HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

We are leaving for Tennessee to spend Thanksgiving with my mother, brother & sister-in-law.

So I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

I'll be thinking of you!




THIS IS SO TRUE!!!

THE LIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

We went to the Toledo Zoo on Sunday. They have it all lit up for the holidays. It was beautiful!






No trip to the zoo is complete without a stop in the gift shop!
So after playing with the stuffed animals for awhile, we decided it was time to see

the real ones...





"DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE BEAR IS DOING, JUST LOOK AT THE CARMERA & SMILE!!"
buncha wimps thought he was going to come through the glass after them! SSSHHHEEESH!







He was really pretty cool, just sitting next to the glass watching the show on the other side. Madi is looking a little nervous to me!

I think he's trying to pick up her scent! But isnt he CUTE?!?!

See the trees lit up behind us? Music played & the lights all changed. Keep looking at the trees in the next few photos.

Ok girls, pose for me & i'll take your picture & get the lights behind you.

OH...COMMON! Please just smile pretty!

OH JUST FORGET IT!! I'll just take a picture of the trees by themselves!

Taken from inside the greenhouse. The condensation on the glass distorted the lights, I couldnt quite pick it up in this shot, but it was awesome!

Nice picture of Dan & Morgan in front of that same tree. "Hey Morgan, would you take a picture of your dad & I in front of it now?"

YEAH...GREAT! THANKS!

HONEY...I BLEW UP THE KIDS!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE CARLSONS...

or at least thats what it WOULD have said....if Duane hadn't closed his eyes & ruined our Christmas picture!!!! ; )



Ok....not really, we stopped to drink our hot chocolate & have Christmas Oreos (A tradition that was started when the girls were little) & Dan took our picture. Thanks Dan!

MARSHA'S WAS ON TV! ME TOO!

So our local Channel 11 came into Marshas the other day to talk about starting your own home business.

After they talk to Marsha, they pan over to another table, I am the one on the right with my back to the refrigerators. (I am wearing a jacket with pink stripes).

We sure do make those hair nets look good dont we?!?! ; )

http://www.wtol.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=3162771&at1=News&h1=You

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY....Part II

This is the winter version! Morgan & I went back to Illinois for a friends baby shower & to visit with my friends. Weather was cold, but not bad...UNTIL WE HIT INDIANA on our way home. They get the dreaded "lake effect snow". I had to wake up Morgan so she could take some pictures for me.







And so it begins, another winter season!



See the snowflakes coming RIGHT AT YOU!!! It was much worse than the picture looks.

Its a WHITE OUT! Ok not quite, but pretty snowy. It snowed until we got into Ohio, & then it just STOPPED! Not even snow on the ground. Pretty wild.

I thought you Arizonians would enjoy these...either because you are enjoying seeing the snow, or the thought that you dont have to deal with it!! ; )

REFLECTION

To see a world in a grain of sand
and a heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour.
W. Blake


















These are shots that I took the other day when Duane & took a walk.
The saying I have always loved, thank you Tania for reminding me of it!
Sorry I stole it! ; )
(Its also from a Lara Croft movie...I like that too!)

THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN!

Well, ok maybe not the REAL circus, but it sure was entertaining to me! We have some tall grasses growing in the back of our yard. The birds just love it, I'm not sure if they are eating seeds off of it...or they just love to play on it. This is what happens: no birds on the grasses, then all of a sudden they come from nowhere & all fly on. Then the grasses start to sway & bend under their weight & some of the birds fly off, more come on...more bending, jumping from stalk to stalk...its CRAZY!! The Flying Wallendas have nothing on these birds! Of course they can't fly....




Grasses just swaying in the breeze...



Then a few birds arrived....



And even more! UH-OH bending & swaying going on!

This would have been better in video, because of all of the activity...but this is as good as I could do. See the stalk on the right bending under the birds weight?

Then they send in the clowns...& the act was over!

ALMOST...

The show must go on...so the sun decided to take the center ring...

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!!

LETS JUST KEEP THEM AT HOME & WRAP THEM IN BUBBLE WRAP!!

Well here we go again....but luckily NO ONE was hurt this time.


Shot Fired At Bowling Green U. In Ohio Nov 7th 2008
CBS News Interactive: School Shootings BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) ― Police at Bowling Green State University in Ohio say someone fired a gun near a parking lot but no one was injured. A student is in custody and is being questioned. A university spokesman said Friday police are searching for a weapon in a field near a student parking lot. School spokesman Dave Kielmeyer said a university officer heard a gun shot about 6:35 a.m. in a field next to the on-campus lot. Kielmeyer said he didn't know if the shot was fired in the air or at a person. Students were told by text message to stay away from the area and later received an "all-clear" message. The school has not identified the student being questioned by campus police.

THE THREE AMIGOS

I drive by these 3 trees almost every day. This is the "FALL" shot. For some reason I just like these guys. I want to get pictures of them every season.

There is just no easy way to get to them, so far...this is the best shot I've been able to take. (Duane was driving & I took this at 30 miles an hour).

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2008

It was a beautiful Halloween this year. Temperature was in the 60's, so Duane & I were able to sit outside handing out candy & beanie babies without wearing a jacket until later in the evening. We bought 10 bags of candy & gave out most of it (all except for a few of my favorites, which I had hidden!) to about 100 trick-or-treaters that came by. We also gave away about 40 beanie babies that we still had from Morgan & Madisons collection. (don't tell them ok?!) The kids just loved that...not sure how the parents felt...but I didnt care, I GOT RID OF THEM!! YAH!!


Riley had to go inside, he got too excited when the kids came up for their treat. He was pretty bummed!

End of the night...all of the beanies are gone, & only a few pieces of candy left. This is the first year I didn't have any of my children trick-or-treating. Madi had to work & Morgan was at a college Halloween party. The end of an era! ; ( Feel bad for me...I didn't get

any free candy!!!

PUMPKIN CARVIN'

On Tuesday, Morgan & Dan came over so that we could get the pumpkins carved for Halloween.





Morgan always has to pose!!! Here she is acting like she doesnt like the feel of the pumpkins "insides". Dan is supervising.

Madi has already started hers, Dan is contemplating his design, while Morgan has to stand on a chair to reach the bottom of her pumpkin to finish cleaning it. Not sure how logical that was...but well...it got the job done.

Hmmmm...what are you doing Duane? Cost of college pushing you over the edge? Poor Dan is already tired of me taking pictures, Morgan is STILL POSING, & Madi is just having a good time.

Dan & Morgan had to get their ideas off the internet. What in the world did we do before it?

Checking out each others work.

Finished product. Dan's, Madi's & Morgans

Then Riley had to get in on the act. He went as a Siberian Husky for Halloween this year, which is hard to pull off for a teacup poodle!! ; )