A Date With a View

Rich and I went skiing a few weeks ago. So much fun!

As we got off the lift I spied a photographer set up out of bounds. It was just like being at a high school dance again! There was another couple getting their picture taken in front of us and we (I) heckled them to get them to smile.

Soon enough it was our turn and I'm pretty sure if we agreed to all the poses the photographer suggested we could have put together our own portfolio and started heading out on 'go-sees'. We opted not to go with the pose wherein we would be sprawled on the snow with our heads tipped toward each other.

We thought our photo session was over until an hour or two later when a photographer (ski paparazi) jumped out from behind a 'slow' sign in the middle of a run. Slightly disconcerting.

Dig Rich's sweet slalom!

It was a glorious day at Brighton! Sunny and cold but not windy. And to top it all off there were a few inches of fresh powder. I ended up not skiing after lunch because shortly after these pictures were taken I wiped out and knocked my melon pretty good. Headache. Of course just that morning as we were driving up I said we should probably buy some helmets. The girls wear them but we never bought any for ourselves. Duh. Anyway... lesson learned.

Thanks for a wonderful date Rich. I love you!

Ahh... here it comes.

I knew it would finally happen.

Spring is coming!

This is the tree I see when I look out our kitchen window. And those fluffy white clouds in a blue sky were gratefully received after our fair share of inversion days.



This is looking toward the West. There's a scrub jay at the feeder and some fatboys (a.k.a. male California Quail) in the tree.


I don't know what kind of bird this is other than tiny and darling.



The beautiful bird hanging out in our bush is a Rufous Sided Towhee. He and his pals really like it in there. I took this pic on a grey day a few weeks ago.

More of tiny and darling. I know this isn't in keeping with the Audobon Society's mission, but I would very much like to paint those itty bitty toenails fuschia.

These are Cedar Waxwings.

Check out the little crests on their heads and the bandit masks over their eyes. Love these birds. We don't see them all winter long. It's fun when they show up.



They're very social. I've never seen just one. More like seven to ten at a time. This picture was taken looking through our tree... they're sitting in the neighbor's tree.



This beauty is a female California Quail. I love seeing them up in our tree rather than running around on the ground. Much more elegant when they're not waddling about. (words to live by)

Now you know... I've become a birder. Not a very good one. But I'm having so much fun watching the birds outside our window.

Get ready folks. All signs are pointing to Spring!

Celebrating...

Sarah

Sarah taking an important business call over a power breakfast?

No... just birthday breakfast in bed and a birthday call from Grandma and Grandpa.

This year she wanted homemade bran muffins hot out of the oven.

And here's the big news. She is now a Teenager!!

How did that happen?

Credit for the amazingly wonderful pan full of frosted brownie goodness goes to Grandma. Sinful, but it's what Sarah requested and it would have been rude not to eat any.

Clothes for sure.

New earbuds and a giftcard to buy some tunes. And some darling bangles that jingle jangle from Aunt Hona. Perfect.

The lovely smiles and gracious thank yous Sarah gave were even more special because she was sick. She was not feeling well that evening. In fact when we went home she went right to bed in tears with the flu. She was sick and then the rest of us got sick with various ailments. She wasn't able to celebrate with friends but we're going to rectify that soon!



Happy Birthday Sarah!

We are so grateful that you are ours.

We love you like you can't believe.

Pre-plague 2010. Naturally.

A few months ago in the blogosphere I noticed a trend towards honesty in posting. It was kind of a dare to post something more realistic than the beauty and glamour shots we usually see. I was intrigued and had a brand new camera I was (and still am) trying to figure out, so I ran around the house the Saturday after Christmas and took a few pictures.

First up - Sarah.

Saturday mornings = sleeping in and reading. Perfect. She was up before I was and when I staggered into the kitchen she was wrapped in her blankie, hunched over a new book. I grabbed a pillow from her bed and put it behind her so she could be a bit more comfy. She doesn't care. 'Must. Read.'

Next up - Rich.

Saturday mornings = not shaving. Sweet! Love that man.




Next up - Moi.

Saturday mornings = Leftover mascara. Choice. (I'll let you in on a little secret. See the baggy/puffy eyes? Well, the week after this photo, I bought some magic eye beautifying/puffiness reducing concoction that caused epic swelling and an angry red, itchy rash directly on the aforementioned area. Vanity. Tsk tsk.)

Lastly - Emily.

Saturday = sleeping in and reading. Concurrently. And the most beautiful skin in 6 counties. Whatever. I put her picture last so you wouldn't be left with that old mascara taste in your mouth.

The real reason I finally dug these pics out and posted them was so I could remember what we all looked and felt like before the onslaught of germ warfare commenced in our home during late January and the entirety of February. We looked content. Happy even!

In my last post I proclaimed that I was through being sick. "Tough!" I said. Well I'm obviously not tough enough (insert The Fabulous Thunderbirds singing Tough Enough here). Nope. I'm apparrently an immune challenged wimp. (insert I'm a Little Teapot here) I broke down and went to the doctor. Again. Good news is I didn't get Emily's mono. Bad news is and I quote, "You're sick". Really. The antibiotics are gonna get 'em this time for sure.

"Lord, forgive me when I whine.." etc, etc. All really is well. Rich has never gotten sick this winter. Em is much better and Sarah continues to be robust even. Sarah just walked out of the room singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Spamalot. Ha! Thanks Sarah.

So I'll get over this little bump in the road and be happy while I'm bouncing over it. Promise.

I Choose...

to climb up





and out

of my February funk.

We've been sick, a lot, and I'm having a hard time shaking whatever is hanging on. So I've decided I'm just through with it. Tough.

Enough already.

In honor of this important decision, Rich is taking me skiing. Just us. A date! That hasn't happened for a very long time.

I'm prepared to have a most excellent day.

Back from the pediatrician

Diagnosis- mononucleosis/mono/Epstein Barr Virus

Miss Em will have to stay home from school again this week. Her liver and spleen are enlarged. Had 6 vials of blood drawn. She was very brave.

So sorry Emmy.

Off to the Pediatrician... again.

.

We have been sick. 'We' being the women folk of the fam. Rich has been healthy all winter. Thank heavens for tiny miracles.

Today will make Emily's third trip to the pediatrician's office in two months. Strep in early January, sore throat and cough last week (after having a nasty cold for a week) and again today for a heinous cough, an ear ache and two infected eyes. Last night she finally said, "I hate being sick!" She has been such a trouper and maintained a good attitude for a long time. She's finally had enough.

A few weeks ago, Sarah had the flu. High fever and the joyous stomach upset. Then a week later she developed an ear infection. Happy to report it didn't rupture like last year, and antibiotics did the trick. She's back in good shape.

I got sick a few weeks ago with laryngitis. It hit at two in the morning while I was at work. The inability to speak adds a whole new degree of difficulty to caring for critically ill patients... particularly the elderly, hard of hearing patients who can't lip read. The laryngitis proceded to body aches, flu and then a ripping good case of bronchitis. I experienced my first bronchospasm at the instacare. Scared the bejeebers right out of me. I can now use an inhaler with ease and have a true empathy for people with asthma. I'm almost back to normal, spending only 10 to 15% of my day coughing. Antibiotics and cough syrup with hydrocodone rule!

Richard, who is my Valentine day in and day out, took care of laundry and shopping and cooking and cleaning as well as bringing home the bacon. Really... how did I get so lucky to land him? Thank you husband.

My fabulous mother stepped up and took over chauffeuring duties with the girls. Thank you Mom. There are just days when a girl needs her mom. I'm so blessed to have mine so close.

Hopefully, Emily will be up and at 'em soon.

Because I've felt blah to 10th power for the past few weeks, I haven't picked up a camera lately. In lieu of some fun family pics I'm sharing a picture I took in December. I looked out my kitchen window and found this handsome guy looking back.

I'd never seen a quail from that angle before and thought it was so beautiful!

Happy February people.