My life...just not on the road I expected (but it's still dang good).

Santa in Jacksonville...

Went out to Jacksonville to see Santa (something we do every year) and have been dying to get these shots edited because I love them so much.

Started off the morning at my new favorite breakfast place in Medford, The Old Farmhouse (really good spinach omelets).

And then we went out to Jacksonville only to find out that Santa wasn't scheduled to be there until 1pm.  We decided to head back to the new, old house for awhile but I wanted to stop at the Jacksonville Museum to get some pictures first.

 

Thanks for the great smile Ross.

 

I can't remember what he said now but whatever it was, I wasn't too thrilled by it (and he knew it).

Love this one.

Funny.

And then we headed back to the new, old house to do some work until Santa got to Jacksonville.

And then we headed back out to Jacksonville only to find out that I had left my camera battery in the charger at the new, old house (so we had to drive all the way back to get it).

And then we finally made it to Jacksonville.

And we saw Santa.

Annie has always been scared to death of Santa but this year, Santa was all she had talked about for weeks.

When she sat on his lap she said "Santa, can you bring me some babies?"  And when we were talking about it later she said "Santa didn't even bite me."

Cole wasn't too keen on Santa this year so he didn't make it in the picture (on our way out the door, he got scared and decided he wasn't willing to take the risk of not telling Santa what he wanted for Christmas though).

And Santa gave Annie her very own candycane (something she's never had before).

And then we went on a horse-drawn buggy (I was complaining at Cali because she turns the other way every time she sees me with the camera - so this is what she does now instead).

And then we got to pet the horses (one of those horses sneezed on Courtney Lee last year).

And then we had hot cider and roasted chestnuts (Josh had an allergic reaction to the chestnuts last year but decided to try them again this year just to make sure that he really is allergic to them...yes, he is indeed allergic to chestnuts).

And at the risk of painting the picture of a perfect, joyous family, please know that my kids (in particular, Cole & Courtney) were driving me crazy with their whining and pouting and disinterest in the whole day.

Does anyone else ever feel like they are raising ungrateful, little pouty stinks of children, or is it just me?

And then we took all the ingrates to dinner at mine and Courtney Lee's favorite spot, Bella.

And here's links to our trips to Jacksonville at Christmastime over the last couple of years:  2007, 2006 and 2005 (only the last two pictures from that post are from Jacksonville). 

Christmas (continued)...

Well, I might as well spend the rest of the week getting caught up with Christmas pictures.

But first....sorry I failed to mention which new camera I got.  It's the Canon 5D Mark II which is the newer version of the 5D I was previously shooting with (and sold).

I hadn't actually intended on getting the Mark II so soon.  There's just such long wait lists for them everywhere that lots of stores aren't even taking a wait list anymore.  So I figured I had better find a wait list to get on.  I ended up getting on a wait list at Camera World up in Portland, OR.  They said it would be about 6-12 weeks at best before they'd be able to get one to me though.  So they took my debit card information and told me that my card would be billed and I would receive an email confirmation once the camera shipped.

I figured that would give me plenty of time to discuss it with Josh (since we have a rule about not making any big purchases without talking to eachother).

I got a confirmation email that it had shipped the next week (which didn't leave me enough time to talk to Josh about it)...

I hate it when that happens (so does Josh).

So my new camera arrived just shortly before we started decorating the Christmas tree (lucky me).

Coley and Courtney playing a game (Coley was whistling)

That hat is this crazy thing that sings and lights up and wiggles on top of your head (my kids love it).

 

Annie reading my camera new camera manual.

 

 

And the verdict on the new camera?...love it.  It focuses quicker than any camera I've ever shot with and it has obscenely high ISO settings (over 25,600 though there's a lot of digital noise at that level).

And the Christmas stockings in yesterday's post are from Fred Meyer's (a chain store in my area) but I got them a few years back so I doubt they are available anymore (sorry). 

More Christmas shots tomorrow.

My destiny.

Ever since I was little, I was quite sure that God had intended for me to be a gymnast and a pianist.

I used to watch gymnastics on T.V. with my eyes wide and goosebumps on my arms, knowing that it was my destiny.   My friend, Bobbi Jo took gymnastics classes and I used to sit in the stands with her mom watching her practice.  I remember telling her mom that I needed to use the restroom, but really I was just going in there to cry because it was too hard for me to watch my destiny passing me by from the bleachers.

I was kind of a weird kid, so I never told anyone, including my parents that I wanted to take gymnastics classes.

And I remember how excited I would get anytime we went to visit my parent's friends, Bob & Mary because they had a piano that I would sit and play for hours on end.  I remember feeling so happy to be sitting at a piano but so sad at the same time knowing that it was my destiny to play but that I'd never own one and I never learn how to play one either.

But like I mentioned, I was kind of a weird kid, so I never told anyone, including my parents that I wanted to take piano lessons.

I finally gave up my dream of being a gymnast a few years back (in case you were wondering, the uneven bars would have totally been my event).  I guess it  just didn't seem realistic once I hit  30 that I could make it to the Olympics anymore.

But I had never given up on playing the piano.  Even as an adult, I've never heard a piano playing without getting goosebumps and feeling melancholy; knowing that I was meant to play one.

Josh was giddy-excited about my Christmas present this year (and Josh doesn't get giddy-excited over anything other than the Beavers and beer).  He'd been planning it for a couple of months, making lots of trips to Medford,  receiving lots of private phone calls and lots of text messages.

He's a good secret keeper though so I didn't have any clue what he was planning.  My Sister did slip up when Josh was showing her different choices for my Christmas present online and said "I don't like the feet on that one." which made me think that maybe he had found an old clawfoot bathtub for me for the new, old house we're fixing up (as I was also destined to take lots of long, hot baths).

A few days before Christmas, I was banned from going to the new, old house.

Christmas Eve, we went to a Christmas Eve service at a new church (since we're moving about 30 miles from our old house, we're looking for a new church) and after we sat down Josh pointed to the stage and said "Check out that piano." and for a brief moment, I got goosebumps on my arms and thought to myself, What if Josh Downs got me a piano? 

I quickly forced myself to dismiss the idea though because I didn't want to get excited about something that seemed so unlikely and besides, I didn't think there was any way in the world that Josh would have remembered that one time, several years back when I told him that ever since I was a little girl, plucking away at the piano at Bob & Mary's house that I knew I was destined to play the piano and that my heart kind of hurt every single time I heard a piano play ever since. 

We had set up a tree at our old, new house (that's the house we live in now) and the kiddos all thought that that was where we'd be spending Christmas night and Christmas morning.  A few days before Christmas though, Josh and I went over to the new, old house (that's the old house we're fixing up) to wrap all the Christmas presents and to set up a tree over there too to surprise the kids with.

So we went to sleep at the new, old house on Christmas Eve (I was banned from going in or around the dining room where we set up the tree).

And at 6:00 am on Christmas morning, I walked into the dining room to find this...

That's me doing one of those 'ugly cries' (we actually had to halt Christmas morning for about 10 minutes because I couldn't quit crying).

It's beautiful.  The most beautiful, old piano (it was built in the late 1800's) I have ever seen.  And it's exactly what I would have picked for myself.  It's all dinged up and lovely (to me, all those scratches and dings are just part of it's history and they make me love it even more).

Josh had looked at about 15 old pianos in the area and picked this one for me.  It was owned by a guy with a local recording studio.  In fact, Guitar Center and the Smashing Pumpkins just put out a CD called Fresh Cuts that features 13 tracks by various Guitar Center artists, hand-picked by the Smashing Pumpkins for the CD and a local band, Shroder was playing this very piano (my new piano) on their track.

Crazy to me that such an old piano could play so well.

And though I would never normally ask how much my Christmas present cost, I was concerned that my normally frugal husband might have spent all the money we are planning on fixing up the new, old house with, so I had to ask...$350 bucks.  Turns out that the guy who owned it was just selling it for what he had originally paid for it years ago.

Josh said that he was worried that he had ruined all future Christmas's for himself though because he'd never be able to out-do this gift.

I'm not really the kind of girl who needs him to 'out-do' last years gift though and to tell you the truth (however cheesy and sappy the truth might be), no one could ever outdo what he's done; loving me so much that he would know that that piano was my destiny.

Such a bad blogger...

I have an excuse though.

I got a new camera last week and the regular process that I use to download my RAW images is not working so I have to figure out a new process.

And though you may not believe it...I'm not very computer savvy.

And I don't like blogging without photos (so once I figure it out, I'll be back  with lots of photos to share).

Hope your holidays are wonderful!

Let the Christmas parties begin...

 

Because of our crazy, little, blended family, we end up at more than half a dozen different Christmas celebrations once the holidays get into full swing.

Sunday was the party for Josh's Mom's side of the family over in Klamath Falls.

 

We were short by two kids because Courtney Lee was visiting Santa with her mom.  And Ross...well, Ross is a teenager (a really good teenager as far as teenagers go) but will go to great lengths to avoid things like spending the entire weekend with his family.

  

Annie and our niece, Brooke.

  

Annie and our other niece, Taylor (looking lovely in the leopard print, I might add).

   

 

I could take pictures of her all day long.

 

Pool shark (Josh's Grandma).

 

Annie and her new cheer-leading horn.

 

 

Cole, post head trauma...he caught the back of his head on the corner of a bench while he was playing and for a few minutes, I thought for sure that we were going to the E.R. again to get staples in his head - he's had them twice already; once after Josh and Coley were wrestling at Applebee's before dinner (when the doctor asked Coley what happened, he said that "his Dad smashed his head into a wall") and once after my Mom thought it would be a fine idea if Coley used a bungee cord to climb a tree (after he fell and hit the ground, the bungee cord snapped and impaled him in the back of th head). 

No staples though.

 

Brooke and Tate and their Momma. 

 

 

Blowing kisses to Grandma & Grandpa.

 

And no one is safe when Josh Downs has a snowball (my camera and the back of my head both took a couple of good blows).

 

 

 

Not even poor Annie (the last couple are lousy pictures, I know, but they just crack me up).

The Three Martini Moment.

   

The Christmas Party for Kingsley Field (the base Josh works at) was in Klamath Falls Saturday night.

And there, Josh saw me go past my drinking limit for the second time since we've known each other.  Interestingly enough, the first time he saw me go past my drinking limit was at last year's Kingsley Christmas party.

I had one Pomegranate Martini before we even left the hotel (see photo above).  And then I ordered another one as soon as we got to the party.  And then another.  And then one of Josh's buddies ordered me another (but I didn't drink that one, thank goodness).

I don't really drink all that often (no moral issues with putting a few back...I just don't enjoy it like I did back in 'the day').

What I do like about drinking though is all the profound, life-altering thoughts that come over me while in a three martini stupor:

1. I decided that Justin Timberlake is a lyrical genius (while cutting a rug to 'I'm bringing sexy back').

2. I decided that using the ladies room is really difficult when you've had three martinis and are wearing pantyhose and one of those biking-short-like-fat-sucker-inner-circulation-depriving-girdle-things. 

3. I decided that I wanted to run a marathon (a thought I've never had before) while Josh and one of his friends talked about running .

4. I decided that I have much better social skills after a couple of martinis (I have issues with feeling like I'm somewhat socially inept when I'm sober...which is about 364 days a year).

5. I decided that Josh Downs is not just crazy-handsome...he's superbly-handsome.

6. I decided that potatoes au' gratin are like heaven for the palate (during dinner).

7. I decided that it's magical to walk hand-in-hand down an old city street at 11:00pm while it's snowing (and pondered on what a crazy thing fate is since Josh and I had both lived in this very same town without ever knowing each other...and now here we were together).

8. I decided that people who are willing to donate their time to work as designated-drivers (like my new friend Bob who drove us to our hotel) are really wonderful people.

9. I decided it's crazy that I don't drink much more often because it's so much fun.

And then I woke up the next morning with a sharp, stabbing sensation in both of my temples that reminded me all day long exactly why I don't go past my drinking limit more than once a year.

And I decided that while very talented, I don't really think Justin Timberlake is a lyrical genius.

Oh...and I don't really want to run a marathon either.

Five.

 

Baby Brooke (our niece) turned five yesterday.

 

We had a party at her house last night.

 

She got an Easy-Bake oven.

 

And gobs of other fun stuff.

 

Tater-Tot is doing well post-surgery.

 

 

Annie and Grandma Jo.

 

Brooke and her Dad (Josh's brother).

 

A game of Operation (that's what we got Brooke for her birthday...nice job shopping on your own Josh Downs).

  

Me with Josh in a headlock (thanks for grabbing the camera Misti).

   

Courtney Lee and Grandpa Tom.

 

And that lovely little pumpkin (who won't keep her clothes on).

Last night...

Last night we went to Annie's school for a little Christmas party.

 

They sang Jingle Bells (the smiley face next to Annie is her BFF, Arianna).

 

And made Christmas ornaments.

 

And played.

 

Josh spent most of the night constructing things from pipe cleaners (that's a heart he made for me...all the kids were totally jealous).

 

And a tiara.

 

That says 'H+K' (our nicknames for eachother are Harriet & Valentine...but I guess this stands for Harriet & Karen).

 

A star (blurry I know...but Josh Downs sometimes gets cranky if I ask for a re-shoot).

 

And that?...that says 'Beavs' (for the OSU Beavers of course).

Christmas tree hunting.

We went up to the same spot in the woods that we go to every year to find our Christmas tree.  The only thing different this year?...no snow.

There's never NOT been snow before.

 

 Annie couldn't understand why we couldn't go sledding.

 

So we did a lot of 4-wheeling instead.

Everyone who went owns a quad (except for us).

 

That's me and Courtney Lee following Josh and Annie.

 

  

  

  

  

And we did a lot of hanging out.

  

That's Elly (a friend of the family).

   

Annie wanted Elly's binky.

 

And we searched high & low for the perfect Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

 

 

   

And we had Christmas tree bough fights.

 

 

And we had an ice-cube fight (but I was involved in that fight so I don't have any pictures of it).

 

Except for this shot of Coley right before he stuffed a huge piece of ice down the back of my pants.

And we roasted marshmallows.

And we threw rocks on the pond to try to get the ice to break.

 

 

And we hung out some more. 

 

Raggedy little girls are my favorite.

And played paper-rock-scissors.

And then we packed up and headed home.

Monday morning ramblings...

 

1.  We went up in the woods to get our Christmas tree yesterday (will post more pictures tomorrow).

2.  The gal who placed the highest bid for the Photographers' Workshop is donating the money to The Turning Center (a shelter/organization for the elderly).  Here's a bit of email correspondence from Laurel (the winner):

"My husband will spend his first Christmas without a parent this year. In honor of him...... Keith Witwen....I feel like we are helping someone's parents.  We have spent the last 8 to 10 years taking care of our parents and now they are no longer with us. AND to add to the excitement.....my company has matched my bid so we will donating $1100!!!!!"

 

And another:

 

"I spoke with the founder of Turning Point. She was very excited to hear the news. She told me that there was so much damage from the hurricane that they have not been able to repair a roof that would house 30 homeless people and this would help a lot. I don't think I have felt so good about doing something for a very long time."

 

Did you catch the part that said her company decided to match the bid...so she's donating $1100?!? 

 

So cool.

 

3. Josh says I'm not allowed to post pictures of him in bathrobes anymore.

 

4. Got some really cute hair stuff in the mail from Conni last week (she's got an Etsy shop) - she even sent some Halloween hair stuff (Beaver's colors).  Thanks Conni!

 

5. The gals from my current online class 'elfed' my family for Christmas (Annie made me play it over and over and over again).

 

Have a great day.