Highlights from our year! (turn up the sound)

Goodbye 2008. Hello 2009!

Quick Post

Here is Joy to the world. You can't really hear the kids but they look adorable.

Our Weekend

We had a nice weekend, but again very busy. Saturday morning Andy was helping a friend move. Then we had the children's Christmas choir rehearsal. Kara gets a few words and then she just opens mouth and pretends to sing. Aaron, however, is quite the caroler. He knows the words to two of the four songs. The other two songs he knows most of the words and he was very good at singing. I can't wait to hear them sing at church. It will be nice.

Then we had Aaron's pack meeting. They had a cookie making contest so Friday night Aaron and I baked chocolate chip cookies. He was really a good chef. He didn't like putting them on the cookie sheet though, so I did that part. Anyway the meeting was cute and chaotic. They played a game called snowflake, where the boys eat powdered donuts but they can't use their hands. That was funny. Aaron had powdered sugar on the back of his shirt.

At the ready:

Listening to the instructions:

There it goes:

Success:

Yummy!

On Sunday we went to Landmark Park for their Victorian Christmas. They had demonstrations at the blacksmith shop and they were making syrup too (not at the blacksmith shop but in a different cabin). My favorite part was the schoolhouse. They had crafts set up where you could make your own turn of the century Christmas decorations.

Here is Aaron stringing popcorn and cranberries.

Here's us learning to make a simple corn husk doll.

Aaron hanging his doll on the tree.

Here is Kara's doll.

They also had a craft where you could make your own mistletoe decoration, but the kids didn't want to do that. For that one you took a sprig of mistletoe, a small pine branch and a stalk of cotton, then tied it together with strips of fabric. It was very neat looking.

After that we went on a wagon ride. We were pulled by a team of two Clydesdale horses. Very pretty but very huge animals. It was a very nice time.

The Wagon Ride:

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, we have been doing tons since December started. We haven't slowed down a bit and are a wee tired.

On the 4th we went to the Tree Lighting ceremony. Because of rain it was moved to the gym. The cub scouts had to pass out programs. Aaron was very polite and just offered programs, while some of the other kids practically mauled the people to give them programs. We didn't stay for the actual lighting because it was a school night and they were already running late by the time Aaron's job was finished.

Daddy and Kara in the bleachers:

On the 6th we went to Andy's office party. That was nice. They had a jumperoo for the kids and many crafts for them as well.

The food was tasty too.

We had to leave early to go to the children's choir practice. The kids are hopefully going to perform songs before the Christmas eve mass. Not a lot of kids showed up so we shall see if it is still on or not.

Here are the kids in the car, notice Kara trying to escape

and Aaron calm as ever.

We had to rehang our Christmas lights because a storm blew them all down. quite sad. We were tired by that time so we went to Chili's to eat. Afterwards, since the mall is just across the street we went to see Santa.

The kids were adorable. Kara said, "Hi, I'm Kara Rose." Santa told her hi and asked what she wanted for Christmas. She told him, "Hi, I'm Kara Rose." Aaron looked at her, shook his head and said, "He knows your name Kara." I didn't hear the rest because I was taking pictures so I asked Aaron what he asked for. He told me star wars Lego's and a few other things. Then Aaron said, "I couldn't remember the rest of my list so I told him he could surprise me. I didn't want him to think he couldn't get me something he thought I would like, just because it wasn't on my list." Very clever that boy.

Sunday church was amusing. Kara always keeps us entertained. Aside from her normal bopping all over the place, she also sneezed a huge wet sneeze right in my hair while I was holding her. Yuck. Then the boy in front of us dropped a toy and Aaron gave it back to him. The little boy looked at Kara and said Thank You. (He didn't see who handed the toy back.) Kara looked at the boy and pointed to Aaron and said loudly, "No, tell HIM." She repeated herself several times to make sure Bubba got the credit. Ughh. What a crazy girl.

Sunday we put the tree together. It was not as advertised but a very large, nice tree. We decorated Monday and Tuesday. We still have some garland to buy and then I will show you all a picture.

Wednesday it rained something awful. Early Thursday morning Aaron screamed and ran down the stairs. He said he heard a loud noise. We didn't think anything of it until the afternoon. The last time he heard a loud noise part of the siding fell off. So I made Andy look around outside. Sure enough part of the siding is falling.

Poor Aaron, all the siding by his room keeps falling. I'm not saying that it is poor quality but we have lived here since April and including today's this is the fourth piece of siding that has come off. Hm..

Leaf Person

Aaron had to make a leaf person for art class. He told me he wanted to make the biggest smile ever and give him crazy hair.

Aaron's Thanksgiving Story

I couldn't get it all to scan but I got most of it

Just to translate:

How to make Thanksgiving Feast
First, you put the turkey in

the oven. then you make the

corn. Next, you put pumpkin pie

in the oven. Then your family

comes to your home.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

I have tons of pictures and stories to share, but the pictures will come first. Kara has given up napping for a few days so I don't have a lot of time to myself. On to the pictures.

For Thanksgiving Aaron had to make an Indian vest out of a paper bag. He decorated using the well known ancient Indian symbols of the Lego brick and the death star. He also wanted one for Mr. Bear too, so we made one for him as well.


Kara also wanted to create so we made a leaf place mat. I cut out the leaves and she put them on the mat.


Aaron's cub scout den went to the fire station to learn about people who help the community.



Sparky the fire dog:


The fire hose:


A helmet:


We finally got an easel so the kids can paint without dripping it on their clothes. So I was going to make a smock for them. For Aaron I just rolled up the sleeves a bit. The cuffs of his normal shirt that wasn't hidden in the smock was drenched in paint. Same thing for his pants. But his smock/paint shirt was spotless. For Kara I had to think of something different because Andy's jacket was too big.


A picture of my turkeys:


Kara's face when I ask her to do something:


Our Thanksgiving feast:


Christi and Aaron swinging:


Mike reading to Kara: