happy new year to you!

a few pictures for you from grandma mary's camera from when she visited me a few weeks ago! plus a couple others~

when we took her to the airport, she let me ride the escalator a few times!! i loved it!! miss you "mama"

*note the idaho shirt for grandpa barge!! today we're having a humanitarian bowl party !! go idaho!! *

for mommy's birthday we went to casa de oro for dinner! was very nice, thank you everyone! cousin marissa & aunt barb even came out!

i had a bowl of chips & salsa all to myself & LOVED it!!

spending some time with uncle eric :)

we had a very nice christmas eve & day! christmas eve, we went to a beautiful mass with the ruens & richards, (daddy & grandpa too!!) where i was squirmy, but good! to & from church, -not unlike any other drive we take at night-i be sure to point out all the christmas lights lit up on both sides of the road!! then we had a delicious dinner at grandma & grandpa barge's!! santa visited that evening & i got a thomas the train set! (somebody must have informed the big red suited man that i was extremely good this year!)

christmas day was spent with the whole family at auntie barbara's abode! must have been thirty or so? scott & nancy brought prime rib all the way from zupan's back at home! it was phenomenal!! we also did white elephant with the crew which was predictably entertaining as always!!

we're thankful for such a wonderful family, and thank you all for sharing your love & holidays with us :)

daddy helped me blow the candles out!!! one of my favorite tasks! (notice the beautiful platter of crab on the table!)

action kitty was very patient waiting behind aunt barbara for some fallen crab!!...

uncle eric helping me put together my construction yard!

here i am particapating in white elephant!

daddy & i by the christmas tree at auntie barb's christmas :)

daddy sporting the snuggie!! thanks GG!

tonight, the ruen's took me to storytime with santa at their church/school! i wore my pjs to take a photo with santa, but i wouldn't do it with or without the girls sitting with me! i was more interestested in checking out the christmas lights. there were craft tables (making ornaments & reindeer food) & a hot chocolate bar! complete with marshmellows, whipped cream & sprinkles! i was quite excited! auntie sat with me for storytime for a little while too, it was wonderful, thanks girls :)

this one is for uncle joe! apparently, when mommy was a little bitty girl (once upon a time right!?) uncle joe gifted her a mickey mouse toothbrush set that sings "brush brush brush your teeth, brush them everyday...". well, grandpa is still waiting for uncle joe to have kids so he can gift his kids with something equally annoying!!... as you can tell, mommy still sings the song when we brush our teeth!!! previous to this video, i was brushing my teeth & shaking my booty to the song...but i didn't feel the need to perform again when the camera came out!!

here i am adjusting one of my favorite stars in grandpa's christmas light scene!! these are my favorite! especially the green lights.

k, this is the last one i'll post, charlie will watch these over & over & over & over!!!....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

well, what do you know, my favorite house is on you tube..this was from last year it looks like ..there are more lights this year, but you get the idea!!..this is the real men of genius bit, i'll find my favorite, the "singing pig"...

so down the hill aways, is a house just for me! i call it the "singing pig"! this isn't the best shot, but you get a bit of the idea ;) i've been three times so far!! i LOVE the christmas lights! i'd sit & watch them for hours if i could!! in fact, i'll stand outside the house & watch grandpa's lights for hours if they'd let me! not sure what will happen after the new years, when the lights come down. i will be truly sad! i really check them every day & make sure all work & the neighbors' lights are on, we'll have to drive around looking at porch lights or something.

grandpa made us a wee little video for christmas!!! it is me, uncle eric, annabelle & jack...not sure how long it will last, the site says you can watch it for 30 days, i think it did expire last time we tried it (a few years back! i think it was BC (before charlie!) we had put action's face on it too :)

we went the other day to see the lake courde'lane lights! next year, maybe when my cousins are here, we can take the boat ride across the river to see santa! they have it set up where you go across the lake, to see the north pole & santa & mrs claus come out to say wave!! but we still got to see lots & lots & lots of lights!! then after the lights, we went to capone's for dinner, & they had games for me to play!! pinball, a race game, & bowling!! i had SO much fun playing the games!! i even got a strike while bowling!!

uncle eric came home last night, so i'm super excited to play with him. mommy is going to attempt cookies & treat making today, because we need more treats in the house ;)

GG, it was funny hearing you call the boy child MR charlie this morning...he actually calls a lot of his toys by mister! like "where is mister hippo?" or "here is mister lawnmower" it is really cute!!
he also drinks hot apple cider & lemon water and he'll say "pretty darn warm" in his cute cute immature voice!
he's so sweet with the fluctuations in tone in his voice (most of the time!) he's very sing songy!, and uses appropriate fluctuations actually when it comes to asking questions, or making demands!

thank you gg for the suggestion! having a christmas tree in our room makes everything better! (okay, a little better!) we did get your letter today in the mail thank you, mommy will go to the afterchristmas sales & find me a christmas tree all my own to put up next year. grandma barge pulled this one out of storage & all her ornaments from when daddy was a baby!! (yes friends, a long time ago ;)

we've had a rough go around today. i've thrown more tantrums in the last 24hours than i have ..well, ever maybe. mom &*i went to freddies for a few things & i just wailed & wailed...& i have a big egg on my forehead from pounding the kitchen floor this am...ouch!...i'm sleeping right now..thank goodness!! giving mommy a moment to adjust her attitude as well i guess! she's been a bit distant yesterday & today, but says she's getting it together again now & everything will be okay!! when i wake up maybe we can go for a walk in the snow! it's been snowing for a couple hours now, real light though, no accumulation, but that's expected tonight. better get back at it now. calling the legistlators number to throw in our say :) here you go, if you can too, every call counts..we hope anyways.

"So, call legislators at 1-800-562-6000 and urge them to demand that they review the closure plan for Ahtanum View Corrections Center and Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women before DOC unilaterally acts. "

adding the salt pork to our bean soup!

miss you grandma :) maybe now that you won't be working, you can come spend more time with me!

grandma brought me a recycle/garbage truck for christmas!! holy cow it is SO COOL!!! i have been playing with it ALLLLL day! (minus the time it took to make cookies ;)

christmas cookies with grandma!

mommy & i made the dough the night before grandma mary came! when it was time to decorate, i insisted on coloring all the christmas trees first! and put stars on them! tonight, grandma barge is making pork chops (YUMM-O!!) and we're going to take grandma mary to see the singing pig!