My Valentine's Day

  

Christmas Magic

Twas' the night before Christmas and the kids had lots of excited energy to burn.  So we took them to vist "Moses" the camel and two of Santa's reindeer at Clear Creek Nursery.  I had never actually seen a real live camel before.   I assumed camels were serious stately fellows, but not this guy.  Moses is just 2 years old andvery silly.  In fact, he kept jumping and frolicking in circles like an exicted mare!   






The reindeer were not nearly as exciting to watch.  I suppose they were resting up for their big trip with Santa later that night.  They have very cool antlers and unexpectedly short legs! 




Oh what fun it is to ride in a sleigh with Grandma and Grandpa Christensen!

 

Inside the nusery's gift shop, it was snowing!  Talk about Christmas magic!  



The kids loved the snow show, a fancy bubble machine set to Christmas music. 



After visiting the nursery, we went to the old Port Gamble general store.
Check out this cool old cash register.   




The girls loved the penny candy jars.

Port Gamble is such a charming little sawmill town. I'd like to explore it more.   



Log trucks and ferry boats are very Pacific Northwest and so intriguing to this Idaho potato girl!  One of these days I gotta see the log stackers empty their trucks at the mill.     

 


 

Christmas morning

The kids' excitement on Christmas morning can only be captured in pictures. I am always exhausted after a Christmas season. It is so much work to make sure that everyone gets what they want and there is an even distribution of presents. I worry the kids have too much and then I worry they don't have enough! Still, it is all worth it on Christmas morning. Nothing is sweeter than Christmas day. Once all the presents are open and Christmas breakfast (traditional Danish abelskeivers) has been enjoyed, I enjoy a long Christmas nap!

The Hallween Posse

I have been meaning to send out a picture of my kids dressed up in their Halloween costume. Now is my chance to show off the kiddies on Halloween. This year Jared dressed as a banana; he has a strange obsession for bananas. Some time ago he posted a sign on his door saying "Donate a dollar, save the bananas in a carefully scripted banana-peel font. Audrey was Super Girl this year. She is certainly not a girly girl princess or fairy. In fact, I think she is the perfect blend of tough girl (her rough and tumble brothers make sure of that) and sweet styling diva. Daddy is Sam's biggest hero and since Mike wears camoflague for Navy reserve, he wanted to do the same. He also loves to play "army guys." You know, the kind that are about 2 inches high and army green in color and armed with weapons and tanks. As for little Grace, well she was a butterfly for the 2nd year in a row. I affectionately call her little twinkie since she is so small. She still fits her costume from last year, but she managed to be even cuter this year as a walking and jabbering butterfly!