My friend just "tagged" me. I was instructed to open my 6th picture file, post the 6th picture from that file on our blog, and share the details with you!

Since I don't have all my pictures on this computer...some were lost...some are on Fliker...some I have only in print now. What I did was go to 2007 since I started taking digital pictures when Cedric was born in 2002. I then went to my 6th file under 2007, which was a folder "December 2007", I then went to the first thing in that folder, which was another folder "Cedric's Christmas Creations". This is the photo that came up. It is a milk carton made into a candy house.

This picture is the actual 6th picture in the 6th file...well 7th file because the 6th file only had 4 images in it. This is the 4th image in the actual 6th file currently on my computer: Ok...I'm now tagging Andy, Lisa, Rie, Tiffanie, and Beth.

7 Bookish Things

Kristina Riggle http://www.redroom.com/blog/kristina-riggle/7-bookish-things-meme "tagged" all of her facebook friends. I accept the challenge! The rules are: Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.Share seven random and/or weird book facts about yourself.Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. Ok...I'll give this a whirl: When I was in 9th grade, I was so engrossed in a book that I didn't notice that the school bus had reached school and everyone, except me, had exited the bus. 2. I read every single Walter Farley book in the Black Stallion series when I was a young girl. I really wanted a horse and the books let me experience horses in a virtual way. 3. The first book I remember reading was Dr. Seus's book about Sneetches "The stars on thars..." I don't remember the title. 4. Now that I have children, it can take me a year to read a long book even if I really like it. 5. I love true life adventures. Real stories about real adventures just seem so much more compeling to me than a fictional story. Although, I do enjoy a good fictional story filled with historical facts. 6. I have no qualms about not finishing a story if I lose interest. My reading time is precious to me. 7. I once rapped a "Where The Sidewalk Ends" poem while reading it to a bunch of children. They loved it!

Halloween 2008

Halloween.

Candy....$20

Decorations...$50

Costumes....$100.

Allowed to be totally silly and any character you want...priceless!

The week before Halloween, the Parks and Rec dept held a Halloween festival at Russian Jack Park. There was trick or treating and lots of exhibits...some of which were a little too spooky for Blake. Cedric got the joke, though. There was a headless horseman (on a real horse), an "escaped" gorilla who ran around trying to get kids to chase him, and a carriage ride. We took a ride on the carriage and screamed when the headless horseman came "after" us. Lots of fun. All bundled up...

Really big Duck!

These teeth are better than any of the other "treats". "Grrrrrr....look at how scary we are!"

Knight Blake and Darth Vader Cedric get ready for a night on the "town". Having fun at the Zoo Boo... Ooooo large glowing spiders....Oh My! There were a whole bunch of these bigger than life creepy crawlers. And why should the kids have all the fun! Fred and Wilma join in the fun!

Flashback to summer

Flashing back to summer because I was too busy having fun to post about all the fun at the time... Grandma Janet and Cousin Stephanie came to visit.  

Blake loves his cousin so much he even smiles straight into the camera for her!  Believe me, this is an amazing thing.  Usually, Blake grimaces briefly, then turns quickly away.  Here, I got a shot of Blake looking at Stephanie for a picture.  Ah well...he still looks cute.  

Seward in the summer.  We had fun playing on the beach watching the fisherman cast out for salmon, seeing all the wildlife on the cruise, and playing on the playground.  Jim and his Mom also got in a half day of charter fishing.  Fun fun fun...  Well...more fun for Jim since he caught all the fish.  LOL  

First on the agenda...a train ride!  Why drive when you can relax and take in the beauty on the Alaska Railroad.  My only gripe was the early morning start.  Luckily, there is alot of sunshine in the summer.  It's easier to wake up early when it is light out.  

View of Turnagain Arm from the train as we head away from Anchorage.

Dead trees along Turnagain Arm. During the 1964 earthquake. The earth lifted and then dropped this area allowing salt water over the land. Alaska black spruce still can't grow in this area because the soil is too salty.

Cedric and Blake watching the beauty glide by.

A picture of the back of the train as we rounded a bend up Turnagain Pass.

A little black bear scrambling up an embankment.

Spencer Glacier. Since Stephanie and Grandma were with us...we could sneak away by ourselves at times...Yea! 

Sea plane on the lake at Moose Pass.  

I don't know the name of this lake, but the stillness allowed a beautiful and perfect reflection of the mountain in the water.  Ahhhh.  

Stephanie and Cedric relax in the dining car.   On a poplar fishing beach in Seward, Blake looks for ... something.... anything... what IS in there?

Working together for the common good...higher...HIGHER!

First time fishing ... we didn't catch anything, but boy was it fun trying.  

Cedric got his Junior Ranger badge on the cruise!  He was so proud.  The ranger was impressed at all that he knew.  Well...he is a smartypants.  ;-)

We saw tons of animals on this cruise.  There was even a humpback whale.  I saw the blow hole go and the back of the whale very briefly.  Here are a few of the better pictures I took.  

Bald Eagle sighted during our cruise.... Cool shot looking at mountains through a hole in the rock.  

Sea lions....

Glacier ahead!!!

Beautiful fireweed in front of the Seward Harber...

Blake and Cedric both pulled their own luggage.  Thanks potterybarn!  

Blake made it all the way to the top during a hike to Exit Glacier near Seward.   He was like a mountain goat.    

Blake was a great hiker, but even mountain goats get tired sometimes.  Blake catches a ride back down.   Stephanie pondering the awesome natural beauty. 

During our second Seward trip of the summer (what a rough life we lead, huh?) Grandma Sandy and Pop Pops pose with Cedric and Blake. My favorite Alaskan flower...the fireweed... frames the background. We had a lot of fun. Jim went on a charter fishing trip with the Grandparents. I didn't get to go fishing because the weather was good for only one day. Luckily for Jim, he caught a bunch of fish and our freezer is full. Next time, I get the good weather fishing day.

All About Blake!

Blake is SWIMMING!!!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  Yesterday, he got in right before his swim lesson, put his head in the water, floated a little, then started kicking.  By the end of his actual swim lesson, he was trying to use his arms!  Next session, he'll be in LEVEL II!  I'm so proud of him.  :-)

A boy and his cat.   Blake loves giving Peppy hugs and kisses; dragging a string for him to stalk and catch; cleaning the litter box (both boys enjoy this!) and gently stroking Peppy.  What more could a gentle, sweet cat like Peppy want?  

I'm a copy cat!

I enjoy Jill's music on her cobbapple blog, so I decided to make a playlist of my own. This is my theme song. "I'm not completely insane... I'm really just a little bit crazy...." LOL Come on...sing it with me!

Family Pops show

Cedric and Blake turned their full attention to the stage as the Family Pops program starts. This was Blake's first time seeing a show and Cedric's 2nd. The Anchorage Concert Choir did not dissapoint. There were "Cats"; "Oompa Loompa Doopide Do...."; "Lions and Tigers Bears...Oh My!"; Storm Troopers and a light saber battle; Enchanting songs of love; a King, Queen, Prince, and Princess; a mermaid that dropped down from the ceiling; and more. We all had a great time. You should have seen Cedric and Blake sit on the edge of their seats during the Storm Trooper entrance and light saber battle. They looked as pleased as any child who is finally allowed to watch a movie that is usually for older kids or adults. I loved seeing our friend perform a duet as a Jelico cat. Of course, that is one of my favorite musicals. And I have to say, the Mermaid songbird performed to the level of the best broadway plays. Fun fun fun and one of the best performances I have seen in a long time.