sand dunes

Sand dunes

Sand

ella

fun at the dunes, what could be better!

view from my front window

What a difference an hour makes.

chicken fun

Someday...

I am bone tired. I have been busting my hump working, trying, sweating, toiling in the real estate market. My seeds sown 3 years ago are starting to sprout and we could have a bumper crop. I hope. I work when possible teaching ESL in harrison 2, not because I am a teacher but because it stretches the dollars available for now. I still do all the things a "wife" has to do, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, car pool, kid patrol. Nothing is EVER taken off my plate. WHY?

Some day my children will soar higher and farther than I ever did. Some day my children will have all the doors possible open to them. Their education is paramount. If they choose to do this or that, I just want to make sure it is a door they CHOOSE to walk through. Not the only door left open.

My children Could be the 4th generation graduate from University of Southern CALIFORNIA, a world re-known school. My children could go to Stanford, MIT, Brown or Willamette.

If they choose they could go to university of south Christianity. So be it, but they will not be blind Christian soldiers with no other options.

Regardless of what my children CHOOSE to do, they will soar, because the doors are open. I will toil to make it so.

Henry

Henry is teaching Ella about Dinosaurs'.

Something about a skunk and a Dinosaur....

Adventure

Sometimes you just gotta go. I have beach fever bad (as always this time of year). I want an adventure for myself, my family, my children. I put our home on http://www.globalpacificvacationhomes.com/listings/ I want to go to a different place this summer. 3-5 weeks. Nobody we know. New experiences, a small non-english speaking place. Fish, local market, somebody else's home which we call home. Opening my home to their adventure. Sand, beach, experience, ADVENTURE!

Tom and Ella

Cooking is Ella's Favorite thing to do!

Here she and Tom are cooking cinnamon rolls!

Albert

Albert is healing well after his surgery.

Last Friday, Albert, Henry and I played hookey and went to see The Lightning Thief, with a bunch of other friend.

Now Albert is blazing thru the book series.

My medusa costume. For the movie.

Albert's cookie that was as big as his head. Thanks Nana.

view from my front window

Making Coba

We have a wonderful friend who comes from Iraq. She is Kurdish and taught us all how to make a speciality called Coba (pronounced cuba). They are these wonderful rice dumplings, stuffed with meat, raisins and almonds and spices. OH SO YUMMY!!!

Ella's new haircut!

So cute. She did not want to wash

her hair because it would mess up

David's haircut!

Christmas morning

The before, and the after.

It was a Merry Christmas

it is all about the food

FOR THE GRAND FINALLY...

Black bottom New York cheesecake with sour cherry syrup.

It is all about the food

First course Butter lettuce with grapefruit and pomegranate seeds with a pomegranate molasses tangerine dressing

Main course Leg of Lamb with rosemary and garlic.

A tartan with sweet and Yukon gold potatoes in a sweet ginger sauce.

Mashed potatoes and roasted artichoke hearts.

a 1997 Beringer Private Reserve Howell Mountain Merlot and a 1991 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Its all about the food

Christmas morning, homemade stollen, maple sausage, scrambled eggs with peppers and mushrooms for the adults, eggnog, fresh orange juice and coffee.

It is all about the food

Home made sweet and sour pork, hot and spicy shrimp, broccoli with oyster sauce and of course Won Tons. Tom is a most excellent chinese food cook. Christmas eve is always delicious.

Cooking Begins

24 hours from now the Chinese food will be served and consumed.

The prep began yesterday with going to the store, and continues tonight.

kids

HA HA Henry, has the christmas candy kicked in?