Sophia, in all her glory.

Sophia received a microphone for Christmas (thanks Grandpa D. and Grandma S.)! Here's a little clip of her practicing for the big time - I'm pretty sure I see a star in the making! ;)

Christmas eve and Christmas morning.

Of course, as I'm sure is the case with many of you, we have tons of photos from the past week, and I'm just now getting around to editing them all. After returning from our visit with family, we've all been sick, so I've just been muddling through the past couple of days. We let the kids open a present each (their new jammies), on Christmas eve. On Christmas morning, we woke up to about a foot and a half of new snow, and it continued to snow the entire day. It has actually been pretty much snowing on and off ever since. Chris returned to work on Friday and has stayed pretty busy.

Family time.

Our Christmas festivities began this year with a trip to the other side of the state where most of our family lives. We gathered at Dean and Suzanne's home for the annual Nativity presentation acted out by all the little cousins. Here's a slide show of the pictures I took. There aren't many, but a few to remember our trip, which was short. It was good to see everyone, though, and hopefully in 2009, we'll get to see more of them!

What the snow brings down.

This morning the dog was barking at the back door, so I thought he wanted to be let out. As I came around the corner headed to the door, I saw this coyote standing about 5 or 6 feet from our back door. By the time I was able to grab the camera, he had run back up the hill, but Chris used his coyote call to lure him back a little and he showed himself long enough for me to snap this shot from a distance.

The reality of living in Idaho.

Some things last from year to year, but the kids' clothes don't seem to last anymore. As you can see from the above picture, uh, it appears that Sammy has outgrown his snow pants from last year!

Christmas Memories: A fun tag!

My "cousin-in-law", Jen, tagged me for this one. You have to post a blog about a favorite Christmas memory. It can be a video clip, photos, or a story, anything fun you want to share. She posted a darling video clip of her daughter being quickly ushered to bed on Christmas eve as she heard what her parents were telling her were Santa's sleigh bells jingling. I'm not quite technilogically equipped to post a clip of any of our old home movies, and of course, the Christmas ones are always the most fun to watch. But at any rate, I'll just post a few pics and a memory.
One of the things that always makes our Christmas most memorable, is a tradition that the kids' Grandma and Grandpa Blanch always give us new jammies to wear to bed on Christmas eve. What I love about it, is the fact that our kids have always been so excited to open and wear them, almost as much as any toy they might receive. I've always tried to get a picture of them in their cute, matching pj's, so here are a few from the past! I tag: Julie, Annjilla, Jen G., Jen Y., Katee and Suzanne.

Christmas Program and Cookies

Last night was the children's elementary school Christmas program. I only got a couple of decent pictures because we were sitting in the far back. At least I can always count on Sophie to give me something clever to write about on the blog. As we gathered the kids together when the program was over, I was telling them what a good job they had done. Sophie chimed in: "Mom, I almost got the staged-fright, because the stage, it was soooo huge and there were too many people watching us!"
On Wednesday evening we made Christmas cookies. The kids had fun decorating, and eating their creations. As Chris finished decorating the ones that were left, I read a book to the kids. I liked watching Chris working on the cookies; he seemed to really be enjoying himself!

Glenn Beck - So cool!!

I had just finished reading "The Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck, when I got the email newsletter saying he would be doing a book signing right here in our town! So exciting. I'm not one to get star struck, I usually could care less about seeing in person someone I could just as well watch on television. Nonetheless, we thought it would be neat to have our book signed, so off to the mall we went.
Despite the fact that the line wound round and round the mall corridors, and our children were a little less enthusiastic about meeting Glenn Beck than they were about having a chat with Santa, it was worth the wait. I can imagine that meeting people one by one, being herded past like livestock by security and store personnel, it might be difficult for the person of interest to maintain authenticity. But not surprisingly, Glenn handled it like a real pro. He was genuine and warm, for the seconds we were allowed to greet him. He even acknowledged each of the kids individually and shook Noah's hand.It may seem strange for an 8 year old to be a fan of a talk radio gone cable politics show host (his new show, by the way, will be on Fox News, since he left CNN), but his new book is a great read for anyone, youth and adult alike. Noah has already started reading it and was pretty happy to have a signed copy of the book. So if you haven't already done so, I highly recommend picking up a copy of "The Christmas Sweater"; it's the perfect story for the holidays, and based on a true story, it really brings to life the real meaning of family and gratitude.Then, we figured since we were already at the mall, we might as well let the kids sit on Santa's lap. ;) It was interesting that when they got on his lap, all of them asked for different things than anything they've been telling us they wanted for the past 12 months. It was as if all of a sudden the pressure of being face to face with the big guy made them lose their senses. And I thought I was the starstruck one...

Uh, yep, he still believes in Santa.

Bad parenting, or a sign of things to come.

Tonight as I was helping Sophie get ready for her bath, we had this conversation:

Sophie: Oh, mom. I forgot I made a BIG mess in my room!
Me: I know, I saw.
Sophie: Did you clean it up?
Me: No, and after your bath you have some cleaning to do, sista!
Sophie: WHAT??! Ahhh...you make me want to SCREEEAM! (Followed by a diabolical laugh.)

Where, I ask you, have I gone wrong with this child?

Thanks, Katee and Elizabeth! Tagged, X2

First one:
SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things. Nothing made up! You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Priscilla
BOY NAME : Paul
GIRL NAME: Patricia
OCCUPATION: Painter
COLOR: Purple
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Pants
BEVERAGE: Pink Lemonade
FOOD: Pizza
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Potty
A PLACE: Purgatory (He he)
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Pounding headache
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: Please!!
For this one, I tag: Angie C., Julie, Amy, Elizabeth, Jennifer G. and Lindsay

Next one:
3 Joys
Watching my kids grow and learn new things
Spending time with my husband and kids with nothing particular we have to do
Waking up to a fresh, clean, white snowfall
3 Fears
Losing my husband or one of my children
Being unable to take care of my family because of an illness or injury
Terrorist attack
3 Obsessions or Collections
If I'm being honest, I'm obsessed with food and exercise and the unending and sometimes evil :), relationship between the two.
I am also obsessed with having things clean around me, to the point of neurotic "picking up" after my kids all day. (Those of you who know me or have spent any time around me are probably having a good laugh right now, since you know how bad this neuroses can be at times!)
Right now we're collecting pop tabs for my kids' school, does that count? The sad part is how many we've collected so far!
Surprising Facts
Doing these silly tags is kind of growing on me! :)

For this one I tag: Katee (gotcha back), Jen Y., Suzanne, Jenny W., Angela B. and Lindsay (Sorry to do it to you twice, but your answers are always so entertaining!)

Thanksgiving, and the aftermath.

This year our Thanksgiving was relatively quiet and uneventful. Chris worked most of the day, so the kids and I put up the Christmas tree, and made way too much food. When Chris came home from work, we enjoyed a nice, calm meal (a rarity in our house) and then went on a short drive in the mountains. The kids were initially disappointed because instead of the traditional turkey, I made a pork roast, but once they ate some, the disappointment seemed to fade. I also served homemade rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, berry turnovers, etc, etc. My favorite part of the day was when we each said what we were most thankful for at dinner, and the kids comments were so candid. Sophie said: "I'm thankful for my mommy and daddy, my baby brother, my other brother, and the other brother, even though he hates me." Nice.
Nicolas, again with the weird smile.

Not my mother's daughter...

I just had to take a picture of this moment. One day last week for lunch, I fed Sophie and Nicolas a can of Spaghettios with meatballs, something I don't do often, but on some days it's just nice to be able to warm up a can of something easy. Spaghettios, or anything from a can or box, was strictly forbidden when I was growing up, due to the immeasurable amounts of phosphates, sorbates, and whatever other preservatives and unnatural ingredients they may contain. I would have killed for a can of Spaghettios, or Kraft Mac and Cheese from a box. What's so funny to me is that these kids took just a couple of bites and then decided they didn't like it. Sophie even asked if I would make some homemade meatballs, instead. I guess I shouldn't complain.

A Proud Mommy Moment.

Sophia won a Halloween coloring contest and received a $50 savings bond! She was so excited. Here's a picture of her with the bank manager. Such a sweet girl.

For you, Shawcroft!

I came across this photo when I was doing some organizing this morning. I just had to laugh when I considered the irony - Chris, er, uh, I mean "Elder Bake", actually took this picture! (He he!) Good old Apple Valley, California. Do you ever wonder what has happened with Marissa?

She will be loved.

I suppose it's a testament to her sense of security and self-assuredness that my only daughter's mantra for the day is "Happy Birthday to ME!" I'm glad to know she feels that way. She is such a special girl, so vibrant, talkative, sensitive, spiritual, eager to please, and one of the most loving children I've ever seen. Since she's been in Kindergarten, the one piece of feedback I've consistently gotten from teachers and other school staff is that she is SO different from her two older brothers! She's not shy at all, always willing to talk to anyone about anything, she's friendly to everyone and always happy, and she is very generous with her hugs. We had cake and ice cream last night, since Chris was home, and she didn't seem to mind at all that my attempt at a "castle cake" was a little weird looking. (Thanks for the idea, by the way, Jennifer G., but yours turned out so much cuter!) Anyway, happy birthday, my sweet Sophie girl!

Licking the bowl.

This was Nick's contribution to making a cake for Sophie's birthday tomorrow. That was always my favorite part as a kid, too.
Right now I'm listening to the most unusual sound. It's unfamiliar to me, yet oh so welcome. Nick's taking a nap, Chris is at work, the other kids are in school, and I hear - nothing! All I can say is, aaahhhh...

Watching cows.

Here are a few pictures of Nicolas watching as some ranchers herded some cows past our house on the main road. Nicolas can still only say a handful of words, but when he says "cow", it's so funny because he enunciates it very clearly. He loves cows and it was funny to see him watching and listening so intently as the mooing reverberated through the house. Sorry the picture quality isn't that great, the lighting was weird and the cows were moving, of course, so they're a little blurry.

Baby, it's cold outside!

It's 22 degrees and I'm feeling it in my bones! I just wanted to send a quick message to our loved ones in Hawaii right now, and those going to California tomorrow - please enjoy the warmth and beauty of your surroundings enough for all of us! And maybe seeing some pictures of you all in those moments will warm us Idahoans up inside.

Election Day, and other things

We've already had a busy morning, filled with parent/teacher conferences for all the kids, and of course - VOTING!
Now I'm anxious to see what happens over the next few years. I hope and pray that whomever is elected into office will preserve America as a free and prosperous land, and not one masked by socialism and broken promises.
On a lighter note, I was so happy to see this morning that gas prices have decreased by over a dollar since July, the lowest they've been for a long time!

All Hallows Eve...

This year the kids asked if we could go "regular" trick-or-treating, instead of heading over to the church for the trunk-or-treat as we always have in the past. So we started out by heading into downtown where the businesses hand out treats. Then we went to a (very tame) haunted house, and ended the evening by making the rounds in a neighborhood where all the houses are close together. Our two little vampires seemed to want to maintain their scary demeanor throughout the whole evening, so we couldn't really tell if they were having much fun. Chef Sophie and Cowboy Nick, on the other hand, were gleefully willing to allow people to put as much candy in their bags as they wanted.

Another blog

I just wanted to make mention of a new blog that I'm currently working on. You will find the link to the right on this page: www.edibletubers.blogspot.com Keep in mind I'm just starting this one out, and will be figuring out as I go what works and what doesn't. Please feel free to make comments or suggestions.

While Snippets and Snapshots will be used for posting family pictures and stories, my other blog, Because the potatoes taste better in Idaho, will be my creative outlet for posting more of my thoughts, recipes, and ideas about my areas of interest, such as health and fitness, home decorating, local travel and photography. Check back often because you never know what I may post on there, and feel free to add a link to the new blog, as well. Thanks for reading!

Picture tag.

My sister-in-law tagged me to do a picture-post. Here are the rules: Go to the third picture folder on your computer, and find the third picture and post it.
I recently took almost all the photos off both our computers and transferred them to cd's, so my photo isn't from that long ago. For those of you that I tag, I hope it's a little more nostalgic!
I tag: Julie, Angie B., Annjilla, Lindsay, Elizabeth, Jen and Jenny!

Leaf monster, leaf monster, 1-2-3...

...leaf monster, leaf monster, can't catch me!!

This is a game that Chris made up to play with the boys when they were babies, and he's been playing it with the kids every fall since then. As soon as there are enough leaves on the ground to rake up a decent sized pile, someone gets buried in them, while the rest of the family circles around and chants this song over and over. Then the "leaf monster" jumps up out of the leaves and tries to tag someone. The kids are mightily entertained by this simple game.