So I was looking around on the internet and found this amazing blog:  Frecklephotoblog.  She's a photographer and I think an art teacher.  Her photos are wonderful.  Anyway I was looking through her photos and came across some very cool photos using flashlights/sparklers.  I thought I'd try it too.  It took some experiments but here are my versions.  I want to do something like this and then make it into a large collage - an outline of the child and then their name, then an outline of John and I and a heart.  I figure I can do a large 9 x 9 square grid.

Je trouve une site par internet d'un photographie.  Elle avait pris quelques photos dans la nuit avec un lumier du flash.  Je pense que sa photos sont marveilleux.  Je les vue et pense que je peux faire le meme.  Je veux faire un grand image avec un photo par enfant comme ca, une photo par enfant de leur noms, un photo de John et moi, et un photo de nous deux avec un coeur, mais sans couleur.

This little girl loves to watch movies.  Every day she asks, "Can I watch a movie?"  The boys ask about video games but she wants to watch TV.  We have netflix streamed to our TV and she knows how to use it.  In fact we've forbidden her to rate the movies she watches.  Barbie: a Mermaid Tale was rated a 5 out of 5.  Space Chimps and Airbud the same.  It got to when we pulled up suggested titles we were given Barbie, Barbie and more Barbie.  The other night she asked for a movie and I said no.  She then asked John if she could watch a movie and he said no.  She asked again hoping we had changed our minds.  Not a chance.  She then proceeded to wait on the couch until we changed our minds.  It felt a little like a sit-in or hunger strike.  She waited and waited and waited.  When we asked her what she was doing she calmly answered, "For you to change your mind."  So we left her there and this is what happened.

Lona vraiment aime les filmes.  Toujours elle demande de voir une filme sur le tele.  L'autre nuit je dit non.  Alors elle a demande a John.  Il a dit non aussi.  Alors elle a demande encore et encore et encore.  Nous avons dites non chaque fois.  Alors elle a assis sur le divan.  Quand nous avons la demande qu'elle a fait, elle a repondu qu'elle attend nous changeons notre decision.  Pas un chance.  Elle a attendu jusqu'elle tombe endormir.

The bed we bought in Montana, Le lit nous avons achetes en Montana

I'm in the process of decorating our bedroom.  John has caught my vision of how I would like to pull it all together.  It started with a black iron bedframe that we purchased while living in Montana (about 12 years ago). 


The dresser L'armoir que John m'achete

 Then about 5 years ago we purchased a large black dresser at an outlet for gently scratched furniture.  The feet of the dresser are important - they have round feet. 



dresser & bookshelf feet Les pied d'armoir et l'etager



the foot of the nightstand le pied d'une table de chevet

 
Last week we decided that we needed yet another bookshelf.  I love books and can't part with the really good books.  I found a cheep black bookshelf and John agreed that we could get it.  After Isaac and I assembled and moved it around in our room to a couple different places, we finally found the perfect spot.  John realized what I have been working towards for the last 10 years. 
We found a black nightstand (with round feet) and I am going to sand and paint the table next to the bed black.  The table works so well when John is working from home. 
I found this table in the garage of our last house and even with the crack across the whole table, I kept it. I'm looking for a chair on Craig's list that I can paint  to go with the table. The rocking chair we found in a shed at John's Mom's place.  I had it recovered and stained to go in the kids' room when they were babies.  Now it resides in our room.  I think it'll stay there until I have a place to move it.  The quilt rack has the afagan that John's Grandma crocheted and the quilt that my Aunt Vieth made.  Maybe that quilt rack should be painted black.
The lamp on the table came from John's aunt.  She received it at her wedding but didn't want it anymore, she was down sizing.


It is no longer here. Ce n'est pas ici.

 I thought about painting the dresser but I don't think I could make it look right.  I think that the top is some kind of laminate that may not take paint well. My grandma purchased this when I was five at a garage sale.  It has served it's purpose and after 35 years I'm ready to pass it on. Now there is just a blank wall where this dresser was.  Should I place large photos here or a sentence written on the wall.  Need help with the last bit. After two tries, I finally like the color of the walls.  I made the curtains when we moved in.   

My mother-in-law made the quilt that is on the bed which I absolutely love.  I'd like to see crown molding around the room and maybe a black chandelier. I'm thinking that the room needs some photos possibly large black and white photos of the family. I'd like to replace the hardware for the doors (hinges and handles) to black.  Slowly very slowly it is coming together and I'm excited. 

Once I'm done with a room I don't want to do anything more, ever.  I have a spread sheet of things I'd like to do with the house including example photos and prices.  This has helped John see my vision and shows him that I'm willing to wait but also that I know what I want.

Apres 15 ans, J'ai presque mon chambre de coucher finir.  Quand nous habitons en Montana, John m'achete le lit.  Il y cinq ans quand il m'achete le grand amoire noir.  Le semaine dernier John m'achete l'etager noir.  Il est fatigue des livres en toute la maison.  J'aime des livres de bon histoire.  Quand il a vue les deux ensemble il me dit que nous avons une table de chevet noir.  Alors je vite trouve une et l'achete hier.  Le petit amoire brun, ma grandmere m'achete quand j'etais cinq ans.  C'est temp qu'il quitte notre maison.  La couverture de lit a fais par la mere de John.  Elle aime les coulour brillant mais elle me demande mes coulour pour la chambre.  J'ai une couverture de lit que ma Taunte Vieth a fait et une autre que la grandmere de John a fait.   Je fais les rideaux quand nous demenagons a la maison.  La Taunte de John nous donne la lampe.  Elle l'a recu pour sa marriage et maintenant n'a pas la place.  La table pres de le lit, je trouve dans la garage de notre derniere maison.  Je vais la peintre noir.  C'est un bon place pour John quand il traville a la maison.  Je voudrais que tous vas bien ensemble alors je cherche pour le meme mode de pied pour tous les meubles.  Je pense que je voudrais des photos grande noir et blanc pour les murs.  Je suis excite de finir la chambre.

When I woke up this morning there was snow on the ground and rain in the air.  Knowing it wouldn't last the day I woke up the kids and told them to get out there while it was around.  The boys said, "no thanks - I'd rather do school."  Lona's response, "I don't want to get up."  I promptly went downstairs and left for working out, leaving the kiddos in bed and John getting ready for work.
I was informed at workout that school was cancelled but that has never been an issue for us at home.  We can do school rain or shine, but preferably not when it is nice out.  When I arrived home I found the snow gear out but didn't hear anything stirring except the gerbils.  The dog almost never gets up before 10am.  I made the coffee and was getting ready to go upstairs to take a shower when Lona, in full ski gear, knocked at the back door wanting in.  Surprise. 

She was outside alone with the dog in the dark trying to make a snowman.  She hadn't even had breakfast yet.  I decided then and there to be spontaneous and call a snow day.  Isaac's french class was cancelled and so was Awana.  We had nothing pressing to do. 

Quand je se reveille ce matin, il y a de la neige sur la terre et la pluie dans l'aire.  Je demande aux enfants s'ils voulussent aller dehors pour jouer dans la neige.  Les garcons dirent "non, merci."  Lona dit "je ne  veut pas me reveiller".  Alors j'ai quitte la maison d'aller faire la forme physique.  La, j'ai decouvert que les ecoles sont ferme pour la jour au cause de la neige. 

Quand j'arrive a la maison, je trouve des vetements du neige par terre mais il n' y a pas de bruit dans la maison.  Je me fais du cafe et commence de montre en haut quand quelqu'un a frappe a la porte derrier.  C'etait Lona.  Elle etait toute seule dans la jardin sans lumiere pour fabriquer un homme de neige. Elle n'avait pas manger le petit dejeuner. 

Alors parce que la classe francais a ete decommandee pour la jour j'ai decide d'avoir un jour dans la neige.  Parce que nous finissons nos classes un mois plus que les etudiants aux ecoles, je pense pourquoi pas?

December has come and gone, a new year has arrived  and yet there is so much from December that I still want to write about.
Decembre etait partir, un annee nouvelle a commence mais il y a quelleque choses qui se passent en decembre qui sont importante. 
 13 events of December:  13 choses importante en decembre:
1.  My Mom's visit:  Brief, hectic and wonderful. We went to dance rehearsals and a recital, soccer games, shopping and ice cream. We were able to visit, speak french, watch movies and open presents.  La visite de ma mere.  Nous sommes allee de voir Lona en ballet, Job et Isaac en football, faire du shopping, parler en francais, et voir des films.








2. A rare visit from John's Dad.  we drug him to soccer games too.   John worked on his computer during his free time and the kids played the piano for him and Pat.  Une visite avec le pere de John.  Nous lui prennons avec nous de voir Isaac jouer le football.

3. The rainy weather.  We all were silently hoping for snow.
Le pluie.  Nous esperons de neige mais il seulement plui.
4. Christmas lights:  walking and driving around our own neighborhood and others for the lights.  Les lumieres de Noel, nous faire des promenades de voirs les lumieres.






5. Opening on present on Christmas Evening and trying to send the kids off to bed so we could set up a present for the morning.  Ouvrire un cadeau de Noel le soir avant le Noel apres allons a l'eglise.

6.  Stuffing stockings:  this year I put in personal sugared cereal cups so John and I could sleep in but they didin't want to go downstairs without us.
Les chausettes de Noel.  Je lui mets de cereal du sucre pour les enfants.
7.  Opening presents in the dark before the sun came up - it was different last year. 
Ouvrire les cadeaux dans l'obscurite parce que c'etait trop tot.  C'est different l'annee passee.




8.  Going to a friend's house for brunch, singing and games on Christmas Day.  Allez chez un ami pour le petit dejeuner a Noel.  Nous avons manger, chanter et jouer.
9.  Skiing at Mount Baker.  We hung out on the rope tow (it's free) and were soaking wet in 2 hours.  We had lunch, played with the dog and went home.  Faisez du ski a Mount Baker juste pour deux heures au cause de pluie.
10.  Receiving an unexpected surprise from my Grandparents.  Nous avons recu un cadeau a mes grandparents.  C'est vraiment un surprise.











11.  My new kitchen faucet.  It makes me smile while washing dishes.  We still have a broken dishwasher (It's been broken since before my Mom arrived in December).  Unfortunately my new faucet broke and we were washing dishes in the laundry room until the faucet was replace.  But all is good now.
Une nouvelle robinet de cuisine.  Il me fait plaisir.  Il faut que je lave les vaiselle parce que mon lave-vaiselle est casse mais ma robinet me fait sourire.
12.  Wrapping presents for Reach Out.  There were more kids there than any other year and we were done around 3:30.  Isaac, Job and Lona have an automatic job of gathering wrapped presents and placing them on the correct family number.  Envelope les cadeaux pour les enfants qui n'avait rien pour le Noel. 

Over this Christmas break, Job had the opportunity to play and practice on a select team.  These kids were nominated as being some of the best on their team.  His coach really deliberated on nominating Job but did and we took full advantage of it.  His team comprised of boys ages 9 and 10 (mostly 10). They had practices at the sportsplex and learned a lot.  Job's first tournament was on Sunday, Dec 26.  His team was split and placed on two older teams.  They played on the big field against older kids (mostly 12 year olds that had made the select teams).  I was a little worried.  I mean Job weighs all of 50 pounds and many kids were twice that, but he did fine.  They placed third out of four teams.  Not bad.  Then they played again on Wednesday against 12 year olds. They didn't split up the team and add them to older kids this time so it was their team of 10 year olds against 12 year olds.  They lost their games but still not by a lot.  They played their hearts out.  Their last tournament was on Thursday.  This was a U10 tournament.  Kids that were mostly 10 with a few 9 year olds.  They won all their games.  I saw the last one and it was exciting.  Job's team fought hard and won. This allowed them to play for the championship.  Job played defense, which meant that he had to keep on his man so that he didn't let the forward get by him and score. He got in there and would create a wall that kept kids from getting around him. Sometimes even using his arms to do a little pushing.  He would lock arms with his opponent while fighting for the ball, pulling it back and passing it across the field to his teammates.  The ball was back and forth, shots were taken by both teams and deflected or missed.  At halftime the score was in Job's team's favor.  Another 12 minutes of passing, shooting, deflecting and scoring by both teams.  At the end of the game it was 4 to 4.  This resulted in sudden death overtime of 6 minutes - first team to score wins.  The Rapids reds kicked off, but the Rapids white (Job's team) quickly gain possession of it.  Again it was back and forth, subs were sent in.  Job again was on defense.  The level of play increased.  The Rapids red had won game in a shoot out already and want to win this one bad.  The Rapids white stepped up their play and kept the Reds from scoring but they were able to score either.  They had plenty of shots but after 6 minutes nothing, still the score remained 4 to 4.  This meant that it would be decided by shoot out.  Three shots by each team, three shooters, one goalie for each team.  Job's team had an excellent goalie and three very hard kickers.  They made their first two shots and unfortunately for the other team, they did not.  Job's team the Rapid whites won 6 to 4 in a shoot out to become the u10 champions for the Christmas tournament.  Job has had a tough outdoor season and an even tougher indoor season so this felt good.  He is now a little excited to play soccer again.

Depuis la vacances pour Noel, Job avait l'occasion de jouer le football.  Les garcons sont les mieux sur ses equipes. Son entraineur n'etait pas sur que Job avait assi talent mais il demande s'il veut jouer.  Il dit oui et participe bien.  Son equipe avait des garcon qui sont 10 ans et quelque qui sont 9 ans.  Ils ont apprendre beaucoup et apres quelque practiques ils ont jouer dans trois tournoi.  En le premier tournoi, les garcons jouent dans deux equipes differents.  Les equipes sont pour les garcons qui sont 12 ans, alors petit Job joue avec et contre des garcons plus grands que lui.  L'equipe pris le troisieme place pour ca tournoi mais il y a seulement quatre equipes.  Le deuxieme tournoi, l'equipe de Job est seulement garcons qui sont 10 ans mais ils ont joue contre des equipes qui ont des garcons 12 ans.  Ils ont perdu tout.  Le dernier tournoi, l'equipe de Job joue contre des equipe de garcon de 10 ans.  C'est magnifique.  Le derniere match de tournoi, il finis 4 a 4, alors il faut joue 6 minutes plus.  Apres le 6 minutes, c'est 4 a 4 deja.  Il faut que trois garcon prennent de coupe contre le gardien de but pour chaque equipe.  Deux garcon sur l'equipe de Job met le ball dans le but mais le gardien pour l'equipe de Job arrete le ball pour l'autre equipe.  A la fin, l'equipe de Job gagne 6 a 4 et ils sont les champions pour ce tournoi.