New Year Resolutions

Why do we make these? I know to better oneself. And when we make these.. how long to they last? Mine seem to last until MAYBE March. So fist of mine should be to keep them.. at least half anyway. I think maybe we make too many? so why not make the list shorter?- that way if we keep even half.. better then it was last year?? right? Okay so here are the dreaded mine-

• Take better care of myself-eat better-exercise more-ANY would be good.


• Don't bite off more than I can chew-meaning say no. I can't do it all.


• Give Dan more credit.. I really need to let him do more.. he will ask & I just say no-better to do it myself. He is capable..really I know this.

Wishing you all a Happy & Blessed New Year!

Cheers to 2008!

Christmas was good

It was a good Christmas. Danny's family came & went. We had a houseful of people & we swear we won't do that again. It really was just too much.
Christmas Eve was pretty laid back. Unusual for us since in my family we usually open gifts Christmas Eve & Christmas morning. Danny's family is Christmas Day- so we have to compromise somewhere when it's just the 3 of us. So Christmas Eve we did something new to Cameron & I.. but an old tradition with Danny- went to eat Chinese food. Cameron even tried something other than chicken strips.. he had pork noodles. This is a huge thing if you know him. (Liane you can get up off the floor) He did open one present & was happy with that. Considering he'd been asking since Friday before Christmas to open something! Cameron aslso made the cranberry relish- which is something they have at Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner. Christmas morning was nice. We opened gifts & Cameron was very happy. He asked for small things this year.. mostly DS games - DVD movies & PS2 games. So that is what he got. Plus we did get him a few other things. However- some of his friends got a phone.. including Isaac. So Cameron says to me.. Issac gets a phone.. and I don't?? This is so unfair.. he'll loose his phone in 2 days. We happen to agree he will- but not our child- not our problem. Even his mom realizes he'll loose it. I wanted to get Cameron a phone for Christmas- Danny said no. So I respected that & now Danny says okay- for his Birthday- which is in March & he'll be 12. After we opened gifts we had a little more cleaning up to do in the house before his family arrived. I did A LOT of pre-cooking in the days before. So I really didn't have much to do in the way of cooking that day. Though I spent most of the day in the kitchen.. which was fine :o) It was snowing in Portland so we weren't sure if Danny's sister & her kids would make it. But they did. It was nice to have them. His sister- Laura brought the who was the EX-boyfriend is now the current BF. He drives us all crazy & no idea what hold he has on her. He was rude in the way that he just helped himself to the bar.. which is fine.. but he drank every last drop of any of the whiskey-brandy-bourbon-red wine (thank god it was the cheap shit). Don't get me wrong- the bar is there for a reason.. but you don't just come into someones home & take what you want of it all and not even ask. I guess finishing the last of something is my pet peeve- I mean don't take the last of something in someones home unless the host says okay.. ya know? Is that wrong? It didn't matter if it was the booze or if it were cookies.. it's all a matter of principal. His sister didn't eat with us.. she didn't feel good. She also forgot the vegetable & pumpkin pies - Dan's mom didn't bring what we asked of her & Ashley forgot the rolls- but in her defense she went to 2 stores & they were out. So the not bringing stuff was just comical by the end of the day. We had more than enough food- we really were fine.
The kids had a nice time & the 2 little ones were so cute-- Alexis is 5 & Julia is 18 months. They are sooo cute & sooo good. We gave them Santa bags & they were thrilled with the little goodies -Honey Teddy bear Grahams- animal cookies & some new toys to keep them busy. The sleeping arrangements were .. well they worked them out. We borrowed a friends 5th wheel & Dan's sister insisted on sleeping in it. We suggested that her kids sleep in it (her kids are 25-22 -both married-& 20 & 16) But she said that she the BF- & her 2 youngest would. Okay fine. Then she complained the next morning! whatever. I must say the funny things that keep us laughing were the fact that Gra-Ce turned into this huge fur ball when she saw the dogs- funny how she can make her self twice the size. The yearly underwear was given to Nicole who is 9 months younger than Cameron- they were from Cameron. She took it well. Cameron enjoyed his older cousins being in the house- Nathan who is 20 was more than happy to play a game or 2 with Cameron. Josh- who is 25- is much like his 2 uncles- witty-funny & a smart ass. He was very helpful when it came to the kitchen duties. All the kids were. Would we do it again? Sure- under the condition that everyone just can stay at a hotel.. please?? Oh did I mention the 2 extra dogs? That was a funny thing as well. Gra-Ce got a hold of Josh's dog. oops. Gra-Ce spent her day in our bedroom- she had enough. She found her way up into the stack of sweatshirts on the shelf & was perfectly happy.. but happier when the next morning rolled around at everyone took their dog home. It was nice to spend some time with the kids- who aren't really kids anymore- but we call them that. Josh realized that I have been around longer than any of the others- meaning the in-lawas. I was at his 2nd Birthday party. They call me the Aunty - which makes me feel good since I have no sibilings so then none of the neice-nephew. They are family. Though I complain about them.. I wouldn't trade them them for anything.
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas.

Happy Holiday's

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DUMP

Taking from Ann's Blog.. I think time to dump....

• I have presents to finish wrapping that have to be sent to Seattle.
• I have the recipe cards to finish that have to be sent to Seattle.
• The house needs a big cleaning before Dan's family comes for Christmas.
• I have 2 kids projects to finish by Wednesday
• I still have gifts to buy.
• I have grocery shopping to be done & seems no time to do it.
• Gra-Ce won't stop taking the tree skirt off the chair & putting it under the tree- which is where it is suppose to be- however- she thinks it's her own personal bed.

Not much dumping but I feel better. I did make it to the liquor store yesterday.. :o) I also cleaned all the bathrooms- and made a yummy dinner. The weekend well. though I needed to do the above things.. I just wasn't in the mood. Oh well- whattya do?? deal with it denise!!

Never going to catch up

on the Christmas thing so am I giving up? I did take baking off.. and the Christmas cards aren't look good either. I'm not giving up.. I'm just giving in. I looove the holiday time. But the storm took the cheer out & gave us the bahhumbug's. admit I am already tired of the TV commercials. Enough now. We have heard them since October? I have to get things done & I will. So this picture?? This is Dan in the famous family gift giving over & over underwear. These have been a "gag gift" in his family for a long time. They are funny-- and you know they are OUT there waiting to be opened & still when you get them you laugh your butt off & say that you can't believe you fell for it & didn't know..then it's your turn to surprise that "special" someone next year.. well year after. We are having Christmas dinner at our this year for Dan's side. Which is fine. I have ordered the meat.. just have a Turkey to get & this n that. Need a trip to the liquor store for sure & the Wine House.. oh yeah!! Still not even sure what we are getting Cam.. he has asked for a lot of small things. He likes opening more..LOL All in all I'l be fine.. I guess I have to whine a little.. so like me lately whine whine- just give me some cheese & a glass & we'll be good. But we have lights on the house.. tree is up.. has been before the storm. stockings are hung & now the wrapping will begin tonight to get stuff shipped up to family in Seattle. :sigh: so off I go.. "we wish you a merry christmas...." and I do fell better.. more christmas cheer for all to hear!!

Storm Coverage

wasn't so much in parts of the country. Here at the Oregon coast & other parts were hit with winds at 120 plus.. but averaged out to about 95 I think. Anyhoo- it was one storm followed by another that left us with no power for 6 days- no phone for 2- no school for 5- no highway into any major city for 2. I have to say we were lucky compared to some places that had floods that came with the wind and rain. Vernonia Oregon- which is about an hour east of us. They have had MAJOR damage. You can click on to see some of the damage. We had rain & wind.. and it was pretty wicked. It started Sunday Dec 1st & went into Monday. Dan & I thought for sure the siding on the house would be gone.. and I was sure that we'd have no roof. I thought the entire house was just going to pick up & fly away like in the Wizard of Oz. Thank goodness we don't have any trees directly around us. Trees came up root & all in a lot of places. Businesses were closed fro days.. but one restaurant got smart last year.. Bigfoots- Jack the owner- said he wasn't going to go through that again & installed a big generator. After his sales last week- I think others will follow. Dan & I were close to being called in to help- however- no phone service solved that! Dan- Cameron & I survived just fine. When Monday AM rolled around we just had to remember what camping was like. We have a gas stove top- thank god for that. Then we actually went out to see how Dan's mom was- she was fine. The winds were still going- but not as bad. We played games throughout the day. Did some reading. Then at 4PM it's dark out. Made dinner best I could with the light we have. Must of been fine. Then with the portable DVD player we had we all got into bed & watched a movie.. so here we are the 3 of us huddled around this little DVD player watching "Elf" . Day 2 comes.. and now its' easier than day 1. This time Cam can go play with the neighbor girl- Alana. So things are getting easier.. but still no phone service. So family & friends have no idea what is going on & I don't think realize until Tuesday (day 2) that we actually had been hit pretty hard. We get word that the cell phones will work if hit "the cove" so we head to the cove & finally can call family & friends to let them know we are fine. Dan's sister Stephanie didn't realize how bad it was. So as each days go by it gets easier. We were able to shower- we have gas so that helped- gas fireplace kept us warm as well. Our neighbors by day 2 loaned us lantern & by Thursday we were offered a generator to use from some friends in Jewell who had gotten power. so now things aren't so bad. And guess what is on the list of things to purchase this coming year? Gas turned into gold here.. one station had a line of cars a mile or so long.. charging a whopping $5.00 a gallon. Ice was gold as well & lucky for us we got some from Bigfoots. Nice to have friends in the right places at times! Plus scored 3 bags from our friends in Jewell. We had friends in Portland who wanted to bring it out- but the main highway in had a sink hole plus a lot of trees were down & some ready to still come down. We heard that we had over 600 power workers working on the lines 24 hours a day.. from Utah & Idaho..and we are so thankful for them & the work they did. Friday afternoon comes along & we get power!! It was a happy happy joy joy time. Yet in some sense bitter sweet. We had a routine now after all those nights- huddle together in bed & watch a movie. Guess just something we'll do more of. We had some good family time & Cameron was a trooper. He loved the generator.. he was able to play his PS2 for a hour or so. It was all so strange though.. we were cut off from the world. really- with no phone- no paper- no power- nothing. World war 3 could have begun & we would have known NOTHING. All in all we are lucky. A lot of trees are gone in the area.. a lot of people became closer to their neighbors. And now a lot of scrapping to do about the 6 days we endured.. which really were just fine.

The photos above: I took a few this AM - the 3rd from the right is from all the trees that had to be cut from power lines- driveways- phone lines- roads.. that is where they have been dumped from just Gearhart- the town we live in. The last one is from the golf course.. just to show you that the big trees just came up root and all.