It's the Holiday Season.....the holiday season....

I love Christmas...I love holidays period, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite.

We went to my friends house down the road and enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast with their huge family. It was a lot of fun and oooooh, the fried turkey's! YUM! A baked turkey is beans in taste compared to an injected fried turkey...that's heaven, lol!

The same friend and I enjoyed Black Friday shopping with her sister and other family members the next morning-very early. Holy Moly it was crazy out there...We found all the best lines though and seemed to get in and out of stores very quickly compared to some. Just a hint, at Walmart wait until the crowd heads to the register's up front-and they all seem to gravitate that way, it's like a mass wave really, then stay in the electronics department and 5-6 min later you are walking out to your car. The 'underclothing' department in the department stores...another good place to checkout. And Kohl's. That place rocks. The lines were crazy long, but we waited only 6-7 minutes to get to a register. Not bad for Black Friday. I found a bunch of great deals on some things that I'd been wanting and needing. I finally got my crockpot-$13!

We got home and were exhausted. I took a bit of a nap and then went back out with my friend again to catch a movie called The Blind Side. A very good movie. I was so wore out! On Saturday I just wanted to do nothing and slept in quite late...surprising too since I rarely sleep in at all.

Now it's on to the Christmas holiday season!

Christmas...

We made cookies for Santa and for ourselves! I ate way too many of those yummy sugar cookies!

Little Man got his 'Battle Inside the Death Star' lego set....we are still working on that thing. We're only half way there. That set came with a 1" thick, 15"x9" spiral bound instruction manual!Tall Girl got her pony! Well she got a halter with his nameforgot and did it to where it comes out sideways on my camera...sorry! But you can see what happened.

It's beginning to feel a lot like...well...winter at least!

It's actually been getting quite cold here. Low 30's at night is pretty darn good for this place. Though it was pretty warm again yesterday...I think it got up around the low-mid 70's.

I've got a chore on my hands today. Starting the kids up full force in school work...they had a lax week last week and rather enjoyed it a little too much, LOL. We did do some really neat science experiments with radish seeds. It will be a continuing occurance through the rest of the month.

Tall Girl has been really handling Napoleon well. I actually switched her to the regular hackamore...poor girl was just having to work too hard riding him in a plain halter. She is really wanting to take him out in the pasture to ride...but not yet. I need to ride him out there to see how he reacts. She's also been learning to hop on him bareback from the ground. That's funny to watch! But she did it yesterday with very little help from me. I'm sure she'll get it. She's a determined girl.

Christmas gifting is almost done. I need to start wrapping gifts. I hope everyone likes their little gifts though. I try hard to pick out neat things or to make useful things for people...

Oh, well...gotta run now. The farm needs feeding, the kids are going to want breakfast here shortly, and I've got to work on getting a bunch of ink out of some nice clothes.

***NOTE to SELF: Wash husbands work pants separate...that way the pen he stuck in his pocket will get ink all over them instead of our clothes too! Especially the cute little skirt my mom just sent me!

The Doghouse...

Don't get put into the doghouse this year! LOL

http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/videoPage.aspx

Christmas shopping is almost complete!

Steve will be graduating from class soon. Hallelujah! But then it's on to the last few college classes and possibly the next license class. We'll see on the later one since I think that his work is going to mess him over about it....

I love the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. I don't like all the hustle and bustle of it. I've always done my shopping all year or a month early. I hate waiting until mid December to shop since it's always a mad house with people doing the same thing...plus I'm always afraid I won't find what I want for the people I'm buying for.

Earlier this year I picked up a few things here and there for different people in our family for Christmas. I was glad I did since we are a little strapped now that we are towards the end of his license class and are a little strapped for funds until he graduates. This year the kids are getting one main gift. I did buy a couple of games that I got at a great price (75% off!) for the kids and a few stocking stuffers. I'm making Tall Girl a little lap blanket for church since it is always cold in there. Of course I'd rather be cold than hot. There are only so many pieces of clothing one can take off, when they're hot, before needing to head to a nudist colony!

We ordered Little Man's gift; it's been shipped. And Tall Girl's gift will be here soon. I'm doing up some things for our families and I'm done. I've got to get some pictures taken of all of us so that I can get our greeting cards done too.

Well I'd better run. Lots to do today...as usual!

A Very Merry Christmas!

We hope you all had a very wonderful Christmas and to our family across the states: I hope all the packages got there in time and that you all enjoyed everything. The kids have squirelled all their money aside and are saving it for that certain thing/things that they just have to have. They aren't sure yet what all they want, but are begging me to take them shopping today to find it! LOL. I told them that we'll wait until after the New Year...things are going to be insane today and I'm sooo not going out there to wade through the people.

We had a great Christmas here though. The kids and Steve had bought me a couple of CDs I wanted, the new Pirates DVD, and a new address book. Santa brought lots of cool things to the kids and Steve. Remote control trucks for the fellas to play together, 'too cool' they said! A lego castle and some play swords that J was thrilled about. Sister had bought him a couple of disposable cameras to play with. He is always running around with his fingers together like a little view finder 'clicking' pictures as he sees things he likes. He has almost burnt through one camera already!

B got my 'old' camera that I'd been saving for her and it was all set up in a camera case for her. She was so excited! She also got a scrapbook kit to go with it and a coupon to go to a scrapbook class with me this Friday. She's gonna be so excited to do her little album. She's been snapping lots of pictures too.

Santa brought them both a Nintendo Wii after sending them on a treasure hunt to find it...that was the hightlight of the day after it was set up. They were cracking themselves up while playing the sports games. It was a hoot.

Steve got some DVD's he wanted, a cool tie that he just loves, and we both have more candy than we needed; our bottoms and hips thank you Santa, LOL!

Of course Santa didn't forget our four-legged pals! Squeaker toys, treats and bones!

Steve and I have a very overdue date tomorrow for dinner and a movie! We are having a gal from church come and sit with the kids. They are excited. They really like her.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Santa has made his official visit to our house! The kids tracked him until bedtime thanks to NORAD. He was in Brazil or some such when they went to bed. We got to feed the missionaries tonight too. We don't get to do that often in our area. We had chili tonight; a family tradition. But I'd made a couple of pies for tomorrow and none of us could resist the pumpkin pie sitting there, still slightly warm. The cool whip was calling us from the refrigerator...LOL! I'm sad to say, there are two pieces left! I may have to make another one though since we all love snacking on it for a few days after the holiday!

I recently headed a service project for church. We collected gifts for kids and made gift bags for the moms at a domestic violence shelter. It was great to meet some of the ladies there and talk with the kids. One family in particular really touched me. They've had a trying time this year and due to the husband leaving her and taking their only vehicle, she ended up at the shelter. Her children were so well behaved and very polite. I called her to invite her to our home to let the children play at the farm and have dinner here. I was hoping to have her here tomorrow, but she will be visiting her cousin and aunt. I am glad that she does have family nearby. She is getting into a new apartment soon though and I offered our help to move things since we have a truck and trailer. We'll be in touch again and I'll let you know how it goes. I know that her kids and ours would really enjoy playing out here.

Well I'm off to bed. I had to wrap the two last presents for Steve and Jacob...they are going to love them! Pictures will be coming!

Gifts from the Heart...

While I love the holidays, especially Christmas, I don't like all the hoopla surrounding them. All the junk stores put out for us to buy that most everyone ends up returning later (most of it probably made in China or some other country where the laborers typically get paid a dollar or two a day). The crowds just make me a nervous wreck and I normally avoid going into Wally-World at all costs between November and January! It's insane in there on a normal day much less the holidays. I've got to where I buy some things online early, make goodies to send out and send cash to the kids. I personally like making things though and sending them out. Seems much more personal that way.

At church we ladies get together one night a month for our 'Enrichment' meetings; ours is the second Tuesday. It's a night to do something fun, learn a few new things, share our talents, and uplift each other. I am in charge of those meetings; I like doing them. Our topic last night was "Gifts from the Heart". I've been trying to showcase our sisters and their talents at each meeting. I presented a lesson on putting together jar mixes and different ideas on gift baskets to give. I made a few mixes and drew names later for the jars. I did up a turkey/chicken noodle soup mix (minus the turkey!) and a cookie mix. I had actually made both that day to try (I had to make sure they were good-I've had a few mixes before that were gross!). They were quite yummy and so I plan to do some up for Christmas...I have more than enough jars too. I brought some of my homemade bread and jam for refreshments (plus the jar cookies already made) and actually had two people ask if they could buy some of my bread on a regular basis!

I agreed so now I'm baking our bread and their's. I don't mind really. I'm just putting the money aside for now. Probably end up being Christmas money anyways, LOL!