Showing posts with label Holidays and Celebrations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays and Celebrations. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Happy Moray's Day!
I bet I'm the only mother in the history of the world to receive a Mother's Day card with a Moray Eel on the cover! That's love from the heart of a 12 year old son. On the inside he wrote, "I love you, because you make macaroni and cheese for me" which made me laugh. I actually rarely make mac 'n cheese. Recently when the boys were getting haircuts, Evan and I heard a radio commercial where a kid said the above quote, and we chuckled together.
Card by Matthew
Card by Sophie
Miss Ponytail
Picture by Evan
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wild Lights
Sophie ( 9 yrs.) and Matthew
Matthew successfully turned eleven years old shortly after Christmas, which we celebrated with a trip to the zoo. We went early enough to see some animals, and then enjoyed the Christmas lights after dark.
Bye lioness! Thanks for some birthday excitement.
My current header (also posted here for the time when it will change) features pictures of Dahl's sheep (white) and Big Horn sheep taken by Evan and Matthew on this trip.
Picture by Matthew
Hay there, pachyderm!
Hay there, pachyderm!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A Christmas Folk Song
Sophie, in her first "public performance" on cello, plays "O Come Little Children"...
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Grandma Nadzieja's 90th Birthday
Here is my beautiful 90 year old Grandma Nadzieja enjoying the Open House in her honor at the Home. (She is sitting with my sister, Jen, as well as Evan and Matthew.) The evening before, all of her visiting relatives gathered for dinner, entertainment, and fond reminiscence.
All pictures below courtesy of photographer Matthew David Carter:
Grandma with her children (left to right) Rosalie, Bob, Margaret (my mom), David & Barbara
Grandma with her children, grandchildren & great grandchildren (only one grandchild and his family were not present)
My parents Bruce & Margie
My own family
My sister Loey with husband Craig and children Anastasia & James
My sister Jen with husband Brian and children Seb & Oren
My sister Jackie with husband Luke and children Noah & Lily
Sunday, February 17, 2008
I Pulled It Off!
Yesterday, with some help, I threw a 40th birthday party for James, and he was actually surprised!
On three different occasions in the past, people have tried to throw surprise parties for me, but I have found out about them ahead of time. I have a sixth sense for such things. I suspected that James would be difficult to fool too, but now I know that I can hide things from him and lie to him and get away with it. Just kidding!
With help, and a lot of technical glitches to start with, I showed the dvd picture montage of James at the party using the church projector. James knew about the dvd, but didn't know that I intended to show it to an audience. I originally meant to keep the dvd a secret from him, but blew that before his actual birthday in January. At that time, he unexpectedly decided to back-up our computer, and innocently asked me, "Do you want me to back-up my pictures?" I got defensive with him, because I thought he had seen all of his old pictures on the computer. I soon realized that he actually had not figured out what I was doing, but was just referring to a file labeled "My Pictures." I decided to just let that part of the secret out of the bag anyway, since it had been my mode of operation to make slide shows in the past. He was happy to have an explanation for my defensiveness, and I was relieved not to have to keep hiding that major project!
The night before James' surprise party, a friend of mine called me, and in talking with her, I realized that she had not received the emails about the party. When James took Logan upstairs, I tried to quietly tell her about the party, but then I heard the upstairs phone pick up! James came down a minute later, and I asked him, "Were you eavesdropping?!" He told me that he was letting Logan play with the phone. I wasn't sure if he had heard anything that might clue him in to the surprise! Thankfully, he truly remained clueless.
On three different occasions in the past, people have tried to throw surprise parties for me, but I have found out about them ahead of time. I have a sixth sense for such things. I suspected that James would be difficult to fool too, but now I know that I can hide things from him and lie to him and get away with it. Just kidding!
With help, and a lot of technical glitches to start with, I showed the dvd picture montage of James at the party using the church projector. James knew about the dvd, but didn't know that I intended to show it to an audience. I originally meant to keep the dvd a secret from him, but blew that before his actual birthday in January. At that time, he unexpectedly decided to back-up our computer, and innocently asked me, "Do you want me to back-up my pictures?" I got defensive with him, because I thought he had seen all of his old pictures on the computer. I soon realized that he actually had not figured out what I was doing, but was just referring to a file labeled "My Pictures." I decided to just let that part of the secret out of the bag anyway, since it had been my mode of operation to make slide shows in the past. He was happy to have an explanation for my defensiveness, and I was relieved not to have to keep hiding that major project!
The night before James' surprise party, a friend of mine called me, and in talking with her, I realized that she had not received the emails about the party. When James took Logan upstairs, I tried to quietly tell her about the party, but then I heard the upstairs phone pick up! James came down a minute later, and I asked him, "Were you eavesdropping?!" He told me that he was letting Logan play with the phone. I wasn't sure if he had heard anything that might clue him in to the surprise! Thankfully, he truly remained clueless.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Snippets and Snapshots
On Valentine's Day:
Last week, my sister Loey told me on the phone that she had mysteriously received a book of letters by Jane Austen in the mail. She intended to call my sister Jen to ask if she knew anything about the book.
Yesterday, the mystery was solved when we received an email from my dad, telling us that he loved us and that we would be receiving Austen books in the mail for Valentine's Day. How sweet and thoughtful is that?!!
Here is a thank you note that I emailed my dad, written with the help of some Austen-savvy cyber-friends on the Well-Trained Mind Discussion Board:
Dearest Father,
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a father is a daughter's first love. I declare above all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! I should be miserable indeed if I had not an excellent library. The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. The gift you bestow upon me is almost too good, but then nobody minds having what is too good for them. And I do say that without the pleasure of a good novel, life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.
Thank you my dear father for the felicity that you have bestowed upon me through such an amiable and pleasing gift.
Your Loving Daughter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Logan loves to wear his daddy's gloves, and here he is carrying a carnation that his dad brought home for him.
And Logan Said:
"Maffoo, have some water please?"
And Mama Said:
"Logan, can you smile for the picture please? Thank You!"
Last week, my sister Loey told me on the phone that she had mysteriously received a book of letters by Jane Austen in the mail. She intended to call my sister Jen to ask if she knew anything about the book.
Yesterday, the mystery was solved when we received an email from my dad, telling us that he loved us and that we would be receiving Austen books in the mail for Valentine's Day. How sweet and thoughtful is that?!!
Here is a thank you note that I emailed my dad, written with the help of some Austen-savvy cyber-friends on the Well-Trained Mind Discussion Board:
Dearest Father,
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a father is a daughter's first love. I declare above all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! I should be miserable indeed if I had not an excellent library. The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. The gift you bestow upon me is almost too good, but then nobody minds having what is too good for them. And I do say that without the pleasure of a good novel, life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.
Thank you my dear father for the felicity that you have bestowed upon me through such an amiable and pleasing gift.
Your Loving Daughter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Logan loves to wear his daddy's gloves, and here he is carrying a carnation that his dad brought home for him.
And Logan Said:
"Maffoo, have some water please?"
And Mama Said:
"Logan, can you smile for the picture please? Thank You!"
Monday, January 07, 2008
Pictures from our Merry Christmas in the New Year
1. Evan and Conner wear their dads' old school sweatshirts.
2. Josi is thrilled to receive a new Kumon activity book.
3. Tired Toddler...
4. Meltdown!
5. Josi, Angi, Sophie
6. Sophie reads Richard Scarry to Josi.
7. Pucker up...
8. to kiss the kitty cat!
2. Josi is thrilled to receive a new Kumon activity book.
3. Tired Toddler...
4. Meltdown!
5. Josi, Angi, Sophie
6. Sophie reads Richard Scarry to Josi.
7. Pucker up...
8. to kiss the kitty cat!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Friday, December 28, 2007
Matthew's First Ten Years
Matthew turns ten years old this week! I've updated and improved his photo montage as part of celebrating his birthday. I am so thankful to God for His many blessings to our family over the years!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Holiday Notes
Christmas Reading:
Evan finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy in short order. Matthew received some Redwall books for Christmas which enticed him away from Middle Earth. I told him that he did not have to finish the trilogy, but he pointed out that since he's already read 600 pages, he might as well finish. He just needed a break. In fact, I spotted him reading The Adventures of Bobby Racoon by Thornton Burgess and Evan sped through four books from the Sugar Creek Gang. They have wide-ranging tastes!
Christmas Toys:
My dad commissioned Aunt Beth to play Mrs. Claus and procur a toy vacuum for Logan. We put batteries in the toy, but took them out again after Logan cried, "No, no, no, no, no!" every time it got switched on. He can make his own, non-threatening vacuum noises, thank you very much.
James and I gave Evan and Matthew the joint gift of a programmable robot to their delight and to Logan's fright. The poor kid thinks that the bot is out to get him.
Christmas seemed anticlimactic to Sophie due to her parents' absentmindedness. James bought Sophie a bike which we meant to take out of the back of the van and hide. When I got in the van to ride to church Sunday morning, Sophie sweetly asked me, "Is that my purple bike with butterflies on the wheels?" Sigh. And Merry Christmas.
Christmas-Time Play:
The day after Christmas, the boys stormed the neighborhood, shoveling even the neighbors' driveways. Their motives were purely mercenary as they dumped the snow into our yard to build another fort. Last week, we watched on in disgust as someone in a white Toyota truck intentionally drove repeatedly over the previous fort that the kids had built in the center of the cul-de-sac. We decided that, as the driver didn't exactly check to see whether any children inhabited the fort before he worked his destruction, the kids should build all future forts in our yard... Even Logan enjoyed dragging a shovel around, while Sophie rode her bike in the snow.
Evan finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy in short order. Matthew received some Redwall books for Christmas which enticed him away from Middle Earth. I told him that he did not have to finish the trilogy, but he pointed out that since he's already read 600 pages, he might as well finish. He just needed a break. In fact, I spotted him reading The Adventures of Bobby Racoon by Thornton Burgess and Evan sped through four books from the Sugar Creek Gang. They have wide-ranging tastes!
Christmas Toys:
My dad commissioned Aunt Beth to play Mrs. Claus and procur a toy vacuum for Logan. We put batteries in the toy, but took them out again after Logan cried, "No, no, no, no, no!" every time it got switched on. He can make his own, non-threatening vacuum noises, thank you very much.
James and I gave Evan and Matthew the joint gift of a programmable robot to their delight and to Logan's fright. The poor kid thinks that the bot is out to get him.
Christmas seemed anticlimactic to Sophie due to her parents' absentmindedness. James bought Sophie a bike which we meant to take out of the back of the van and hide. When I got in the van to ride to church Sunday morning, Sophie sweetly asked me, "Is that my purple bike with butterflies on the wheels?" Sigh. And Merry Christmas.
Christmas-Time Play:
The day after Christmas, the boys stormed the neighborhood, shoveling even the neighbors' driveways. Their motives were purely mercenary as they dumped the snow into our yard to build another fort. Last week, we watched on in disgust as someone in a white Toyota truck intentionally drove repeatedly over the previous fort that the kids had built in the center of the cul-de-sac. We decided that, as the driver didn't exactly check to see whether any children inhabited the fort before he worked his destruction, the kids should build all future forts in our yard... Even Logan enjoyed dragging a shovel around, while Sophie rode her bike in the snow.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Christmas Program: Ukrainian Bell Carol
Sophie and Kristin:
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
The boys did not play specifically Christmas music, but they performed their current piano pieces. Click on the thumbnails to watch the videos:
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
The boys did not play specifically Christmas music, but they performed their current piano pieces. Click on the thumbnails to watch the videos:
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Christmas Program: Lucy's Debut
Five-year old Lucy, daughter of Max and Nancy, played publicly for the first time last evening at our church Christmas program. I enjoyed her playing so much that I asked her mom for permission to post this video:
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books
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