tressel pics

I have had a couple of requests for pics of tressel. He is about 90 lbs at 9 months old. I get a lot of comments now about how big he is. He is huge.




pretty gross



absolutely disgusting....clare asked tressel to lick her so I could get a pic of it. He is always happy to oblige such a request.



This is Clare making a silly face...it is the best shot to show how big Tressel is compared to her. As you can seee Tressel is sitting and Clare is sitting on her knees.

my favorites

Jessica took family picures for us yesterday. Calvin was a little grumpy but we did manage a couple of decent ones of the family. Clare and Lex loved the camera and so we had many wonderful ones of them.

I chose pink and brown for our color scheme. I thought it turned out nice. My inspiration for those colors is Alexey's darling dress that is pink with brown polka dots! I just love it! I laid out a brown shirt and pink pants for Clare but she was upset about that b/c she said, "brown is not a girl color" "it is not pretty" "What??!!! Pants! I hate pants. I want to wear a dress" so we comprimised by letting her wear a pink skirt and putting a pink shirt on under the brown one. Clare cracks me up.

more to come later!

I just love Thanksgiving, don't you?

Calvin had fun playing with a 10 year old boy and the teenagers at the pool and ping pong tables. He tried nintendo DS and ate banana cream pie....he found a quiet spot and went to bed around 5:30!

Clare loves pink!

Alexey made a new best friend in Jessica's brother, Jeff. Bless his heart, he played with the kids for hours!

This is Jessica -- she is going to bring us a new cousin in Feb. She is darling always and even more so as a pregnant person.

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We went to my brother Pete's in-laws, the Liebers. It is so kind of them to include us as part of the family now! The food was wonderful, the TV was playing football and the kids had a great day. Dave's day was not quite as great...he had to go in for a case around 1:30 and missed dinner. He did get home in time for the TX game and a plate of leftovers!

This morning I went in to Black Friday at Target. It was MADNESS! But also kind of fun. I was there at 5 as the doors opened and got to see the line wrapping all around the shopping center! I picked up a few toys and games -- nothing too fancy -- and I was home by 6. Today we are doing family pics. It is a good day :)

All pics taken by Jessica Dahlquist!

thankful thoughts

I Am Thankful for:

- the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

- the taxes I pay because it means I'm employed.

- the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

- all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

- the man behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

- the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

- the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.

- weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

- a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

- my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

- the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I'm alive.

by Nancy J. Carmody

"If you own just one Bible, you are abundantly blessed. One-third or the world does not have access to even one. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than a million who will not survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of five million people around the world. If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest or torture, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch. If you prayed yesterday and today, you are in the minority because you believe in God's willingness to hear and answer prayer. If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, you are part of a very small minority in the world. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all."

1. good friends who let dave watch the mich game at their house.
Thanks Liebers! Dave has suffered terribly this fall without TV in our home to watch his beloved football games! This is a pic of Calvin, Dave and pup Emma.

2. humor. isn't life better when it is viewed as funny instead of stressful? Today sleeping beauty (dave) slept in an hour and was super late to work. I thought it was very humorous---he might think so another day...but not yet. So as not to just pick on dave I will share something I had to find humor in this week. My friend who picked me up from my colonoscopy saw me naked. How embarassing is that?

3. Sunday -- a day of renewal and hope! All 3 hours yesterday were great. Sacrifice, family finances and work were the topics. I always wake up monday thinking I will be a better woman.

4. Christmas season. I am soooo excited to break out the christmas stuff and espeically the music. Dave absolutely forbids Christmas music 'til after thanksgiving. Since he is seldom home he has a hard time enforcing this rule but we try to respect it by keeping most of the Christmas music packed away with the christmas tree.

5. warm showers. nobody in this family could survive without them.