Executive Decision

This blog is a ticking time bomb.

 Or picture bomb.

 Either way, at some point very soon, I am going to be out of storage space. I was able to eke out a bit more to get me through the end of 2012, but a change has got to happen.   Still too cheap to pay for space, I would just as soon make it at the beginning of the year.  So, effective immediately, our new blog address will be: www.metcalf88.blogspot.com


And I really mean it this time.  That whole wordpress thing was just a fake out. This time its for REALS
See ya there!

Part 2

School started late this year, but still too early for us.  My baby started second grade!

Then the next day, Mitch had a birthday.  He is getting so old  that the candles are becoming a challenge now.

Don't I have the best parents?

Contrary to popular belief, and what this picture suggests, Maggie IS fed and played with on a regular basis.  She has a dependent personality disorder though, and whatever you do, it's just not enough.

Ah yes, our vacation.  I still need to get those beach pictures printed off. Man, could we ever use another few days at the beach right about now.

 No idea where or when this was taken.  It's just a nice picture.

One of my small regrets is missing Halloween this year to go to Haiti.  We carved pumpkins early, then they turned rotten before Halloween ever arrived.  They looked amazing this year though.

This guy also had a birthday while I was gone.  Fortunately, his kids made him a beautiful pink and purple birthday cake to mark his passing into elderhood.

Just a few of the many many attempts at a family photo.  The light was just weird this day.  But there they are, all together again.

And more Halloween randomly stuck in the wrong place, like so many things around here.  Audrey was getting her hair sprayed black by a devoted grandma.

A week after I got back from Haiti (which I just realized I still need to expound upon my adventures there), it snowed.  A lot. Enough for Maggie to romp in and for us to build snowmen in, even though they melted really fast.

And now we are back to two of our favorite things, Christmas and playing cat dress up. Combine the two for hours of family fun!

We were going to put them on our Christmas cards, but then I thought, I just don't want to be known as THAT family, you know?

We also launched the Christmas season with a gigantic box of chocolates.  It's embarrassaing how fast those little buggars disappeared.

Baby learned to text at Grandpa's birthday party!

And Audrey and Carla got into the party mood too...

Grandpa got the biggest present.

And just like that we are back to Christmas eve, and that is how fast our year rolled around.  Grandpa is picking a present for our traditional present game.

Mitch doesn't want anybody to know this, but he is just a big softie underneath it all.

And that's about it for 2012, I guess.

It wasn't such a bad year after all...

2012 brought Alisa safely back to us from France.   We got a new fence. Had a great vacation. Made it through with all the important people in tact.  Spent a few warm and lovely days sitting on beaches.  And really, what more can you ask of one year?

We lost some things this year.  Our last grandma, which was sad for us, but not for her. Lots of teeth.  Baby teeth,  wisdom teeth, and one tooth I  wish I still had. Mitch lost his car, but with some help from the grandparents, managed to find another car he likes much better.   Alisa lost her heart somewhere in France. Oh, and the job.  We lost a job this year.  That one still smarts.

Things we found.  Olivia's old binky, a grandma doll, and a Link toy, from when we were cleaning up our Logan house. Those were fun little treasures to find. A great new place to celebrate the 4th of July. The screen to our front door. And some other stuff, like a new appreciation for the place I live in, after seeing what other people in not-so-fortunate places live like.

So, bring it on 2013.  We are ready.  But be nice to us, okay?

A May- December Romance Part 1

This can't really be called a year in review because we didn't get our camera til May. And it's not even really a review, because some of these pictures never made the cut the first time around.  But they are some of my favorite moments of the year, of some of my favorite people, and I am currently having a love affair with them, (the pictures not the people, SILLY!) as we start the final countdown of 2012.

These three are the first pictures I took with my new camera on Mother's Day.  I picked epic subjects, did I not?   I especially love the hole in Will's sock, and Duncan picking his nose.

And this is my girl on the morning of her seventh birthday.

The birth of a new tradition: decorating your own birthday cake.  It was a hit.  Can you just see the future Cake Boss in there?

Will's last orchestra concert of 8th grade. Little did we know at the time he would not be playing in 9th grade, at least for the first semester. That may be about to change though...

Audrey had a blast in sixth grade, studying Greek mythology and having a toga day, and then making Egyptian masks. Hard to believe she was in elementary school THIS YEAR. Junior high is such a jump.

We all got a great deal of entertainment value out of this little squirrel who lives in my parents back yard. He is still there, and much bigger now. He showed up on my Dad's birthday.  We have big plans for this squirrel next summer.  I predict he will be eating out of our hands by August.  Either that, or one of us will have rabies from trying.

And then, there were all the cousin moments of the summer.

Is my mother shrinking?  Oh wait, no, she is just surrounded by her extra-large nephews, Spencer on the left, who got back from mission not too long ago, and his "little" brother Max, who I believe is 14 in this picture.  Can you believe that?  14!

This was our attempt at creative pancaking.  That pancake is supposed to say RFF, for Rachel Faith Featherstone.  My nieces are pretty easily impressed sometimes.

And there is Rebecca's RJF.  Yes, I know my nieces middle names.  I think that makes me a pretty rockin auntie.

Oh, we are a fine fine bunch of Fabulous Featherstones.

 Yes, we are.

We found out at the Syracuse Days parade that Uncle Sam has a cell phone, just in case you need to call him for a patriotic emergency or something.

And we went swimming exactly once.

But we did get to sit on our front lawn and watch fireworks, which is very cool.

And Will got this awesome hat at the fourth of July parade.

The boys are achieved equality this year, in one important area.  I'm sure this has changed by now though.  Will MIGHT be a little taller than Mitch now. 

Ah, Bear Lake. This needs to be a yearly tradition. 

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Grandpa and his tractor and a load of growing grandkids.  Lots of good memories there.

Wish I looked that cute in the dentist chair. I spent way more time there than Olivia did, but I'm pretty sure I didn't look anywhere near as cool. 

Grandma's birthday was a hit.

And that brings us to the end of August, halfway through our sentimental journey, and leaves me longing for summer.   Now we are off to make a dent in the holiday destruction we have wreaked on our house and then we will be up for some more partying for the New Year tonight.