Julia will be an orphan named Kate in Annie!

mer"wii" christmas!

cookie party

julia's turn with the good camera....

he's back!

julia needs glasses.....

Mommy is there a Santa? No I didn't write this an old friend shared it with me and I love it!

Thank you for your letter. You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”
I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.
I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.This won’t make you Santa, though.

Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.

Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.

I love you and I always will.

a strittmatter thanksgiving

Mr. and Mrs. Clause.....see what they do when I am away at parent-teacher conferences!

last sail of the year, boat is being pulled today

irish dancing in the jones elem talent show

too much beer, bad food, and big belly laughs! We may be 40, but seriously we still tend to act like we are 16!

Surprise bday party in Gettysburg....Little Round top at Sunset

st. michaels

ghosts of halloween past, piglet to princess to my spider butterfly

happy halloween!

thanks mom for the costumes!

one last sail

ghosting!

children of the corn

making ghosts

Darned Math

Julia is pulling a D in math. We have been working really hard this week on it in prep for this morning's test. Even said a little prayer this morning for her. We need all the help we can get. Hard going from straight A's to a D. My favorite practice problem I made up for her. "If I yell at Avery 4 times in 30 min. How many times will I yell at her in 4 hours?" It made us both smile!

practing panhandling

hello new beach bag

good-bye beach bag