Confessions (again).

Every couple of months or so I'll post my confessions; they are trite and menial, but it feels good to get them out.
-I don't trust mirrors. OR bathroom lighting. So occasionally, I'll take a picture of myself in sunlight to check my make up. In case you're checking, that's JUST this side of a complex.
-I only make serious faces in the aforementioned pictures. Why? I couldn't tell you.
Oh, wait. I can. It's because:
-I only wear make up once a week, maybe twice. Every single time I apply it I'm convinced my skills have rusted over with disuse.
And I'm checking the line of my eye brows. But I already covered this in our last confession session.
-I ate a piece of peppermint bark that fell into the bathtub I was taking a bath IN.
-I get nervous to wrap presents this time of year.
-I have been crying at the Biggest Loser. Nothing short of being joyful for people who shed shame and discover themselves in the process. It's still magic.
-Sometimes I think my husband loads the dishwasher like a mentally challenged person. (I'll take this moment to note that in every other domestic area he's pretty much a rock star and also I just ate something from my own bathwater: so maybe I shouldn't cast stones from inside my own personal glass house).
-While my husband is gone on an upcoming business trip I plan to make myself these pot stickers which are laced with garlic every night. I have the Costco bag.
-I am LOVING writing right now.
The End.

gifted.

In case it ever gets lost; I wanted a picture of this is my favorite Christmas gift from last year...

It's a bracelet that says Ring My Bell from Mr. B. I love it because it's kitsch, I love it because it's from Tyler, I love it because it's a conversational piece, and I love it because it was an afterthought gift. Sometimes they are the gifts that last. I've been mulling over what it means to be gifted with a certain trait, a talent, a miracle. As I'm in the process of discovering exactly how God has gifted me (more on this later...); I'm praying to remember the only true, real, and lasting gift I've been given this and every Christmas season; the gift of saving grace through Jesus Christ.

Invitation Extended.

The cat came back the very next day. You thought she was a goner, but the cat came back, she just couldn't stay away...
Miraculously I was invited back; here is my guest post.
What's YOUR proverbial underwear?

Santa's Been Warned.

Take a look at Pea's letter to Santa and try to figure out which words she wrote and which Ty helped her with...it's a toss up to say the least. Also, Santa better watch his back; these letters sound as if she should have cut them out of a magazine and glued them with tweezers...
She would have taken this letter right to THE man himself when we got pictures taken with him, but I'm sort of glad I left this particular note in the car. I promised to send it to him ASAP. Here are the pictures we got of the Bell girls with Santa. Not the official one mind you, but this is EXACTLY what it will look like:

Seeing as how Harper had such a great time and Pea ripped a whole in her tights the size of my fist right before this; I'm thinking it was miracle a semi-decent picture was taken at all. I might note that Molly wasn't too jazzed about the old man either which surprised us all. Here are a couple more shots from the merry meet and greet...

Planes, Trains, and AutomoBELLS

Today we took an impromptu trip to old town Snoqualmie to see the Christmas train, peruse the shops (the candy shop was a hit for all including Ty who found MAPLE fudge), and stop at the brewery. Harper is officially obsessed with airplanes and today there was a helicopter holding up a key piece of the new Fred Meyer a block from our house (hallelujah! do you hear the angels singing?). Babe H gets the most excited about an airplane (or airplam as she calls it) of any girl I've experienced. Below is a shot of her face when she saw an airplam on our outing again today. The eyes say it all.
So glad we walked off the beaten path; turned out to be a little slice of heaven...
p.s. don't you love how Ty and Pea look like I'm lining them up for a mug shot below? nice.

Pea is for Perfect.

In her own special way. Everything about Pea is so funny and sweet and special to me right now. She poses like the above for every picture. It's her 1st choice pose. She says little funny things like, "him's" instead of "his." Or "Muffets" instead of "Muppets." She wears almost all 5T clothes right now, but her shoe size has remained the same since before we went to Hawaii. She LOVES her daddy and starts out many a sentence with, "My daddy..." does this, likes this, took me here, etc. When you ask her why she's beautiful she says, "Because God made me." When you ask her what she wants for Christmas you'll hear, "Barbies, Jasmine shoes (Sparkly Toms), and Bolt because my daddy and I like to watch it together."
She can count to 40, but can't seem to get past that illusive number. She writes her letters very well and asks to spell things almost every day. She still gets shy with people she doesn't know well, but is braver than I expect with other things.
She has constructed a fake house for a sticky toy gecko she got as a prize from the dentist. The "house" is a square piece of Tupperware that has a bed and plate to eat and drawings she did on post-it notes as art for his walls. I HAVE to take a picture of this. She must always have a paper towel while she eats cereal. She does NOT like to share anything barbie-related; the rest is up for grabs.
She HATES to get in trouble. She loves to wash her hands. She loves gumballs.
She likes to tell me she loves me more than I love her. Which I always state is impossible.

be merry.

This year's Christmas send out! December is here, can you fathom it?
p.s. If you did not receive one...
Please remain MERRY; I still love you.