Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Family Pictures!!

THEY ARE DONE!!!
My AMAZINGLY talented friend took these photos for us at the beginning of november- and those of you getting christmas cards from us, don't worry you get a different picture than the ones seen here:).
I'm thinking these are just about the best pictures I've ever seen of my kiddos.

Classic James.
The thinker.
take 2.
See the piece of prairie? That was his "fishing pole" that ended up in a few shots.
"Nothing comes between me and my calvin's"
Oliver-bear.

Probably my favorite shot of the bunch!
cute cute cute!
Right before this picture, O gave us his impersonation of cookie monster and proceeded to eat this stick in lieu of cookies, complete with "ahh-nom nom nom!!!" sound affects.
The whole fam damily.
I like this pic, but D is a little fuzzy.
I know it looks like James is picking his nose, maybe, in this pic- but he's really telling us to "shhh" along with D. This is why D is not smiling.
Our photog called this our Norman Rockwell shot. If you are familiar with his work, you might agree:)
Just us.
Thank you Jesa!!!!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The most wonderful day of the year.

I hope that title was sarcastic enough for you.
If not, let me try again.

(ahem)
WOW! TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE! I HOPE I HAVE DAYS ON END LIKE TODAY!!!!

but why?
ah, yes. Two words: The-freaking-car-wouldn't-work-the-way-the-stupid-thing-is-supposed to.

Last night, in the dash-console, my car put on its battery light and its parking brake light. The battery light I though was fine, but the parking brake light was a little weird especially since the parking brake wasn't on. Oh well, I thought, I'll just take it in on monday, because tomorrow is saturday, I need an oil change anyways and my mechanic is not open on saturday.

I should have taken it in today.

I knew something was wrong when, after dropping my husband at the library and the kiddinks at the Y, the radio was throbbing in very regular intervals- and I do not own a sub-woofer. I turned off the radio to listen to the engine. Nope everything sounded okay.

I got another 100 yards down the street. Then the noise from the radio (which is off by the way) turned into a noise from the vents. I try to listen intently and notice that the engine is idling in strange spurts. Uh-oh, I think. Maybe I can make it home.

100 yards later and the speedometer AND the tachometer both abruptly stop working.

100 yards later (at a stop light, and please note- all the distances are relative) the car starts to shudder. oh crap.

I start praying- you know the kind- the "please, Lord, I'll never ask for another thing ever again if you can get my car home in one piece, thank you, thank you, amen".

Maybe the Lord was taking someone else's call, because that didn't happen.

What did happen was this:
I expected to spend all afternoon sewing up a storm, trying to get all my orders filled so I could start on more.
What I did instead was spend all afternoon on the phone trying to find
1. a mechanic- no luck. none of them work on saturday afternoons.
2. a new alternator in town- this took 3 different stores.
3. someone who was available to help me get to the stores to pick up the alternator.
4. someone who was magically home with auto repair skills and time to spare, who could come help ASAP.
5. someone who could help me pick up my various family members from the Y and the library and deliver us safely home.

Let me es'plain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up.

Things worked out- expensively- but not as expensively as it WOULD have been without amazing friends.
I have a car that works again. Hopefully through tomorrow and into monday morning.

BEST. DAY. EVER.