Lil Punkin'

The Princess had a birthday and I thought it would be appropriate to add a commentary to the day in the life of a Princess:

It's tough being a Princess. The days are long and treacherous. There are so many decisions to be made, there is so much work to do.

Do you know how hard it is to pick the perfect pillow?

Or to have to find the perfect accessory?

It is exhausting searching for that perfect throne!

Although I think I found my favorite if not perfect one:

Some days are bad.....

Some days are good.....

and some days are just faaaaabulous darlin'!

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Turkey day went smooth except for a little teeny cut to the finger and some burnt biscuits. (No I don't have any biscuits in the oven!) We ate well - everyone contributed. We played Shout About TV (fun group game) conversed about any and everything and ate some more. I don't think anyone went home without an "ugh my belly is sooooo full." That's a good sign at Thanksgiving...well not such a good sign for the dieters out there but that's another story!

Thanksgiving is at our house! (For the first time ever) Buying the turkey, prepping the decorations, getting organized.... Can't wait to see how it all turns out! I'll let you know. So far, its been fun.

Thanks to our troops at war! (Love this song)

Politics

I have a friend who shares the same name. She is heavy into politics. She posts many of her research finds and opinions. I am impressed with her vigor. If you would like to see her viewpoints and in particular her connections and thoughts on the presidential elections please connect to the link. I believe it is important to educate ourselves and gain knowledge in matters that greatly affect us. I hope we all can research the potential candidates for president. Good luck!

http://andrearice.livejournal.com/53696.html

For a list of candidates of R and D parties, click here:

http://www.vote-smart.org/election_president.php

or here:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/

Date Night Ideas

Family Firstwww.familyfirst.net

Date Night Ideas
By: Family First Staff


Make your date night with your spouse special by putting a little forethought into it. Try to choose activities that you both would be interested in and that allows for communication and activity together.

If you're having a difficult time thinking of ideas, ask your friends for ideas. They may know of a fun restaurant or other local place that you don’t know about. Consider trying something different, like going to a mystery dinner theatre or a build-a-bear store. The following ideas will also help get you started.

Play a Tourist
Most people take for granted the “touristy” places in their town. They either only visit them when relatives are in town or just brush it off with a, “We can go there any time” attitude. Well, designate yourselves as tourists and visit a few of these places. If you need ideas, stop by your town’s visitor’s bureau for brochures. You can also check out the local travel section of your bookstore or at Amazon.com.

Most towns will have at least some of the following attractions:

Public tours of a local industry facility
Zoo
Aquarium
Historical sites
Botanical gardens
Art museum
Museum of natural history and/or science
Planetarium or observatory
Amusement parks
Water gardens
Walking tours (guided tours through the city)
Special events – check out your local paper for upcoming community events

Stay at Home
Send the kids to friends’ houses for the evening and just enjoy your time together at home. You could cook a special meal, or order take-out from your favorite restaurant. Then spend the evening with one of the following activities:

Reminisce together with your wedding photo album or scrapbooks. Talk about your memories of your first date, your favorite times together, and what you love most about your spouse. Or perhaps you could recreate your first date together.

Get to know each other a bit more with our free conversation starters. Or pull out your high school yearbooks and share what life was like growing up. Find out at least one interesting fact about your spouse that you didn’t know before.

Play your favorite games together. Bring out the classic board games or a deck of cards.

Cook a meal together. Have fun learning how to make something new. Or have a pizza night and make your own customized pizzas. Have fondue, a cookout, a sundae party or even make your own homemade ice cream.

Read a book together. You could either take turns reading pages, or have fun taking on characters’ roles. Or read the book on your own and have a night to discuss what you liked about it.

Work on a home project together, such as painting a room, building a new bookcase, or planting a garden in the backyard.


Get Outside
You don’t have to be an athletic person to enjoy the benefits of the outdoors together. Simply taking a walk at a local park will give you some exercise and some time with each other.

Go on a picnic. You can either have an elaborate meal or basic sandwiches, but just simply enjoy your time together.

Find a spot outside of the city and go star-gazing. Find a book on astronomy and pick out constellations. Or try to find out when the next meteor shower or other astronomical event is taking place and be sure to view it.

Try an outdoor activity that you might not normally do, like flying a kite. Or go bicycle riding, roller blading, ice skating, horseback riding, water skiing, or camping together.

Go for a walk at sunset at the park or beach. Or rent a canoe at a local park and have a picnic on the water.

Try a new sport together, such as tennis or golfing – even if it is just putt-putt golf.

Take advantage of your park and recreation department’s activities. Many places offer concerts, plays or movies in the park. And be sure to keep an eye out for the next fireworks showing in your town.

Take a daytrip to explore a nearby town or a drive through the country. During the winter, take a drive at night to view the Christmas lights.

Spend your time together helping out others. Volunteer together for a charity walk or helping to build or paint houses.


Learn Something New

Build some memories together by learning something new as a couple. Check out your local recreation center or community college for classes. Pick something you both have always wanted to learn but have never tried.

Take a dance class together. Or buy a dance video and learn a few new steps on your own. Then spend the evening dancing to favorite songs.

Learn a new foreign language, and if possible start planning a romantic vacation to the country where the language is spoken.

Find a pottery store that lets people make and paint their own pottery.

Whatever you decide, pick something that you both will enjoy and will give you the opportunity to have fun together. Even something simple as bowling or getting coffee or ice cream together can help build your relationship.

For more family-strengthening resources, go to FamilyFirst.net.

Reprinted with permission. © 2007 Florida Family Council, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Family First, All Pro Dad, iMOM, and Family Minute with Mark Merrill are registered trademarks of Florida Family Council, Inc.

Four Things...

Four Things

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Camp dishwasher
2. Ramp agent (airport tarmac worker)
3. Student trainer for UAA (mostly hockey)
4. Intern for US Fish and Wildlife (removing and examining walrus uterus' and plotting polar bear dens)

B) Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Shrek/Shrek2
2. The Mummy/The Mummy 2
3. Any of the Harry Potters
4. The Never Ending Story

C) Four places you have lived:
1. With My Parents (Oregon, Anchorage AK, Chugiak AK)
2. Flagstaff, Arizona
3. In My Car (brief 1 week period)
4. With My Family Now (All over Anchorage, and now in Eagle River)

D) Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Sesame Street (so I still think it is fun)
2. Dancing With the Stars (cmon put some clothes on people)
3. Independent Lens (pbs Sundays)
4. Austin City Limits

E) Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Oregon coast, Washington, San Francisco, No. CA
2. Washington DC, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland
3. Flagstaff, AZ and Las Vegas
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota

F) Web sites you visit daily:
1. www.google.com
2. www.ldsliving.com
3. www.allrecipes.com
4. www.hotmail.com

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Dark chocolate
2. Sushi
3. Steamed vegetables
4. Grandma's peach cobbler

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. On a beach running through the sand.
2. At an amusement park laughing my head off with my family.
3. On a table getting a massage.
4. I think I like where I am right now (of course I would love to be in a house we own).

Christians

Christians
By Maya Angelou

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man should have to seek Him first to find her."
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

God Bless You!

Greedeep

I love frogs. I think they are the cutest little things. Brandon likes frogs as well. I am particularly fond of the little tree frogs you see here. I love their round beady eyes and their large, prominent lips. The way they turn from tadpole to adult frog is fascinating to me. I just love the cute little guys. Maybe someday we will own some frogs along with our fish, a few birds, a couple of dogs and some alpacas. What a zoo! Let me get through the baby years first!http://www.frogsonice.com/froggy/sounds/greedeeps.au

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo III

And the funniest of them all:
(The kids were cracking up laughing)

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo III

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo II

Part 2

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo II

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo

Wow is this soooo funny! We have one of these and I love it - especially with the teleport, clone and turbo buttons....

YouTube - Ready-Set-Bumbo

Halloweeny

It was an interesting Halloween this year. My mother, the kids and I went to the Performing Arts Center and watched a mediocre performance by the Anchorage Symphony (I've heard them play better). The treating afterwards was OK. There were way too many people there. Brandon's costume was fantabulous and Lexi looked like such a doll! I will post pics soon - I promise! My mother and I did not dress up. I didn't have the time and my mother says BAH to costumes these days. Jesse was busy taking a final and his mom watched little Tyler. Jesse's dad plays in the symphony so we score on the tickets to the event (sweeeet)! I hope everyone's Halloween was a treat and not a trick...