My Mom Knits

Most of you would think that with 10 children in tow, a mom wouldn't have time to be knitting toys for her fifth-born. Especially not ones as cute as this.
But my mom does. Or at least she makes time for it.


Monte's girlfriend made him a knitted monkey a while ago and I loved it so much I begged Mom to make me one. And she did. In a week or less.
That proves it. My mom's as cool as you all thought.

She also has gorgeous children...... (ahem, see below)

Wii Are A Family

We had a great time playing with the Carrolls' newly acquired Wii. The highlight for me was creating the characters. We had quite a bit of material to work with---having such a big family and all.
Here's a few of our favorite characters:

Claire Bear


Dad

Monte

Big Mark

Sledding: Snow's Inherent Purpose

I had a different kind of birthday this year. This one was spent bundled in anything woolen I could find, hurtling down an icy, powdery hill that was clearly marked "Sledding Allowed". It was probably the most freezingly ungraceful I've ever been, but exhilarating and fun nonetheless.

How do two sisters like us manage to have the same hat?

Ballet That!

For those of you who have long doubted my graceful coordination----you have a lot to learn. Just because I fell down the front steps of the church I was visiting this summer (darn heels...) doesn't mean my reputation should be crippled. Spending time with Kate brought out the ballerina in me. (Or maybe it was the Twila Paris music selections? Mmm, love that stuff.)

Henry was, of course, included, and selected the pink skirt for his distinctive style. He also spent most of the time eating sugary mints or eating some other type of candy that he managed to find. I think ballet for Henry is more about laughing and wearing skirts. Which is great. :)

My Man Jadon

I have to admit that one of my greatest joys in life is that my nephew Jadon lives within my neighborhood. I never knew that being a full-time aunt was so wonderful. I am thrilled that God has blessed Melody and I to live near to each other for the time being, and I look forward to living near ALL of my nephews and neices at some point in my life.


On this particular day, Jadon had come over to make quesadillas and cookies with Aunt Mags.

He thinks I'm a "good cooker."

WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW.......

Snow on Kelly Avenue

Portland, Oregon + Snow = Odd
Portland, Oregon + "You're snowed in!" = Shocking, unbelievable, maybe scandalous
We got at least a foot.

And On I Go....

As for me....
Nothing major to report. December found me sewing, denting the seats of Portland's public transportation, earning my CPR certification, getting snowed in at my apartment with my friend Amy and missing Christmas with my family, flying to North Dakota for a much-needed visit with Phil & Mandi and family, and completing my twenty-third year on Planet Earth.

Sister Me

Some memories of a fun day in the cold. Taking pictures, being silly, and warming up in a fun cafe were just a few of the day's activities.

If you don't have five sisters, you should be jealous of me.

Miriam

Miriam continues to be one of my greatest sources of laughter. God was good to give me Miriam for a sister. Patient, hilarious, brave and creative....this girl's one of a kind! If you get the opportunity to hang out with her---do it!

Madalyne

My littlest sister is all grown up and beautiful. I had the lucky job of taking her school pictures this year so Miriam and I braved the cold to snap some shots of Mads. It was so fun to walk all over downtown West Linn and snap shots as we came to neat places. And Madalyne is so photogenic, she made my job easy!

"Mom, I'm going to rhyme you!"

His new trick.....

I Can't Spell Hippopotamus

Apparently, anything can be spelled with just T-O-P. Ahh, homeschooling..... I wish I had learned that years ago.

Malachi's Scary Adventure

It's all about the details and sound effects.

Note: The only reason my face is peering around the corner is because he would only be cute for the camera if the screen was facing him (so he could see himself). Consequently, I spent the whole time trying to make sure he was in the frame and I was not.

Happy Birthday to Monte

Clone The Brithday Girl Contest

Ranking as #1 in the fun party games, the guests were required to dress a teammate in toilet paper, with the objective being to make him or her look the most like the Birthday Girl.



Apparently Mark's team is unable to distinguish between "girl" and "bride". Mark looks lovely, however.....


Flipflops....

The glasses are a nice touch.

Amy's team went for a more realistic approach. I suppose it helped that their model was the right gender to begin with.

Hmm...Pet Bird?

A nice waterproof watch.

Malachi the Judge. He voted for Amy.

Although I like Malachi's uniform, I think it's great that not all judges dress this way, don't you?