4 Generation Pictures

(Left) Great Grandma Ruth, Grandpa Gary, Daddy, & Elizabeth

(Right) Great Grandma Angie, Grandma Candy, Daddy, & Elizabeth

Happy Birthday Grandma Koney

We love and miss you, Mom. May your day be filled with sunshine and greetings from loved ones.

Cute Pictures of Baby Brooks

Christmas Eve with the Brooks

Christmas Eve was spent with the Brooks'. The hors d'oeuvres were yummy and the laughter was plentiful. Santa even came for a visit to hand out presents to the kids. Luckily the livingroom still holds all of us, plus there will be another addition to the family next year, too! Late night for baby, but she did very well. It was a beautiful night.

Christmas with the Maki's

We are so blessed to have my brother and his family home (permanently) for the holidays since they moved up from Rochester area July 2010. We had a beautiful ham, potatoes, carrots, and a delicious peach pie (great job Heja!) It was a wonderful day and we're so blessed to have the kids grow up so close to one another. Thanks again for hosting, Makis!

Merry 2010 Christmas

Christmas Night at home with our Girls. Lexie got a bone for her first Christmas and Elizabeth was received music CDs from us, a couple of gifts from friends at church, and a beautiful package from SPI, TX.
Here's our Christmas tree (I put the presents under the tree so that the magic of Christmas would trickle down and hopefully make the recipients happy.)
Here's our stockings hung by the chimney with care (Yes, Elizabeth will get a better stocking later.)
And Elizabeth got some of her first ornaments from her Grandmas to hang on the tree. It was a beautiful night at home with our family that has now doubled in size. Amazing what changes can happen in one short year.

Prayer to the Holy Family

This is one of my favorite prayers to pray on Sundays during communion, especially now with even more members in my family. I think today is especially appropriate. Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Birthday, Jesus!
Prayer to the Holy Family
O Jesus, look graciously upon our family here before you. Once more we consecrate ourselves before you -- our trials and joys -- that our home may ever be the shrine of peace, purity, love, and faith. Protect and bless all of us, both absent and present, and be merciful to those departed.
O Mary, loving Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, pray to Jesus for our family, for all the families of the world, to guard the cradle of the newborn, the schools of the young and their vocations.
O Joseph, holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by your prayers in all the necessities of life. Be present at the pillow of the sick and dying so that we may all be united to Jesus and Mary and you for all eternity. Amen.

"I Will Call You...Mini-Me"

Daddy & Daughter chilling before bedtime.

The Royal Engagement

I forgot to journal of the phone call I received from Prince William a few months back. He begged me to leave my life here and marry him. He promised to break up with Kate and make me his princess. (He has been dating her for years, but has always been waiting for me to change my mind and marry him.) Once again I had to remind him that our brief meeting at Buckingham Palace back in '01 did not mean that our future was written in the stars. He seemed to understand that I am happily married and awaiting the birth of my first child. We are from two totally different worlds. I encouraged him to finally announce his engagement to Kate and move on with life. They were made for one another. Anyways, I'm a diamond girl, not a hand-me-down sapphire engagement ring (tacky). But one thing I do agree with that boy on is not inviting Obama to the wedding. :) Best of luck to you Prince William and Kate (and Will, stop calling me.)

Smiley Girl

Elizabeth loves to be on her vanity/changing table. She makes good eye contact with whoever is with her and likes to smile at her "friend" in the mirror.

Just Because...

Play time with Daddy, cuddle time with Mommy, and alone time for some deep thinking.

Mama's Sleeping Beauties

Now that's what I call relaxed.

Everyday is different with Elizabeth. Yesterday she nearly slept the entire day and night (and Mama got a lot done). Today, not so much in the sleep department. She's probably overly-rested from yesterday and is letting me know it. No two days are the same with this little one. "Sleep when the baby sleeps" people say. Phooey-I've got too much to do when she sleeps to take a nap. Even if I try to lie down to rest, my mind is continuously on the go. But I do enjoy seeing my girls getting their zzz's.

Death Tax

This is an article from www.foxbusiness.com
While we keep counting down until the Bush tax cuts expire, there is another concern cropping up in 31 days: the death tax!

If Congress does nothing the death tax jumps from 0% to 55% on Jan. 1!

That tax would apply to estates of a $1 million or more, which is nearly 2% of estates in this country, and would generate nearly $34.5 billion.

This deadline should not come as a shock to those on the hill, it's been in place since Bush signed the plan back in 2000. However, procrastination and lack of agreement has left us facing a ridiculous tax in just 31 days.

In the last few days there has been some movement on fixing the issue, with three plans leading the discussion.

Why Congress Can’t Keep its Hands off Our Money Let's take a look:
First there's the Tea Party plan sponsored by South Carolina Sen. Jim Demint. This plan would permanently repeal the death tax all together, a noble goal--but let's face it--not very likely of passing.

Then there's the Harry Reid plan: he would make the death tax 45% of estates worth more than $3.5 million. That would impact a quarter of a percent of U.S. estates and generate just over $18 billion in revenue.

And third: Senators Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, and Blanche Lincoln, an Arkansas Democrat have managed to reach a compromise. They want the tax to be just 35% on estates worth more than $5 million!

That means only 0.1% of families will have to dole out exorbitant amounts after the death of a loved one and it would still generate more than $11 billion. Too bad Sen. Lincoln is finishing up her time in office thanks to the last election so who knows if this plan has a shot.

Right now Congress is too busy fighting with each other over the Bush tax cuts and the same argument applies - it doesn't take a lot to get to a million dollars - and these people shouldn't be forced to pay taxes on top of taxes just because Congress couldn't focus on more than one thing at a time!

What Part of the Ginger Bread Man Do You Eat First?

What part of the Ginger Bread Man do you eat first can say something about you (Per GMA). SO...what part do you eat first? Choose one of the following and look up the answer below: Head, foot, right arm, or left arm?


Head: You are aggressive, a natural leader
Foot: You are sensitive and enjoy the company of others
Right arm: You are skeptical and pessimistic
Left arm: You are creative and artistic

Words of Wisdom

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...MN!

We've had a comfortable summer, a wonderfully beautiful autumn, and now...old man winter has moved in for the next 5 months. My awesome husband: Sunday night he plows until 11:00 at night, goes to bed, gets ready for work the next morning, and has to plow again because it was warm enough for all the snow to sluff off the garage throughout the night. After work, he comes home and plows again for another 4 hours, and crawls up on the roof at 9 PM to shovel off the roof. I am so amazed by him sometimes.