My poor baby

This little face both breaks and melts my heart. She has a double ear infection and conjunctivitis (aka, pink eye), but she tries to be happy even when she feels pretty miserable. We've started antibiotics, so hopefully she will be on the mend quickly. In the meantime, we're giving her lots of love and attention.

Holiday "Prom"

Of all the activities we had planned this holiday season, the one that my older girls had their heart set on was to have a "prom." When I asked them what they wanted to do at prom they weren't quite sure-- they were just certain that they wanted to have one. So have one we did. First, my Mom styled their hair. Then they dressed up in their most beautiful dresses. We had a nice candle-light dinner served on red plates, and then we danced.

It was probably the best prom they will ever go to. :)

Merry Christmas to All!

With much love,

Jessi, David, McKenna, Lydia, Emily, Summer & Chloe

Flash Back

This is a picture of me and some of my friends (and their Moms) in 1994. We dressed up and went roller skating.

And this is a picture of my girls and some of their friends yesterday. They look equally as silly.

And this is me. Haven't lost my mojo, yet!

Lydia is NINE!!

Favorite colors: blue, purple, and bright orange

Favorite Things to Do: play with friends; watch TV

Favorite Foods: spaghetti (without sauce), potato soup, mashed potatoes

Likes About Herself: "I can be a good example."

Favorite Chore: taking care of Chloe

Friends: McKenna, Kelsie, Alyse, Alyssa

Want to be when Grow Up: "a regular Mom like you"

Favorite Music: pop-- Justin Bieber

Happy Birthday, Lydia!!!

'Cause they're pretty

No back story to go with this picture. I just wanted to show off my totally gorgeous little girls. :)

Tried and True

Every Christmas we make our neighbors a little plate of goodies. This year I decided to try some new recipes. What was I thinking? I ended up with one totally successful batch of Bavarian Mints (one of my all-time favorite recips) and three other things that were only moderately successful. Sorry to our neighbors. I think everything was at least edible, but now I know that when it comes to holiday treats....stick with the tried and true!

She Walks!

After months of flate out refusing to walk, Chloe has finally decided to take her first steps (at 15 months old.) We're so proud. :)

My little doll

Today Summer got to play the bells during the church service at the Lutheran church where she goes to pre-school. I used it as an opportunity (excuse) to dress her up. And she let me! (Every once in a while I get an idea in my head of something that I want to make for my girls. But they all have definite opinions of what they do and do not like-- and quite often my ideas are squashed. But it's SO FUN when they agree to be my dolls and let me dress them up.) I made her dress using one of my favorite patterns (actually a nightgown pattern, Simplicity 3938) and I was so tickled with how it turned out.I think she liked it, too, because she kept dancing around in front of the mirror when I was trying to curl her hair. :)

Ideal

(Photo credit: my super awesome sister, Audra)

Taken on the "cow road" across the street from our neighborhood.

I'm someone who totally craves the ideal. But let's face it-- life isn't always ideal. My kids fuss and fight. I lose my patience. My house isn't ever exactly in order. And David isn't always home. But whenever I look at pictures of my family I realize how close to ideal my life is. I live in a gorgeous area; my girls really do love each other; David and I are loyal, committed, and in love; I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel; and I have more to be thankful for than I have to want. Life isn't always ideal....but quite often it can come very, very close.

Thomas Hardy is an idiot

I recently finished the book "Tess of the d'Urbervilles." It started so, so good. And it could have been AMAZING. But Thomas Hardy (the author) ruined it. It could have been a beautiful story of love and redemption-- one of the most powerful and poignant ever written. But Mr. Hardy is an absolute moron and wrote one of the most depressing and pointless books I've ever read. Tess was such a strong character with amazing potential. But Mr. Hardy abused her. He caused her pain and anguish and damned her progress. And what kills me is that he had the power to make her into one of the most unforgettable characters in literature.

Here is how he should have written the book: Tess and Mr. Clare get married. They both reveal the mistakes of their past. They find forgiveness and compassion in each other and in their faith. Mr. Clare teaches Tess and she is transformed from a simple, uneducated peasant girl to a confident, compassionate teacher. Together they embark on a new life and are able to be the means of lifting Tess' family from poverty to self-reliance. On occasion Tess' past comes to haunt her, but she is able to face it with Mr. Clare by her side. And in the end Tess reflects back on the girl she would have been without Mr. Clare's love (the book as Thomas Hardy wrote it) and rejoices in the power of her deliverance.

Too bad he is dead, because if he were still living I would give him a piece of my mind and then beg him to re-write the story based on my suggestions. Don't you think that it would be so much better?

Christmas candy

What do you do when your 5 year old snoops in a poor hiding spot and finds a super size candy bar that was meant to be a Christmas present?

Let her eat it!

(But make sure she shares. It was a Symphony bar with almonds and toffee for crying out loud! I wanted it as much as she did.) :)

Christmas memory lane

1. Best childhood gift from Santa: For most of my early childhood we didn't have much money. But somehow Santa managed to bring some wonderful things that must have taken a lot of time and energy to make-- like this doll and matching nightgown. I don't think that elves made that ensemble--Mrs. Clause made them herself!!

I also remember feeling absolutely beautiful in this tutu. :)

2. Best childhood memory: When we lived in Utah there were two Christmas traditions that I LOVED-- decorating cookies at my Grandma Pyne's house and acting out the nativity on Christmas Eve. I also remember looking for Santa out the car window as we drove home from my grandparents house on Christmas Eve. I was always a little worried that we would get home too late and that he wouldn't come. :)

3. Favorite Christmas Treat: Almond Roca (Mom & Dad-- they don't sell it here in Georgia, do they still have it in Oregon? Can you bring some?)

4. Icky Christmas Memory: Christmas 2000. I had a 4 day old baby, no family around, and McKenna woke up with pink eye. Pretty pathetic. But I did gain a little empathy for Mary & Joseph that Christmas, so it's not one I would ever trade.

5. It's not Christmas without: FAMILY! Even pink eye would be manageable with family around.

6. Letter or Visit to Santa? We usually got to see Santa at our church Christmas party. I remember listening to hear the reindeer landing on the church roof. I think this picture must have been at the Mall or something because I don't remember Santa looking so good at the ward parties. :)

7. Christmas pet peeve: Annoying holiday music. Where do the radio stations find some of that stuff?! It's awful.

8. Favorite Christmas album: "Christmas Tranquility." This is a CD I can listen to on repeat and never get tired of.

9. Real or Fake? Look at the picture and see if you can tell. :)

10. I spend Christmas Eve with: my side of the family. We usually have a big dinner and celebration with David's family on the Sunday before Christmas and then spend Christmas Eve with the Pyne family.

(Post Script: The tree is artificial. We ordered it from the website www.treeclassics.com.)