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!!

Teacher's gifts

I'm giving gloves to teachers with this poem, saying attached.
reaching out
guiding
teaching
helping
inspiring
leading
loving
Thank you for what you do with your hands

No one was impressed

with my green ness so I'm going to put up a new post. Just so you know, Pres. Obama is getting his NPP today and the reason he's getting it is because he gave a speech about ending the war in the mid-east but since he has been in office, he has sent more troops to mid-east than P.Bush had there. You tell me, he was elected-now do what you said you were going to do!! But I don't want to get all political on my blog so that's all I'm going to say about that. Well, I had an interesting day yesterday in town. We were having scouts and dipping assorted items in chocolate so I needed to get all the supplies. I went through the grocery store gathering all my items and things that I needed at home too. Got through the checkout and totalled my bill $90 and couldn't find my debit card(still missing) or my checkbook anywhere. Winco only takes debit, check or cash.; Went to my van to looking for these items. Didn't find them. Went to the ATM to see if I could remember one of my "secret codes" for my credit cards, couldn't remember them-I guess that's why they are SECRET! So I asked if I could run to my bank and get cash. Winco is apparently used to this because it was no big deal for me to walk out of the store without my items. Went to the bank who is also used to this because it was NO BIG DEAL!! So after wasting about 45 mins. I finally had my groceries in the van. I only had time to go to Costco after that so I'm on my way to town tomorrow. I've got to get teacher's gifts and I have a good idea about them and I'm helping with Bode's class party-if you have any ideas, let me know. Here are pics from last night's Christmas party. Lexi was a member of the SIA-Santa Intellegence Agency (I don't know what intellegence has to do with anything but they liked the name?) Brek was pleased to be pretty far away from Santa and liked looking at him but sitting on his lap was a stretch. He survived. My tweeny is starting to get tweeny skin. I remember my first zits and I had them throughout my teenagerhood. I feel bad for her because her sister (who does take very good care of her skin-washing every night, etc) has the lovely, beautiful Freeman skin.

We are soooo

GREEN!! Everyone including Pres. OBAMA would be so proud of us. Today mom and I did the most green thing possible!! We recycled old Christmas Cards and made them into new Christmas card. And this is the kicker...they are going to the GREENEST prison in the US of A!! Most incredible efforts made by mom and myself. Don't you think that we deserve a NPP (in case some of you don't know-NOBEL PEACE PRIZE) I do believe that we should be in the running!! So please, if you see me, congrat me on my green-ness and if you live to far away to see me-so sorry I can't totally improve your life by being close to you with my total green-ness-please leave me a very GREEN message about how we rock at this GREEN thing!! I think I'll run for governor-I stand a good chance because afterall, I am female!! Oh and GREEN!!

D.I.Y.

Ok, lots of questions about my "pull the tab" craft so here's a DIY for everyone.

Get, buy a can that has the pop can top tabs on it. Plug in your hot glue gun.But you also have to get a can that has a "square" bottom. Cambell's soup cans have rounded bottoms so they won't work unless you have one of those can openers that takes the whole top off. (I don't so here we are) Take the bottom off of the can but leave the lid attached just a hair that way it's easier to close the can back up when you are doneCut the label off of your first can and measure it so you have measurements for your paper. All the rest of the papers on the cans you can just throw away.

Fill up your can with yummy things like C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E. or other things (but chocolate is the best!)

Glue the bottom of your can closed with your hot glue. Don't use glue that has a harsh smell to it because it will pentrate into the candy and make it taste yucky. Also (according to my husband, who is here right now telling me what to do) make sure that the can is SEALED because you want your candy fresh!Cut your paper and wrap it around your can. Be sure to put the seam at the back of the can not in the front where the pull tab is. Embellish your can with ribbon, rick rack, and a cute tag. And Wah Lah!! Here's a cute surprise for your VTers, friends, mailman, bus driver, HTers.

Saturday crafts and football

So exciting!! Connell won the state championship game in football!! They beat a private school called Cascade Christian 28-7. They went 14-0 on the season. Cascade record was 13-1 (this game being the first one they lost this season). Great game and really exciting for them!! Now on to the crafting part of the day!! Also exciting! Here is what Lexi is giving her friends for Christmas. And here is what I made (bet you can't guess who this is for!!) my MIL. I got the idea for the pop top cans from this FUN blog.

d.o.n.e.

This week I have been slammed but I can report that I have finished all the projects I had going on. The spelling bees are all done. There was lots of excitement including my good friend's son who has autism winning the 2nd grade spelling bee (he won spelling dinosaur-one of his most favorite things). And then another kid that was blind in the 5th grade placing in the top ten. Very exciting. I think it is the first year that he participated. I had to adjust the way a said words or at least used my eyes because he couldn't see. So I would have to tell him ok Miguel it's your turn or you need to wait for so and so to get done then it's your turn. It was very rewarding. It reminded me of JEOPARDY when they had that blind guy on there and they had to adjust the way they did things just a little so that he could participate. Then after spelling bee yesterday, I went over to the JH to help Lexi and friends decorate a door for a contest they are having. She will finish it up today. Today I'm staying home this morning and then I have to take Lexi to get a wart removed off her foot. I don't think she's going to be feeling very well after the dr is done with her.

b.u.s.y.

Been crazy busy as I'm sure everyone has because of the time of year it is. I have been running the spelling bee at the school everyday. One day left tomorrow and then I'm done! YEH!! I also had to speak at enrichment meeting which wasn't a big deal (too big of a deal). I guess I did ok. Glad that's over too. I really want to VT this week as I know that one of the ladies I teach is leaving town and I didn't get her last month. It is also my cooking day and I'm hoping that my dinner gets done before I have to leave for scrumb scrouts aka cub scouts. I don't think it's going to be done though. I didn't start my crock soon enough and so here we sitting watching it cook which doesn't make it cook any faster!! Frustrating! I also put together a card for mom and "her boys". But that didn't take too much time. I put together an wreath to give to my VTees and partner so I'm all done with that and the worst thing!! I made fudge that I can't stay out of. I don't want to eat it!! I can't eat it but it's SOOOO good. I've got some other ideas for crafts that I want to do and there's also a state football game this weekend that would be great to go too. Lexi really wants to go. I think that we-Eric, Lex and I -might go over for the day. I hope the roads are good!! What else can I fill my day with? At least I haven't had any gum incidents or furniture turned to rubble. Oh yeh, anniversary!! What anniversary?? The bad thing about getting married around holidays is you get to spend your anniversary with TONS of extended family. I did get a new lap top though. I still don't know how to use it but it's fun finding out. Also our tree is up and bare from about 3 feet down.