Happy New Year! Felice Anno Nuovo! Guten Rusch!

Happy New Year...

It's been a fun and adventuress year...learning more about blogging and about moving...even if the move was only three blocks....The kids are growing up too fast and I don't want to get older....This new year is one for changes...in the attitude and health...so Happy New Year to all...I wish for everyone to make new goals and have the strength to keep them.....Line upon Line....

Merry Christmas to All

Christmas morning, nice and clean.....

an half hour later....................... The kids were excited about all their gifts. We were excited they sleped in till 7:30am...We adventured out once to Kristi's..Fabulous food and company. It was a lot of fun..we felt very spoiled....The adventure came from looking for a parking spot, being pushed out of the parking spot, and almost not making it into our own driveway....We are ready for the rain to come back........Merry Christmas!

Snow Days

Excitement around our house this week has been staying home in the warm cozy house and watching the snow fall and fall and fall...Seattle is not use to this much snow....the roads in our area are not plowed so Peter has been working from home....we tried to make a snowman but the snow is too powdery...Church was cancelled for the region...and I'm getting sick of board games....Hawaii anyone?

Snow all around...

Let it snow, let it snow.... Minutes after coming home from church they
were out and playing.
What's funny is the night before at dinner they looked at the snow coming down and asked if they could play in the snow on Sunday...We said sure that seems fair.....Wow you will let us out Mommy? I didn't realize Sunday was prison sentence for them....

Christmas Letter

Happy Holidays…. News of 2008

I thought this year deserved a letter of recognition. We had a fun and eventful year in all. I know that we are both on Facebook so most of you see how we are doing on a daily basis but a recap is in order.
Peter was working at WaMu ‘til April. I know that you are thinking it was crazy of him to switch jobs when WaMu is such a strong stable bank…But yes Peter started a new stage in his career as a finance operations manager at Resource Recycling Technologies…a company that recycles metals such as copper and lead…He loves his new job. His commute is a little longer even though in miles it is closer to home. He has flexible hours, which I love, and he loves the small company feel.
I still work at Coldwater Creek one day a week…It is relaxing and fulfilling. The rest of the week I baby-sit an 11 year old before and after school. He is easy going and friendly…not energetic like my kids.
Alex has entered third grade. He is excelling at everything he loves. Reading, computer games, and neighborhood play dates. He is a Bear in the Cub Scouts and has the best leader. Me…
Anna-Maria has stepped into the world of public school. Welcome to Kindergarten. She is in heaven…who can blame her…a Mecca of coloring, singing, and playing. I would be excited too.
As you know we (I) love to move. So in July we moved out of the temporary apartment nearby and into a home about four blocks away. We wanted to stay in the ward we are in because it has been fantastic. Every week has been a spiritual high for us.
Our health is good and our home is happy. That is all I ask for and pray that yours will be too in the coming year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Peter, Tammy, Alex, and Anna-Maria

Tonight is Saint Nicholas Eve...which is a tradition in my family since living in Europe...The kids put their shoes out and in the morning Saint Nicholas has filled them with toys and candy....we always get an ornament and chocolate...I haven't been bad yet so no switches for me...Anna-Maria has put her shoe right smack in the middle of the front door for the last week and we keep tripping over it....think she is excited? Hope I remember to do my duty tonight so there are no empty shoes...

Peter's Accomplishment

Reading my friend Robin's blog reminded me of Peter's day's accomplishment....I hound him every year for the lights on the house cause I know he hates ladders...but he sucked it up and was brave enough to face his heights...We now have our Christmas lights up and running...Thanks Peter.....no it is not snowing but the usual rain is visiting us again..

Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving was at Peter's parents house...We had his sister, her husband, and two children, Karl, Peter's brother and his wife, my mom and my uncle...plus of course the hosts...Grandma and Grandpa....the food was excellent and we still feel like stuffed turkeys....Anna-Maria and her cousin Megan decided to play dress up in the middle of the meal...a great way to reuse the Dance Dresses....Over the river and through the woods......

Indians abound

Today was Anna-Maria's Thanksgiving program...it was cute as expected with no mishaps....The kids sang loud and clear....then had a great feast afterwards...with butter they churned....

What a weekend...Peter has been counting done to the second when the new Bond movie came out...So off we go Friday night to Lincoln Square in Bellevue for a showing...Oops..didn't buy tickets in advance..all sold out....The next morning Peter takes me downtown Seattle, buys tickets for that night so we don't make the same mistake...At 8:15pm I'm telling him we need to go up to the theater..No,No we have plenty of time, it starts at 9:15pm...at 8:40 I tell him again we need to go up...When we get there the line snakes around the whole top floor...Luckily we can sit together because I needed some to squeeze during the action scenes, which are every 5 seconds it seems...Since then I've dreamed of driving fast in an expensive car, going off cliffs....fun......

I thought this morning that the day was going pretty good...till I saw Mika's facebook status stating..."Monika is wondering where the heck are her parents'..They were supposed to have arrived at her house ,resting from a long flight from Venice...No..they had plane troubles and spent the night in a hotel I don't know where and didn't arrive in Dulles airport till today....I am on this coast line wondering what's going on because Mom is expected here at 8:50pm from DC...After a few hours I get a call...we arrived at Dulles and will just turn around and depart as planned..As if that was going to happen..My mom and dad have had a trip and a half...Dad is now resting at Mikas and mom is in the air 4 hours later than planned because her United flight had rudder difficulties and didn't take off as planned...Needless to say I will be at the airport at 1:00 am picking her up and hoping to stay awake...Of course this is the week that I decide to break my Coke habit....4 days straight now..That's a record.......

Nightly reading

Anna-Maria comes running into the family room giggling " Alex is asleep reading his book and it's not even 7:30 pm yet"...I think it's funny but she couldn't share the joke with me for long because 10 minutes later she is out too...Nights around our house are happening action filled.....

Rainy Day

So lucky me... the kids had three days off for Parent Teacher Conferences....which I find a waste of time since I know exactly how they are doing in school...I personnally think the conferences should be for the kids who are trouble makers or behind in their studies...I always feel bad at the end when they asked if I have any questions and I'm struggling in my mind to make up one to make them feel needed... The kids of course love these days off...It's raining so the zoo is out of question...you can only go to McDonalds so many times, and the tv is doing overtime...At least Alex found a friend home in the neighborhood and Nash(a boy I watch during the school year) and Anna-Maria play games...I just dream of naptime....

Fabulous Friday

I took pictures of this great night but then realized I couldn't show them without revealing a few people's Christmas gifts in the making...Fabulous Friday was a blast...It was a relief society event for the sisters in the ward....We brought junk food and our smiles....It was a night to bond with hot glue guns in hand...I loved learning new ideas and recipes..especially the White Chocolate Peppermint brittle...Yum....Thanks Presidency...

Bond with family and nature

After being sugared out on Halloween we decided to visit Grandma and Grandpa and become more sugared out.....No that was not our goal but we accomplished it just the same.. We set out early on Sunday to Yakima to see the invalid....Grandpa was suppose to be sick but when we arrived he was dressed and ready for church...we were a little under dressed for that occasion so we set off to enjoy the outdoors for a couple of hours...We headed up to Boulder Cave, an hours drive from Yakima to find out it closed two days ago for the winter...So plan B was to find the suspension bridge that Jolie found with her family...A lucky guess and we were there..just avoid men with guns and orange vests....The kids were chickens at first but finally daring each to best the other they made it across and back..Anna-Maria did it with no hands...Alex held onto each cord very tightly....It was a gorgeous day...which we loved after having to drive in downpour rain over the pass....Back to Grandma and Grandpa's for lunch with cousins Andrew and Megan...Peter's sister Debbie flew up from San Diego..to get away from the sunshine..not......no she came to help Sharon who had her back operated on.....We had a fantastic time....bonding and teasing....the kids don't care what we do as long as they are together....

There I was working on the computer Thursday afternoon when the neighborhood kids come crashing through the garage door yelling "There is a deer next door".. I said yeah right..no really...so off I go and sure enough the male deer was chomping away at the apples next door in the back yard...of course I had to take pictures since the owners of the house wouldn't be home till after dark...the deer wasn't scared by all the boys yelling at the top of their heads and it stayed for half an hour just eating it's snack..we have deer in the area but never in our cul de sac.....The hot item of the day.... and the best part is how well the boys behaved..about 5 minutes into it they went back out and finished their soccor game...

Fall is upon us...
the trees are gorgeous shades
of orange,yellow, and red..The drives in the area are outstanding..we are lucky to be living in the
foothills of the mountains..

halloween decorations

Ok this is the extent of my decorations...One neighbor brought over a lit up pumpkin for my window and another asked if I was done and where could he buy some decorations...It's sad but my house is the most decorated in the neighborhood..That's not saying much...

Wild weekend

Do you ever dream of being woken up at 6:30 am by screaming kids tobogganing down the stairs with their sleeping bags? Neither do I....Megan and Andrew (cousins) came over Friday for play time with Alex and Anna-Maria...they had a ball...Anna-Maria took them to all her friends houses and then it was off the McDonald's for dinner.....The goal that night was for them to sleep peacefully in the family room...some fell asleep right away, others took a few hours to calm down...Alex who went to a friends Birthday Pary came home at 10:30pm and hung out with Andrew for awhile...I thought I was clear when I said "be quiet in the morning" but I don't think the word "quiet" is in their vocabulary...So there we were..early in the morning with four screaming kids running wild downstairs...Can't say they didn't have fun....

Time to Fly

Anna-Maria approached me yesterday and asked to have her training wheels off...I was floored..Here I have been begging for months for her to try without and she is the one that finally decides it's time...so off they go and off she goes..in two trys she is cycling on her own...She waited outside till Daddy got home and then surprised him with her new feat...Yeah for Anna-Maria.....

Salmon Days

While the cat is away the mice will play..so while I'm slaving away at work Peter took the kids to Issaquah Salmon Days..it was down poor rain and gusts of wind but they endured and loved every moment of it...between hoola hoop contests and pony rides they survived....

Tag...you're it....

My whole life is corky....

1... I have to read half a regency romance novel before turning the light off..it drives Peter crazy...

2....PET PEEVE...eating with your mouth open..don't do it in my presence.....

3.....Love traveling to Europe...it is an addiction....

4....It's a PASSION of mine to poke at my kids while they are sleeping till they throw their arm out to hit me..that way .I know they are alive when they are sleeping like angels...it's just a reassurance I need...

5.....Let me drive the car...I do it better honey...

6.....You can come and clean my house anytime because I don't want to....

I tag Kristi,Mika, and JJ...ok sisters see what you like....

the showgirl of the family

If there was a girl who loved having her photo taken it is definely Anna-Maria..this morning we cleaned her room and I had her make her bed..so she says "Mom take my picture just like this"..Every time I have a camera in hand she is in front of it posing and seeing how she can perfect her smile...I only hope this isn't a sign of the coming years...Mommy give me all your attention.....

The attack of the Salmon

Every year the local stream brings thousands of Salmon to the area. We love going to the hatchery and seeing all the fish trying to overcome the locks...they never make it but we love their determination....There weren't that many this time but it's still early in the season..we will head back in a week or two and see a lot more....I keep telling the kids to bring their fishing poles and but they just roll their eyes at me. Hey salmon is not a cheap dinner....

Today in Relief Society they lesson was on keeping journals....I haven't kept a journal since my mission and I won't say how many years ago that was....We were talking about different variety of journal keeping and someone mentioned Blogs...I never thought of this as my journal but it works...I was just reading my friend Robin's and I can visualize her everyday life with the kids...the memories that we record will be valuable in some years when the kids aren't home to wake us in the night, make us scratch our heads with wonderment, and make us laugh for the silly things that come out of their mouths....

Over the Top

We decided to surprise the kids with a trip to the Barnum and Bailey Circus. We told the kids we needed to run an errand in Everett and off we went. They didn't figure it out till the ticket collector said..Welcome to the Circus....They were in shock...It was Peter's first circus too and he behaved very well....The acts were good but my favorite were the elephants and the trapeze artist.. It seemed long but the kids were able to stay awake....I spoil me kids and I know it....You are only young once....

First Day of Kindergarten

Anna-Maria has been asking everyday for the last two months when is the first day of school..It is finally here...there was no pushing or shoving to get the backpack on...She was ready before I got up this morning and then torture herself because school doesn't start till 11:30am...She's my baby.....