Halling Go To Alaska

Sunday 11/13 My baby lost her first tooth.  Monday 11/14 These were very yummy.  Sorta like Thin Mints in marshmallow form.  Tuesday 11/15 Beautiful sunset.  Wednesday 11/16 Green chile stew for dinner!  So yum and spicy and perfect.  Thursday 11/17 Loved all the different clouds in this picture.  Friday 11/18 My middle girl turned 9.   She the swimmer and so the party was at the pool.  She had a good time despite getting the 12-hour stomach flu the previous night. Saturday 11/19 I felt like smiling at this point.  I don't do it often enough lately.  Documenting it felt good. 

How did we go from this?  To THIS. Seriously.  Her birthday was on October 23rd.  I'm a slacker mom but couldn't get her let me have some good new pictures.  So I'm totally blaming her for the lack of a post.  I'm a mature person like that. :) 

Sunday 10/9 We were at the Apple Store. Photobooth has an "alien" setting.  This made me giggle on a day I needed to giggle.  Monday 10/10  Psst! I like clouds.  Tuesday 10/11 I might be getting addicted to Pinterest.  I wish someone would pay me to do this.  Wednesday 10/12 This little guy caught my attention.  He was on my bumper.  Thursday 10/13 Got my Run the Hood swag bag in the mail! Love the shirt! Friday 10/14 I've decided that this looks like a good place to run away to.  Who's coming with me? Saturday 10/15 My oldest with her BFF at her birthday party this weekend.  Her birthday isn't until the 23rd, but life is crazy, so this weekend it was.  How is it that I'm going to have an 11-year-old kid?  Not cool, universe.  Not cool. 

September 11 has always been a date I remembered.  It's my brother's birthday.  Here he is with my niece.  He turns 37 this year. So, my big brother gets to share his birthdate now with this national tragedy.   Back on my recap of the decade in January 2010, I wrote this about the month of September 2001 September – Flew out to Boise the weekend before 9/11 to house hunt.  T was going to get out of the AF at the end of his 4-year tour and wanted to finish his degree at Boise State.  Remember sitting in a hotel on the Greenbelt watching the twin towers fall, holding my 10-month-old baby wondering if T was going to be able to get out or would be shipping out somewhere dangerous. It was definitely a defining moment for me.  The Air Force did let him out on a Stop Loss waiver a year later.  It amazes me that we are here 10 years later.  My baby is now about to be 11.  

Sunday 8/7 An old key that goes to a hutch that was T's mom's. Tuesday 8/8 My birthday cake that my girls and my mom made for me. Chocolate with mini chocolate chips and chocolate cream cheese frosting. YUMMY! Tuesday 8/9 On my way to meet a friend for dinner. Wednesday 8/10 She was reading. She always looks so serious. Thursday 8/11 These were plaques I found at Target. The different takes made me giggle. Friday 8/12 Me and my snuggler in the morning. She usually sneaks in after T leaves in the morning. Saturday 8/13 My new trail shoes. I'm hoping they work for me!

Sunday 7/31 Family picture at Tahoe courtesy of Tiffany's husband Check out Sweet Pea's face.  She was in no mood to smile.  This is Tiffany's little man.  He's a cutie pie.  Monday 8/1 Dinner at Olive Garden.  That's Tiffany's husband, Sammy, and T.  Tuesday 8/2 Starbucks free birthday drink postcard came! Wednesday 8/3 Back at Tahoe! Twice in one week - I think that's a record.  Not sure what was up with Sweet Pea's pose, but it was cute.  Thursday 8/4 A bunny and a quail.  Just some of the wildlife in my backyard.  Friday 8/5 This was at the end of the week performance for VBS.   The girls had a good time.   This was Sweet Pea's first year to go as she was *finally* old enough.  Saturday 8/6 An early birthday present from one of my good friends, Tami.   I'm not usually an anklet kind of girl, but this fit perfectly. 

My Sweet Pea at 4 hours old.  Oh, man, did my heart explode that day.  And now I have this And it continues to explode Most of the time with sweetness and laughter And vogue-ing And sometimes it explodes from the sassy But I love this girl.  And she's 5.  Hold me. And when you try to get a picture of 3 girls?  This is what you get. 

Monday is such a harsh reality after 4 days off.  Well, in my case I haven't had any work since Tuesday.  Which is awesome and yet sucks because no work = no money.  But whatever.  It was a long weekend filled with family and friends and shopping.  I have yet to find a present for T, but I have an idea.  He hasn't been reading here lately, but I'm sure the minute I say something about a present, he'll decide to get a wild hair and pop on over to have a peak. This week is less intense than last.  I've got to get the girls back on track with their school work.  I haven't been riding them as closely, and they've been taking advantage of that.  Time to turn back into mean school mommy. We have the normal schedule of kid stuff and work.  I do have a board meeting tomorrow night, which will eat into my work time.  Fortunately I know there isn't a whole lot on the agenda, so hopefully I'll be home before it's too late.  I'm hoping to ...

Today my middle girl, the one who looks most like me, turns 8.  She was my biggest baby.  She is the most kind-hearted, gentle, giving, caring girl I know.  It amazes me how far she has come in figuring out herself.  She realizes where her limitations are and happily does her best.  She truly loves life.  I'm lucky to have her. Happy 8th Birthday, Sass!  Love you! P.S. It's also Tiffany' s birthday today!  Go wish her happy birthday and happy new motherhood!  Love you, Tiff!!

Sunday My medal from the NWM. Monday Tiffany made this purse and I dug it out last week.  It's so soft and colorful. Tuesday The tree in my front yard.  Love the blue of the sky and the red of my neighbors tree in the background. Fall is here. Wednesday  Driving home from gymnastics.   Love the Sierra Nevada mountains. Thursday My RLAM shirt that I picked up from Sarah and Dimity in San Fran. Friday I should have cropped this a bit.  See the look on Sweet Pea's face? She's looking at her "boyfriend" in the blue stripy shirt.  They are smitten.  It's adorable... because she's 4. Saturday My oldest is 10.   Dang.