Happy 2012...

Christmas Day 2011!

Merry Christmas from the Parnham girls

Jia wanted a towel with her name on it
The older girls each got one from Nona a long time ago
Jia figures this was no one can use it but her.

Anna wears these kind of moccasins all the time
Katie bought her new ones
She also has a handmade giraffe Ipod case that I bought her
on Etsy

Cute calender
It has a "criminal" pug for each month

My baby girl

Drew working on our very fast Christmas dinner

Anna cutting squash

Katie's stuffed baked potatoes
My Mom's recipe

Me, making brown sugar carrots
my vanity has to tell you that my shirt was very baggy
and I am not that huge.

Dinner Time-we pulled it off!

Jia's delight at finding her princess bed

the secret hideaway underneath.
I think she has all of her Christmas toys under there now

She can go up the stairs and down the slide
each of the little purple things are pockets for her treasures
We haven't seen her since!

The big girls started out the day with a huge scavenger hunt, Katie's was based on Stetson University and Anna's was based on University of Florida, at the end the one that found the pickle won movie passes. This was Anna's year to win, although I am thinking that some of those tickets might find their way into Katie's hands.
Jia had her "best day ever" not only did she get everything on her list, but she got a really great princess bed from Nona and Grandpa. We have hardly seen her since. She just came down for lunch and told us to call her when dinner was ready.

The big girls save part of their money from Nona and Grandpa and gave me part of it to buy presents for them. I got 2 shirts for Katie and 2 gift certificates, one for Barnes and Noble and one for Old Navy. I also got her a book of useless facts, she loves these books and walks around telling us obscure things. Anna got a stuffed giraffe (she LOVES anything Giraffe related, a gift card for Target and a gift card from a store called Heritage. Anna also got a shirt. a lot of the big girls gifts were college related.

Here was Jia's list: a Barbie jet, squinkies (little animals and people who do things she got the carnival set) , a fairy Barbie, Moon Dough and a Moon Dough movie theater, Alvin and the chipmunks The Squeakual, Dance, Dance 3 for the WII, Dogopoly (from Ellen) clothes and a number of other things. The bed however was the big hit, she told us she slid out of bed this morning (it has both stairs and a slide).

We had a very nice Christmas dinner with everyone chipping in. We had all fallen asleep so preparations were pretty rushed.

We hope that you and yours had a wonderful day, and did not forget the real reason for the Christmas season.
God Bless...

Christmas Eve!

Happy Christmas!!!!

Please listen to the words of this song, a Christmas gift to you from all of us!

Ft. Lauderdale Boat Parade

You are not a true South Floridian until you have seen the boat parade. It is on the Intercoastal waterway. It is very hard to get a place to see it unless you stake out a spot in the morning. Drew has never seen it, but he works with a guy who has a condo on the intercoastal, so the family was given VIP treatment and just had to show up before it started. The boats range from small owner boats, to corporate yachts and tv news channel sponsored boats.

I have lived here since 1968 and have seen it many times so I stayed at home. Katie also chose to stay here, but the rest of them had a great time!

Visit to Santa & more...

A few days ago we went to see Santa. Jia was very excited to wear the beautiful dress that Nona and Grandpa bought her last year. It was too big then, but fits her perfectly now. The big girls were good sports and got in the picture too. I have pictures of them with Santa from 1 month old (thank you Mama Rita) until this year. I told them that this will go on even after they are married and have children.

Jia was not shy at all about rolling out her list. The girls both asked for a college education...lol.

The biggest present that Jia is going to get is a princess bed. This is a gift from Nona and Grandpa. It is a bunk bed that has a slide to get down ( a ladder too) and a secret space underneath with curtains (pictures to come) we bought it from another teacher and it looks like brand new. Only problem is-it has to be assembled in Jia's room on Christmas Eve (that's what Dads are for)

Anyway, Jia is going to get a letter from Santa today asking her to sleep downstairs with Anna as her room is going to be the Pembroke Pines Distribution Center for presents.

Everyone knows there will be a plethora of pictures to follow...

A HUGE List, we've checked it TWICE!

Jia delivered her very detailed list to Santa. Will all her dreams come true? Only if Dad is handy with the wrench....

PS: Jia to Anna as Anna is lighting a candle: it's okay if you burn down the house, I'll just move to Canada!

Must Read for our Parnham, Sardachuck, Updegrove Families (El too)

To our dear families, I wanted to share this email I received from Katie's teacher:

Dear Lesa and Drew,
What I will tell Katie is that I love to celebrate a birthday and Christmas for days!!! So if the present does not arrive until after Christmas, it will be something for me to look for upon my return.
As I wrote to Katie in my Christmas note to her, sometimes in your teaching life, a student not only walks into your life but also into your heart. Katie walked into my heart. I expect to be in touch with her and cheer her for her successes and dance at her wedding and all sorts of wonderful things. God gave you three beautiful daughters, and I know you are proud of each one. Knowing Anna and Katie has been a privilege. Having Katie with me for three glorious years has been a highlight of my teaching career.
Have a wonderful Christmas.
Love,
Carol Sheppard

Anna's Random Pictures

The Editor-in Chief
BIG deadline tonight

Pretty Jia picture

My dog, Tink

Anna's dog Lola

Jia and Katie are still working hard
in their pumpkin roll factory

The master chef

Bennyfoo ready for college
he has his Stetson collar on!

Katie's usual pose for a picture

Anna had the very expensive yearbook camera at home so she was sneaking around taking pictures of her sisters and her animals.

Poor Jia

Jia kind of looks like a criminal in this picture

This is after the color was a little faded, she was very purple for a while

Yuck

She, she is still her silly self!

Little Jia was running like the wind in aftercare a few days ago. She took a fall and this is the outcome. When she first came home it didn't look this bad, things like this always look worse a few days later. She also has a cut on her head under her hair. Our tough little Jia didn't bat an eyelash. She is a tough one!

ONCE UPON A TIME...

Today is the day we are decorating our
Christmas Tree

Welcome, and thanks for looking at our family's silly good time

Anna and Daddy-of course there is a Stetson shirt and a Gator Santa hat
(and a glimpse of fresh purple hair- Anna's not Drew's)

Jia getting started, she can only hang up the non-breakables
without a little help. When Katie was little she used to call the fragile ornaments
the "glassables" so of course, that's now what we all call them.
(Someday Jia is going to be SO confused)

Tall girl gets the high spots
Anna also volunteered for the dreaded job of putting the lights on the tree

Jia and Daddy
Katie calls Jia "Dad's barnacle"as Jia never wants to be without him

The girls and MA-MA

Katie and "Andrew" which is what she calls him.
She calls me "Mother" she is such a funny kid.

Mother and the rest of the girls
Jia looks like she is plotting something in this one

Anna kissing Albert (University of Florida's mascot)
for good luck

Why yes, I do kiss my dog on the lips!
Tink my blue chihuahua and only son.

Anna and Rex, the most terrible dog you would ever want to meet
see his devil eyes glowing?
He is up for adoption the day after Anna leaves for college
Accepting applications now.

Dad, working hard

Mom helps Jia with a "glassable" breakable ornament

A Parnham photo blog would not be complete without a weird face from Anna

This is our other little chihuahua
Josie
She has some horrible burn scars on the other side of her body
but she is a lover and thinks she is the most beautiful dog in the world.

A rare moment: Katie letting loose to dance with her little sister

Another dance move

Their finale
(you really have to sneak up with the camera to get shots
of Katie being silly so I treasure these!)

All Done!

EVERYONE HAD A LOT OF FUN. THERE WAS GINGERBREAD COOKIES FRESH FROM THE OVEN (THANK YOU KATIE) CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND LIGHTS ON THE TREE (THANKS ANNA) DAD HAD THE LADDER OUT AND EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY HAD TO ASK ME BEFORE THEY PLACED AN ORNAMENT. ANYWAY, A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!