Justin and I watched a Remembrance Day Commemoration on television today and were really touched at all of the sacrifice that these men and women made for all of us. Really, because of them, we live how we do today and I know they don't get enough credit or thanks. During the program there was music, wreaths placed, poppies worn, and the poem "Flander's Fields" recited. There were several shots of wise wrinkled experienced faces, and young determined ones. That is when it hit me. It really was real. Leaving families. Living, and dying, abroad. A chapter in so many soldiers' lives; for many of them, the last chapter. To all of you, then and now, THANK YOU.
My dad sent out an email with the war heroes of our family and I just wanted to put it up to honor them.
William Crippen - This is my paternal Grandpa (Poppy is what we called him). He was a mortician! He went to the island of Saipan (where my brother in law Harvey's from!) at the end of the war and help recover some of our soldiers who died in the terrible fighting there. My dad still has his Army boots!
Robert Crippen - This is my Uncle, my dad's brother. Nanny dressed Uncle Bob in this uniform during WWII.It was very common to dress your kids in uniforms to honor their dads.
Robert Norris with his mom and dad, Gordon and Maude - This is my grandma's brother. This picture is before he left for Italy. He saw some difficult fighting, and we have letters he sent from Italy. (Nanny also lost a cousin at Salerno in Italy)
Robert Norris again. Isn't he HANDSOME! Love a man in a uniform! :) I remember seeing this picture or another picture and being amazed at his blue eyes!
Donald Sampson - This is my mom's Dad. I never met him. He served in France at the time of D-Day, and was a mechanic who kept the vehicles and boats going. He received the American Theatre Service medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, and Good Conduct Medal.
Marian Sampson - My mom's Aunt. Aunt Sam served in the Women Marines during WW2 for 2 years and 2 months. She was a radio operator and would translate the Morse code as it would come in. She still knows it today! She served in New York City; Cherry Point, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; San Francisco and San Diego. She is an incredible lady. Makes DELICIOUS fudge, knows all about the stars, and can still do headstand. LOVE her spunk.(This is Zach at the girls age now. WEIRD!)

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BEFORE...




Kara Beara is such a silly sweetie. She was being SO CUTE during this photo shoot, it was hard to pick just one. She is starting to stand on her own and is so proud of herself whenever she does it. She LOVES Zach and laughs at him all the time...except when he knocks her down. She is very sensitive. :)
My attempt at getting one with them together...
If it's not one, then it is the other!
This is so funny! This is life. Kate is usually "exploring" Kara. And Kara doesn't love it. I love watching them play together and interact! Today Kara was laughing so hard because Kate was chasing her. It was awesome. I hope they are always good friends.

So these pictures are from a long time ago...when it was warm enough to hang outside with a t-shirt and sandals on. Tear. Anyway, there were TONS of ladybugs around for a few weeks. Zach LOVED playing with them. "I hold em mommy?" Always, he wanted me to "Put my finger, Mommy." So I would pick it up and put it on. Here he is collecting Ladybugs. I think there were like 8 on his shovel! He liked to bring them into the house and play with them. then we would put them back out with their mommies and daddies. I am guessing that we didn't ALWAYS but them back outside because just a few days ago I found 6 ladybugs on one window. Maybe one had babies?? Why is it that I thought that sort of infestation was okay, but if it was beetles or ants, or flies...YUCK. Just because the ladybugs are cute? Go figure.
What a poser? Who taught him that? I know I don't do that in my pictures. Maybe I 
This kid is super flexible. Here he is helping me with laundry, folding himself in half under a small laundry basket.
Here's Zachary with his friend Robot. I built it for him once and he kept asking for him again and again. Then he would walk around the house like a robot.
So, I got a lock for my fridge so Zach can't mess with that anymore, but he still finds a way to get into other things! I had a plate of zucchini bread made up for our neighbors, wrapped in foil, waiting for us to take it to them. Well, I came downstairs from my shower and found foil on the ground and a bite out of each slice of bread! You stinker!






Yogi herself. 
The morning after she came. I picked her up in the early AM and then I am sure the kids woke her up just a few hours later! Sorry Julie! They were just so excited to see you!
Zach with his Thanksgiving spread. Yes, I did the turkey all by myself! This is my 3rd one I think. It is SO WEIRD to me "the mom" in charge of the meal. So strange. I missed my mom's stuffing. I was too lazy to do it, but it is SO GOOD. We had garden mashed potatoes, garden carrots, and garden beans. Happy Harvest!




Kate and Kara loved to climb all over Karen. She is a great Auntie!
Since we had so many people at home we took advantage of the babysitters and harvested our garden. It was dang cold too! The wind was blowing and it was a chilly chilly day. Here are Justin and Zach digging "tomatoes" as Zach would say...They were really potatoes. I will never get over how weird they grow. You just plant one
Action shots...digging the hill...

Zach found a few left over corn cobs we hadn't picked off the stalk. He LOVES corn and wanted to eat it so bad. So we let him! I husked (any one else call husking the corn "shucking" it?) it for him and he chowed down! Delicious dirt on the face...yummers.



Here we begin the tour. You enter the room from the door on the left. The door straight ahead is the closet.
Again, the closet door...
Polka dot wall continuing on to Kara's crib...You don't understand how hard it is for a perfectionist worry wart like me to complete a task such as this. It was ALMOST as scary as tie dying at our family reunion. Luckily I had Leslie and Kamry there to help me this time. Kamry especially was always there to give her opinion of dot placement. Phew. I love Kamry for that. Some one's got to speak up. THANK YOU!! :) It made the dotting process take minutes instead of hours.







