These pictures all kinda look the same but I thought I would post them to give Kim something new to look at ;)

The Same but Different

MY FAVORITE POEM

Oranges
By Gary Soto

The first time I walked
With a girl, I was twelve,
Cold, and weighed down
With two oranges in my jacket.
December, Frost crackling
Beneath my steps, my breath
Before me, then gone,
As I walked toward
Her house, the one whose
Porch light burned yellow
Night and day, in any weather.
A dog barked at me, until
She came out pulling
At her gloves, face bright
With rouge. I smiled,
Touched her shoulder, and led
Her down the street, across
A used car lot and a line
Of newly planted trees,
Until we were breathing
Before a drugstore. We
Entered, the tiny bell
Bringing a sales lady
Down a narrow aisle of goods.
I turned to the candies
Tiered like bleachers,
And asked what she wanted -
Light in her eyes, a smile
Starting at the corners
Of her mouth. I fingered
A nickel in my pocket,
And when she lifted a chocolate
That cost a dime
I didn't say anything.
I took the nickel from
My pocket, then an orange,
And set them quietly on
The counter. When I looked up,
The lady's eyes met mine,
And held them, knowing
Very well what it was all
About.

Outside,
A few cars hissing past,
Fog hanging like old
Coats between the trees.
I took my girl's hand
In mine for two blocks,
Then released it to let
Her unwrap the chocolate,
I peeled my orange
That was so bright against
The gray of December
That, from some distance,
Someone might have thought
I was making a fire in my hands.

MY DAUGHTER'S FAVORITE POEM

Right Through the Heart
By Susan Musgrave

and out the other side,
pumping like a bitch in heat,
beast with two backs, the
left and right ventricles.

It has to be love
when it goes straight through;
no bone can stop it,
no barb impede its journey.

When it happens you have to bleed,
you want to kiss and hold on

despite all the messy blood
you want to embrace it.

You want it to last forever,
you want to own it.
You want to take love's tiny life
in your hands

and crush it to death before it dies.

King of his world

Ginger the cat, he THINKS he is King of all he sees!

El Duke'

El Duke' again

What I woke up to this morning

Baloo the bear....see the dirt on his nose?? See the dirt ALL over my couch!!?? GRRRRRRRRRR

Taken today...I TRIED to smile :)

Me today

Picture taken today

The LAST time I lost weight

About 2 years ago

My DD #2

8 months old


About a year old....she LIVED in that drawer....we could NOT get her out! *L*


9 years old


Last year


Last night, trying to ignore me and the camera


Last night, trying not to get annoyed at me and the camera


Last night, THROUGHLY annoyed at me AND the camera! *L*

My DD #1

13 years ago


4 years ago


AFTER we cut the mohawk OFF!


ala Cruella Deville!


Last week

My DS

6 months old :)


My sister's wedding...almost 16 years ago


At one of his shows....3-4 years ago


One of his senior pictures last year


Him and his girlfriend

My Happy Thoughts :)

12 years ago.....


Doing a happy dance cause we were taking them to the Lake (about 12 years ago too)


About 7 years ago...


About 4 years ago...

Snow Pictures around the house

Ok ok ok....it IS pretty....but I still don't like it


Trees in front of our house


My cat Ginger

The side of our house

An old chicken coop, we don't have any chickens but the old building is so cool

Baloo

Snowmobile fun

Right after my DD#2 smacked her sled right into the tree! Good thing she was going slow!


My DH to the rescue! *L* I have NO IDEA how he can ride that thing with no coat, no gloves, in a T-Shirt for gosh sakes!!


DH arrives on the scene


DH teasing DD about "killing" the tree *L*

Before and After

Taken October 2004


Taken today

Snow Snow and MORE Snow

My House


My Garden (Of course the garden looks MUCH better in the spring and summer)


Our puppy Roxy, trying to catch the snowflakes, she's so goofy :)


Our chow Baloo, he's so black its hard to make out his face!