Sorelle Lewis and Anderson!

...tidings of great joy from two of our most favorite, most beautiful sorelle in all of Italy!...those are two happy girls wouldn't you say...I would say the joy radiates!!! I know, Christmas was two months ago...sorry! I just figured out how to scan Lindsay's fun card so that I could post it for everyone to see! (Well, actually...Allyson scanned it for me!) Lindsay really wanted to send cards to everyone but did not have the funds to cover cards and postage....I hope posting it here is almost as good! Enjoy!! :)

Santiago Wins "the Big VIII" League! 14-0!!!!

Allyson's varsity basketball team went undefeated in league to take the championship for the second year in a row!!! Happy Day! :) The first two pictures were taken at an away game against King H.S. of Riverside...with an embarrassing final score of 52-12!

Allyson loves her shoes!



Allyson, surrounded by Corona H.S. players, out jumps her opponent for the rebound! You go Girl!!! who ever said "white girls can't jump"? The final score in this game against Corona H.S. was a little more respectable with something like 68-39.

Sorella Anderson's on the phone!! :)

Having Chelsea home for Christmas was the best! Isn't she just so cute in her new plaid/poka dot jammies and striped socks!? Having Lindsay so far from home for the second Christmas in a row was tough!...but talking with her on the phone was awesome...the next best thing to being there!! We mostly had her on speaker phone and we all talked/listened for nearly two hours!

Christmas pictures...my favorite!

my favoritest boys in the whole world!!!

gotta have at least one of the nut farm pictures :)

the dorky couple!...isn't love grand!!!! :)

not sure what this means? he's too loud? he smells? I just don't know?

the word "glorious" comes to mind! happy, healthy, clean, well groomed children...my children? It doesn't happen often (at least not everyone all at the same time) but when it does, we are sure to break out the camera and go to town! (actually it's all because "it's a church day" as Michael would say) the only thing missing in this one would be our number one daughter Lindsay!!! Now that would be glorious to infinity! We thought we were taking Christmas card pictures....sadly, the card part never happened. But I love the picture part!

Birthday wishes for Sorella Anderson (9.11.08)

Okay so it's a little out of date order but here it is anyway....Allyson made a fabulously beautiful banner to include with Lindsay's birthday package. I love it! I'm sure Lindsay did too.

Taylor does the spelling bee! 12.05.08

Taylor was awesome in the school spelling bee, surviving seven rounds. Only two students survived longer than her and they continued on for a total of forty four grueling rounds! YIKES!

Christmas wishes Italian style

Thanksgiving 2008

We spent Thanksgiving in San Clemente with my sister-in-law Jennifer's family at her Mother's beautiful home overlooking the ocean. We made the "apple turkeys", ate lots of yummy food and desserts, took a few pictures and, of course, played games.

October 2008

Allyson's birthday...#17! :)

The pumpkin patch...California style. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a real pumpkin patch locally. So every year we make do at the "pretend" pumpkin patch that's more like a carnival with piles of pumpkins under a big a tent and lots of rides, monster blow up slides and smiles.

Michael and his John Deere ride! :) He quickly turned this into bumper cars....repeatedly rear-ending Hannah and Riley. He must have had the faster car or maybe a heavier foot?

Riley Jayne and "Scout" the pony :)

Allyson is lovin' it!


Madison...."Woowhooo!!!"

Taylor..."Oh my goodness!" ...and yes you can actually see her tonsils! :)

Hannah...hanging on for dear life... "this is scary...but I love it!"

This year at the "pseudo" pumpkin patch, they had a new ride (i guess you would call it) maybe "attraction" is a better word?... with four "bungy jump" -like stations. As you can see, the kids are harnessed in and then attached/held by huge rubberband like ropes. Beneath them is a huge innertube looking trampoline. The worker would tighten the rubberband like ropes, raising them several feet in the air, then pull the kids down to the trampoline and then quickly release them like a big sling shot...hurling them into the air. (if that makes sense) Allyson was the first to insist on trying it out with everyone else clammering to try after they saw how much fun she was having. Michael was terrified at first, but relaxed and enjoyed after a few times up and down. It was great fun to watch!

Halloween is here!

Here's two of our four jack 'o lanterns "spidy" complete with a web and "smily". We also carved one with a cat (which suprisingly turned out very good) and another one with I can't even remember what, but for some reason we didn't get very good pictures of those two. Oh well.

ready to go! Hannah is a scarey-pirate, Riley is tinkerbell with light up wings, Michael is Batman (for the third year in a row, I think) and Taylor is a cute kitty. :)

(Mark didn't dress up he just wanted to be in the picture.)

Halloween is always a blast with all the usual...costumes, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, haunted houses (we have a neighbor, a couple of blocks away, that does a huge one every year), and too much candy. I was very impressed with Riley Jayne this year; she insisted on walking the entire trick-or-treating route, which was not just long but included hills. Towards the end of the evening, she did start to lag behind a little but never complained. By the time we were done, she was too tired to even survey her haul of candy!

My little Tinkerbell the trooper! :)