It’s still Feb. 1st…

Hi Aunt Terry! You inspired me to keep my deadline…

http://leepress.wordpress.com/

See you!

1 month.

Off. A real break. I took a peek back into blog land this evening, and promptly pulled my head back into my turtle shell. But – though cozy, it is too dark, in there. Really.

So, emerging, then. Hi! Welcome here!

Shooting for February 1. Don’t know where or under what name, but I will give a link, and begin my story again. Or begin editing my story out loud again, as the case may be. A catch up? Hmm… We’ll see. Maybe a couple of photos of the 3 rooms I have painted this month, a couple of stories about our “snow days” and the blackberry-cleared parcel soon-to-be big garden and play fort back by the creek, or maybe not. Maybe just starting over. The truth – I loved un-linking myself a bit, this month. But more – I want my children to read about the “I Love Unicorn” song they composed yesterday, the heart they carved out of snow for me, and even the mild hysterics recently, theirs and mine. Documenting our moments.
And missing you.

Bye to my swindly blog – I’ll print you out and read through you again someday.

Hello new-what’s-your-name blog. I hope to see you there!! Feb 1st. Getting ready.

1

Then:

Montana
Idaho
Washington
Oregon

737.8 miles
12.75 hours

dried apricots
cherry-flavored craisins
yogurt parfaits
fries
tacos
strawberry fruit-roll-ups
trail mix
water

Jonny: napped, distributed food items to the back-seaters, wore no corrective lenses for the first half of the trip (Do you see that —- ? No. Oh, Check out that —– ! Um, nope. Is this the right exit? Really, no idea.) If my kids hadn’t broken his glasses last night… well. A-hem.

Jonny also played with the shutter speed:

And I just found 42 of these on my camera.

Now:

*Waiting for Jer to return from tucking in the kids, one of whom lost a front tooth, then lost the tooth. (Mom – you missed it by ONE day!)
*Eating New Year’s Eve Thai
*Settling and staying in, jammies on.
*Excited about the NEW part of the year coming up
*Ready for some large overhauls around here
*Thank you for coming here this year, 2007. I am amazed at the friendships made/furthered along, the notion of connection, here. I am taking a little break – hope to see you in a few weeks.

I wish you much happiness in 2008!

Cheers!

2

An outing with Jonny today, our last day in Montana. Lots of wind, frozen fingers, gingersnaps, and yellow.

And history.

My mom pulled me out of school one day in 1983 to press my hand in the sidewalk that my Grandpa had just poured in front of my childhood home. My mom scraped our names and the date into the thick cement with a thin stick. My hand almost fits, even now.

Thanks for your comments/suggestions about this space. And thank you for wanting it, still.
Thinking, here, and wanting it, too, in some form.

3

Almost there – the end of the month. The writing every day, this December. Almost. In those 3 days, I will decide whether or not to keep the blog (my mind has changed back and forth the last few days,) what to name the new blog if I do keep it, and I will also drive the 12-13 hours back to our home in Oregon.

OK. Maybe I’ll take suggestions. For a new title, no last name involved. What should it be, the part 2? Something to do with the creek in our backyard? Spring Creek?

Suggestions from my family, now sitting around me, helpfully contributing:

What should I name my new blog if I keep it so it doesn’t have my last name in it?

Jonny: Jacob and Sabine S.

Dad: Becky’s Blog

Jonny: Mi Familia Swindeles Mucho Dinero

Mom – “what about something magical? natural? organic?”
Jonny – “tofu?”
Mom – “surreal” or “perfection?”
Mom – “unicorn dwelling” – “magical dwelling”

Jacob – “magical bionicle”

Um, I like pinecones, sticks, and water…

Mom – “thought retreat?”
Jonny – “grammatically unstable” ???
Mom – “serenity, honeysuckle vine, violet rose…”
Jonny – “something with pictures”

Actually I like that… something with pictures. or something.

Dad – “sea breeze?”

Sabine – “light. just light.”
Jake – “not light. bionicle!”

extra s’s?
2 trees?
in between?

Any thoughts? Should I have a contest? A prize? So many family/friends do not comment here (who are you? do you want to say “hi” today as I near the end of this blog journey? or send a suggestion for a new name for me?) Because I don’t think that Violet Rose is going to make the cut.

I hope you are enjoying your holiday week.
We’re having fun here.

“Oh

crap, it’s 11:25 and I haven’t written my blog.”

A quick recap:

*a surprise baby shower for my sister.
*a game where we had to taste and guess the variety of crushed up candy bars – passed around the room served in diapers. I got 1 right – peppermint patties – out of 5.

*Jake learned about tackle and rushing. He suggested that the offense could just dig a hole under the field and come up in the endzone for a touchdown. JD said they probably wouldn’t have enough time.

*”Uncle Jonny is so good at Mario”

*photo shoots for Jess & JD and Christine and the kids.
*Jake parked behind the tree for over an hour to build legos.

*and now, pinochle. Winning. Carving a unicorn stencil for Sabine’s t-shirt. Eating popcorn, drinking orange juice.

Goodnight!

Timer Shotsssss

Christmas day.

Jonny and I tied 3 bells and a long red ribbon

to a string which looped over the curtain rod

behind the camera

which he pulled right when I pushed the shutter button on the camera

and ran

so the babies would look up instead of at me.

Can you see the string?

Merry

and bright.
And snowy!

It is somewhat difficult to choose a highlight of this day, this marathon day-after-Christmas-still-Christmasy day.

To start: a trip to the local ski hill, a first for S & J. Both nervous, excited, and after we exited the car into wind blowing ice dust into our frozen faces while we looked up at the huge mountain they would soon be skiing down, completely terrified.

One practice run later, with my brother-in-law as our private ski instructor, and they were hooked. We finally bribed Sabine to head to the lodge for some hot chocolate, and JD and I headed up the chair lift. How have so many years passed since I skied? I LOVED it, even the part where I fell into the powder, clamoring out and sliding sideways down an especially steep part. To me, steep. Loved it.

Jake loved the goggles that JD lent him.

He wore them into the night, even during our evening trolley trip around the city to see the lights.

Our luminary tour guide sang carols into the microphone for us: Glo-o-o-o-ria – notice the blow-up nativity off to the right – in excelsis – Oh, see this house on the left with the FOR SALE sign? (trolly slowing for a closer look at the deserted house.) Well in years past, they really did a nice job with the lights. Not just the yard – even the roof was decorated! Who knows what will happen now… –in excesis Deo– Now look into the windows of the house on the corner – they have some beautiful lights and garland winding up the staircase in there. Oh – they added a wreath this year! – Glo-o-o– Oh my, that moose’s face has not been lit up for 6 days now…

And the finale, a visit from some family friends, the ladies that spoiled us in our childhood. Presents all around, catching up of the goings-on, then the cookie cutters came out. The ones we used so regularly in their kitchen, taking turns with our favorite shapes and decorating with frosting and sprinkles. They “retired” the cutters, and all 4 of us kids are here for this holiday of holidays, so we passed them around and chose a set of our own.

A fine full day. Jer left at 6:30 this morning, and I wish he could be here. He would have applauded Sabine on the slopes, helped Jake put on his goggles the rest of the afternoon, and sung carols along with our tour guide. This is a family day, and we miss him. But he spent the afternoon stomping around our backyard in his new Christmas boots. Merry, indeed.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve

*We leave in 1 hour for the airport to pick up the last 4 of us.

*Then the 4 littles will change into their Christmas finest, and Santa will drop by for a quick hello (Grandma Rose and Santa go way back.)
*Then we will gather for the dinner – oh, the food we have amassed – and eat (on my Grandma’s china) and drink and Jake will likely scream “Don’t be such a stick in the mud!” to all passers-by.
*Gifts have been rumpled, sorted, stacked, and dove upon.
*Nieces and nephews have been chased and teased by uncles.
*Jonny ate a lot of pickles.

*Santa’s cookie tray, already arranged .
*Reindeer Licks, on apple halves this year, ready and waiting.

*I think we’re ready! Merry Christmas Eve!