miniature toes in miniature socks = miniature lint

it's the simple things. the real simple.

Yesterday I went to Joanne's Fabrics for a few things. Zoralee was viewing with amazement, not the rows and rows of colorful fabrics or ribbons or yarns, but the plain white circle lights above us. This picture is exactly how she looked for a long time, enough time for me to have a good laugh, realize I should be documenting this, and dig through my purse for the camera.

Shortly after this, she must've decided she needed the attention of every single one of our fellow shoppers and so broke into a fit. Crafty, industrious ladies appeared from all sides, young frazzled mothers, calm experienced ones, all to coo at Zoralee. One lady in her 70's with thin hair that would've been white, but in keeping it shoulder-length and attempting to dye it brown ended up with it orange, furrowed her eyebrows and asked if Zoralee needed to eat. I told her I'd just fed her. Oh, well then she must have an air bubble, Orangey surmised. She hesitatingly walked away but kept her eyes on me as she walked. I got Zoralee out of her carseat and into her sling, and noticed minutes later that Orangey was still hanging out at the periphery a couple aisles up, watching.

Good times in Joanne's.

You know, I just remembered that I have a pic of the sling. It's a Mai Tai sling that Darla made, and it works quite well for Zoralee. Darla and Steve gave it to us around the New Year, when they were passing through on the train and we'd met them at the station for quick hugs. Thanks, you two!

How's that for a stream-of-consciousness blog?

snow, snow, and more snow

During much of December and early January, it snowed like crazy around here. Things are warming up now, but that time made for some great scenery and trekking by ski and horse. Finally getting a few pics posted.




Here was a gorgeous and surreal evening and night ride with an old high school buddy, Brett, his wife, Jen and dad, Dick. We also got to spend the better part of that day with Brett and Jen, forcing them by various torture techniques to give up their best gardening tips and ideas for sustainability.

Look here! At times, our stirrups dragged on the ground.

Jen and Brett

friends stuffed and friends cooing

Here's Zoralee with some of her less talkative friends, from left to right a teddy bear handmade by Jess H., a doll commissioned by Elisha to be made by Autumn, and Z's very first stuffed animal, a rabbit received at Eastertime from Scott and Amanda.


Here's a teddy bear from Katherine, and a gloworm from Grandma Rena that looks precisely like Zoralee when she's swaddled.

Zoralee also has two new friends of the human variety, through an astounding, miraculous series of events. I asked Paul and Joanna if I could talk about and show pictures of Zoey and Chloe on my blog, to which they were agreeable. So here's the brief version and a couple of pics.

Paul and Joanna have been wanting a family for the better part of their 8-year marriage, but weren't having success at creating one. That, and a stressful career were already heavy weights on Joanna. Then in early in 2008, she was in two car wrecks that essentially totaled life as she knew it - her health, career, sanity, ability to sleep, hers and Paul's plans for the future, etc. Toward the end of the year, after much pain, seeking, surrender, and healing, they decided they'd like to adopt a child, or better yet two at once in the form of twins. They started in on the process through a private agency, and the social worker told them there was no way in h-e-double toothpicks they'd get twins, but that it was a nice sentiment. I'm paraphrasing.

In mid-December, when they'd barely completed the bulk of their paperwork and were settling in for the inspections, the home visits, the wait, the agony, they got a call. There was a set of preemie twins in a town nearby whose initial adoptive parents backed out on account of the intense special care they'd need. Was there any way they could drive to this nearby town TOMORROW, spend four days at the hospital learning to care for them, and take them home? And literally overnight they were parents of twin girls.

These little dolls are now almost six months old (having spent five months in the hospital), but are just now Zoralee's weight. They were the size of dollar bills when they were born, less than a pound each. No foolin. Here they all are together. Of course Zoralee "Bundle of Grump" Rena is clearly deciphered.

When we hang out at their house (they're especially susceptible to germs and gunk so are home-bound for several months), there are babies everywhere. Only three, yes, but it's still a visual oddity, a glitch in the matrix. You know they're all in the living room, but you walk into the bathroom and expect to see one in the tub and one washing their hands at the sink. It's like the Richard Scary books where there are members of the rabbit and cat families all over the page.

We are heavily missing our peeps up in Anchorage. Starting over to create a social network, I mean one comprised of live people, is really hard, no matter what other good things in life you have. So getting to know people like Paul, Joanna, Zoey, and Chloe, has been joyous.

tuft of flufft

a leetle video with Brother Dave

Well, here's something different! David heard about a family competition on the CBS Early Show, so we spent the last few days before he headed back to school creating a video of his song, "Misery." Here it is, as posted to youtube. If you've got a good internet connection, you can watch the video from youtube's site and click the "high definition" link below the screen to see it in the best quality.

You can also watch it at the CBS link along with the other contestants' entries: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/22/earlyshow/main4467526.shtml. If you do that, be prepared for a very interesting slice of American family life, in all its endearing, bizarre, and varied glory!

P.S. We won't be the least bit offended if you post our video to your blog or space or facebook or whathaveyou to help us spread the misery.