Snapshots

Phil and I accidentally tend to dress alike quite often.

Cute, huh?! Family photos (These are easier and cheaper than the Olan Mills pictures that we just had taken for our church directory.)Ann, Chris, and Clare
Clare and Chris became buddies VERY quickly!

Do you think that we look alike?

Does Clare look like a Durham? We're still undecided!

Shine a Light: Holland Peanut Store

Please check out this link, and vote for The Holland Peanut Store (from Holland, Michigan) as a local business that deserves positive attention!

nbc.com/shinealight

After you sign in, search for "The Holland Peanut Store." You need to register in order to "endorse/vote," but it only takes a few minutes. You don't need to "nominate" unless you want to give them additional nominations (which doesn't hurt anything).

Let me know if you have any questions about this, and let me know if you voted for them! Even if you've never been there, they still deserve your support. I worked there during college, and they immediately came to mind when I heard about the "Shine a Light" contest. THANKS!

A Lesson in Scalloping

Scalloping: 101

Do you know how scallops end up in your skillet?
From where do they come?
What do they look like "in the wild?"
Read on for a lesson in scalloping:

First of all, you plan to spend a day on the Gulf of Mexico

(or anywhere else that is known for scallops).

Snorkel at the surface until you find a double-sided shell.

This is what a scallop looks like...

kind of like the Shell Gas Station shell.Collect as many as possible. This year we only ended up with 38.

After soaking (a.k.a. "killing") them in salt water, you pry them open with a fancy device called a spoon. Once the scallop is opened, you remove the guts.

After all the guts have been scraped away, you can see the meat of the scallop.
Simply remove the meat and voila...you have a scallop.
There you have it: boat, swim, snorkel, dive, scoop, freeze/kill, open, shuck, clean, scrape, remove, cook, eat. It's as easy as that!

This is Chris trying his hand with his first scallop. Nicely done!

This was our FOURTH year of scalloping,

and we look forward to many more!

Click here to read about our 2008 scalloping trip.

Happy Birthday (yesterday), Clare Bear!!!

Opening Presents!

Clare had fun opening gifts on her birthday!
Bright paper to tear to shreds. Endless fun!
What could it be??? I think I like the paper better than the present!

New shoes for the Barefoot Beauty

(Clare definitely prefers going without shoes, so this is her first pair.)

Another fun wrapping paper...the good old plastic bag.

Daddy helped her open the present from G&G Durham.

A brand new puzzle...her favorite gift of the day!

Sunshine Market didn't hold a candle to the puzzle...

and check out those new shoes.

Cake, Cake, Cake!!!

Yesterday, the 13th, was Clare's 1st Birthday! Singing "Happy Birthday!"
Clare was definitely interested in the cake.
Her own mini-cake...which didn't last long!
Oh Boy...this is FUN!
Naked, covered in frosting, and injecting pure sugar into her system.
This is a special day!

YUMMY!

Does it taste better if it's squeezed between every finger?

Sugar-induced BLISS!

You be the judge...

What's the story behind this picture?Submit your answer in the comment section.

A prize will be awarded to the most clever answer.

Results will be posted in a few days.

(Don't reveal the answer if you already know the story.)

Nooks and Crannies

Clare has a new fascination with tight spaces. She finds all of the nooks and crannies of the house and weasles her way into them.

Look what I found!
Hmmm...what's back here?
My big belly barely fits in here.

Another tight squeeze...with lots of gadgets.

I found another corner.

New Hair-Do x2

Clare's hair is WILD, so we've been trying different ways to keep it out of her face.

The pigtails are NOT Daddy's favorite. In fact, he hates them!

I also tried something new with my hair...getting it chopped.

Clare's not quite sure what she thinks of it.

Is there any resemblance yet?

Here's the side-view of the big chop.
No more ponytail (my STAPLE) for me!

How about this look?

She was electrocuted in the bath tub.

NOT REALLY! I figured that I better clear that up for the Grandmas who look at this blog (namely, my mom). :)

Clare does, however, give "bad hair day" a new meaning.