Christmas was all about "i"s this year. iPod, idog, I Spy and mostly "I can't believe my eyes!"
Sarah and Rachel both found speakers for their iPods in the bag that Santa left by the fireplace. Rachel was even more surprised to find a Fly Pen from Santa. (She had her first serious doubts about Santa this year.)
Steve was surprised to find an iPod Nano (in his favorite color, Darth Vader black) because he had "looked everywhere" to find an iPod for me only to find them all sold out. (He went to Indy after Christmas and came home with the 30G!)

Rachel talks to her idog. (And her idog talks back and dances to the music.)

Sarah has her eyes on boys these days. (I will have hair as white as Santa's soon.) Santa left her with some wise advice on a hot pink purse. "Forget love. I'd rather fall in chocolate."

The other big hit on Christmas day was the Spy Kit we gave to my nephew Jeff. Way, way too cool Agent 007!
The biggest surprise was probably for Bubby and Sissy. They still can't believe their eyes when they look at their "little" sisters.

(If you're wondering why they are sitting on the kitchen floor, it's because it is now the best, and hottest, seat in the house since we installed heated tile.)
Bubby also brought a few house guests along. You probably wouldn't have noticed anything if I hadn't pointed it out. Kara obviously fits right in and enjoyed our girly day at the Pottery Bayou.

Here's the real apple of Bubby's eye . . .

Dakota is also growing quickly and attracting lots of eyes with her beautiful silver coat. Shadow is in love, too.
Cell phones have become a necessity for connectivity in our increasingly hectic lives,
so last year for Christmas, we gave Sarah a cell phone. (Click on thumbnail)
How did we ever survive without cell phones?
Well, based on Sarah's phone bill last month, she must believe in "survival of the fittest."
One phone call alone was 387 minutes long! (You do the math --- that's almost 6 1/2 hours!)
Needless to say, we had a little talk. Her total phone bill was over 1600 minutes . . . . . over 26 hours a month.
Sarah's response? "That's less than an hour a day . . ."
OK, so maybe the total phone bill is not so bad, but I think she got the point. Having a cell phone is a privilege --- and life without one is torture to a teen!

The Lake City Skiers were named the 2005 National Show Ski Association’s Club of the Year.
There are 700 teams in the USA WaterSki association, so this is quite an honor.
The Club of the Year contest is designed to recognize and reward the hardest working USA Water Ski-affiliated club in the United States. It rewards clubs that host water ski events that provide opportunities for newcomers to the sport to participate and become active members of USA Water Ski. Points were given to clubs for various events and elements that created, publicized and increased water skiing opportunities.
In addition to other prizes, the club of the year receives a plaque and has its name engraved on a trophy housed at the Water Ski Hall of Fame in Polk City, Florida. The club of the year and the sport-discipline winners receive free USA Water Ski and American Water Ski Educational Foundation memberships for one year.
The team and all of the sport-discipline winners will be recognized during USA Water Ski’s annual Awards Ceremony, January 28th, in Polk City, Florida.
Sacred Heart opened the basketball season tonight. It was Rachel's debut on the basketball court and even her big sister Sarah's jaw dropped when Rachel was put into play early in the first half of the "A" Team's game.
We don't mean to brag (OK, yes we do), but for my little 4th grader, it's like playing on the varsity team as a freshman. Go, Rachel, GO!
