This Blog is the journal/scrapbook/photo album etc. that is all about my family and our lives together. Here is where family and friends (and anyone else too, I suppose) can keep up on what's happening with us Mannimals! COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED!! ;) Check back often as we'll respond to comments and make new posts as often as possible!

Monday, December 26, 2005

X-Mas!!

Thanks for the comments we've gotten on the last few posts. We're all doing great here (Aviendha is absolutely adorable!!) and hope you're all doing well too!

Ok, here's our holiday post. Thanks to everyone who sent us anything (gifts, cards, emails, etc.)!

Mat opening his Santa Countdown we used to mark the days left until the holiday.


Avi patiently awaiting the big day. She already does great with "tummy-time". She can scoot herself a little, across the blanket already; and she has great neck and head control for her age.


The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...


Mom and Aviendha (Dad's beautiful girls!)


Mat opening his X-mas Eve puzzle and PJ's.


Our Santa's little helper!


Mat and Avi in their Christmas PJ's. Thanks Grandma!! Matrim sure loves his baby sister.


Mat loves to hold her so we let him on the bean bag.


They look adorable together! It's funny how much darker she is than him though.


Santa has come!

Santa has delivered! We must have been good this year! ; )


Thanks for the game Grandma! Matrim beat our asses his first game. :)


New shoes from Grandma. They even light up!


Matrim gets spoiled with a DVD and portable DVD player from Grandpa "D" and Uncle Luke!


Mat playing with a real stethoscope from Dad. He loves to hear his heart beat.


Our favorite gift this year!


Mom and Mat playing operation from Grandma and Grandpa Hope. Mom is not very good at this game as it requires patience she does not have. :)


Dad is happy to get his Led out!


Matrim is excited about his camping pack with a tent and sleeping bag inside.


Dad surprised Mom with pictures of our kids!



I looked in the windows of every book store and in the book section of every store that had books that I went into and somehow I never saw that the new Robert Jordan had come out in October!! So with some magic or luck, Athena was able to keep my gift secret for months.


Athena is about to open her last gift from me...


Yay! A facial/massage! (Although I don't know what they could possibly do to help a face that's already SO beautiful!)


Matrim is opening one of his favorite presents.


It's Marbulous, from Mom. No wonder it seems she's lost her marbles! ; )

Dad's last present for Mat. It's a guitar with working amp, mic, mic-stand, and headset mic.


"Get the mic positioned and I'm ready to rock!"


He does some great jammin' on the guitar already. When we were coming out of a store he even found a real guitar pick on the ground to use!! He jams while he sings all the songs he knows, (like ABC's, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, etc.)! :)

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Happy Birthday Athena

Happy 24th Birthday to the greatest woman I've ever met!!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Mushrooms (Amanita Muscaria)

After the Zoo I convinced everyone we had to run a few minutes down the 101 to see some mushrooms. I only had a few minutes to get a some pictures from the College of the Redwoods (one of the places here that's easy/fun to go mushroom-seeing) as it was starting to get dark and cold (for my Mom) and Athena was tired and hungry from a day out adventuring and the Zoo. Here's a few of the good ones (I love seeing these in real life, they're so beautiful and have a great energy seeming to emanate from them):

We came a little late in the season, so many of the caps have been knocked off already (weather and college kids spreading the spores). We still managed to find several beauties in tact, though.



It's Twins!! ; )


A couple of bulbous ones.


Matrim looking for Smurfs! : )


Here's a great one who lost it's big brother.


This one is around 7-8 inches in diameter and is holding a small puddle of water.


A close-up of the twins.


The biggest of the bulbous ones I found this trip.


Mat's last look before it was time to go! See you in the spring Shroomies!

My Mom's Visit

As you'll see this post is late. It should have been the post following Thanksgiving one. So, my mom missed Avi by about 2 days... Late just like her Dad. ; ) Here are some more pictures from her visit.

Grandma's first night here. Jet-lag and keeping up with our schedule has done her in before I can get her bed ready! :)


Matrim playing Candyland with Grandma.


Grandma in front an old Eureka mansion that is now a country club.


Mat was pretending to be Santa Clause in the tub here. He tried to give himself white hair and a beard with bubbles. ; )


Grandma and Matrim hoopin it up!


Matrim takes Grandma to visit the zoo. It's free/donation to visit. It's small but nice and nestled into one of our favorite parks.


I think this is the reptiles that everyone is gathered around.


Goats are crazy critters.


Grandma gave Mat some change to make a wish and throw into the stream.


Mat likes tractors and trucks.


Matrim on the fake pony for the kids.



Either the llama doesn't like the flash or it's pitying Athena! ; )

Friday, December 16, 2005

Catching Up

Well, we've finally gotten a tiny bit of extra time to try to get caught up here. We better start with comment responses since we're so far behind...

Tom: No Broncos onsie yet, they're not really available in 49er/Raider country unfortunately, but we hear Santa is a Broncos fan...

Joey: Dad and Mat are adjusting well... They have no choice, the girls are in charge now! (well Aviendha is in charge of dad anyway, because he's absolutely smitten!)

Jory: Eric is fully prepared to go "Incredible Hulk" on anyone's ass if need be. ; )

Jenny: I think you're due for a road trip! We would love for you to visit us... you can escape the frozen tundra that is Utah. Tonight it's warm enough (mid-50's) to hang out on the porch in shorts and shirt, if it wasn't raining a little that is. :)

Takeshi: It was great to hear from you! You should come visit us any time you can, it would be a good chance to polish up your English and most importantly because we want to see you and show you Aviendha too. Matrim still remembers you too. If we were rich, we'd pay you to teach our kids Japanese, and tip you with muffins! ; )

Steve: We were excited to see that you had commented! We hope you're doing well and we miss those Talisman games; can't wait to see you when we come to town! That is tentatively planned for early March at this point, but we'll see... And GO Broncos!! ; )

OK, here is a larger selection of pictures of us during Aviendha Marie Mann's first 9 days home!



Here's our Avi, notice her eyes are kinda lookin' like they'll be dark like Eric's.


Matrim playing with his blocks. He's been a great big brother and been really helpful and able to entertain himself when we need him to.


Eric's pet ladybug. She's been growing this past month or so since she's been a part of the family.


One of our favorite times is when Aviendha is sleeping (not because she's asleep but because she's so precious when she is.) She's a sweetie!


Matrim giving the peace sign. He's looking super-cool in his hat and wristbands he inherited from dad!


Avi in her cute little lavender bell-bottoms!


Mom and Avi. "I sure love my girls" says dad!


This is Athena's hand (which is not very big) but it looks huge compared to Aviendha.


A close-up of lavender girl!


The Mann women after a hard day hangin' out!


Avi lookin' pretty in pink.


Aviendha getting her first baby massage.


Aviendha gives a huge yawn. That baby massage did the trick.


Matrim likes to have Avi hold his hand. If you look up "good big brother" in the dictionary there's a picture of Mat! He sure loves his sister.


Aviendha after eating. It's funny how after babies eat they are like heroin junkies "on the nod."


Dad and the most precious thing he's ever held!! (Sorry to everything else...) ; )


Another close-up of our little cutie!


Aviendha is "junked out" and chillin' with Mom on the rocking chair.

Avi with the blanket Eric's Grandma made (we got married on her birthday to honor her). Aviendha already loves to sleep on her side (like her Dad) and is already strong enough to turn herself there with a little effort.