Here you have it...I hope it was worth the wait.

Okay. . .I guess I'm going to have to explain a few things first. On Sunday afternoon we were playing this Nancy Drew computer game Emily got for Christmas. (Yeah, I know...we're pretty pathetic...while all these teenagers are playing "Battlestar Galactica" and "Age of Empires" or whatever all those dumb games are called, Emily and I are playing a Nancy Drew mystery game.) You can "search" through certain things like bookshelves or street vendor tables and pick them up. We found this silly book about Kung-Fu or something like that. We were cracking up so hard because the pictures were hilarious. They went through instructions on how to perform certain moves and the "battle cry" for each of these moves. Really. . .it was so stupid. . .but oh so hilarious. We decided we wanted to make our own instruction pamphlet for Kung-Fu but one thing led to another and it kind of morphed into this "A Day in the Life of a Kung-Fu Master" type thing. So, in the next month or two Emily and I will print these pictures and make a "scrapbook". Now you have to keep in mind, Emily and I usually don't dress up and do stupid things like this (although Mom begs to differ). We thought it would be hilarious because we were both wearing our grey sweatsuits. We also mock and make fun of anyone who likes Japanamation (or whatever you call it) at every opportunity possible. So keep these things in mind as you view these ridiculous pictures. . .

Now, a Kung-Fu Master has to start her day off with a good dose of meditation. . .


(Yes, we have a pile of logs in our garden. . .Brother Merritt brought them over to chop up for our fireplace.)

Then, a Kung-Fu Master has to do some yard work in preparation for battle.

And then it's time for a nutritious (invisible) meal.

(Yes, we have a stove/oven in our back yard. We are soooo cool. No, actually we just got a new oven and that's our old oven that will slowly be taken apart and put in the recycle bin. Everything that isn't metal will go to the dump.)

Then we burn off all those calories with some exercise. (Actually those bricks were ridiculously heavy and my hands were too small to really grasp them. . .I was in pain. I kept yelling "Emily! Come on! Take the stupid picture!")

(No. . .the garden hose was not heavy. Emily was just being stupid.)

And then a Kung-Fu Master has to have a log throwing contest.

Master Emily was the winner. (Yeah, real far, I know.)

Shhh. . .the tiger is coming. . .HIDE!

Hide some more!

Now it's time for battle.

This move is called the upper right chop. I know...very creative.

Here it is in action! (Whaaaam!)

This move is called the face punch.

In action! (Hee-Cha!)

What's that I hear? Is that a baby tiger in trouble?

A Kung-Fu Master always has time to help the helpless.

The battle resumes.

We call this the chest punch...still...very creative. (Okay, maybe we'll have to come up with new action names for the actual book we make.)

In action. (Foo-Shaw!)

The belly punch.

In action. (Eee-cha!)

All in the day of a Kung-Fu Master.

Okay. . .do you see what I mean? We are so ridiculous. At least making this "scrapbook" will give us something fun to do some Sunday afternoon in the future. And I am very sorry if we've offended anyone who likes "Kung-Fu", "Tai-Chi", "Tae-Kwon-Do" or anything that has to do with ancient Japanese "art forms."

Not again.

Somebody PLEASE make it stop!!!!


It's snowing again. It snowed Sunday morning but luckily melted away by the afternoon. But this morning it's been going strong for a couple of hours. The weather guys say it will change to rain and I sure hope it does. Normally, I'm so exicted for snow but after our crazy weather in December. . .not so much.

Dinner.

As we were sitting down at the dinner table eating our very healthy meal (hot dogs) (ha) we were talking about how much mayonnaise Emily slathers on her hot dog bun. She makes these comments like, "Oh, I can eat a lot of mayonnaise because it doesn't hurt my body." I tell her wait until you're mom's age and we'll check your cholesterol levels. (Actually, Mom had her levels checked a few years back and they were so far off the charts the nurse had to check twice. Not a joke.) (But her cholesterol is fine now, she doesn't even take medicine.)

We were talking about all the chemicals that exist in our food now that are truly harmful for our bodies. Mom was commenting on the food she ate as a child. All they really had for junk food was a couple varieties of potato chips and cookies. Butter was essential and people who had margarine were thought of as poor. Then we got on the topic of how several "low-fat" foods taste really gross and there really is no substitute for butter in cooking. We love a lot of "organic" and "healthy" foods. . .but we won't give up our butter. (Or our 2% milk.)

Anyway-

Here's my favorite line during dinner.

Emily: "You know that 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter?' Well, I can."

Stay tuned.

Here's a little preview of what's to come. . .


You don't even want to know.

Sunday evening.

I sort of have a love-hate relationship with Sundays this year. Church starts at 8:30 in the morning! I don't know how the leaders think that's okay! I mean, come on! I now have to shower Saturday night and get to bed early, meaning I might have to miss some of my favorite Saturday night shows! My face is always puffy in the morning--no amount of make-up will ever help! My car is an ice cube every morning so I have to get up even EARLIER to scrape the ice! The even more annoying part is that I wake up, scrape the ice off my car, get dressed, apply make-up and run out the door. . .only to find NEW ice on my windshield. I also can't just get to church right at 8:30--no--I have to be there at 8:15 to start organ prelude! Speaking of playing organ at 8:15 in the morning--I have never heard our chapel so quiet! Last year I used to complain about the noise level. I felt like I was playing prelude to invite the spirit but nobody was listening. Everybody thought it was time to socialize or make last minute arrangements for primary or Sunday school. Now everyone is trying to finish their sleep! It kind of freaks me out being the only noise in the whole chapel! I guess I shouldn't have complained so much last year!

Now that I have complained publicly on the Internet (about church none-the-less) I'll explain the part I LOVE about church starting at 8:30.

1) There's always time for a nap.
2) We have time for lunch AND dinner.
3) We can scrapbook.
4) There might even be time for another nap.
5) We have from 11:30 to bedtime to relax. (Making "keeping the sabbath day holy" commandment much easier to follow. . .Sunday is the day of rest and we are truly resting.)

After Emily and I got home from ward choir we asked mom if we could play a game, perhaps Racko (one of mom's favorite games). Mom's initial reaction was "No. I don't play Racko anymore because I never win." We begged her and she finally gave in.

Now, if you've never played Racko before I'll let you know it is one of the most irritating games to play with my mother. You get a hand of cards you put in your tray. They're all out of order and you have to use various discarded cards to get your tray in order.

The reason it's very annoying to play with my mom is because she always gets this smirk on her face right before she gets Racko. When she has one card left out of order she gets all excited and Emily and I just get annoyed. She always seems to get Racko right when I only have one card left! How is that fair!?!?!? Yeah mom, "I never win Racko. . .I don't play that anymore." WHATEVER!
And here's the cute kitty wanting to join in the fun. Emily always brings her in the family room snuggled up in a blanket. This cat has issues--and it's 100% our fault.

Christmas. . .Finally.

I finally have time to sit down and post our Christmas pictures. We have so many it was very hard to choose!

One of our favorite (and only) Christmas traditions is to go to Red Lobster on Christmas Eve. I think we have only missed this one year (and that year we went to P.F. Changs). We weren't going to let the snow stop us from getting to Tigard! And yes, the snow was STILL on the ground for Christmas! It was just wrong! Anyway--here are a few adorable pictures of the Christmas Eve dinner.

I couldn't get Andrew to be serious for more than a couple of pictures!

She wasn't much help!

I don't know what they were looking at but I was so lucky to catch this adorable picture. Mikaela Rose is the sweetest baby ever!


More cute Mikaela.


I love seeing Ethan with his cute baby. . .it makes me feel so lucky to have the best big brother in the whole world. (That doesn't mean Philip's not the best, though! I love him too!)


Now that Mikaela is 10 months old it's much easier to get to know her. It was so fun for us to play with her and make her laugh. We can't wait to see her again!

After yummy dinner we went home and had Ethan and his family open their presents from us. As you can tell from the picture, baby Mikaela was VERY interested in getting the presents open. But oh no, she didn't want to open them with her hands, she wanted to open them with her teeth!



Andrew giving Grandma a great big hug! He loves giving and getting big hugs and kisses from his family.

Another one of our traditions is to buy matching Christmas pajamas. This year we found matching P.J.'s at Old Navy. We loved them! (Mom is the plaid, Emily is the reindeer and I'm the Christmas trees.) (And Mom is wearing her new wool booties I bought her from Eddie Baurer. She kept saying (since September) "I really need some new booties, mine are falling apart." I found them on sale and bought them well before Christmas. Every time we were in a store with booties, I was afraid she was going to buy them for herself and then her present would be ruined! But that didn't happen this year.)


One of Emily's favorite presents was the cute kitty book called "Dewey." I think I'm going to have to read it after she does!


Mom got so annoyed with me this Christmas. I found some gum she really liked (but I bought the Costco size--12 packs--yikes!) and I wrapped each one individually and put them in her stocking. She had to open every single one. . .I was cracking up. . .she wasn't.


And this was one of my favorite Christmas presents. Ina Garten's Back to Basics cookbook. We were watching a Food Network show on her and I kept telling my mom "She's my absolute favorite! I want to be just like her when I grow up!" I guess Emily caught on to what I was saying because the next day we went to Target and she got this for me! It was such a surprise!


Mom pointed out I even look like her! That's great because I think she's the most adorable lady ever!

And here's proof we have the most annoying cat in the world. Why does she have to get on all the wrapping paper when we're done opening presents? She's soooooo weird!

But at least she's cute.