Dinner is Served

6th Grader had to Prepare a 3 item meal for his family for school, 

type a cookbook to go with it,

document our experience eating it,

and take pictures.

He told me he didn't want 

any healthy suggestions, or substitutions from Me.

So I let him 

pick what he wanted

and 

make me a grocery list.

After school,

he spent 2 hours cheerfully making dinner,

with mild supervision from Me.

Here's what he came up with.

An Italian Sub Sandwich

His own Sunrise Smoothie Creation

and

Chocolate Chip Cookies.

It all tasted Great!

And we said lots of Wonderful things

to help him to accurately document 

our eating pleasure! 

Maybe he should cook dinner every night?

Santa's Got a Brand New Bag

12.08.14

Spent an Evening with the C Family and the B Family

Making Lunches, Filling the Bag, Feeding the Homeless.

Always Worth It.

Kick Off to Christmas!

We had our 4th Annual

"Kick Off to Christmas!"

A weekend were We spend the time

Christmas Shopping,

Seeing Movies,

and

Eating Garbage! 

Christmas, Here We Come!

Light the Night

Our City Hosts a Night of Lights,

Hayrides, Ice Skating,

Free Hot Chocolate and Cookies,

Candy Sculptures,

Gingerbread Houses,

and Santa!

This was our first year going,

but I think we have a new tradition!

Someone's Been Busy

Putting Christmas Presents 

under our Tree.

[It's the 7yr old!]

Notice the correct use of the 's 

to show who it belongs to

O Christmas Tree!

I LOVE that My Christmas Tree 

is Smothered from Top to Bottom

with Pictures of our Family,

and our Special Moments and Memories.

Our Tree tells the story of Us.

11.29.14

It's become our Post Thanksgiving Tradition

to make this stop on our return trip home

from Thanksgiving!

Its a drive through light display,

and there's hot chocolate, food and Santa.

Does it get any more Holiday-y?

T-Day

We always Travel across state lines
to my Parents' house for Thanksgiving!

And on T-day we start our early morning 

with some Pie-Earning

by Turkey Trotting!

Sometimes,

the Best time at a Race has nothing to do with Finish Time!

Love running with My Family!

When we got back to the site of the Feasting,

Grandma had her traditional Turkey making 

for the Grandkids!

And Much later in the Day,

after the Feast of Thanksgiving and naps

have been had 

My Mom always pulls out Gingerbread Houses

for the Grandkids to Decorate!

And let me just clarify something,

My Mom MAKES these houses from scratch-

no kits.

She mixes the dough,

bakes them, cuts them, assembles them with icing

and has them all ready to decorate before we get there.

She goes totally out of her way

and makes one for Each Family!

She's Amazing.

In the Days after Thanksgiving-

while all the family is still there,

the lady-folk make homemade chocolates

and cry while we watch

"It's a Wonderful Life"

And the Men-folk and Boys

Play lots of rounds of Backyard Football

Always a Good Time being Thankful!

Tickling the Ivories

One day at church, my husband and I happen to both be in the same class together, 

and there was no one who could play the piano for our songs. 

I haven't touched a piano in a very long time, but thought I'd give it a whirl, and volunteered. 

Much to my complete surprise, my piano playing wasn't utterly awful. 

When I took my seat, my husband said, 

"Lets get you a piano, I would love that for you."

He spent the next days scouring the classifieds to find a piano for me. 

We found this one for sale not even a mile away, 

and when we went to check it out- it was so completely PERFECT to me. 

We got it home and in the house 

(not an easy task at all, if you've ever moved a piano!) 

and we put it in our downstairs library area. 

I'm self-taught, so my playing isn't precisely right,

but my family seems to not be too picky.

I play at bedtime as the kids are settling into bed,

and they'll request their favorites and clap after each song,

until they fall asleep. 

I've really loved having a beautiful piano to play

and learn new songs or relearn old songs on-

It lifts my spirits to be playing the piano again.

I'm a Lucky Girl with a Thoughtful Husband. 

Jack-o-Lanterns

10.31.14

Pumpkin Carving Time

[Skeleton, KC Chiefs, and a Zombie]