circle of life

this is part sad.....part awesome




oh.....and there is new music

I like the new layout

J is there new music for New Years or are you still in the Christmas Mood. I can;t wait to see you all. We are moving our beds today, so i am officially hoping to sleep and cook in my new house tonite. I still have to go some pots and pans. Have a great Day!!

All DONE

We finished moving today. All we have left is our beds and the tv, because we can't live two day without the tv. I feel so releived. Now all we have to do is put everything away. The kids room is done. i got that done today while I was at work, and the kitchen is done also. We didn't have that much so we still have alot to buy and the money is not falling off trees right now. I am so glad that everyone had a great Christmas. I wish we could have been together. Have a great night I am off to bed because I am so tired. I haven't slept in days.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! We had a really nice day. Lyle was up at 2am wanting presents and he didnt go to bed before 12:30(but I know he did go to sleep for a little while because he didnt see Santa come, which was what his goal was) He woke up Alyssa , Ian , and Ash, so they got their stockings and went back to bed til 6. We wouldnt let them open presents til 8.We had cinnamon rolls, banana bread, blueberry pie and raspberry pie, with hot chocolate and gingerbread coffee for breakfast. The little kids got homemade pajama pants and slippers on Christmas eve and they put them right on over their clothes and slept like that. I asked them why and they said so that they could go right out side when they got up, they just had to slip off their pjs and theyd already be set to go play(ahhhh, vacation. My laundry load goes way down during vacations, and theres always hot water for showers .) Books, games,dvds and army guys were the hot items under the tree this year. Everyone has been very busy playing quietly. its back to work today for me and Wes and I had to take Tim to work by 6 this morning (when do i get to sleep in? Afew years, I know) I think Ill hit RiteAide and the Family dollar(the only stores in town) before I go home and see what kind of great sales I can find.(I did my shopping for christmas this year in January and Feb. and we have 3 birthdays coming up , so there are always things to buy.) Alyssa got BINGO for Christmas so were are having Bingo games on New Years Eve with prizes and everything , batteries and food will be some of the sizzling prizes.There is still a little snow on the ground but its melting fast, weve had 40s and rain for the past 2 days and it supposed to be in the high 50s tomarrrow. Well Happy New year and Love you lots . Sandi

MErry CHRistmas

Mom and Dad I loved the movie now I have more of an idea where you live. We had a great day. We slept in till almost 10, we opened presents and ate around one. The kids loved opening up the presents and have been playing all day. Ruben and I have been moving stuff to our new house. I had a doctor's appre on Wednesday and they tolds me any day Addisen would be coming so we are trying to get in the new house before it happens. We are so excited to finally have aplace of our own. Today I even got a blender and a toaster for x-mas for the new place, what a great gift. We took down the tree and decorations and stored everything. It's not snowy here and it was warm today so it didn;t really make me want to leave the tree up longer. Hope everyone had a great day. Everyone we love you.

Merry Christmas! (come on over and visit)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Love,

Phil and Tami

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

I'm dreaming....

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

Love you!

Uncle Phil

Moving and Paiting

I was so excited, moving and painting sounds like fun right. It has been alot a work. We are finally finished now we have to vaccum and clean up so they can come and clean the carpet. The apartment complex is paying for it so it;s one less thing I have to do. I hope everyone is so excited for X-Mas sorry I did not set out my ornaments because I was bad about the schedule. It has been so crazy. I thought about going out today and we got freezing rain I can't even walk outside the door without falling. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

sometimes

the holidays can sometimes become very tiring.....that's not how it should be...but in case it is....try a japp candy bar



Merry Christmas

Christmas

Wow, my life here seems pretty boring compared to all the excitement that is happening in NY. Phil and I finished our little bit of Christmas shopping early. Today I'm feeling that although I've said I'm quite happy about not having to brave the crowds in the stores, I feel as if I missed out on some of the excitement of Christmas. We will be celebrating with our all the kids and grand kids in January, and I am excited about that! Now I'm wondering what Phil and I should do for Christmas Eve and Christmas day this year. Any suggestions? Love you all and wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Christmas Tales from New York

Amist the time honored tales of Christmases long long ago ,like Rudolph, Frosty and the Grinch, other , not so legendary, tales are created. These are the Christmas Tales of the Warrior, Tallchief, Rogers, Quinn family.

The Tale of Holiday Cleaning.

Along with the shopping, wrapping, and baking I figured Id do some holiday cleaning and the boys room really needed it , it took 2 days , and since we dont have any closets we use a lot of storage totes so I decided to make a little reading corner for lyle out of 3 of them. fold a blanket and lay it over the top and put some pillows on it (A reading corner) Well Ian wanted one too so I made him one. So (my darling boys) , even though we bought them a really nice wooden bunk bed last february, have been sleeping on top of $30 worth of totes for 2 weeks now.

The Tale of Holiday Giving

My "friend" Joe a t the post office was selling popcorn for his son who is in boy scouts.So i ordered a tin of extremely expensive , but yummy chocolate covered caramel popcorn and 3 weeks later it came in. Joe gave me the small tin and I say(its paid for right? (knowing well that I had paid for it , but just going through the motions) and my "friend " Joe says NO. Well not being one to argue with a rather large stressed out man who has 4 kids, a wife who was in the hospital for the past week, has 100 joyous christmas packages to deliver along with his regular mail and since I have exactly $18 left to my name, I pay him another $18 for this wonderful popcorn. $36 popcorn! Needless to say my kids dont get to snack on it only parents get to eat golden popcorn.

The Tale of Christmas Baking

One day last week I had a terrible headache, the kind that doesnt go away unless you go to sleep for a long time. Well I really wanted to get some cookies made so despite the headache I started mixing them up. I needed vanilla so I grabbed the bottle from the cupboard and poured alittle in and it was red! I had grabbed the cough syrup instead of the vanilla. It took me a while to convince Cameron that I wasnt trying to kill anyone.

The Tale of Christmas Shopping

We had a terrible snow storm friday and the schools were all closed, but we had to go out to Houghton to pick up Tim and Ash. We made it out there just fine , and since it was such a beautiful day and and the snow was coming down at at least 2 inches per hour and the snow covered road looked exactly like the snow covered field on both sides of the road, I decided it would be a a great time to go christmas shopping! So we stopped at a walgreens on the corner and we shopped for about a half hour while the parking lot was quickly filling up with snow. When we came out happy with our purchases we were soon faced with a blizzard of snow falling and blowing and with the fact that wes had lost the keys in the parking lot that was filling with snow for 30 min. Well we searched the store and shoveled the parking lot but found no keys.(One of the greatest parts of this story is that that was the only key we had for the car and also on that ring was the only key we had for the hous and the only key we had for our fire box safe.) Me and Ashley and Tim had had enough and we decided to risk our lives crossing a four lane road in the middle of a blizzard to go to burger king and have lunch. Before we left(knowing a secret that not many know until now, that Wes used to steal cars when he was younger) I said to him , I know you know how to do it , do what you have to do I WANT TO GO HOME!!!! and left. 10-15 min later I called him to see how things were going and he had the van running and we got home without any further excitment. Its amazing what a paper clip a broken allen wrench and a little "injun"uity can do.

These are the Christmas Tales we will tell our grandchildren and laugh about for years to come.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Were off now to do a little more shopping and in addition to the paperclip and allen wrench, I will be carrying a wire coat hanger in my purse also, because my car is acting up and it just locks when ever it wants to , and a paper clip and allen wrench will not unlock my doors.

Joyous Holidays to all Love sandi

A Christmas story

A String of Blue Beads
by Fulton Oursler
Peter Richards was the loneliest man in town on the day Jean Grace opened his door. You may have seen something in the newspapers about the incident at the time it happened, although neither his name nor hers was publicized, nor was the full story told as I tell it here.
Pete's shop had come down to him from his grandfather. The little Christmas front window was strewn With a disarray of old-fashioned things; bracelets and lockets worn in days before the Civil War; gold rings and silver boxes; images of jade and ivory, porcelain figurines.
On this winter's afternoon a child was standing there, her forehead against the glass, earnest and enormous eyes studying each discarded treasure, as if she were looking for something quite special. Finally, she straightened up with a satisfied air and entered the store.
The shadowy interior of Pete Richards' establishment was even more cluttered than his show window. Shelves were stacked with jewel caskets, dueling pistols, clocks, lamps, and the floor was heaped with andirons and mandolins and things hard to find a name for. Behind the counter stood Pete himself, a man not more than 30 but with hair already turning gray. There was a bleak air about him as he looked at the small customer who flattened her ungloved hands on the counter. "Mister," she began, "would you please let me look at that string of blue beads in the window?" Pete parted the draperies and lifted out a necklace.
The turquoise stones gleamed brightly against the pallor of his palm, as he spread the ornament before her. "They're just perfect," said the child, to herself. "Will you wrap them up pretty for me, please?" Pete studied her with a stony air. "Are you buying these for someone?" "They're for my big sister. She takes care of me. You see, this will be the first Christmas since Mother died. I've been searching for the most wonderful Christmas present for my sister." "How much money do you have?" asked Pete warily. She had been busily untying the knots in a handkerchief and now she poured out a handful of pennies on the counter. "I emptied my bank," she explained simply. Pete Richards looked at her thoughtfully. Then he carefully drew back the necklace.
The price tag was visible to him but not to her. How could he tell her? The trusting look of her blue eyes smote him like the pain of an old wound. "Just a minute," he said and turned toward the back of tile store. Over his shoulder he called: "What's your name?" He was very busy about something. "Jean Grace." When Pete returned to where Jean Grace waited, a package lay in his hand, wrapped in scarlet paper and tied with a bow of green ribbon. "There you are," he said shortly. "Don't lose it on the way home." She smiled over her shoulder as she ran out the door. Through the window he watched her go, while desolation flooded his thoughts. Something about Jean Grace and her string of beads had stirred him to the depths of a grief that would not stay buried.
The child's hair was wheat yellow, her eyes sea-blue, and once upon a time not long before, Pete had been in love with a girl with hair of that same yellow and with large eyes just as blue. And the turquoise necklace was to have been hers. But there had come a rainy night--a truck skidding on a slippery road--and the life was crushed out of his dream. Since then, Pete Richards had lived too much with his grief in solitude. He was politely attentive to customers, but after business hours his world seemed irrevocably empty. He was trying to forget in a self-pitying haze that deepened day by day.
The blue eyes of Jean Grace jolted him into acute remembrance of what he had lost, The pain of it made him recoil from the exuberance of holiday shoppers. During the next ten days trade was brisk; chattering women swarming in, fingering trinkets, trying to bargain. When the last customer had gone, late on Christmas Eve, he sighed with relief. It was over for another year. But for Pete Richards the night was not quite over. The door opened and a young woman hurried in. With an explicable start, he realized that she looked familiar, yet he could not remember when or where he had seen her before. Her hair was golden yellow and her large eyes were blue.
Without speaking, she drew from her purse a package loosely unwrapped in its red paper a bow of green ribbon with it. Presently the string of blue beads lay gleaming again before him. "Did this come from your shop?" she asked. Pete raised his eyes to hers and answered softly: "Yes, it did." "Are the stones real?" "Yes. Not the finest quality--but real." "Can you remember who it was you sold them to?" "She was a small girl. Her name was Jean. She bought them for her older sister's Christmas present." "How much are they worth?" "The price," he told her solemnly, "is always a confidential matter between the seller and the customer." "But Jean has never had more than a few pennies of spending money. How could she pay for them?" Pete was folding the gay paper into its creases, rewrapping the little package just as neatly as before. "She paid the biggest price anyone can ever pay," he said. "She gave all she had."
There was a silence then that filled the little curie shop. In some faraway steeple, a bell began to ring.
The sound of the distant chiming, the little package lying on the counter, the question in the eyes of the girl and the strange feeling of renewal struggling unreasonable in the heart of the man, all had come to be because of the life of a child. "But why did you do it?" He held out the gift in his hand. "It's already Christmas morning," he said. "And it's my misfortune that I have no one to give anything to. Will you let me see you home and wish you a Merry Christmas at your door?" And so, to the sound of many bells and in the midst of happy people, Pete Richards and a girl whose name he had yet to learn, walked out into the beginning of the great day that brings hope into the world for us all.
Just thought you all would like this... I read it this morning in my advent book i am using...Love you all
Ash

Snow Snow

The snow here is so beautiful. we have not had a good snow yet, but we got like 4 inches. I am so tired, I have been working two jobs and keeping up with the kids and going crazy. This isthe last week of school before X-Mas break so the kids are wound up. I told them I am not coming back after Christmas break and it is si sad, I did a lot of crying. My new house is getting painted right now and we should be able to move in next week if possible. I am so hoping for a snow day tomorrow. iwould really like to clean my hosue and spend some time with my kids. I miss them so much right now. I feel like I have not seen them enough. One of the bonuses of this new job is being at home, but when we are not moved in yet the kids cannot be here and it is not much like home. Ruben's first Christmas program is tonite so I think that should be fun hopefully he will sing. I love you all pray that I will have this baby soon. I am bigger than a house.
Brandi

NYC

Daaron

Alright all, I'm getting more technologically and computer savvy so I'm going to begin more video stuff. J, I have to say, why haven't the Bills gotten rid of all the players who were drafted before Dick Jauron and Marv Levy came in. Loserman completely threw away the game. Thanks so much.. I still watch/listen to the Sabres though.

Daaron is learning to sew his own pajamas so I took a video. There's no sound however. Notice the pajamas he's wearing in the video. Those were made by he and Debra. Now they are working on another pair. So, without further ado. Here's Daaron sewing.
Love you all!!!

Hi again!!

Hi, Im back for a couple minutes. Brandi you have such exciting news!! J were into college football now too were giving up on all the other Buffalo teams. Yeh Tim when ya gonna start blogging or call your mother or talk to your sister who stays in the building a few yards away?? Ash everyone is waiting to hear how NYC was, we want pictures. I have pictures of my 4 ft advent calander it turned out pretty good. I just cant post any pictures with moms computer, Ill have to send some with Ash when she goes back to school after break. Wes went back to work this week so Ive been getting lots of things done. I figured out how to bake cookies on my wood stove, so I made snickerdoodles and chocolate chip, I also made meatloaf and mashed potatoes on it the other day. I havent used my regular stove or hardly any of my electric cooking things in more than a month, the only thing Im using propane for now is to heat water for showers. If it was up to me we would use camp showers warmed by the stove (camp showers are like big water bottles with a hose thingy and a shower head, i actually have one) I think that would totally push wes over the edge though, so Im trying to contain myself. Ive had a chance to work on some of the presents that I wanted to, I finished 2 pair pj pants,2 hats, 3 pr slippers, 7 pillows, I started and still have to finish 2 pr slippers, 2 wooden guns, 2 wooden airplanes, 2 camo army guy containers, and 2 camo covered drawing notebooks, I have about three other kinds of cookies to make and peanut butter popcorn and peanut brittle. If it doesnt rain next week and wes goes to work, then I should be able to get them done. Lyle told me today that if we didnt have presents for christmas it would be okay , because christmas is really for Jesus birthday and to spend time with our family. So I asked him if we didnt have presents what would we do? He said we would have all our family here have a feast and sing, and that would be a great christmas, I agree! So then I asked Alyssa and Ian what they would do if there was no presents, and they both said it would be ok, so I was thinking that I would play a trick on them and not put any presents under the tree on christmas eve and just keep them in my room and when they woke up see what they thought. Ashley, Lyle wants to know why you like him so much? He was wondering if it is because you both have green eyes? Alyssa went to a dance friday night at school, (not her first, but the first time a boy asked her to dance) and when he asked her she said EWWW NO! Wes thinks its because shes not interested in boys yet, but I hate to tell him that i was probably just because it wasnt the right boy. Teh she had her first babysitting just Sat night , she baby sat all by here self at there house for 4 hours, she did a great job and she is so excited that she finally made her own money other than winning art contests or giving hola hoop lessons to her grandma gates. I got to go shopping with mom last night for a little while and today me , mom and alyssa went to an open house at the herb shop in perrysburg and bought myself all kinds of neat things . like local honey and beeswax candles, soap, soup and tea. Well, I getting long again Have a great week . Love Sandi

Surprise

I have somany pictures I wish I could share with all of you. We had so much fun today. The weather was great it was like 60. We played outside and fed the ducks, they came right up to our door when we opened it. I think we might have to stop feeding them, but the kids love them. I did a littel Christmas Shopping today and watched dad's video a couple of times. We went to church and they had a surprise baby shower for me. You should have seen Gwen she was in the cute blur dress and in these little black shoes, too cute. The boys were wanting to hold her and carry her. These boys re like 6 and 8 and 10 and they are after my 10 month old, scary. What will it be like when she is 15? Ruben ran himself wild and found a can of coke so I think we will be up for a while tonite. Gwen is sleeping already she was exhausted. Well hope you all have a great Sunday. J thanks for the good music. Love you!!

B

Christmas

a little christmas music

(it's at the bottom if you need to turn it down or shut off)

i guess i could take requests though too

j

My first movie

How to eat an Oreo.
(Note: the "white fuzzy stuff" is the cream filling)

Moving!!

It's official. I am moving out. Yeah!! I am so excited I feel like an adult now. I got the job and offically start December 18th. Then I will hopefully be moving the first week of Jan. The same week the baby is due. I am so excited to be home and spend more time with my kids. I am excited to not have to drive in the snow to work everyday. I have a lot of work to do before we move and I am not at all mobile enough to move. If i get started now it will be easier I hope. I just wanted tolet everyone know and I will let you now when I get my new address. I have not sent out my ornament yet, but I have not had time for anything. I just go to wrk and go and train for the new job, then cook and clean and do school work it is getting crazy, and if you did not know I am pregnant. Love you all!!!
Brandi

Cool Video and other stuff

Hi all! I'm at work for the moment, but will be leaving shortly. Not feeling too hot. Anyway, I just wanted to share a cool video with you as well as say hi!
Have a great day!
Mike, Deb, and Daaron

Well, I'm back at work this morning feeling much better. Daaron had his Christmas program last night and Dr. Ball went with us to that. We had a great time. Hope you all are doing well.
One last video.....


Love you all,
Mike, Debra, and Daaron

man am I behind

Hi everyone. I'm at work right now so I can post. Well, I'm at work a lot, just haven't had enough of a break from suspending kids and listening to teachers to actually get on here. It is good to hear from everyone. We are doing ok, I think. We seem to be passing around a lot of sickness though.

J, I'm with you on all that you just said. And when, oh when, will we get rid of Losman and RUN THE BALL!!!!!!!!!!! AUGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!. I've given up hope on all Buffalo teams. At least until Sunday, or maybe tonight, if I get a chance to listen to the sabres. Why oh why do I do it to myself?

Also, how do I post a video? I saw an awesome one today and wanted to post it for you all. I'll try to figure it out. Love you all.
Mike, Deb, and Daaron
p.s. I think I figured out how to get video to you all, just not able to right now.
p.p.s please pray for the weather man to be right about the ice storm tonight. we all would like the day off and I'm a little concerned for the safety of the weatherman should he be wrong AGAIN!

Brandi, i wish you here the other night to put up the tree. i wish i was there i would make you some pizza....i miss the kids a lot.......i'm excited that i will be there soon, and hopefully get to see my new niece
aunt sandy....wow, i don't know how you do it.....it seems very very busy.....i think you definatley need to show a picture of this four foot calendar...i want to see it....I think we need to make plans to spend christmas together some year soon...it's been too long....
grandma - HI! how are you? did you get my cookies? i hope you enjoy them i put a lot of hard work into them
dad- stop trying to abuse me, i'm a good kid for the most part and i'm very tired
timmy- when are you going to blog something?
ashley - thanks again for the movie, i hope all goes well with your final days of school
....ummm......i don't know if anyone else actually reads this....

j.p. loserman - (i know he is not a family member) please stop stinking.....lee evans is one of the best recievers in the nfl and you need to throw him the ball...

the bills in general......throw the ball to lee evans!!!.....you drafted a wide reciever (that you don't play) to free up lee evans......if you throw him the ball you'll free up marshawn lynch...keep your injured defense off the field...and most importantly score points.....AAHHHH!!!!
sabres - you're not doing a whole lot better....but it's early and i still have hope
congratulations to the university of buffalo for getting their first bowl game...if you don't know the whole about that it's pretty amazing...a long time ago they were invited to a bowl game but told that the 2 black players couldn't come with them..so the whole team voted unanimously (sp?) that they would not go....and they haven't won enough games to get back to another one..but saturday night they won their conference game....pretty awesome



i'm working 60 hours this week, and 50 hours last week.....i'm tired.....

love you all

j

Good News!

Aunt Sandi it was so good to hear from you. You guys are busy busy. The Good News is today i finally have time to put up my tree, I am going to do it tonite. the Bad News is I don't have any Pizza to go with it. I might have to make a special trip to the store to get some when the kids wake up from their nap. We have been a little busy. Ruben hasn't been working much but school has been crazy. It's definatly the Holiday season. I just want to ask all of you to pray from me and my family. I was offered a new job here at the apt. complex that I live in. They offered me the office managment position and pay is free rent in my own apt. That mean I would get tomove out and live with just Ruben and the kids which would be great. My preschool job has given me the chance to rest and try the new job and hold my position untill August when the new school year starts so it's a gret opportunity. I told the owners here I would accept the job. They want me to turn in my resume and an essay on why I think I would make a good manager, tough, but I think I can handle it. I'm a little nervous. The kids are doind good we just got over runny noses and fevers and back to are normal crazy selves. School work is keeping me busy, but I just have four weeks left of this set of classes and then I am taking a short break because hopefully my new baby will be here. I am ready, she is very active she moves all the time and if you haven;t seen the pictures I'm huge. She weighs 5lbs 8 oz. according to my sonogram friday. She going to be a big one. Well have a great Sunday. Ashley good luck with finals.

WOW

I feel so left out!!! All the cookies were great, and I divided them as soon as we got them and put half in the freezer for christmas so I dont have to make as many of my own. (well, I didnt divide Brandis, I ate most of them up before anyone else even knew they were there.YUM!)We had a really nice Thanksgiving, and we also have the rule about one holiday at a time(we cheated alittle on the music part, Dan brought me the TransSiberianOrchestra christmas cd, thats our favorite) We put our christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving ,and we had pizza of course! Oh yeh we did watch Christmas movies on Thanksgiving "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and Chasing Christmas. I thought I was so prepared and ahead of the game, but there was Thanksgiving , then BAM it was December 1 already. Now its Dec 6 and Im so far behind ( The kids keep reminding me of all the things we usually do that we havent done this year yet. YIKES! I keep telling them we dont have to do the same thing every year its okay to change a little, but they arent buying it. I must be getting old , I was so much better at this a few years ago) Well we got all the decorations up and the lights on the house (not enough for the kids liking), the tree up the counting chain made, the counting chalkboard up and running , Alyssa, Ian and Lyle have gone christmas shoppping, Lyles wrapped his presents, Hopefully Santa is on top of things , because I sure am not! I am going to try to make a 4 foot advent calendar with doors and presents inside today, i have all the stuff for it , but I have to work this morning for a little while becaus e I didnt work at the post office for the last two days because our starter on the van went. I thought I was going to get a starter for christmas, but it turned out not costing too much. I worked at the day care three days this week, so I got absolutely nothing done this week and i really have no money to show for it because when I work all day at the day care andf get home a 5 I really dont feel like cooking so we spend my profit on take out OH WELL!
We went to Tim Hortons 2xs, Olympia , Goodes, Subway , Chinese, and Mcdonalds this week (what?that dosent add up to one dinner for each of the three days I worked, oh , thats because I never get to eat lunch when I work there,so Wes and I HAVE to go out for breakfast before I go to work). OK back up a few lines and your asking why Im making a 4 foot advent calander when we already have a chain and a chalk board? Well, its because we usually put 25 little presents on the chrismas tree and each night someone gets to open one inside is a verse and a little present and thats one of the things I havent done yet so I thought id make a little change and make a 4ft calander instead if the the presents on the tree. The week before Thanksgiving I finally figured out about 17 gifts that I wanted to make, well that means one almost every 2 days, im working on it , but when Im not home most of the day not much is getting done(but Im really good under pressure!) Lyle had his Christmas chorus concert yesterday, he was so excited,he went to bed early thursday and he said the only thing he could concentrate on friday was singing, he did a really great job,he put alot of practice into itI can vouch for that one because i know every word to every song they sang by heart , sometimes I even wake up singing them! After his concert he had an authors tea and they all wrote stories about being an elf, and they wore elf hats with ears(we told Lyle he really didnt need the paper ears on his elf hat, he already has elf ears) In lyles story his name was cutie noodle and he was 365 years old and in the end he decided that he was just too little to try to do Santas job all by him self and he was better at taking care of the reindeer, because he could fly and he could teach them that skill that they really needed. Ian and and Alyssa took off at 6 this morning with Dan and Ashley to go to a quizzing tournament. They really like it and Ian was taking it really seriously and packing his bookbag with a blanket, his portion and his and Alyssa lunch, Hes so cute. Well this is gettin rather long so Ill get going , I have to get to work anyways , I miss you all . Happy Holidays Love Sandi

End of the Semester in Nearing!!!

Yeah! I am so excited that i only have one more week of classes and then a week of exams. But i am well prepared i think... i now have no more papers or projects just studying for three exams for the next two weeks that is good stuff! Also i am so excited because in exaclty one week i will be going to NYC for the weekend! I am so excited for that! I really want to see all the Christamas decorations and go to the big toy stores! Oh and go ice skating... but besides that i am excited to see whatever we get to see! well hope you all have a great weekend!
Ash

Squish the fish

My Nigerian Friends

This is Lois, she took care of us everyday. She taught us some of the Hausa language, made sure we were aware of some of the customs, took us shopping and made sure we weren't taken advatage of. She taught us how to wrap a headpeice, and befor we left she bought us all beautiful head peices and taught us how a proper Nigerian woman would wear them. Lois is the head of nursing at the Jos hospital. She is also a widow.

This is Jonathan. Jonathan is a student at JETS seminary. He is the "keeper" at the guest house that we stayed in. Jonathan has a beautiful fiance named Michel. Michel is at school several hours away. Jonathan and two of his family member went to Michel father over a year ago to get permission for them to marry. He was given permission, but Michel's father still has not announced the dowery price. Once he has given the price it will take Jonathan and his family at least 2 years to come up with all that Michel's father has required. Jonathan is 35, most men in Nigeria never make it to age 50.

Tani and Hanatu are both widows. Tani runs the women's program at the seminary. Hanatu is a nurse. Hanatu is also the mother of Josephine who is in the next picture.

This is Josephine and her two girls, she has a son also. She is a widow. She teaches at a local school.

Emmanual, Lydia and their two girls. Emmanual teaches at the seminary, and would like to come to Asbury to further his education. He has applied and been turned down 8 times. Always because of lack of money.

Goofy

You guys are a bunch of goofs. So J what was that all about. Was it a bet to see who could grow the most hair, or what!! One month you are pretty lucky. Jon's hair would have been to his knees by now. I don't have much to say. I did all my school work for today and tomorrow already and i just got home from work paid the bills and my kids are napping. It's like a mini vacation. I think I am going to make some suger cookies. J I am still waiting for you to tell me if you like the cookies or not. I know mom did. I can send you the recipe if you want it. We haven;t seen any more snakes, but now I am on elert. The goodthing is that snakes don;t bite pregnant women(just a little fact I watch alot of National Geographic) Well hope you all have a great night.

Brandi

No-Shave-November is OVER!

And this is the results of not shaving for ONE WHOLE MONTH!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Time

Now we can start thinking about Christmas. We have a rule at our house "one holiday at a time" that means, no Christmas carols, or egg nog, or Christmas decorations/trees until after Thanksgiving. You get the idea. Now it's time! So, the day after Thanksgiving Phil and I got in the car and listened to the Charlie Brown Christmas CD, on our way to Starbucks for an Egg Nog Latte. Saturday we got a Christmas tree, and Saturday night we ate pizza as we put it up. So celebrate, and have a Merry Christmas season!

(By the way, I'm pretty sure we have never had any snake handlers in our family) yikes!!!!!