Thanksgiving 2008

I have so much to be thankful for.

Sunny Fall day in Seattle

Our family picture

So I am trying to be very thrifty these days, so instead of going and spending money on having our family pictures taken for our Christmas card, I decided to take them myself, can you picture me running back and fourth to be in the picture and get Sophie on my lap in 12 second. What do you think? I set up the tripod and took them in our front yard. Check out Rachel and Sophie they both have matching bows in their hair.

Rachel was on the front cover of the River Current news paper

Rachel and i were taking pictures of the floods by our house and the Current news paper wanted to take a picture of Rachel. Rachel was taking her own pictures with her cell phone.

Oma and Rachel

Thank you Oma for coming to Rachel's Primary presentation today. We had so much fun spending the day with you. We love you, Dawn and Rachel

More flooding

Old fashion picture

Rachel was so brave

I have been dreading this day for a long time.

Rachel was scheduled for her first filling. She was so brave.

Watching my little girl go though this was hard.

Anyway as i said she was amazing and two more next week.

Duvall Island

So within 3 hours last night the road was under water, it happens a few times a year but i still like to go down and check it out.

Rachel's first sleep over

Rachel and Willow have become great friends, every Friday I take Rachel and Willow to Chinese ballet.

So after the girls wanting a sleep over for weeks after ballet yesterday willow spent the night. the girls had so much fun. they play so well together. after about an hour of them talking they fell asleep, i checked in on them and they looked like 2 little angels sleeping. I wished i had taken a picture, but i didn't want to wake them. So i took a few this morning. Don't they look so sweet together.

Afternoon walk

I don't normally like this time of year, but this year it has been so nice. It's cold outside but the sun has been shinning, so it's great for walks. So today Rachel, Sophie and I went for a walk, it was so nice to see all the different fall leafs.

Guy Fawkes night

For 400 years, bonfires have burnedon November 5th to mark the failed Gunpowder Plot. The tradition of Guy Fawkes-related bonfires actually began the very same year as the failed coup. The Plot was foiled in the night between the 4th and 5th of November 1605. Already on the 5th, agitated Londoners who knew little more than that their King had been saved, joyfully lit bonfires in thanksgiving. As years progressed, however, the ritual became more elaborate. Soon, people began placing effigies onto bonfires, and fireworks were added to the celebrations. Effigies of Guy Fawkes, and sometimes those of the Pope, graced the pyres. Still today, some communities throw dummies of both Guy Fawkes and the Pope on the bonfire (and even those of a contemporary politician or two), although the gesture is seen by most as a quirky tradition, rather than an expression of hostility towards the Pope. Preparations for Bonfire Night celebrations include making a dummy of Guy Fawkes, which is called "the Guy". Some children even keep up an old tradition of walking in the streets, carrying "the Guy" they have just made, and beg passersby for "a penny for the Guy." The kids use the money to buy fireworks for the evening festivities. On the night itself, Guy is placed on top of the bonfire, which is then set alight; and fireworks displays fill the sky. The extent of the celebrations and the size of the bonfire varies from one community to the next. Lewes, in the South East of England, is famous for its Bonfire Night festivities and consistently attracts thousands of people each year to participate. Bonfire Night is not only celebrated in Britain. The tradition crossed the oceans and established itself in the British colonies during the centuries. It was actively celebrated in New England as "Pope Day" as late as the 18th century. Today, November 5th bonfires still light up in far out places like New Zealand and Newfoundland in Canada.

I got my sticker, did you?

Did you get your sticker? I Did:) This was my first time to vote. I became an American citizen two years ago so today was very exciting for me. This year will make history no matter how it turns out. I took Rachel with me so she could see how important it is to vote. Lets hope the change is for the good.

Yummy carmel corn

Carmel Corn:

1 1/2 cups of popcorn kernals - popped in an air poppercombine in a sauce pan:

1 cup real butter2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup light caro syrup

1 tsp salt(food coloring, if you want COOL colors)heat to boiling, then cook for 4 minutes.

add

1 tsp vanilla,

1 tsp of baking soda (watch out, they will bubble and rise quite a bit)

Pour carmel mixture over the popped corn, stiring to coat all of the corn. Place on baking trays, and bake in the oven at a very low temperature for an hour. It makes a nice, crispy carmel corn. AMAZING stuff!

Thank you Fawn

My special friend Fawn was doing a contest and Rachel and I won, we won this lovely little fairy door. Thanks Fawn, we put it by our front door and we love it.

Rachel loves to look at all the little pictures on it.

Rachel says "Mama when are the fairies going to come?"