cast In This Book (Viviane Schwarz) **** • Cheetah Can't Lose (Bob Shea) *** • Officer Buckle & Gloria (Peggy Rathmann) **** • This Moose Belongs To Me (Oliver Jeffers) **** • Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing (Judi Barrett) **** • The Crayon: A Colorful Tale About Friendship (Simon Rickerty) *** • Jumanji (Chris Van Allsburg) **** • Round Trip (Ann Jonas) **** • This Is Paris (Miroslav Sasek) ***** • I Spy With My Little Eye (Edward Gibbs) **** • The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend (Dan Santat) **** • The Twenty-One Balloons (William Pene du Bois) *** 1/2 • Rescue Squad No. 9 (Mike Austin) ***** • Doggies (Sandra Boynton) **** • Harry and the Lady Next Door (Gene Zion) *** • Country Road ABC (Arthur Geisert) *** • The Napping House (Don and Audrey Wood) **** • We're Going On a Bear Hunt (Michael Rosen) **** • A Baby Sister For Frances (Russell Hoban) *** • Press Here (Herve Tullet) ***** • Little White Rabbit (Kevin Henkes) **** • Little Lola (Julie Saab) **** • Plant a Kiss (Amy Krouse Rosenthal) **** • Trick Or Treat, Pout-Pout Fish (Deborah Diesen) ** • A Greyhound, a Groundhog (Emily Jenkins) *** • The BFG (Roald Dahl) *** • The Art of Moana (Jessica Julius) ***** • C&L: This Is Actually My Party (Lauren Child) **** • Blueberries for Sal (Robert McCloskey) *** • Good Night Owl (Greg Pizzoli) **** • Goodnight Truck (Sally Odgers) **** • Giggle, Giggle, Quack (Doreen Cronin) *** • The Monster At the End of This Book (Jon Stone) ***** • Lambert the Sheepish Lion ("Walt Disney") **** • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (Patrick Lencioni) **** • ABC: A Child's First Alphabet Book (Alison Jay) **** • Professor Whiskerton Presents Steampunk ABC (Lisa Falkerstern) *** • I Spy On the Farm (Edward Gibbs) ***** • Five Trucks (Brian Floca) **** • Raindrops Fall All Around (Charles Gigna) *** 1/2 • Anything For You (John Wallace) **** • One Perfect Day (Steve Purcell, ill. by Matt Nolte) ****Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-38690575309844160162018-01-24T10:33:00.000-07:002018-01-24T11:03:18.912-07:00MDG at 7 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week Little Mister hit 7 months! He's still as happy as ever, smiling at everyone and laughing at the ceaseless antics of his older siblings. He's sitting up pretty well and trying some new "real" foods, he's sleeping mostly pretty well, though there are nights when he's just not very happy for reasons (the tooth that's emerged and others not far behind it could be the culprit). The biggest news is that he's mobile! He's thiiiiis close to actual crawling but he gets around just fine in his own way, which of course changes the game pretty significantly. He's funny and observant and sometimes pouty but his smile just melts me.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSO1q8FZbxY/WmjCJTQ6o4I/AAAAAAAAj6Y/AR39owxH_G0kTcOdqDft810l0y_vHFcPgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20171214_hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1600" height="158" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSO1q8FZbxY/WmjCJTQ6o4I/AAAAAAAAj6Y/AR39owxH_G0kTcOdqDft810l0y_vHFcPgCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20171214_hat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is actually from before his 6-month mark but I missed it somehow and look at him!!! And that li'l Hmong hat!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMOE8SxEXzs/WmjCJu2tyAI/AAAAAAAAj6c/zauAlmYl_GoR6J2YsBIfs0Fd8yV18MlGgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20171216_213138799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMOE8SxEXzs/WmjCJu2tyAI/AAAAAAAAj6c/zauAlmYl_GoR6J2YsBIfs0Fd8yV18MlGgCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20171216_213138799.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">At Daddy's Christmas choir concert! It's never too early to start them on Bach.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-crljZfwd2gI/WmjCJ22kvRI/AAAAAAAAj6g/WfrsINR4ytYB2zaWHZgHAAcighcQp7sggCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20171224_124346834_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-crljZfwd2gI/WmjCJ22kvRI/AAAAAAAAj6g/WfrsINR4ytYB2zaWHZgHAAcighcQp7sggCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20171224_124346834_HDR.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Eve vest buddies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SRUT7ewR3ZU/WmjCk8k3O4I/AAAAAAAAj6o/Vrs5581Jqtsha92GnaCC5kcUfYD9rXwlQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20171225_093731510_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SRUT7ewR3ZU/WmjCk8k3O4I/AAAAAAAAj6o/Vrs5581Jqtsha92GnaCC5kcUfYD9rXwlQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20171225_093731510_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Christmas Day! </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rmVc1sCavjA/WmjId2P9LII/AAAAAAAAj7E/ebMfuLABWscJzjMiMrMAtdF9xv8l1fYpgCLcBGAs/s1600/0105.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="606" height="181" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rmVc1sCavjA/WmjId2P9LII/AAAAAAAAj7E/ebMfuLABWscJzjMiMrMAtdF9xv8l1fYpgCLcBGAs/s320/0105.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">This is actually a still from a video but you can gather what's going on. He's almost at his goal!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ngucnxVcU8/WmjJ3nBgq0I/AAAAAAAAj7U/kuUVlrj7FAQJHl6F5N2bpvLAjpMNwOGZQCLcBGAs/s1600/0117a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="608" height="319" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ngucnxVcU8/WmjJ3nBgq0I/AAAAAAAAj7U/kuUVlrj7FAQJHl6F5N2bpvLAjpMNwOGZQCLcBGAs/s320/0117a.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He really likes me, but he <i>loves</i> his Mommy, as is right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What did I say about that smile?!?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nqPwcmL2wRY/WmjJ3ufv80I/AAAAAAAAj7Q/W2mBYh_IDZY_82fOoY3y-3ol8WL9MfQcACLcBGAs/s1600/0117c.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="606" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nqPwcmL2wRY/WmjJ3ufv80I/AAAAAAAAj7Q/W2mBYh_IDZY_82fOoY3y-3ol8WL9MfQcACLcBGAs/s320/0117c.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has this funny pose lately where he turns and rests his arm on his bum. This is pretty close.</td></tr>
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And that's that for now! Who knows what will have transpired by the time he hits 8?...<br />
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Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-59938045164199632512018-01-18T11:43:00.002-07:002018-01-18T11:43:52.651-07:00Belated 2.5 for SmoochfaceWe just had a month milestone, but I realized I never blogged about Smoochface's 2.5! So here it is.<br />
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Our little girl is (morethan) halfway to 3, which is crazy but also lots of fun. She is articulate and opinionated, has a sense of humor and a sense of style, has high highs and low lows, in thoughtful and sweet. She loves Little Mister and often pats him when he needs attention, imitating our "there there" voices. She loooooves Big Brother and can often be found trying to sneak into his room after bedtime to sit in his bed and read together (or, you know, play at very high volumes). She often resists bedtime, usually vociferously, which has been a struggle, but we try to remember that one day she won't even want to hang out and rock with us in the evenings. She's reportedly a delight in Nursery, she took right to potty and she has a hearty appetite. She loves all princesses but especially Rapunzel (especially when we get to watch a <i>Perpunzel Cocoon</i>) and she sings along with whatever we're listening to. She's started trying to negotiate for things which is often hilarious and her emotions are so strong sometimes even she doesn't know why she feels the way she does. She's healthy and strong and clever and lovely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb7fK6KRq50/WmDo6FteXfI/AAAAAAAAjus/ctr6SSntKTo_d4JAZJM6TQirjZg74CT5ACLcBGAs/s1600/0310.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb7fK6KRq50/WmDo6FteXfI/AAAAAAAAjus/ctr6SSntKTo_d4JAZJM6TQirjZg74CT5ACLcBGAs/s320/0310.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday girl montage!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trimming Goldilocks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><3 td=""></3></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHuVKG9p-b8/WmDo7IgClSI/AAAAAAAAju0/Z_QvfYGCysIwgEgVCXLK-1M7IuFbffJAwCLcBGAs/s1600/0424.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="612" height="319" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GHuVKG9p-b8/WmDo7IgClSI/AAAAAAAAju0/Z_QvfYGCysIwgEgVCXLK-1M7IuFbffJAwCLcBGAs/s320/0424.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy to be wearing Daddy's old running shorts!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDZCRBEIzT0/WmDo7kIz3II/AAAAAAAAju4/nEROGbjrCAceIi-zKCkRhoGkBjgAz9nWwCLcBGAs/s1600/0507.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="610" height="281" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YDZCRBEIzT0/WmDo7kIz3II/AAAAAAAAju4/nEROGbjrCAceIi-zKCkRhoGkBjgAz9nWwCLcBGAs/s320/0507.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HvvXu7DHAI/WmDo8HhrWVI/AAAAAAAAju8/GQCfx-1hO4kvR0-I5VBZC6-U8TD9abgAwCLcBGAs/s1600/0603_173724038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HvvXu7DHAI/WmDo8HhrWVI/AAAAAAAAju8/GQCfx-1hO4kvR0-I5VBZC6-U8TD9abgAwCLcBGAs/s320/0603_173724038.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Smooch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waIJawQIuAI/WmDo8uZB5HI/AAAAAAAAjvA/35-nQF5YFj4GlRXcEgxMo7VJqbQaERDCQCLcBGAs/s1600/0606.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="607" height="182" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waIJawQIuAI/WmDo8uZB5HI/AAAAAAAAjvA/35-nQF5YFj4GlRXcEgxMo7VJqbQaERDCQCLcBGAs/s320/0606.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She loves a good bake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle child!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4E8dUcIxGMY/WmDo9iLjwqI/AAAAAAAAjvI/WflTgqSTNbEcsUq-F_ba8PBQWOg0Em3ogCLcBGAs/s1600/0617_121236869_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4E8dUcIxGMY/WmDo9iLjwqI/AAAAAAAAjvI/WflTgqSTNbEcsUq-F_ba8PBQWOg0Em3ogCLcBGAs/s320/0617_121236869_HDR.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She doesn't seem to mind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 kewl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SQHvUbeaLoE/WmDo-XYBgPI/AAAAAAAAjvQ/Ff0QaOx-2fEsv5kQm0w7fCrEh2wI5uLvACLcBGAs/s1600/0718_193759785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SQHvUbeaLoE/WmDo-XYBgPI/AAAAAAAAjvQ/Ff0QaOx-2fEsv5kQm0w7fCrEh2wI5uLvACLcBGAs/s320/0718_193759785.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eep!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YngG6XP2OtI/WmDo_BckhHI/AAAAAAAAjvU/X-GeRa2RY_w-obpjyMyvhqhgNRJATksHgCLcBGAs/s1600/0729.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="609" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YngG6XP2OtI/WmDo_BckhHI/AAAAAAAAjvU/X-GeRa2RY_w-obpjyMyvhqhgNRJATksHgCLcBGAs/s320/0729.PNG" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's finally into the water on the day we didn't bring her swimsuit.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGfc9Z8slF4/WmDo_lv6xBI/AAAAAAAAjvY/VPMHK7HHSAwh1mIhS2--nVO8f5u3oNT3gCLcBGAs/s1600/0902_105925846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGfc9Z8slF4/WmDo_lv6xBI/AAAAAAAAjvY/VPMHK7HHSAwh1mIhS2--nVO8f5u3oNT3gCLcBGAs/s320/0902_105925846.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berrypicking!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kCFUXcXNfjc/WmDpABxkdLI/AAAAAAAAjvc/MgzhiI1oRIAR-1nsGkJUMPYDusL-JoSIACLcBGAs/s1600/0903_161904880_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kCFUXcXNfjc/WmDpABxkdLI/AAAAAAAAjvc/MgzhiI1oRIAR-1nsGkJUMPYDusL-JoSIACLcBGAs/s320/0903_161904880_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss A's Salon</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kjw5c2eF7Vk/WmDpAhd8n2I/AAAAAAAAjvg/7uU1BOXTKRskCbO85yavW4dGIrBDG6e-gCLcBGAs/s1600/0907a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="606" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kjw5c2eF7Vk/WmDpAhd8n2I/AAAAAAAAjvg/7uU1BOXTKRskCbO85yavW4dGIrBDG6e-gCLcBGAs/s320/0907a.PNG" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though Mommy has been doing her fair share of creative hairstyling too.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iGCzj6RWWlU/WmDpBN3fr5I/AAAAAAAAjvk/A6DYmVz4q5QHAI9W-6vbava2CW27hmu3wCLcBGAs/s1600/0907b.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="609" height="319" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iGCzj6RWWlU/WmDpBN3fr5I/AAAAAAAAjvk/A6DYmVz4q5QHAI9W-6vbava2CW27hmu3wCLcBGAs/s320/0907b.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... with adorable results.</td></tr>
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We love our Smoochy!!! Sorry about the delay! See you in a couple months!Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-61052549136689914502018-01-18T11:13:00.002-07:002018-01-23T16:37:51.713-07:00End of 2017/Start of 2018Time to (finally) blog a bit about Christmas! It was a very busy and eventful couple of months, which was at once a bit frantic and a lot of fun. There were the usual traditions (family musical soiree wherein I led a sing-along of Rutter's Angels' Carol, pajamas from Nana, more Santa excitement than ever, sooooo many treats, Christmas movies and shows, ward choir program, etc. etc. etc.) but there were lots of exciting new happenings too. I'll just let the Instapictures tell the story.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eTmg47AXo5k/WmDhNwVFsaI/AAAAAAAAjso/UclIWcrRGyM6dRLXNr36pYqeeNRwphI1ACLcBGAs/s1600/C01.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="609" height="319" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eTmg47AXo5k/WmDhNwVFsaI/AAAAAAAAjso/UclIWcrRGyM6dRLXNr36pYqeeNRwphI1ACLcBGAs/s320/C01.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein I offer a 50% off commission sale and have a nice response! See our <a href="http://penandpencilarts.blogspot.com/">art blog</a> for a collage.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nBf-iy7qWaE/WmDhN-fjXjI/AAAAAAAAjss/igS4zJpsoQMoXGboRW84PxHI1mRDRJfdQCLcBGAs/s1600/C02.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="609" height="210" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nBf-iy7qWaE/WmDhN-fjXjI/AAAAAAAAjss/igS4zJpsoQMoXGboRW84PxHI1mRDRJfdQCLcBGAs/s320/C02.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we go to the Christmas In Color drive-through light show! Feliz Batty-Bat!</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hOlsLMuH8CM/WmDhOOU7rvI/AAAAAAAAjsw/BpLf0de8yEIwzGCc0z_78gPPrkYSAwDqQCLcBGAs/s1600/C03.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="527" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hOlsLMuH8CM/WmDhOOU7rvI/AAAAAAAAjsw/BpLf0de8yEIwzGCc0z_78gPPrkYSAwDqQCLcBGAs/s320/C03.PNG" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we go to the adult ward Christmas party and I sing Mele Kalikimaka/Christmas Island and wear my favorite shirt and hat (repeat picture post but it's relevant).</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VwnzincNc00/WmDhOVYfIII/AAAAAAAAjs0/Yy9_SIHDsb4drMm-6PoDD4mDZZSshDuZwCLcBGAs/s1600/C04.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VwnzincNc00/WmDhOVYfIII/AAAAAAAAjs0/Yy9_SIHDsb4drMm-6PoDD4mDZZSshDuZwCLcBGAs/s320/C04.PNG" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we brave the crowds of downtown SLC and have fun but decide never to to the Temple Square within a week of Christmas again.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eD8BgFHU3bE/WmDhOziiqeI/AAAAAAAAjs4/pVwqO-7RckQ-YvTetrvK4imOSysBOdkLQCLcBGAs/s1600/C05.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eD8BgFHU3bE/WmDhOziiqeI/AAAAAAAAjs4/pVwqO-7RckQ-YvTetrvK4imOSysBOdkLQCLcBGAs/s320/C05.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we watch a Christmas classic and are forcibly reminded by Cindy Lou Who of a certain someone.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mD2hJuRjinM/WmDhPkFZPgI/AAAAAAAAjs8/DesXwbIRrPM2UtpIcwcoDZJ58mAbY1V7wCLcBGAs/s1600/C06.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mD2hJuRjinM/WmDhPkFZPgI/AAAAAAAAjs8/DesXwbIRrPM2UtpIcwcoDZJ58mAbY1V7wCLcBGAs/s320/C06.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we go to the kids' ward Christmas party and it's our best roller skating outing yet. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tlW7cmjjy5w/WmDhPzZl5jI/AAAAAAAAjtA/T3A3eReJAyUMED8J91JdVLhRz-0Tzd_wACLcBGAs/s320/C07.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="273" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein Wife and Baby come hear me sing Bach and Williams with the TSO.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tlW7cmjjy5w/WmDhPzZl5jI/AAAAAAAAjtA/T3A3eReJAyUMED8J91JdVLhRz-0Tzd_wACLcBGAs/s1600/C07.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tlW7cmjjy5w/WmDhPzZl5jI/AAAAAAAAjtA/T3A3eReJAyUMED8J91JdVLhRz-0Tzd_wACLcBGAs/s1600/C07.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jrTQMGUY4rc/WmDhQe9Mk6I/AAAAAAAAjtE/NM1eqfzp2PskNOV1Rj2BnOWiL1I3vhiEgCLcBGAs/s1600/C08.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="602" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jrTQMGUY4rc/WmDhQe9Mk6I/AAAAAAAAjtE/NM1eqfzp2PskNOV1Rj2BnOWiL1I3vhiEgCLcBGAs/s320/C08.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein my favorite Primary tradition continues for the 4th year!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mxT-grggirk/WmDhQ7UfZFI/AAAAAAAAjtI/1Smyz-u29WoHmp0OZ9VxN-SgVasqjr5twCLcBGAs/s1600/C09.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mxT-grggirk/WmDhQ7UfZFI/AAAAAAAAjtI/1Smyz-u29WoHmp0OZ9VxN-SgVasqjr5twCLcBGAs/s320/C09.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein I am amazed at how marvelous this movie is.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kghcl0HJt-c/WmDhRb7voBI/AAAAAAAAjtM/PFmGebJf8-QVJ8slkgmOZvkqGWq72SaPwCLcBGAs/s1600/C10.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kghcl0HJt-c/WmDhRb7voBI/AAAAAAAAjtM/PFmGebJf8-QVJ8slkgmOZvkqGWq72SaPwCLcBGAs/s320/C10.PNG" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein Little Mister and I are vest buddies on Christmas Eve.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCUQhr0iDGw/WmDhR7qUwiI/AAAAAAAAjtQ/MCgNes1IKkIOBYgFvQJxcvL-97mVTZAPACLcBGAs/s1600/C11.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCUQhr0iDGw/WmDhR7qUwiI/AAAAAAAAjtQ/MCgNes1IKkIOBYgFvQJxcvL-97mVTZAPACLcBGAs/s320/C11.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we try out our new phone with a front-facing camera!</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9AVC2Wd4Rg/WmDhSTBA6EI/AAAAAAAAjtU/sWminYTufOwhgilWBQcqxzhNd6Vz2_tzACLcBGAs/s1600/C12.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9AVC2Wd4Rg/WmDhSTBA6EI/AAAAAAAAjtU/sWminYTufOwhgilWBQcqxzhNd6Vz2_tzACLcBGAs/s320/C12.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein I try out my new at last running shoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uCpzGW3Zmcw/WmDhWRrI8cI/AAAAAAAAjt0/LdM52i6HY0QHNP2WXVnWXALtWSryqaSiQCLcBGAs/s1600/C20.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uCpzGW3Zmcw/WmDhWRrI8cI/AAAAAAAAjt0/LdM52i6HY0QHNP2WXVnWXALtWSryqaSiQCLcBGAs/s320/C20.PNG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wherein I pose cheesily with my favorite Christmas present, which I call Coco.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ybldFtsPuUw/WmDhSwY7d8I/AAAAAAAAjtY/m5sUJPhQVcwfSm27kfGuTi4RzJ9xZ2MjgCLcBGAs/s1600/C13.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="601" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ybldFtsPuUw/WmDhSwY7d8I/AAAAAAAAjtY/m5sUJPhQVcwfSm27kfGuTi4RzJ9xZ2MjgCLcBGAs/s320/C13.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we go to a merch pop-up of the Wizarding World of HP. Almost like almost like the real thing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dm73m3pdeK0/WmDhTfvo2WI/AAAAAAAAjtc/fSQqzq20q2Y94JUp3BrntiX5uFMRxrvygCLcBGAs/s1600/C14.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="610" height="319" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dm73m3pdeK0/WmDhTfvo2WI/AAAAAAAAjtc/fSQqzq20q2Y94JUp3BrntiX5uFMRxrvygCLcBGAs/s320/C14.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein this wasn't anywhere to be found in stores so we bought it ASAP (even though I know you can listen online... it's just nice to have).</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eVin7mJnijI/WmDhUJzrHFI/AAAAAAAAjtg/PdS1OSwCX3g3hKus1aP6Z1ehvsXVwQkTwCLcBGAs/s1600/C15.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eVin7mJnijI/WmDhUJzrHFI/AAAAAAAAjtg/PdS1OSwCX3g3hKus1aP6Z1ehvsXVwQkTwCLcBGAs/s320/C15.PNG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein we cling to the gingerbread feeling by finding any and all local light displays (this was at University Mall, er... Place).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6sO8PNoTVfg/WmDhUrfMTmI/AAAAAAAAjtk/KmWtaG8LqBMnlJO5diNh01-Jr1jVQYdNACLcBGAs/s1600/C16.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="605" height="195" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6sO8PNoTVfg/WmDhUrfMTmI/AAAAAAAAjtk/KmWtaG8LqBMnlJO5diNh01-Jr1jVQYdNACLcBGAs/s320/C16.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein the NYB pulls through yet again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1MY1TGY0BLI/WmDhU3gBZQI/AAAAAAAAjto/9---l63J_yMSxt9caen-z1G1sItdRr84QCLcBGAs/s1600/C17.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="607" height="255" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1MY1TGY0BLI/WmDhU3gBZQI/AAAAAAAAjto/9---l63J_yMSxt9caen-z1G1sItdRr84QCLcBGAs/s320/C17.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein the kids are very fancy with their breakfast beverages.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CY2TJd-hMBs/WmDhVexe81I/AAAAAAAAjts/vfjwBB8UxTEUNddpAe7p74is52iKMowugCLcBGAs/s1600/C18.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="606" height="242" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CY2TJd-hMBs/WmDhVexe81I/AAAAAAAAjts/vfjwBB8UxTEUNddpAe7p74is52iKMowugCLcBGAs/s320/C18.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein The Wife figured out an ingenious way of getting the Christmas cards to stop falling off the front door every ten minutes -- take them off and hang them up somewhere else. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nkt4f9aUiY4/WmDhWNI_oBI/AAAAAAAAjtw/ZyCy5Dfbl3sPUTCvzWmDOx83MhUpEWYCQCLcBGAs/s320/C19.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="318" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wherein The Boy Who Lived rings in the New Year on my desk at work.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nkt4f9aUiY4/WmDhWNI_oBI/AAAAAAAAjtw/ZyCy5Dfbl3sPUTCvzWmDOx83MhUpEWYCQCLcBGAs/s1600/C19.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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Every time I have choir things coming up I have this underlying and ominous dread that something will happen the day before and I'll get really sick or lose my voice or whatever, but luckily another Christmas season has come and gone with much singing and no serious illness, so I think that's reason (for me at least) to rejoice. It was a really lovely Christmas with lots going on and so much fun and going to church the day before was a perfect way to keep grounded amid all the festivities and remember the Point in the first place. 2018 is going to be just marvelous.<br />
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P.S. These days we get sleepy pretty early and one or both of us heads to bed shortly after the hour hits double digits, but this year I totally scored my NYE midnight kiss. ;*Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-61927397914800497182017-12-25T23:08:00.000-07:002017-12-25T23:08:38.936-07:00Christmas 2017It was pretty much as perfect as could be.<br />
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Details to come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rc3ykMz5jM/WkHlsMqc6bI/AAAAAAAAXZI/VBdy_91e--4ugTuhhDO9sigilipsG_52gCLcBGAs/s1600/front%2Bbleed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Rc3ykMz5jM/WkHlsMqc6bI/AAAAAAAAXZI/VBdy_91e--4ugTuhhDO9sigilipsG_52gCLcBGAs/s320/front%2Bbleed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">:D :D :D :D 8/</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-52_mC46uE/WkHlrDzP5vI/AAAAAAAAXY8/U-V-9EAxHA8oeutpzWaB3Q3OPBlsBsiJACLcBGAs/s1600/card%2Bback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-52_mC46uE/WkHlrDzP5vI/AAAAAAAAXY8/U-V-9EAxHA8oeutpzWaB3Q3OPBlsBsiJACLcBGAs/s320/card%2Bback.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back view!</td></tr>
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Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4987220383000150826.post-47987827668650006562017-12-24T22:06:00.000-07:002017-12-24T22:07:20.962-07:00Annual Christmas Eve Journal Write 2017You guys, I was just thinking to myself what a bummer that Christmas was going to be gray and brown and probably clear skies and not very interesting or festive, but no joke, we looked outside after the kids were in bed and it had started to snow. Of course I think it's stopped by now, but it was enough to stick for a little while and that's really enough for me. (It was also enough to make that last-minute drive to Mom and Dad's house for that package I had shipped there and totally forgot to pick up the many times I've visited since it arrived kind of treacherous and slippery -- I hope everyone who was out drove safely).<br />
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SO it's that time of year again and things are changing around here. Today we had church which was really nice to have on the day before Christmas, there were musical numbers aplenty and everyone was really tired and maybe a little fussy but that made for a nice early bedtime. This year we dispensed with the whole family fondue tradition in favor of taking our many various offspring and starting our own Christmas Eve dinner traditions, which I'd been thinking for a while now would probably happen this year, and which actually turned out really nice. We invited Mom and Dad over and had plenty of cheese and dippings and various sweet and/or creamy and/or bubbly drinks and desserts aplenty, and then we all happily jumped into our new joggers from Mom and made ready for bed.<br />
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I actually think I've heard Santa hanging around upstairs and think I even glimpsed a goodly number of cool Cars guys and sparkly Princess figurines and maybe something cozy and handmade just for a baby. I guess we'll find out first thing in the morning!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HqQaJAUGO9A/WkCHBJaetvI/AAAAAAAAVFU/Fyt242BkMA8Y-W3avHgdGgH4fgDg1vW0wCLcBGAs/s1600/tree.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="608" height="262" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HqQaJAUGO9A/WkCHBJaetvI/AAAAAAAAVFU/Fyt242BkMA8Y-W3avHgdGgH4fgDg1vW0wCLcBGAs/s320/tree.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is from the first time we decorated it a couple weeks ago... We sort of completely redid it tonight, not unlike last year, after it's been so very... admired over the last several days. Also we added another string of blue lights and a bunch of blue ornaments. It just needed a little something extra.</td></tr>
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Now goodNIGHT.Drewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11976371743465765357noreply@blogger.com0