i forgot about these

Pictures from new year's eve were still in the camera:

too many photos

dancing in the kitchen while making cookies galore - normal business as usual at the j&t household. ;)

on the road to Bellingham

the road to grandma's house
the barn - years ago my uncles painted it for my mom's wedding, and we repainted it for my sister's
Jeff starting the snow run...at first it was hard to get it going

Dan almost taking out our cousins

the sledding group: David, Juli, Natalie, Joni, Katie, Kristi, me, Jeff, Pops

Jeff pushing mom and poki down the run

mom and poki running up the hill
blurry I know, but a comical moment

we were trying to slide down, but I fell of halfway

Juli and David

Poki loves the snow, he just has a hard time getting through it..

i had to show this off, my grandma did this tile work above her stove, she is one talented lady

cookies as done in the Brady house

one of four cookies I finished (at least 10 minutes a piece). i may be too much of a perfectionist. ;)

i have lots to be thankful for...

Others have done this, and I thought it a wonderful idea, so here is a list of things that I am thankful for (in no particular order):

1. The occasional sunny day that brilliantly offsets the rain and gloom (today)
2. Jeff who adores me and who is my life
3. Parents who live close enough that we can crash their place for weekends and vice versa
4. This one is a little dreary, but I am thankful I can function fairly well most days
5. Friends who want to hang out with me, for hours
6. Family who love me and are proud of me because I'm me
7. Although I am sometimes annoyed of this, I am also thankful that I have a bad memory...I tend to have more optimism that way (I can't remember the bad stuff!)
8. That I have talents in so many areas
9. For the conviction I have in the things I believe, about whats right, about God
10. That I have dreams and goals (that are attainable)

labor day weekend

Last weekend had us busy with leisurely activity. Saturday we started out window shopping; looking for a camera (which was a touch depressing as our budget doesn't allow for some of the beauties we saw) and perusing a music store. Then we headed for a nearby park with a view of Hat Island and the Port of Everett. Once there, we spent an hour or two. Jeff provided inspiring music while I drew. That evening family stopped by on their way back to Bremerton, and we ended up going with them.

Sunday we spent the day inside with the family, and they all flew out early Monday morning, leaving Dad and us behind. :( So Monday we meandered to the Blackberry festival and then through the ghost town that is downtown Bremerton. There were a few Art Studios open, and I met one of my old art professors. Also, there was a disturbingly large amount of old Pyrex cookware in a museum we happened across. We finished our Bremerton exploring by driving through some of the waterfront areas east of Manette. Unfortunately the price of real estate there is exhurbinate, or we mayn't have left.

We thouroughly enjoyed our lazy three day weekend, and look forward to many more!!!

sparklers, rain, a river, a lake and breakfast

Our Celebration of a Three-Day-Weekend with a Camping Trip:
(on the Nooksack River)

The next door campsite people had some fireworks

And due to tradition we had sparklers...ah how sweet

Document it: Teresa cooking breakfast. (with parental supervision)Silver Lake north of our campsiteNooksack River falls:On the side of I-5 on the way home.
It sprinkled, poured and had a few sun breaks, but we had good food and better company. And not one picture of the river...

turkey day

we had our first host job for turkey day - Jeff made most of the food while Teresa supervised (and stressed out). :) Mama K. made several pies: blueberry, acorn squash, sweet potato and apple; and her famous rolls. Dan brought the canned goods. And papa J. brought cinnamon rolls for the next morning.

Here is the spread: we got to use a lot of dishes we'd never used yet...

:

halloween - our excuse to dress up

On Saturday we had people over to Dan's house for a halloween party/potluck...we all dressed up and had awards for best costume, most creative costume and most creative food. Mom (Kathy) won the best costume ("gorgeous"), Kateen won the most creative (Freudian slip) and Jasmine won the most creative food (peanut-butter balls decorated as eyeballs).

We also had three groups of people pick a fairy tale (three billy goats gruff, little red riding hood and hansel and gretel) and change the story to have an alternate ending or to change the perspective of the story being told (and act it out). We awarded best actress to Jolyn.

We had a fun time - costumes are great fun!

Jeff the scary scare-crow and Teresa as Pippi