Lighted Farm Implement Parade

Living in a small agricultural based town is amazing.  "Lighted Farm Implement Parade"?  You would not find something like that in a metropolis.  We can boast having the first one of its kind 25-ish years ago.

With Annie sick, we weren't going to have all the kids ride on the parade float.  Ryan and I brain-stormed for a bit, and decided that Annie and I would watch at the high school, and when Ryan let off all the kids, I could take responsibility for mine and we could go home instead of waiting for Ryan to do the loop before parking the tractor.

 So, here we are waiting for the parade to start.  It was cold, but not frigid this year.

 Here come the tractors!

 And other lighted displays....  Coca Cola always does a cool truck.

 Ryan's borrowed FFA tractor.

 Emma and Elizabeth got off, but Maddie stayed in the cab with her dad where it was warm.

Cookies with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Ryan's FFA chapter put on Cookies with Mrs. Claus again.  It's quite a production, and they figured there were about 700 kids that came through in the 1.5 hours.  

Annie woke up with a fever that morning, and a good one at that.  I have decided that with two kids in kindergarten, we might as well hang the quarantine flag above our door, because we are going to get every single bug that goes through the kindergarten classes.  I don't know if they are licking door knobs or what, but gee whiz.  We get a new bug every two weeks....

Deciding that the best way to get rid of a bug is to share it with others, I took the kids to the Cookies thing anyway.  We did go at the end, sat away from people, and tried to keep Annie's situation on the down low.  I was not about to let something like germs stand in the way of a tradition! 

You can tell Annie isn't feeling her best.

Annie didn't even eat her cookie.  You can tell when a kid is actually really and truly sick- they say no to sweets.

Sorry Santa.  I assume germs go with having kids sit on your lap for a living.

I had to put the flash on for the family picture.  I guess high schoolers don't realize that there are cameras outside of a cell phone, and the flash told us all that she was actually taking a picture this time.

We stayed a few minutes late so I could take the big group photo.  Well, most of the group.  Some of the kids had to go right at 11 am.

Whew.  Another one done.  It makes it a little sad that this might be Ryan's last.  Or it might not be.  The opportunity to find a new job next year is a little nerve wracking.

Wisdom

Elizabeth was feeling very profound today.  She told me, "You shouldn't get sick.  It isn't healthy."

Mess

I think Ramona lives at my house.

O Christmas Tree

For my birthday (and after the birthday party), we got a Christmas tree.  This seems to be developing into a tradition...  It was bitterly cold (as in, I'm not sure we got above freezing the whole day) and dark, so we found a tree quickly in an obliging Christmas tree lot.

 We got the tree inside and put up, and then put the kids to bed.

Today after church, it was time to decorate.  My mom came and visited us this afternoon, so she was able to help.

 Ta da!

I may or may not have rearranged some of the ornaments.  It seems a little silly to stack three on one branch.

The actual final product as seen by my cell phone camera.

Happy Birthday to Me.... and others

For my birthday this year, we were invited to a big November birthday bash at my in-law's.  We celebrated Annie and Maddie's birthday, father-in-law Rick's birthday, sister-in-law Blair's birthday, nephew Simon's birthday, and my birthday.  Once upon a time before all the kids got married and started having babies, Rick had the entire month of November to himself.  Now there are 6 of us, and that doesn't include my side.  November is THE month, people.  

The marshmallow throwing game from Thanksgiving had been a hit, so it was brought back.  With new marshmallows, of course.

 The pictures are in no particular order.  I just copied them from my mother-in-law's Facebook page.

 My niece Charlotte is so stinkin' cute.

 I suppose the pot holder game was a hit too.  They insisted that I (and only I) got to open my present with pot holders on my hands.  Everyone else missed out on that fun.  I know I was making some odd faces, so thanks to Kim for only posting this picture of me.

 Time for "cake-cake," which is Simon's word for birthday cake.

 We went through a lot of candles.  There were all 33 on my cake, and 26 on Blair's.  But not 65 on Rick's cake.

Simon didn't blow out his candles.  He got the stomach flu on the way down to his grandparents, and wasn't feeling great.  He spent the day wearing a couple of Grandpa's t-shirts while his clothes were being washed.  Michael ended up in some borrowed clothes for a while too.

Happy Thanksgiving

Food, family, and fun.  That's what we did this year for Thanksgiving.  

 The kids at the kid table.  (The lucky ducks always get to be served first....)

 And the adult table.  Honestly, I warned them that I was going to take this picture.

After we thoroughly stuffed ourselves, it was time for a couple of activities.  I have managed to earn a reputation for finding fun and easy games (well deserved or not, who knows) and so Kim asked me to bring a couple.  First off was Open The Heavily Wrapped Gift Challenge.  One person tries to open a wrapped gift wearing pot holders, and the person in front of them in line rolls two dice until they get doubles.  Then they get to have a go at the present, and the next person rolls the dice.

 Nothing makes you feel quite as coordinated as wearing those silly pot holders, let me tell you.

 The recently purchased humidifier box had one of those tabs that folds into the box, and was a beast to open.

Once we got into that box, there were two more to go.

 The prize was a Ghirardelli's chocolate bar.

After that was throwing as many marshmallows into a bucket as you could in one minute.  The distance was adjusted for each.  We started with the youngest (Annie and Maddie) and worked our way to oldest.

Emma's strategy was to throw multiple marshmallows at a time.

You can see we were listening to Christmas music on the tv.

 I did an awesome job getting the marshmallows into the bucket, did I?  (I think I got 11 in.)

The arrow points to a marshmallow stuck into the corner.  I thought I should get a point for that one for style.

 Ryan isn't actually older than everyone present, but he was trash talking, and ended up the farthest away for his crazy amazing skills.  You know, just to make everything fair.  hehe

Maddie put herself as an obstacle for her dad to have to throw around.

And that was it for the entertainment.  We sat around and talked until it was time to go home.

Cake

Ryan usually buys me a birthday cake from Safeway or Walmart, and this year I voted for cheesecake.  This one spoke to me while I was shopping at Costco yesterday.

I know my birthday isn't until Saturday, but well....  we ate some tonight.  It just couldn't wait any longer.  My family sang to me, and I blew out as many candles as we had.

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving....

....And we went to Walmart for a few things.  Not a turkey, though, because I think turkeys are out of my budget this year.

Pardon my asking, but how can that be a "low price" at $88 per pound?

Smells

Last night Ryan and I were sitting on the couch after putting the kids to bed, and watching Netflix.  We were even snuggled under a blanket.  After a while Ryan looked at me and asked if I had switched shampoo.

I said no.

Had I switched conditioner, or body wash, or something?

Still no.

So, Ryan started sniffing me.  First my hair, then my clothes, my arm pits....  Everything.  It wasn't what he was looking for.  Then he turned and sniffed the couch.

Bingo.

I still don't know what exactly Ryan was smelling, because the couch didn't smell weird to me.  But last night the couch must have had a distinct odor to Ryan.  Even though we've had the couch for a year, and shouldn't smell strange.