• Here you will find the chronicles of our family of four. More pictures than words, I am most at home capturing our life with a still camera. Photos help me recognize the beauty and awesomeness in both the phenomenal people I live life alongside and this breathtaking place we live, planet earth.

    I am a child of God. I am the wife to a wonderful man, mother to two amazing little people. I am both daughter and sister. I am a runner. I love to travel and read.

    I often title this season of our life's adventure, The Continuing Adventures of Mallory Girl and Mark Boy. The photography is mine (unless otherwise noted.) Questions are always welcome. Thanks for reading and adventuring alongside us.

the great outdoors

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She loves being outside-it does matter that it’s freezing, or might be raining. Like some favorite family pets, she will go to the door, front, back or garage, and "ask" to go out. Heaven help you if it’s not a good time or you don’t want to go out.

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Today we got new shoes. It was time, the others were difficult to put on and could only be worn with thin socks. I took pictures to remember that they were once clean…I don’t think they will stay clean long!

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The front yard has a special call, mostly the street with passing cars I think.

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Years ago, my sister and I loved to watch our mother avoid a certain store’s rug. Her granddaughter seems to LOVE that same rug texture! It was hi-larious watching Mallory walk and stomp around on the welcome mat over and over again.

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I’m happy to report that she loves flowers. Good girl!

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She’s even doing pretty well touching with only one finger.

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And she’s off….headed for the back yard and all the mud! I guess we’ll see how the shoes fare!

    

totally spoiled

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OK I admit it. I am totally spoiled. Yes, I do love it! Tonight my brother-in-law treated Ben and I to a delightful presentation of It’s a Wonderful Life. I will admit that it’s the first time I’ve actually seen/listened to the whole story/movie. And, yes, I enjoyed it. I think I liked it more because I didn’t have to watch a scruffy James Stewart’s George Baily moan in black and white. (Sorry, I’ve never liked Frank Capra’s 1946 version and have been know to find any excuse to avoid it.) But on to my being spoiled…..2, yes two, evenings out with Ben sans baby girl in two weeks. Wow! So cool. Thank you sweet Rachael for keeping our little one, I know she had a great time! I am really going to have to get serious about finding a fun, local babysitter.

    

laughing until tears are streaming down my face

if you need a good laugh, a laugh that is so hard you cry and need to go to the bathroom (seriously)

click here

Wow. The things I have to look forward to are astounding.

    
Jenni - December 12, 2007 - 9:29 am

so funny…..the line that really pushed me over the edge was “Is that our daughter, or is someone fondling a llama in our living room?”

Julie - December 12, 2007 - 6:50 pm

SOOOOOOOO funny!!!!!! THanks for sharing! ๐Ÿ™‚

Dawn - December 12, 2007 - 7:23 pm

Dooce’s blog has the ability to send me into hysterics on a regular basis.

Anne Alley - December 16, 2007 - 2:56 am

It is so cathartic to read this! It helps to know my kids are the only ones ๐Ÿ™‚
Thanks for sharing!!

Dinner and a Movie

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We celebrated my birthday last week. A big Thank you to Julie and Ethan for keeping Mallory so Ben and I could go out. We had a lovely dinner at Saffire and then headed to the movies…on a "school" night! We totally enjoyed August Rush. A sweet feel good movie with some great music.

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a self portrait of me and mickey at 31

    
Jenni - December 11, 2007 - 10:53 am

happy birthday!!! loved the christmas card by the way….I recognized the return address label from the blog….where in the world did you get those printed?

Leslie Jordan - December 11, 2007 - 11:11 am

Happy Birthday!! ๐Ÿ™‚

Elizabeth S - December 12, 2007 - 8:06 am

Happy Birthday and you look fantastic!

Christy McInturff - December 13, 2007 - 1:02 pm

Happy be-lated birthday. I echo the fact that you look fantastic and I LOVE the Mickey shirt (of course). The Christmas card was great and I’m quite jealous. We may need to meet up sometime after all the holidays and you can really show me some of the stuff my camera can do

Curtis Templeton - December 20, 2007 - 12:28 pm

ok..Im Dec 2….are you around there somewhere?
C

peppermint

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The day she discovered peppermint. She wanted to hold the stick in the grocery store, no problem. When I looked at her again, she had chewed through the plastic wrapper and had peppermint running out of her mouth. Yummy! I guess liking peppermint runs in the family.

    
Jenni - December 10, 2007 - 10:20 am

lovely!!