Sledding and Snow Mobiling 12-30-09

Ashley & Tricia Bode, Lizzie and Luke

Bret and Jen

Ryan and Ashley Weston

Erica and Ren

12/30/09

Luke Weston

Summer

Ashley

Doug and Luke

Erin

Jill and Wyatt

Lexi and Jill

It's snowing here!!

It has been snowing here off and on all AM. Of course we've been cooking alot and playing. Everyone has been staying inside but it is warmer - 23 instead of 11. There was a short sledding party and a long swimming party. The hottub was on economy so it was a cool 84 but now they have it up to 101 and have shocked it as to not get diseases. We did have a Harry Potter party last night with 2 TVs playing the new movie of HP. We have also done 2 puzzles (Bret and Kris spent alot of time doing it). I will try to take some pictures but really haven't today. Maybe we will get snowed in and can't go home.

Sledding 12-29-09

12-28-09

More pics of what's going on. The cabin is cute decorations and colors of walls, but not enough rooms. Love the fact that all 3 floors have TVs and big enough rooms that a wii can run for the 7 and under upstairs and 7 and up downstairs. There's an air hockey table, ping pong table, 2 bars one on the kitchen (main level) and one downstairs. 2 fridges (one is smaller). It's alot of fun, there is a hot tub too. Wish you guys were here. Mom got her puter, Kris got clothes, puzzles, trac phone, homemade blanket (from Mijken).

This is for you, Ki

Here are some pictures of the fun we are having. Mom got a new puter and an EXTERNAL hard drive as to not lose all her info if her puter crashes again. Are you snowed in? We aren't. They are going to have to drive to somewhere to go snowmobiling. There is snow here though which is fun to see.

Dear Summer,

It seems like just yesterday we were delivering presents, and time has gone by so fast, I didn't think that we would get everything done this year!

It's been a tough year. Dancer and Cupid caught colds, and when Reindeet cough and sneeze they can't cover their mouths, so it's very easy for the elves to get sick too. One of the elves tried to put a mask on Cupid, and I'll tell you what, that was the funniest thing I have ever seen! Of course, it didn't work very well. When Cupid coughed or sneezed the mask flew off! One time the mask flew so far it hit one of the elves. Getting all the toys made in time has been really hard but thank goodness all the other elves worked extra hard to get everything done.

Dance and Cupid are feeling much better now and we are getting everything ready to test fly this year. I hope our test runs go well and as planned. We don't want things to happen like they have in the past and have one of the elves fall out of the sleigh. We even put seatbelts in the sleigh so it would be extra safe. It's nice that everything is back to normal now. Mrs. Claus is doing some baking and it sure does smell good.

It's been snowing like crazy up here, but I think its going to start slowing down. The elves and Reindeer are all so excited to get all the lights up and start decorating the North Pole. They are untangling the lights right now and it's not going so great. Oh, poor Dasher! He has the lights wrapped up all over him. I can't wait to see what they come up with this year. It always looks so nice when they get done decorating. All the colored lights twinkling and the reflection of the lights on the snow are beautiful.

The sleigh is already polished and ready for the test flight. Frosty is on his way over to visit us very soon. Don't forget to go to bed early this year so I don't miss coming to your house.

Love,

Santa, Mrs. Claus, the reindeer and all the Elves

Summer mailed a letter to the NORTH POLE (no zip code) a couple of weeks ago through our post office (Othello) and this is what came to her today in the mail.

Merry Christmas

We hope all of you have a great Christmas. If you haven't gotten a Christmas card from us, it's because we haven't sent any. We're taking a family picture next week and then I will send out cards. How grateful we are for our Savior and His atoning sacrifice. We love you all. Merry Christmas!!

I have met my match!!

JR HIGH UPDATE: Bode came home and saw the cakes and wanted to make one but I ran out of heads so he had to use a kiss. Then Lexi came along and informed me that Bode's by far looked better than mine. Bode had even put a face on his with frosting!! I've been out done but a 6 yr old!!

UPDATE: My E kids came home from school and thought the cakes looked GREAT!! So yeh!! At least my 1st grader is happy.

I seriously have no business being in the kitchen. I truly can't cook, bake or anything of the sort. Come on my MIL is like a professional cake decorator, if she saw these homely cakes, she would die. These poor penguins were kicked out of the South Pole for ugliness for sure. You would think with all the weeding of very fine vinyl, cutting tiny little pieces of paper into a thousand different shapes and sewing, that I could at least decorate a cupcake. Well, I can't. I can't even keep my station clean (as Collette says on Ratatouille "Keep your station clean, or I will kill you!"
I have joined a cooking group, well a swapping group where one of us cooks a meal for 4 families and then we swap so I actually only cook for my family 4 times a week, the other 3 days are brought to us. Well, I have had a few disasters doing that but this is by far one of my worst undertakings. I'm so glad that it's for a bunch of 1st graders that won't really care. However they will want to eat with caution as the only thing holding these babies together is about 10 toothpicks. Next time maybe I'll just buy the cupcakes!! One side note, be sure to make your cupcake decorating debut with a mom who gets PAID to decorate cakes!! That was well thought out. Why didn't I let her bring the treat??

UPDATE

Just a quick update on Lexi and her classroom door...after waiting a week to hear if their door was picked the best, it was announced today that it was. Lexi and her friend Jessy were so excited! I'm sure when Lexi talks to her advisor, he will be thrilled too!!

MMM Candy

Here is Brek enjoying the remnants of fudge making. Summer said that he kind of looks like a cat-the marshmallows cream is his whiskers.

Teacher's gifts

I'm getting close to being done with teachers' and friends' gifts. Here are the women teachers gifts. They turned out really nice. For the men, we are just giving them Christmas candy. I figured they would like that better any way. What man doesn't love food. Lexi has all her friends gifts done except one girl who is allegric to everything so we are giving her hair stuff. Summer has started on her gifts but she doesn't have nearly the list that Lexi does. I just need to get my neighbors gifts done now. We received candy last night from Phillips' oh so good!! Amy is such a great cook/baker. Just yummy stuff and of course, it is all gone!!