Connections

 

Better late than never I say...so here is our Thanksgiving.  This year was a year we stayed home and made a yummy dinner and ate ourselves silly and watched some Seahawks football!  GO HAWKS!

We only had one little glitch in the cooking of lunch and that was my roaster somehow getting turned off for who knows how long.  Thankfully I think we were only about half an hour later than the Noon time of lunch...or maybe it was an hour.  Either way one of these years I'm going to get a Noon time of a Thanksgiving dinner on the table! 

 

This is my table...I set it with my lovely table cloth and then consulted my Betty Crocker cookbook that isn't Betty Crocker but Better Home and Gardens cookbook, and set my table appropriately.  I really wanted candles in the middle but I ran out of room with all the food.  There are worse things to happen right? 

 

 

 

My family...there were a few disgruntled members who felt they should be able to show up to the dinner in pj's instead of a decent pair of pants and shirt, all non-holy pieces of clothing.  Someday all this work to teach them manners, etiquette and proper attire will sink in and be worth it...

 Since it was our year to stay at home, we invited just a few members of our family to our house for dessert.  The first to come were my in-laws.  They enjoyed some pie, Krumkaka (yes you read that right, it's a Norwegian crumbly cookie...tastes delightful with whip cream inside of it), Divinity, fudge shared by my Mother in-law and of course Egg Nog and chocolate milk.

 

It was a nice visit and I'm glad they chose to come!

 Next to show a bit later was my little brother and his son...we are missing my Sister in-law and little Miss...they had a rough day so the thought of getting into a car for an hour ride there and back,  was beyond daunting and down right intimidating.  Thankfully, this Auntie got as much baby sniffing and Auntie/niece selfies as possible the day before!  This time around we also enjoyed some pie, fudge, Divinity, Krumkaka and then we added in some Snicker doodle cookies...because Auntie heard that her nephew likes cookies...LOVE being an Auntie!!!

 

I felt both pictures were required because it just shows how goofy family can be and how many faces can these kids make???  We were only missing my parents who didn't make it to have dessert with us, we all missed them, and I definitely sent some yummy dessert their way!  Maybe they'll make it next time we do it!

 We were blessed to be able to have food on our table, to be warm, and have each other and many, many other things. I was very thankful to see my brother and his family and to be able to have a much needed heart to heart with my brother and feeling like we made a connection I hadn't felt in a long time. Thankful for my nephew and niece and thankful that my sister in-law is good about letting me pretty much hold her baby girl until Little Miss needed to eat and sleep.  She was so good about it and for that I am thankful.  In the end I hope everyone that came enjoyed their time with us!

Thank you Lord for all that you have given me and my family...I'm working on being thankful for the hard times that  I/we are  or have gone through so far...we are always thankful for the good things and times. I think it's just as important to be thankful during the hard times or trials we walk through.

Until next time!

Traditions

 

Our tradition of officially buying and cracking open Egg Nog (the fancy and expensive kind...where you pay a deposit for the bottle) and chocolate milk. It starts off the  holidays here at our house.  I can't remember why Lee is missing but I suspect he was not feeling well...that is what I'm remembering anyway.

 

 

 

I hope to post some more holiday pictures and stories!

Toodles for now!

Unbelievable

Not so long ago in the past we celebrated Dru's 8th birthday!  Eight you say?  Yes!

 

This year was Skylander themed, a video game he got for Christmas and really enjoys!

 Our resident 8 year old...heartbreaker this one!

 Happy Birthday son!

 Make a wish my love

Dru received a Sounders shirt as a gift.

 To go with his Sounders game birthday gift from mom and dad!

I hope he had a great day at his party and at the game and that all his wishes come true!

Escapades in Kilts

Early in July...well actually late in July Nikki and I went on an escapade to see Kilts...perhaps food too but really for kilts.  It all goes hand in hand...we need the food to sustain us to look at weapons and kilts. 

 

We were waiting for the Gathering of the Clans

 

 We went to the beer garden and it was so yummy...kilts and beer yummy.

 I don't remember what the beverage was called...but it had Angry Orchard and something in it. SO good!  Nikki do you remember? 

 

Thelma and Louise ride again and obviously can't look at the camera

 

 Honestly the array of kilts that we came across was simply amazing!  I really had no idea of the sheer amount of tartans out there. 

This one was very colorful!

 

 Do the Seahawks have an official tartan?  This poor guy figured out that his pictures was being taken.  He was a good sport...never said anything.

 And this guy...oh man this guy.  Where do we even start with this guy.  He was in the group Wicked Tinkers...and man was he wicked...wicked delicious!!

Outside of the eye candy the music was absolutely wonderful!

 

I have many...many pictures of this man...all in all the Highlander games was an absolute ton of fun! I wish my boys were old enough to go and seriously appreciate the affair what it is.  Someday maybe, but for now I go with girlfriends and we visit beer gardens and check out fellas in kilts!



Rebels With Out A Cause

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Candy cigarettes.....

 

 

 

......beer flavored jelly beans.

 

 

Yup...that's the kind of candy Auntie Anita and Uncle Frank get the kids while on a camping trip! 

 

 

You have to know how awesome we are!

 

Being an Auntie is some of the most fun I've had...ever!

 

Love these guys!

Smokey Haze

 

I'm sure that line belongs in a song or something...or I've heard it sung somewhere.

 

 

A few weeks ago we celebrated Frank's birthday much to his horror.  He's like this for birthdays like I am about holidays.  All horror!

 

Anyway, hard to get away with not celebrating anything with kids so off we went!  I think he had a tolerable birthday.  Dru made Frank an appetizer he had at Vacation Bible School.  Ian made him some cheesy breadsticks to go with our dinner of pizza.  I made him the cake he likes. The boys took Frank out to see the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...and I loosely mean they took him out.  Eli, Dru and Ian also used their own money and each bought him a beverage they knew he liked to drink.  Those boys will get you looking every time, right!?!

 

 

Here is the birthday boys cake

 Yes...all 38 candles are on that small cake!  I'm that kind of wife!

 38 candles all lit up...OH.MY.

 Making a wish and blowing the torch out!  So much smoke!

 Annual picture with the boys...still so much smoke...and serious faces too!

 Funny picture...at least this one is funny.

For as long as I have known Frank birthdays are not his thing...they are my thing however so the torture continues for this man.  OH well...
Happy 38th birthday Frank! 

Ruadh

 

Back in January we said Lee he could dye his hair...we had to tone (bahahahahha...snicker snicker...pun intended!) down his wants for color and scheme and what ever other crazy concoctions he had swimming around in his head.  Well push came to shove and we had to pay up, and we finally did the last month of school.  Why not it's just hair right?

 

Right.  I just wasn't gonna pick this fight.

 

So we asked Grandma to help and Grandma willingly did, poor lady!  Some days her grandkids have that woman run ragged!

 

So off to Grandma and Grandpa's house we go!

 

 

 

Off to work and planning just how to accomplish this, thank goodness Grandma is a professional!

 

 Doing some before photos

 We all just thought this was funny...Lee in a bonnet

 No pain no glory right Lee?

 Ruadh aka red was picked

 Bright!

 Catching up on a little bow and arrow action while waiting for color to set.

 An expedition to hunt for frogs...found one!

 End result...not quite what he was looking for and not quite what the gals said would happen.  So now we plan another hair day to get the right effect...can you guess what that effect is or was rather?

 Shock effect!  That would be what he was going for.

 Value achieved Lee!

 Because boys will be boys..."Mom it looks like blloooodddd!" "Cool!"

 After photos.  This kid and his goofy head shots are seriously cracking me up!

 If I ever thought about what a rats nest looked like...this would be it.  So thankful for conditioner!

 He wanted a chunk of it up front and then all around his head.  He really liked it.  Sadly the color has all gone out and he's left with bleached hair which actually look like natural highlights.  I have had several people stop me and ask if that's natural and that he's so lucky to have that and great hair!

So there ya have it...the boy got his hair done did!  Now I'd like to get mine redone...loved my silver and not sure what color I would do or go with purple again!

Plate Licking

 

 

 

 

IT.WAS.THAT.GOOD.

 

(A game played at a birthday party with whip cream)

Just Shameful!

 

 

Give it a try she said....

 For shame...for shame...for shame

 

 

Rather pitiful, really!

Spokane or BUST!

I realize I am finally sitting down to post this well after Little Miss was born, but such is life. 

 

 

 

In July my lovely little niece was born...Look!  Isn't she just darling!?!  She already loves me best!

Shortly after she was born I managed to jet, and I do mean jet, over the mountains to see her!  I wasn't able to when her brother was born and by golly I was gonna this time.  Killed me I couldn't for my nephew and it's so very hard for me to get over to Spokane to visit as much as I would like.  It's an actual physical pain I don't get to see them as often as I would like.  But that is life and we made do!

So I got to Spokane and spent the night at Grandma Lea and Grandpa Bob's house/farm...where my boys did what boys do.  Caused havoc and at least one is lucky to have an eyeball...*shaking head here*.  I digress...spend the night and then had a lovely breakfast and then off to see the new niece and my nephew and for cousins to play and visit with brother and his wife.  I spent the hours I was there holding Ms. Rebekah and she was warned by her daddy that I would sniff her neck...many, MANY times...and I did. 

Sigh...I miss them a lot and I can't wait until Samuel is ready to come and visit/stay for awhile at my house and of course when Rebekah is old enough too!  I really look forward to that!

 

 

So here she is, Little Miss...

Love that she has a head of hair on her...and I'm looking forward to buying cute hair things!

 

 I hear that will all that great Momma milk she's gone from 8lbs+ to 10lbs +!!

 See what Momma milk does to a child!  Induced coma!

 Tender-hearted Lee...many people hardly get to see this side of him.  When you do, count yourself lucky.  He really does have a heart for children.  He was the only one of my boys who asked to hold her...generally he's the only one that ever asks to hold a baby...generally.  I hold these rare and precious moments close to my heart.  That and one day he'll know I was right when I say girls really dig it when you can hold a kid and not freak out.

 Cousins!!!

I will definitely be getting a print of this!

 An Auntie and niece  selfie, our first!

They are harder to take than you think...and actually I have a whole post idea on this.  Spent some time while waiting to see family trying to get a good one with my camera...I don't think I succeeded.

I, however, think this one is a good one and will get a print of this one also.

I'm so glad I was able to do this but really wish I had, had more time to stay.  Missed a birthday party for my nephew...he's one whole hand now (5) AND starting Kindergarten! He has had a very big year and coming months.  I love them so much!

Ok, off I go.  Have a good rest of the week!  I won't be on for a few days, I hope.  I will be pear and apple picking tomorrow, along with grocer shopping for camping and packing for camping....camping and then back to whatever our summer has been....OR not been.