New Year

(I have yet to figure out the picture process. How do you get them where you want them?)

I wanted to show the birds I found for my mother. Her Christmas tree has birds, small red apples, ice cicles, and snowflakes.

There is this cool gift shop called Treasure Alley, that I like to go into at Christmas time(since that is the only time I really shop). They have some unusual items that are not terribly expensive. I always find some great stocking stuffers ie; geods to break open yourself, dinosaur bones you have to dig out yourself from a small block, and a square 9 pieced puzzle that has four halves of critters that you rotate to create whole animals. So when I went in to find S.S. I found this green cloisinae parrot bell. My mom loves cloisinae and she has birds all over her tree. I just could not resist this. And then as I was returning
to my car I saw another shop that I had never entered before and hanging in the windows were birds. Birds on a string, 17 to be exact with beads between them, the beaks and tails are beads and tassels. I loved them instantly and hoped mom would love them as well.
I think she did. We hung it on
her white wall and they showed
up very nicely. (the picture is at my house in front of my fridge-it does not do them justice)

This final picture is Christmas Day. We took the boys sledding. They had a great time.

Have a great 2009 New Year!

Icecicles cont.

These are this years batch prior to hanging, or giving any away.











They seem to look more luxurious all skrunched together.


















This is one hanging on the tree.

This is the one my 9son made that I have had hanging on my kitchen window.

(Obviously I have not got this process of pictures figured out yet. If you tilt your head it looks better.)

Merry Christmas!

Two whole weeks...aah!

I have two whole weeks to spend at home. I know it will go too fast, but I will really enjoy every minute.
Yesterday we made some more candy to put on our 'ding-dong ditching' plates.
Let me explain!
About three years ago at Halloween we discovered the thrill of 'ding-dong ditching' (we went three separate times that season). We always make a plate of goodies (sometimes with an anonymous note) then take it to a friends house, where the boys stealthily go to the door, ring the bell, and run like crazy, leaving the goodies on the step. The goal is to get away without being identified, and make sure the goodies are received. Which means the car cannot be anywhere in sight and the boys have to find a hidden spot to watch what happens. It is amazing how much fun this can be (and how far the boys have to walk in this rural area). We have some friends who have figured it out and have reciprocated, but usually they don't have a clue. The kids are absolutely giddy after a successful delivery. So tomorrow night after our weekly family night, we will ding--dong again, just for the pure fun of it!