A snowy day cuddle

What do you do on a snowy day?

Cuddle with Dad, who decided telecommuting makes a LOT of sense with five inches of snow on the road.

Dryland or DryAir??

This is a hallway at the pool with railings on both sides. These are push-ups done on the handrails.

Can you see Sarah? Bryce? Miranda is the last girl on the left. Brent is the very slight shirt in the right side.

The boy in green strips is Kevin, who features highly in young teenage girls' hearts. He's in Miranda's math class starting January.

Sarah loves Lucy!

Sarah loves Lucy. Here they are enjoying a little
time! Lucy is incredibly patient with the kids!

Sarah knitting!

She is loving her knitting project...excited because she has almost reached the end of the ball of yarn...planning what this project is.

I keep telling her it's practice and she can make it anything she wants. She's thinking of switching colors.

Sarah and Lucy

So, Sarah is happy...she has a friend!

Lucy can't believe her luck. If she plays her cards right, she can have a continuous belly and ear rub by rotating through the kids.

Sarah and Miranda in their bedroom

The girls have reorganized and switched beds. Looks pretty colorful!!!

April 2002

Play ball !!

April 2002

Blast from the past (May 2002)

Braces!

Sarah loves to pick out new colors for her braces with each orthodontist visit.

Sarah at the Head of the metolius

Sarah on the Rowboat "train"

Sarah got quite good at paddling in the rubber raft. Here she has an inner tube in her boat and is towing the other raft. Pretty skillful for one day of practice. The lake was QUITE large and the kids would row WAY out in it or disappear around the corner and explore the shore farther down from our campsite. They were always in life jackets and together with others, but I was quietly tense when I couldn't see or hear them.

Sarah's soul rejoining her body

I read once in a Pearl Buck novel that the ancient Chinese believe that your soul leaves your body at night when you're sleeping and floats around the ceiling. If you're awakened too abruptly in the morning, your soul is frightened away and can't rejoin with your body. So you'll be out of sorts and "not yourself" all day. Then that night when you sleep your soul comes back and floats around the ceiling, and if you're awakened gently in the morning, your soul can rejoin with your body.

Here she is at Anna's house after waking up (she often sleeps late) and she crawled up on her Dad's lap. Probably the only time of the day that she is not talking!

Sunday morning, June 15.

Sarah reading

I love this photo of everyone late Saturday evening, all spread out in their own "place" and reading a book. Calvin and Hobbes comic books were very popular this weekend.

Sarah preparing photo present for Jan's birthday

Ok, Ok....it is NOT just Sarah's fault, but her Aunt Bev who somehow collaborated with my niece to make this scarey birthday present photo. I was resting on Bev's couch, minding my own business when I suddenly hear giggling behind me and when I look up I see Sarah's little hand hanging above me. Nothing in it. Just hanging there. Now I know why.

I really hate spiders.

May the Force be With You

This kid is pretty amazing at what she can do.

She can curl her tongue.
She can do the Star Trek hand greeting.
She can suck her nostrils together so they're closed.

A multi-facted, talented kid!

It's not fair!!

Well, I just wanted everyone to know that I think it is NOT fair. Not at all! Not even a little bit. See.... Sarah said I could not put any more of her letters on her blog unless I asked her. So I sent her an email asking.

She didn't respond.

So I called her tonight on the phone and asked. She said "No."

This is NOT fair. I asked her and she still said NO.

Sarah on field trip

Hi,

I went to Dogfish creek today. I learned that clean water is good for the macro invertebraes. I learned that there are parts in the water that are fast moving and parts that are slow.

Here I am testing the pH of the water. In order for the macro invertebraes to stay healthy, the water has to be between 7-8 pH. Ours was between 7 and 8.

I barely got muddy this time...good thing I had boots on!

love, Sarah

Sarah keeping a secret

Sarah at Grandma's house was about to tell me a secret. She wasn't supposed to tell me, and I was trying to wiggle it out of her. And someone said "Sarah!! You can't tell Anna that secret." And so she is trying to keep the secret inside her.

Sarah and her Dad

smile from the past

Bev, Sarah and a young Tessa

Sarah is a very social person. She loves being with
people, and here she is at the City Park in Dallas
with Aunt Bev and a very young Tessa. (Probably
Tessa as a teen-ager.)

Sarah and her friend (October 2001)

One of Sarah's dearest friends.

My niece is so cute

Well, I never thought that Sarah would be able to grow a mustache (moustache?) However you spell it she is pretty cute!

Sarah with Aunt Bev

Sarah has new glasses. Her hair is shorter. She has new shoes. She just finished her basket at school.

Oops... we don't have a picture yet because SOMEONE left the digital camera on and ran the batteries down.

Sigh....

We'll try on Friday!

Sharing time with sisters

memories...

Determined Sarah

A Get Well Card

Sarah sent me a get well card because I had a bad cold this past weekend. Here is the text:

Dear Cherry Blossom,
I hope you feel better soon. I will be praying for you. Here are some things you should do:

1. Wash your hands
2. Have lots of Vitimin C
3. Cover your coughs
4. Have cough med.
5. drink things that are warm


Happy Easter!
Love,
Your little Mango

Sarah biking down the hill

Brent helped Sarah get her helmet on before her fateful trip down the hill at Buck Lake. She took a route that started a little lower and took a less "hilly" approach.

This picture is very blurry and missed the moment (digitals are very slow). But, as Sarah got ready to go, she yelled at Brent (who was holding the bike steady for her), "don't let go!! don't let go!!" So, amazingly, Brent RAN down the hill, holding on to the bike for Sarah and only just let go of her a second before this shot!! Sarah has a pretty nice brother!

Sarah in the Bubble

Here I am at Gilbert House last year. I am in a bubble. Can you tell? Look carefully, you'll see!! Not KIDDING!!

love, Sarah

Sarah in black and red

Just wanted to share some old photos of Sarah----she looks good in Black and Red.....!

Sarah flying her kite

There is so much to do at the beach....dig in the sand with your buckets, walk in the stream, and ..of course....keep your kite flying!

Sarah's flew beautifully the whole time. What fun!

Spring is in the air....

Enjoying crafting together with Anna

Grandma was actually the one teaching Sarah to knit, but Sarah was enjoying sharing a crafting moment with Anna as Anna was putting the finishing touches on her quilt binding. (Oceanside this past December).

helping Anna make spinach dip

It's SO nice to be held

One of the great things about being a kid is that people hug you more and they give you kisses and they hold you. It's nice to be held!

Sarah thinking about beach

Sarah and Brent at the beach

This was fun at the beach. Brent and I were trying to make sand castles, but the waves kept on going over our castles.

When we went to visit An-na, we stopped at a beach on the Columbia River. I want to go back soon.

Sarah at swim meet, Jan 2007

Sarah did an awesome job on the swim-a-thon this past week....swimming 5000 yards in under 2 hours!

The girl in the middle is the daughter of two doctors; her name is Katherine. The other girl is Hannah.

Sarah and Anna

Sarah and me
August 2003
Deception Pass
Washington State

I love this kid!

Friend of all creatures

Sarah and Mr. Cuddles