Out with '07 and in with '08 -- What Will YOU do to Make This Year GREAT??

What a GREAT year this has been!!! Victor, Charlie and I are so blessed to have so many wonderful family & friends near and far. I've never been into making a New Years Resolution list, but I'm more into reflecting on what a great 365 days we've just had and hoping that the next 366 (leap year in '08) will be GREAT TOO!

Here are some of the highlights for us in 2007!

* Charlie learns how to walk...takes her first steps on March 8, 2007.
* Kathy changes jobs at Intel in July and continues to be thankful for her employment there---going on 20 years this coming year. Kathy also gets to visit Grandma/Grandpa Cina and Great-Grandma in Charlotte one evening while in AZ for work.
* Victor is able to resign from OHSU to stay home and take care of Charlie and finish his Masters Degree in Spring '08.
* Grandma & Grandpa Cina come for a 2 week visit in September and Charlie gets to have 2 roommates and LOVES all the time she gets to spend with them.
* The Grams from NE came to visit in June -- YEAH!
* Grandma & Grandpa Green move to Hawaii for 2 years...Charlie will miss them (as will K & V), but now we have a vacation desitination in paradise.
* We move from Hillsboro, out to the sticks (YEAH)...still unpacking (not YEAH).
* Relay For Life -- Hillsboro raised over $113K and we honored over 100 Survivors (including Victor and my mom)!!! Big Philly comes to visit and Charlie gets to hang out with him and many of her other friends!!!
* Cousins Kaylie & Jack along with Aunt Kellie & Uncle Tim visit in November -- hopefully we'll get to see them more this coming year!
* We go to the Oregon Zoo MANY times during the year, including Zoo Lights with the Rohr Family.
* Charlie celebrates her 1st birthday in May -- can't believe she's gonna be TWO in just a few short months!
* Victor & Kathy celebrate their 2nd anniversary in December.
* Victor & Kathy see ONE movie at a movie theater the entire year (that's a first for either one of us since Star Wars came out in '77).....Ratatouille is a great movie for kids AND adults!
* Charlie starts attending the Little Gym in November and LOVES it!
* Despite Kathy losing most of her photos, we learn a very valuable lesson in backing up photos to an on-line server and are so HAPPY that Kathy has been keeping this blog!!!
* We start practicing tough love and Charlie now goes to sleep on her own (started at 15 months) and it was the BEST thing we could have done (for her and us).

The NUMBER 1 THING we are THANKFUL for in 2007. After a couple of our own health scares and some scares of our family/friends, we are THANKFUL for our health and happiness and having a very HAPPY and healthy Charlotte!

We hope that 2008 will be everything you want it to be and THANK YOU for being in our lives (even if we don't get to see you as often as we would like to)! Come visit...we have a lot more room in the inn now!

Love - Kathy, Victor & Charlotte

Charlotte & the Puppies on Sunday

Is it me, or do the puppies seem to be changing into the same color as the carpet? I swear, I just gave them a bath 3 days ago......Maybe it's time for the doggie groomer instead??

Jack the Cat Can Draw -- Who Would Have Known?

I think we may have hit a gold mine. Jack the Cat can DRAW!!! I think Glenn has been hiding this little talent of what his 4 legged room mate can do! OR, I'm thinking it may have been one of Glenn's daughters that should really get the credit (J or P), but I'm guessing Jack asked one of them to do it. I'll be taking Charlie with me tomorrow to hang out with Jack while I feed him!

The Cutest NY Giants' Cheerleader You Will EVER See!

Today the Giants play the Patriots in the last regular season game. We'll be watching @5pm tonight! To get into the spirit of hopefully WINNING the game, Charlotte chose her Giants cheerleading outfit to wear this afternoon. She had a great time running around the house and jumping up & down yelling "LA LA, LA LA"....she hasn't quite gotten the GO GIANTS cheer down just yet--maybe by next season. If I'm lucky, this outfit might still fit her by Halloween next year. GO GIANTS!

More Fun with the Puppies

Charlotte & I had a fun morning with the puppies! She loves it when they are out running around with her in the family room.

Charlie Watching Jessie

After dressing the puppies up tonight, Jessie worked on destroying the doggie polar bear toy & bought for her and Murphy. Jessie is definately the alpha dog out of the two of them. Charlie enjoyed watching the destruction from the couch next to Da Da.

The Puppies Dressed Up Like Reindeer & Santa Claus

I got the puppies a couple of Christmas gifts (doggies bones) and forgot about the little outfits I bought for them. Murphy couldn't quite fit in the Santa outfit...but they both wore the antlers long enough for me to take a couple of photos.

Hanging Out on a Soggy Afternoon

It was "suppose" to snow today 2-5" on the valley floor. We got snow, but NOTHING stuck--it was just too warm at our house. I got to work this morning...caught up on emails and decided that today was a good day to take PA (personal absense) time...so I asked my boss if it was OK if I bailed early---and I did! Charlotte and I got to hang out and play while Victor ran some errands and got some much needed coffee!

When Victor got back, he picked up my camera and took a few photos of the pud and I hanging out. It was a good -- SOGGY -- day today! One thing we've learned...when are weather folks say "it's gonna snow" it NEVER does. It's when they DON'T predict the snow that we get caught off guard.

Why a Quiet 19 Month Old is NEVER a Good Sign.....

Somebody was just a little too quiet earlier today. I went to check on her and THIS is where I found her. She'd done this a few days ago with Victor too. She was on the couch watching Sesame Street one minute---the next, quietly climbing onto the bookcase next to the couch!

New house rule...Charlotte is NOT to be left alone in the family room on the couch!


This gives you a little more perspective as to where she had climbed to.


I'm sure most parents have had it lots worse--our Charlotte hasn't been a climber -- until now.

Mom, she's fine -- don't pass out when you look at these photos.

Dinner & Mexican Train

We had James/Angie & Garland/Karen over for dinner tonight. Everybody brought something over and Victor made yummy lasagna for the main course. We then played a round of Mexican Train that lasted until 10pm. Charlotte lasted until around 9pm. James won (by TWO -- count them TWO points), but a win is a WIN (and yes I'm the one that LOST by TWO points--but I'm not bitter -- honest)!

Charlotte was a great little helper during Mexican Train. She sat in Angie's lap for a quite a while, but wasn't really much into the strategy part--just into holding the dominos.

Thanks so much you guys for driving all the way out to our place tonight. We had a great time! New annual tradition -- dinner & Mexican Train the day after Christmas.

White Christmas

We had some unexpected snow this afternoon. The weather forecasters said that there was a "chance" of snow above 1,000 feet.....we got a fun dusting of snow today. First White Christmas in the Portland area since 1990.

Christmas Morning -- Elmo Style....

Surprisingly Charlotte slept in until around 8:15am this morning. We watched part of Sesame Street before we got up to open presents. We told her Santa had been here and there were presents for her under the tree. She walked into the living room and kinda just looked for a minute or two......

Then she went in for the kill......She loved the ribbon & wrapping paper on Aunt L's present the best! So we opened her new little pink outfit first!

We hadn't gotten very far and Charlotte wanted an "appul"...aka--tangerine. They are round, so she thinks they are apples also.

klVictor Borge DVD's from Grandpa Cina. New Jammies for Charlotte and "On Top of Spagetti" book from Uncle T. & Aunt L.

A cute little Gecko onesie from Grandma & Grandpa Cina!

Go Giants! Both Charlotte & Victor got Giants gear this year!

Charlotte got an Elmo puppet that she LOVES -- she's giving it a hug in this photo

My lame attempt at a group photo..we'll try setting up the tri-pod later today.

Charlotte LOVES her new Elmo cellphone from Cousins Kaylie/Jack & Aunt Kellie & Uncle Tim. THANK YOU!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas.....2007 Style

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (or in our case two puppies that I woke-up when taking this photo).

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there!

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, with visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.

Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap, had just settled down for some internet surfing! (okay--that part totally doesn't rhyme, but that's what Victor is doing right now).

We need to skip the part about St. Nick, since he hasn't been here yet.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a GOOD NIGHT!

We have SO much to be THANKFUL for again this year! After we put Charlotte down for bed, I finished wrapping a few gifts and then decided to take a few photos around the "new" house and that I needed to do a Christmas Eve blog tonight!

Here's a snapshot of our frig with lots of Christmas photos from family & friends near & far.

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and that 2008 is the very best year yet. Love - Victor, Kathy & Charlotte Cina (Murphy & Jessie Green too -- woof, woof)!!

ps -- My Great-Grandma Toots made this ceramic tree back in 1960-something. Had to post a photo of it...I've always had this tree as part of my Christmas memories!

Charlotte Helping with Wrapping Christmas Presents?

I was wrapping a few gifts this afternoon before Victor got back and handed Charlotte a ribbon and box...she did this all on her own!

Charlie and the Puppies

I was able to capture a few great photos of Charlie & the puppies last night. They were having a great time. The puppies are allowed in the family room only right now...I don't want any incidents with the Christmas Tree.