Chinese

My nieces, Dahlia and Mahala, stayed over at my parent's house while their Mom healed from surgery. We had a ball. On the first night we ended up ordering chinese and we thought that we'd have an extra guest and ordered too much. Here are some cute pics of Dahlia with the boxes.

Too cute

She actually didn't love chinese that much. Sweet and sour chicken, yes but the rest. . no.

She picked through her fried rice, "No Peas, No Peas" or "No Carrots, No Carrots". Too cute.

My Crazy Texan Nieces

I was uploading some pics I took of my crazy Forest Grove Niece when I found these two keepers. The wigs are mine but the poses are all them :)

Lily looks like some kind of hip hop DJ and Natalie is some
Natalie Portman impersonation.

I love Poetry

The other night I was hanging out with Chris. . . an exiciting night could be anything from learning how to curl or us watching a series of episodes of "Bones". The other night was nice. He was on his computer playing some card game and I was reading poetry on a BBC site listing great poets. http://www.bbc.co.uk/poetryseason/poems/

Here is a poem I read that I enjoy.

"Still I Rise"

by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Christmas Dresses

On New Years Day we took some quick pics of the girls in their dresses. Pretty cute.

Happy New Years Eve

New Years Chris and I went to a party with my friends and then to a party with his friends. Here are a couple of pics from the first party.



Aubrey, Chris, and I



Silverton Girls

I had a lot of fun at both parties. It was fun having someone to kiss on New Years.

Family Christmas 2009

Christmas this year was full of surprises! Santa went well, Texas folk made a surprise visit, and match.com paid out ;)

Here are some photos from Christmas 2009



Traditional line up of the pjs and stockings.



Feeding the deer.



Beth and I with our stockings



Turkey dinner



Lily toasting



Teddy in his Christmas sweater