Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

We've been experiencing a bit of snow up here in the Northwest. We stopped counting at 30" at our house. Just when we think we can't possibly get anymore snow, the news reports more downfall. The prediction for Christmas day is another 8-10 inches!

Sledding is the only great thing about having a steep driveway!

Our neighbor Jamie (aka "Mullet Man") took Katherine and me for a ride on his 4 wheeler:

From our driveway looking down the street to the East. The 3 brown dots are our neighbors who were out shoveling their driveway.

Christmas Traditions

Constructing a gingerbread house has become a Stevenson family tradition. To alleviate some stress, I buy the packaged kit.

Katherine absolutely loved decorating the house and even took over icing duties after my hand cramped. Most of the candies were placed by Kat and she would have continued decorating all night but we ran out of icing.

We also discovered another help to construction: hot glue gun. It's the best way to ensure the walls stay standing and the roof doesn't slide down:

Holiday Magic!

Twilight-ed

Me, Edward, Jolinda and Kelly

Most of you know I'm not a Twilight-ee. I read the first book, was uninspired by the writing and the storyline, and then didn't think much more about it until near hysteria hit among my friends about a year later. I've listened to my friends rave about the romance between Bella and Edward and I've tried to understand it, but I can't. My reputation among the card/scrap/book groupers is of a non-fan and detractor of the series, but I am still liked (I think) enough to have been invited to the Twilight movie bash and midnight viewing. Although not a memorable movie, the party was fabulous.

Posing with a fab party favor: chocolate & caramel covered apple

Lisa, party planner extraordinaire
Example of the decor at the party. Lisa and her sisters transformed the party room at the theatre into a black and red feast for the eyes, and I'm not including the Edward actor in that statement.

The theatre reserved a room for the party goers to view the movie at midnight.

My New Obamaccount

I am so excited! Thrilled! Elated! In January, after the inauguration of Obama, I will have my new Obamaccount that will pay my mortgage AND miraculously fill my gas tank. It's like the loaves and fishy thing all over again! And that was something that I just read about in the Bible. But this is real, it's now and so fantastic!

I'm compiling lists of things to do with all the extra cash I'll be saving once Obama is paying off my mortgage and keeping the big black beast all gassed up. Oh wait! I'm not going to have any extra dollars because my taxes will be higher! I guess that's okay. I mean, I shouldn't be selfish. Instead, I'll willingly give my money to Obama because he is much more enlightened than I and will know better how to spend the money I earn.

For a long time I felt that paying tithing, saving for Katherine's college and using my resources for good, charitable purposes, and of course selfish things like getting my hair cut or buying deodorant, were noble and necessary. Maybe I was wrong. I suppose I can cut my own hair (at least the front) and isn't it tres European to stink just a little? When I lift my arms and take a whiff I'll be reminded that some poor soul who has been oppressed and cannot work definitely needs the cash more than I do. Who am I to judge if someone needs their ciggies, Jack Daniel, cable TV, and acrylic nails? Really I should count my blessings that I don't have addiction to substances (legal ones, anyway, I really never have tried drugs so how would I know) and that my nails are so brittle from rounds of chemo that acrylic nails won't stick to my deformed nailbeds.

It's been really HARD to work at a job for all the 6 years I've been battling metastatic breast cancer so I could have the health insurance to cover the treatment costs. But there are others who have it worse than I do. I mean, I know a person who is going on disability because she gets headaches. That's got to be tough. I say, "Obama! You take care of my friend with the headaches! And while you're at it, give her good medical coverage, and make it better than mine because I've been soooo greedy!"

That's why I'm so glad that Obama will be making those decisions instead of someone like me. He's such a gift to the world. Whenever he speaks its like a beautiful wrapped package, all sparkly with perfectly creased corners on the paper, and the gift inside is his words. The supreme one warms us all with his soothing voice and the gentle lift at the end of his phrases seems to release thousands of people from the force of gravity. His words are so beautiful and yet so powerful that people (and not just ordinary people, Oprah-types, too) cry tears, buckets of tears.

I cry too. I don't expect to stop crying for about, let's see, 4 years!

"But I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night. . ."

Yesterday I ventured to the mall to make some returns. My first stop was Gymboree and it was all going well, returning my items and then I saw a very cute black furry coat. There were two ladies helping me (one was in training) and I asked the trainer to check the back room for a size 5. While she was in the back the trainee started acting strangely. She bent over the counter, swayed back and forth and then suddenly began trembling violently. Within seconds the poor girl fell backwards, just missing hitting her head on the counter.

I rushed to her side, afraid she may be having a seizure. Fortunately the shaking had stopped once she landed on the floor and it seemed she had only fainted. I was the only customer in the store and yelled toward the back room for help. Then I stepped into the "But I slept at a Holiday Inn last night" mode (as Mike called it) and began trying to take care of the girl, asking questions, getting information, comforting and reassuring her. The poor thing was so embarassed to faint on her first day, as we all would be.

Not that I'm ready to go work in an ER, but I was amazed at how calm and in control I was.
I never did find out if there was a size 5 in the coat.

Caught in a Web

Katherine is OBSESSED with Halloween and all things spooky, creepy or scary. When we were shopping at Albertson's she saw a bag of "spiderwebs" and plastic spiders, just like the ones hanging all over the store's displays. I caved and bought her the items. As soon as we got home she insisted we hang the webs and then she ran to get her butterfly costume on. Here she is pretending to be caught in the web:

Unbalanced. . . And Dealing With It

A photo essay about my life right now:

There's a lot going on right now; stuff of my own choosing and stuff I would never choose. (Why am I the only one looking at the camera?)

No matter how hard I try, there are things beyond my control. (Kat jumping off my knee and the slope of the ground.)

I just have to roll with it . . . and laugh a little, too. Sometimes its best to rest a while before trying to get up and fight again.

Two Naughty Monkeys

This is the monkey business happening in the kitchen while I was visiting with a friend in the next room:

Of course Katherine was the brains behind this naughty body inking episode. This isn't the first time (see previous posts) she has colored herself, but it is the first time she has enlisted a recruit to assist. Poor Haylie is such a good girl and nearly burst into tears when they were "caught" red, purple, brown and blue-handed. When I asked Kat why she colored her body she said, "I'm a China monkey!" I don't know what that means. I don't think I'll ever know what that means.

What I do know: Washable Crayola markers are just that. Washable.

Golfing Buddies

I suggested Greg take Katherine to the driving range on a Saturday. Greg was obviously enthusiastic to have a future golf partner and couldn't resist these little cuties . . .

Because of this little cutie . . .

Michelle Wie in the making?

Possibly Potential Picasso

My latest drama is the great "Pull Katherine out of Northview Christian School Pre-school." I was not impressed with her sick teacher's permanent replacement; she had no experience and little education. Because we had such a wonderful experience and a caring, capable teacher last year, I felt loyal to Northview. But I flipped out when it was I who finally had to introduce myself to the new teacher who stood timidly in the corner and for 3 days neither greeted us or said goodbye. I immediately marched into the director's office, expressed my concerns that I didn't want a formative year of my daughter's life be an experimental one for the school or Mrs. Shelly. Long story short: this pitbull mom got the cash refund and the crayons (supplies) back.

So, now Katherine was a "free agent" and could go to Jolinda's pre-school, where I would have liked her to attend in the first place (my friend was possibly moving again and couldn't commit until September). My friend from college, Jolinda, served a mission in Ireland when I was in Germany. We wrote and kept in touch until after she was married. How surprised was I to discover she was in the ward I moved into when we built the "too big" house. We both sold our big houses at the same time and now live in the same neighborhood a couple of streets away from each other. Jolinda is one of those rare people who is ultra-creative AND goes the extra mile on everything she endeavors.

So, Katherine is in her element with Jolinda and it's going to be a great year. After her first day, Leslie asked her what she thought of her school and Katherine responded, "Fabulous!" Jolinda is so great and wants Katherine's school notebook to be complete and to bring her up to speed. This means we have a lot of homework to do and it's been fun things like recording her hand and footprints. This is the picture she drew of herself and it is not just funny, it explains a lot about Katherine's personality: The purple egg is her as a mommy, pink baby in the tummy and the pink baby sister at the side. Interesting items of note are the lungs, heart and snot coming out of the mommy nose--appropriate since Kat has had a cold.

Today I Started a 5 Week Weightloss Plan . . .

RADIATION!!! Yep, folks, it's come to this. No, but really, I finally persuaded my oncologist to let me have radiation . Once and for all the spot on my sacrum and the other above my liver (the one mistaken for being in my spleen--aargh! how I wish I still had my spleen) will be obliterated and I'll be cancer-free again. We've been watching these small spots for a couple years in varying degrees of activity, and I'm tired of the drama two spots have caused (again, I lost my perfectly healthy spleen because of one). Dr. Nichols was concerned, however, that radiation to the spot in my abdomen would result in weight loss. I responded: And the problem is? I have some skinny jeans I'd love to break in. Always have to look on the bright side, right?

Watch Out For That. . .

Wish I could include a picture with this story, but, alas, probably not appropriate. On Saturday afternoon, after lounging, watching conference and cleaning the house top to bottom, I jumped in the shower to clean up so I could take Kat and two cousins to "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." Kat ended up in the shower with me and was hyper about getting to go to the movie. I didn't understand what she was doing at first (my eyes were closed, rinsing my hair) and then I just busted up laughing. She was yelling, "Watch out for that tree!", smashing her body and face against the glass shower wall and then sliding down, face plastered and tongue hanging out. We love "George of the Jungle" at our house.

Updates. . .

We've had a busy summer. Between traveling and enduring a 3 week tear-out and renovation of our kitchen tile floor I was a bit overwhelmed. Here are some of the highlights:

Make-up application by Katherine:
I'm sure she thought it was a good idea in the beginning to sit in the sink and spray herself with the nozzle. Kat was mad when I demanded to take a picture of her before lifting her out.

A new hairdo for school:

How many cousins will fit in the Barbie Jeep?

4th of July at the Komm cabin:

Watching movies with cousins on G&G Komm's bed at the cabin:

Visiting Hogle Zoo with Uncle Jason:

We visited Greenbluff to pick strawberries and then I made many batches of freezer jam:

Visiting Temple Square with G&G Stevenson who are workers at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building:

At the Seattle Aquarium in August. Kat and I took a road trip with Grandma and Leslie and her kids to shop and play in Seattle:

There were many playdates this summer with Haylie. They wanted to play with make-up one day and I had them sit in my bathtub to avoid a big mess:

On the swingset Daddy assembled for Kat's 4th birthday:

With swim instructor Miss Janet. Kat passed her first swimming class and will advance:

Sitll Here. . . Not Missing

Thank you to my concerned friend, Tifani, for reminding me that I have been MIA for a while. It's time to rejoin my cyber friends. More details coming soon. Stay posted. . .

Tall Tales

For those of you who know my daughter personally understand she has an active, creative imagination and the following is the tall tale (lie) of the day:
While IM-ing with a friend (and ignoring the naughty behavior in the next room), Katherine approached me and said she had been "inked." I didn't understand what she was saying and then I saw her arms and legs that were drawn on with purple marker. Obviously I assumed that she was just telling me she had been naughty so I asked her why she drew on herself. She responded that she didn't and that she had been "inked by an octopus." Further discussion revealed that a "very tall" octopus had been in our house (it walked here on it's giant legs from the ocean) and it chased her and then inked her all over. Once it was done, the giant octopus left our house, boarded a plane (must have been tired from walking all this way and it's recent assault on Katherine) and flew back to Hawaii. She has stuck to this story all day and will not admit that she drew on herself.

Missing Maui - One Week Later

Under the Banyan Tree in Lahaina.

Every year we walk under the tree that takes up almost a whole block. It's huge and beautiful. The branches fall to the ground and then sprout back up again--amazing.

Another tradition when in Maui is to have dinner at Mama's Fish House. It is one of my very favorite restaurants and it never disappoints. The setting is gorgeous and open so diners can hear, smell and breath the ocean. I had a luau plate with fish cooked in coconut milk, kalua pork and various exotic fruits and vegetables. Katherine had the keiki dinner and we were so surprised she ate almost every bit of her ahi steak. She loved it! The best part was the Mama's chocolate caramel pie. It was heaven.

My little keiki, Katherine. She is still dancing, playing the Ukulele and talking about Hawaii. I just love that place and can't wait to begin planning the next trip there. I'm planning to sign Kat up for hula lessons this year--she'll love it, I'm sure!

Teaching Manners to a 4 Year Old

This evening, Greg had a funny teaching moment with Katherine. She was sitting at the bar eating cheese when she, well, "cut the cheese." She said, "Dad, I did a stinker." Greg responded that she should say "excuse me." Katherine promptly said, "excuse me," thought about it and then exclaimed: "My bum did a burp!"

Pieces from Paradise

Greeted with leis at the entrance of the Marriott resort.

Pool-ready with fabulous French braids.

Katherine experienced digging a pearl from a shell she plucked from a bucket with the big wooden tongs. Then she tapped it three times and we all yelled "Aloha". We had the pearl set in a little necklace for her.

This is Gaylord, a Marriott worker we met last year. He made quite an impression on the Brian family because he guessed they were from Colorado. I was further impressed tonight when I reintroduced myself and he said, "Yeah, I remember you. You're from Washington and your friends are from Colorado. And you're LDS, right?" Besides being amazed he remembered us all from last September, I was impressed he knew our religion and asked how he knew that. He said, "You LDS people have a special knack with the Lord." Great guy.
Playing hide-and-seek with Katherine. She still thinks if she can't see us then we can't see her.

Kuulei Is Watching Over Us

This is the picture hanging over the dining table in our Maui condo. When I saw it for the first time I was taken aback because the woman looks like our friend, Kuulei Johnson. So, now we call her Kuulei and she is watching over us on our trip.

Let me add that I totally scored with our condo. I traded our Kauai condo this year for weeks in Orlando and Maui. I expected to be in the same building as last September, but was sooo surprised that our trade-in reservation is in the new Marriott Lanai Villas. It is FABULOUS!!! Last year Greg and I walked through these new condos and couldn't believe how beautiful they were--and now we're in one! We love it!