A Busy Winter!

Between my girls, my dogs, my church and keeping house, it's been a busy winter!

Georgia's enjoying the 2nd grade at her new school. It's about a 12 mile drive and we have fun playing rousing games of "eye spy" and "guess an animal" on the way. Georgia's recent discovery of my generation of music, '80's pop has kept us singing at the top of our lungs to "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Thriller!" Hard to believe my baby listens to the very same music my friends and I rocked out to as teen-agers! I was truly and Michael Jackson fanatic! (My sisters will attest to the posters and M.J. paraphanalia I possessed.) I had the awesome experience of seeing the Jacksons on their Victory tour and I even saved a Pepsi commemerative soda can with all the Jacksons' signatures on it. Georgia was thrilled when I gave it to her to display in her room. She's doing great in school and has made lots of bff's! She's dying for one of them to have a sleep over although I'm trying to surprise her with a slumber party and invite all her bff's! Won't she be the coolest "Durany" at school !

Genevieve is 21 months old now and keeps Georgia and me on our toes!! Everyone in our family has at least one nickname...Genevieve has about 100....most often we call her Tootie. She also answers to Toots,Toodles and most recently, Brutus. If you've seen Toot in person you know she's stocky and solid! Over Christmas she took a bite out of a glass ball ornament. I thought I had all the potentially all-too-appealing for a toddler ornaments out of her reach until I walked in the living room just as she was taking a bite out of one of my best glass ornaments! I couldn't get to her fast enough...one of those slow motion moments. I found the glass pieces and Toot was just fine. She continues to live up to the Brutus moniker as she snagged a small snow globe from Georgia's collection and crushed it in her hand! In one second there was water and glitter all over the living room floor! I calmly took the remains away of her fully expecting to turn over a bloody palm...but she was unscathed! Not a cut or shard. How lucky! She's such a happy baby and loves to dance and chatter away...she's got lots to say and gets her point across with motioning those chubby sausage fingers!

I have had the pleasure of training my sister's five Welch Corgis this winter. I have never worked with this breed and have found them to be smart, attentive and full of mischief!! They are truly a pack breed and they love the water no matter how cold it is! Robert and Francesca are mom and dad to Emma, Rosie (my personal favorite) and Violet. Robert has a classic case of what I call "doggie a.d.d." After weeks of training he can mind his manners and give me the behaviors I ask of him. Franny is smart and a smarty pants. She loves to show off her abilities and I feel certain she will be the star of their Corgi act! I have her on a diet now, cuz Franny is a fatty!! Violet is all about the job at hand and the treat, Rosie wants attention for her behaviors and Emma is playful with a touch of doggie a.d.d!

The girls and I have an awesome church family! Our preacher, Michael is also a handyman, "Mr. Fix-it!" His wife Carol is my Bible class teacher, they are both dear friends who will drop what they are doing to help anyone who needs it. Michael and Carol, along with Carolyn (my computer fix-it buddy!) were kind enough to come to my home and clean it up and fix a few things that needed fixing when we got home. They did everything from pressure wash the house to dust, sweep and fix my septic tank!!

My niece Simone, Georgia and I had the best time being a part of my church's living nativity this past Christmas!  We were angels of course! It was COOOLLLDD but we kept warm all three nights with lots-o-layers of coats, gloves and hats...they gave us hot chocolate, coffee (my blood is half coffee) and those hot hands and feet things hunters use. The music they picked out was so beautiful...the whole thing was put together so well and we had tons of cars come through! Looking forward to next year!!!

Well, this is the first installment of my blog...I plan on lots of pictures of the girls and my adventures on the road this year...recipes now and then from my sister Robin's cookhouse (truly the best cookhouse on the road today! Sorry Brian, she's my sister! I am a little biased! LOL) And, if you knew my dad, Phil Chandler, he was probably the funniest man you knew...famous for what my family call "Chandlerisms." Quotes, sayings, words of wisdom and nonsense he was famous for...after he passed away, we compiled over 300 Chandlerisms! (If you have one to add to our list, let me know!) I hope you keep up with us this year! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and say hello once in a while!!

Love and blessing to you all and a happy and healthy 2011!

B.T.W. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY!

  

"It must be tough being a 35 year old teen-ager."  Dad referring to the actors in West Side Story.