Bree Smiles!!

Check out this BEST grin!!

Almost Christmas

I snapped this picture of Jer, Shar & the girls...I just kinda liked it!

Defying logic..

I CHALLENGE ALL OF YOU TO DO THIS!  SIMPLY STAND STRAIGHT LEGGED, THEN PUT YOUR HEAD ON THE FLOOR!!  NO PROBLEM FOR ARDEN!

More cruise pics

Enjoying the beach at

Cozumel


Here's our little boat.  Sailing on this "floating city" was fabulous!

THE CRUISE!

Thanks mom & dad!!

   As you all know, Grandma & Grandpa Muir took all "us kids" on a cruise to the Western Carribbean!  We had the time of our lives!  Not only as couples, but as a FAMILY!  We left from Ft. Lauderdale, FL and stopped in Jamaica, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Nassau.  It was incredible - and as you can tell from the pictures, dad really let his hair down!  It was like cruising with a 6-year-old!  He was a fun and funny guy...here are a few of our favorite pics..

I've been TAGGED!

Thanks for the tag, Trace...ya got me thinkin!


Rules:

A.  The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B.  Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C.  At the end of the post, the player then tags other people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ok, Tracy...here goes nothin'!

1.  Some of you may be aware of "The Toe."  If not, here goes.. My middle toe on my left foot is longer than all the others.  It looks like it needs to be lopped off about the first knuckle!  Adding proof to my claim, whi

le cleaning out my parents house in anticipation of their downsizing move, we ran across my hospital birth certificate.  You know, the kind with the footprints on it?  Yup.  I was born this way!

2.  I have always been a flexible sort of girl.  I mean, kinda like a gumby doll.  Sadly, as I have aged, I have "stiffened up" a bit.  Can't do the crazy stuff I used to do.  I could do what dad called the "spider walk."  Wish I had a video of THAT!  But I don't, so you'll just have to confer with someone who knew me "back when"

 and they'll verify this magnificent stunt.

3.  As a senior in high school, I was selected as a Spartonian.  This highly coveted position was sought after by many in my class.  I had great high kicks, splits, and precision drill moves.  Well, our debut for the school was held early in the school year at an assembly.  I was as nervous as I had ever been, but was well prepared and very well warmed up before the performance.  However, my nerves must have tightened up my hamstring tighter than cat-gut on a cello!  Our first move early in the routine required a simple split.  Something I could do without even feeling a pull.  But, as soon as I hit the floor in a full split, I felt a pop, and sure enough...I was stuck there!  My first thought was "will I ever be able to have kids??" Yea, crazy I know, but it did go through my mind.  Anyway, I turned to the girl next to me and told her I couldn't get up, and she said I had to.  Uh huh..  Well, about 8 counts behind 

the other girls, I drug myself up and hauled my injured right leg with me.  I managed to stay on the floor - pretty much walking through the routine.  After exiting, my advisor checked on me, and they got me to a doctor.  Bottom line - I had seperated my hamstring from the bone.  I was on crutches for a while, and off the squad until the end of football season.  Bad news.  I couldn't run for nearly a year after this little incident.

4.  I hate spiders.  I hate bugs.  I hate creepy crawly things.  I've been known to beat a hole in the wall simply killing 

a bug. .. screaming the whole time, with my broom flailing about.  I've had a bug man 

spray for the last 20 years, so I don't have much of a problem anymore.  Still, I will ask ANYONE to kill a bug for me.  I only do it myself if I have NO OPTIONS!

5.  I think I'm an odd ball.  I grew up in a normal, functional, happy family.  I have no terrible memories of my childhood.   My parents are STILL married.  It never occurred to me to cause my parents any grief...you know, sneaking out at night, getting into trouble, or flunking out of school.  I probably missed out on the cool stuff, but I just didn't think of it!  I have 4 siblings, all still married as well.  My grandparents were always married.  I can only think of ONE uncle who was divorced.  Yup.  My family seems a bit odd.

6.  I DO believe my kids are brilliant!  Not just IQ, but their ability to choose well, marry fantastic women/man, and 2 of 'em are producing DARLING granddaughters!  (I know the rest of you will do your share soon).  It's been said that I have a charmed life.  Usually by people who have screwed up theirs.  But it's true.  Charmed indeed!

I'm tagging Mo, Lisa & Elaine!!  Let's hear it!

Halloween at our house..

Nothin' too spooky here..we were worried about the possibly illegal aliens who showed up at our door. We checked 'em out and found that they are, in fact, LEGAL! If ya zoom in REAL close, you might notice that Andy's mustache is REAL! Oh yea. A little darkening technique that us girls use on our eyebrows, and voila!

Arie wants her turf!

Arden looks like she wants to pop Bree for taking over her daddy's lap! Actually she was just wanting to touch the baby. But who knows...she can be territorial ya know..

Ouro Preto, Brazil

The beautiful cobblestone
streets in Ouro Preto were
oozing with charm! Built
on a hill, this old mining
town is just dripping with
charm!
Even though the people in
Brazil are very poor, by
comparison to the U.S.,
you'll notice that they
can still manage satellite
TV! Go figure..
This window was just
too cute to pass up this
photo op!

Trip To Brazil

Well, I'm safely home (and glad to be) from a great trip to Brazil to visit Dan & Pat Frei. They are doing quite well, and we had a fun week with them. It sure seemed to fly by! I'll post just a few pictures of the many we took to give you a taste of what it was like. The plane ride was LONG and very cramped. My feel and ankles were swollen from sitting immovable for so many hours. Seems to me they are moving those seats closer together every chance they get! We'll be sitting on each others laps pretty soon! Without further ado, here are some photos.. This first one was our first whole day in Belo Horizonte. We went to church about 25 minutes away in a ward that has doubled in size in the last year! There were probably 130 people attending. Hope you all appreciate your softly padded pews...no such thing here in Brazil! Hard, uncomfortable wooden chairs here..

Barb's Girls

Tracy & Kate came to meet baby Bree, so we snapped this picture of "the girls.."  (sadly, we were missing Fergi & Arden).  That's a lotta cuteness in one picture!

Grandpa, the push-over!

Grandpa is not easily distracted from his computer and O'Reilly after a hard day at work.  However, he'll drop everything to read a story to his sweet granddaughter, Allie!  Arden, you'd get the same treatment if you'd sit still long enough!  

Domino Reincarnated

Don't get all excited kids.  It's not him!  This fella came along with the transport crew that brought the playhouse.  He found a tennis ball, a comfy spot in the yard, and settled right in.   He played catch, and brought the ball back clenched tightly in his teeth, refusing to let go.  Just like Dom.  My I sure do miss that mutt!  Anyone know how I get this annoying underline off the text????  HELP!

The New House

There was quite a parade through town on Thursday!  The new playhouse Jeremy bought was delivered to our home.  Now, the house was not your miniature bungalow, as pictured in the minds of all girls...it was a 15' tall 2-story "fire house" type play house!  There were police escorts (4) and I don't know how many hired escort vehicles.  The house was too tall as it sat on the delivery truck, to fit under the traffic signals.  So traffic at  every intersection had to be stopped as the playhouse was weaved through - avoiding the signal arms.  Several stops were made while wires were raised for the house to pass under.  

The house now sits temporarily on the driveway - next to it's more permanent home.  A cement slab will be poured on Monday, then the fun task of moving the beast into place!  We'll keep you posted!  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRACY!!!!! Sept. 26th

There once was a cute little baby..

who grew to a lovely young lady.

The years seemed to fly -

We're not certain why,

But we'd turn back the clock again -- maybe!!

Happy birthday, little girl!  We love you bunches!

(by the way, does anyone else see Arden in this picture??)

Say what??

Uhh, that doesn't sound very nice!  We snapped this photo while in Berlin...anyone know what it really means??

Alex...is that YOU??

While vacationing in Hawaii earlier this year, we met our old friend, Alex (short for, Alexander the Great).  Our kids will no doubt recall many memories of our days with this crazy guy.  One of his favorite little quirks was to become very vocal anytime the phone rang!  Seemed he wanted to talk too.  Tracy was about 8 at the time, and the phone rang, so she answered it.  Of course Alex began his sqawking and hollerin' and Tracy said, "just a minute," put her hand over the phone and screamed "SHUT UUUUPP!!!  He did, and she went back to the phone call.  

Alex's undoing came when he continued to punish mom (who fed, cared for, and cleaned up after the dirty bird) by not returning my affection - instead preferring dad, who did none of that!  You're a gonner..

It's Time..

OK folks...hold on to your hats!  Hard to believe, I know, but we've gotta show our younger generation that we're not totally computer illiterate!  Me and D are gonna BLOG!  Ha!  The first one to tease or poke fun of me will not only incur the wrath of momma, but will probably make me melt down, delete my blog, and crawl back in my safe, dark world of non-internet savvy "old people!"

So, without further ado.... Heeeeeeeeerrrreeee we go!!