Snow Day

We spent a Snowy Day with Friends doing Snowy Day things:

And when We got too tired and cold for 

anymore snowball fights and sledding, and snow angels,

We gobbled down Burgers and Fries Galore!

Happy New Year!

We Hosted our 3rd Annual New Years Eve Family Party

and as you can tell by the amount of Confetti on the floor,

it was a BLAST!

{Games, Food, Dancing, Whistle Blowing, and Confetti Throwing}

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Christmas

The Tradition at our House,

is to Greet the Birthday Person

with Cinnamon Rolls and Birthday Greetings,

first thing in the Morning!

So,

Christmas Morning

is always started with 

Sweet Rolls and Birthday Wishes for the Baby Jesus

Then,

its on to 

PRESENTS

and Hugs, and Smiles, and Surprises, Oh-My!

We kind of LOVE Christmas at our house,

so we move at quite the Snail's Pace

through the presents-

admiring and opening and assembling gifts,

stopping for nourishment,

or potty breaks,

or whatever along the way.

We usually don't finish opening presents till the afternoon.

We figure, 

We wait the whole year for this day,

why rush through it,

and get it over with as quickly as possible?

We try to make it last as looong as We can,

and WE LOVE it that Way! 

12.24.2013

Christmas Eve Things:

We always begin Christmas Eve

with our Traditional

Christmas Eve Family Breakfast!

-Which I have no Pics of-

but if I did,

they would be pics of the 

Whole T Gang

Enjoying Eggs and Pancakes,

and all Excitedly Jabbering away about 

Christmasy Things!

At Home,

I kept Excited Christmas Eve-ers

Busy with painting Ornaments,

and Baking and Decorating Cookies

{One of the Crowd apparently thought 

decorating cookies t'was better done sans shirt}

We spent the early evening 

playing some new board games with the kids,

and then got together with the T Family,

for Christmas Eve Feasting, Gift Exchanging,

 and a game of Basketball.

Then back home

to hang our Stockings with Care,

set out carefully written Love Notes and Treats,

and to jump in bed with Visions of Sugar Plums!

{Merry Christmas}

Merry Christmas to All

12.23.2013

With Family and Friends

We gathered items and filled Christmas Socks,

and took them to a local

Women's and Children's Center,

where We also organized and worked 

Together to Decorate, Prepare, and Serve a Christmas Meal

to the  Crowd that was there.

We even had some fun live Family Musical Talent 

and Santa came!

Experiences like this bring our family closer together,

And it sure is a good reminder,

about the Real Meaning of Christmas.

Under Construction!

Guess Where We DIDN'T have Thanksgiving Dinner!

[Our Kitchen]

Since the Middle of October,

our Kitchen has been 

Under Construction!

Gratefully,

We have a Kitchen downstairs

We've been able to live out of.

It's nearing completion,

but forgive if I don't get around to

posting about it until after Christmas! 

[EDIT] This is NOT the Kitchen I previously already re-did, as shown through Links on My Side Bar. This is Our New House, this is a Different Kitchen.

Turkey Trot

[Earning Our Pie]

Our First Family Turkey Trot!

We've been talking with the Kids,

and wanting to do an Organized 5k with them,

so We enlisted to Turkey Trot it on Thanksgiving!

Grandma and Grandpa watched the Smaller Kids,

while those who wanted to Trot before Turkey,

got their Run on,

in 27 Degree Weather! 

We ran with our Boys,

and They Worked Hard to Finish!

We were so Proud of Them!

Definitely no records broken in our 5k Division,

but the Company was Exceptional!

Thanks Day

Thanksgiving 

Over the River and Through the Woods

to Grandmother's House We Go!

We spent Thanksgiving 

with My Folks and Family

back at My Ol' Homestead.

My Mom is always so Good 

at planning EVERYTHING!

{I admire Her Marvelous Energy!}

She not only plans the Feast,

but then she also always has 

Big Fun Plans

to keep the Kids Busy!

She had Thankful games,

and projects that kept them Happy All Morning!

Then after our FEASTING

She Pulled out her Traditional

Ginger Bread Houses

-One for Each Family-

and all the Trimmings

so Everyone could get their 

Gingerbread House Decorating on!

Another New-ish Tradition that we Lady-Folk

started last year-

Resurrected, actually, 

as it was Tradition in 

My Mom's Family Years Ago-

Is that of Making Homemade Chocolates!

We make centers

and then dip them

while We chatter away!

Another Good Memory:

We Celebrated My Mom's B-day while there.

the Grandkids presented her with a 

Fabulously decorated Brown Paper Bag.

Inside?

Rocks from Her Yard,

Because They Sparkle in the Sunshine.

[She Loved it of Course!]

And We'll also have to

 file this Thanksgiving away

with the Puke-ies.

Everyone was always 

Chipper and Well during the days,

but come night-

Some Kid or Kids

Some Where,

was Puking.

and 

Some Sleepy Parent was Cleaning it Up.

A few more Favorite Moments 

from the Holiday Weekend:

-Turkey Trot with My Family,

-Seeing My Sister's Near-Completed New House,

and

-Stopping for a Hayride under Christmas Lights,

with Hot Cocoa, on our way home.

Ah,

Good Holiday and Family Memories! 

I LOVE it!

11.11.13

Veteran's Day 

We Surprised the Vet in Our Family

when he came out the door that Evening,

with Family, Music, Clapping, and Flag-Waving!

Then We all settled 'round the Fire 

for some Pie, Hot Chocolate, 

and 

Tales about the Air Force!