Saying Goodbye...

Happy New Year!

The Wrapping Paper,

boxes and tissue paper are

all put away...

the stockings are down and on the

ledge ready to be packed away...

the leftovers have all been dealt with.

The toys are being played with and
maybe some new jammies have 
been worn.

We were blessed to be surrounded
with family from our parents to 
our grandchildren and more.

We also were able to connect with my
sister and niece in Louisiana and hubby's
brother and sister-in-law, who were
traveling, with the use of technology

Great Uncle to the little boys made these
super cute Ford F150 stools - to sit on, 
push or whatever.   The grands knew 
exactly what to do with them.  The oldest grand
received one when he was about the same age.

Fun times!

Our Winter Wonderland Has Arrived...

Thursday, today was the day that the

snowstorm is to start ~ 

And the snow started early in the 

morning...

This is 8:00 a.m.

------

by evening (it gets dark early, this 

is about 5:10 pm) we had quite a bit.

More than 5" I thought in the morning and

 a lot more fell.  Did we get 10"? 

This will keep us busy a few days and

then I hear the wind is suppose to

pick up and it is suppose to 

get bitterly cold. 

Stay Warm!!

Dog Christmas Photo

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

from us here in our

little part of the world!

Our Dog family

2018 

couldn't forget to get this posted

since we do it every year.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve late late service - we celebrated

the real meaning of Christmas

Our annual Christmas picture ~ we will

have a quiet day today (Christmas Day) - we 

enjoyed our time with family a couple 

of days ago.

Our Family

Other family members arrived - we had a

full house (we were missing 4 that couldn't

come this year).

And Santa Did Come!

Santa came sometime in the night before 

Sunday morn... 

When we woke up we found Christmas cheer

and gifts, the "grands" arrived in 

the morning to check it out.

As we prepared early Sunday morning

the Christmas delights began to fill

up the table - (my first apple pie turned out)
and under the tree!

We will continue celebrating the

real meaning of Christmas ~  Merry

Christmas!

more pictures to come

Stockings Are Hung!

The stockings are hung because

good ol' Santa Claus may come tonight!

Opie is on his bed but keeping an eye
on everything.

At our house everybody gets a stocking ~ the 
horses, the dogs and cats too!

Frosty Christmas

We may not have a White

Christmas this year but a Frosty

Christmas is likely ~ 

This was Thursday looking over 

Sivertson Lake in Becker County

Surprise!

Wednesday I found a single padded envelope

in the mailbox (the Christmas cards have 

ceased to come the last couple of days) - but

this 5x7 padded envelope did arrive with

no return address.

A tradition is being carried on ~ our 

nieces made us homemade ornaments

every year for years (I have sorted their

ornaments and boxed them up so they

can take a look at them some day).

The oldest niece has two children and they

now make ornaments for the holidays and

graciously have included us on their list.

What a great surprise and very timely - the

yarn ornament has already been placed

on our Christmas tree.

That Ornament!

A very talented couple each year 

makes ornaments, this years edition is 

absolutely stunning and crazy cute!

He joins the others that they have

designed and created (many of them carved).

These ornaments are packed away each

year in their own special box where they

wait for the next holiday season.  

These are very special - and made
with love!   (and that makes
me chuckle just a little bit - we all know how 
projects are and when we work on them
with our spouse)  Probably some 
stories there!   :) 

Projects!!

Projects are done until after Christmas - a 

few wintery table runners (Christmas print, 

glittery snowflakes and trees covered 

with snow)

And one of my favorites - horses, wreaths

and snow

Here is the project that I was struggling

with - I found out that fleece isn't

that easy to sew....  double fleece blankets 

for the grands - I have plenty of fleece 

to make more since the

instructions called for 1 1/2 yds (plenty big 

for little people) so I made them smaller.

I have some ideas to fill some down time

during the week between Christmas and

New Year's - so the sewing machine and 

projects won't be idle for long.

Christmas Decorating

The final decorating -- Christmas

is out spreading its' cheer!

The decorating for this year is done ~ we didn't

get everything out  this year, leaving more

room for our family gathering.   I found this tree collar 

(is what it is called - the tin tub replica).   

I have always wanted to use a tin bucket/tub but 

had trouble with fitting the tree stand in the bucket.   Well

you just need a collar - I really like it!

The project us girls made during deer hunting

has found a new place for display and now

has a Christmas theme.  The beautiful

canvas painting was done previously

by my mom and the little Hummel girl

(she is holding a baby pig) is from

my mother-in-laws collection.

My "do good" elf has found a seat up on

the ladder watching over the livingroom.

My elf isn't as photogenic as the "elf on 

the shelf" that some have or as cute

as the lumberjack one that the neighbor has
but this elf promotes the season of giving and
challenges me to "do good".

The children's Christmas/Winter theme books
have been out since Thanksgiving ~ there are
some wonderful stories that are read each
and every year!

This year I added a basket full of my
Christmas theme beanie babies "reindeer, 
penquin, teddy bears and snowmen" - all for
the grands to play with. (and a basket full of
Santa hats and silly fun).

The Christmas cards get less each 
year, I hope it isn't a tradition that
is being lost or forgotten but you have
to wonder with networking, online
media and the price of stamps.

A Snowman and newly painted tree
were added outside and
how do you like my new flag?  I think
it is cute!

Merry Christmas to everybody as we get into
our final week of preparations, hustle and
bustle!

Maybe Aging...

Somebody unfortunately is aging... or has

something up with her hips.

She isn't a very a happy camper.

Back in 2014 when she was 4 yrs old the

vet diagnosed that she had a Left hind

leg ACL (acl tear in her knee) - we didn't

proceed with any surgery since after our

experience with another dog we thought it

was more in her hip. 

She had a mishap laying behind our very low

to the ground car and though it was quite

scarey she actually has done well since - we

decided it must have made an unusual 

chiropractic adjustment.

Now years later, she just celebrated her 8th

Birthday ~

what appeared to be a little slip on the

ice or something she is now having

some trouble with the opposite hind leg and

once again it seems like it is in her hip.

After two incidents she is now on 

light duty - no running and playing, up 
the glucosomine supplements and see 
what happens.

I didn't get this posted right away - a few
days later she does seem to be doing better,
at least it isn't just giving out on her.

Hopes for healing back to normal.

Half Way Thru December

We are half way through the month

of December.... and we don't have

much for snow

Yesterday was pleasant and today is

suppose to be even warmer - even some

melting going on.

We will need some snow in the near

future for Santa Claus and his reindeer.

Christmas 1992

 Christmas Pasts

Cousins with Santa Claus

(we now know that Santa Claus

was Great Uncle Ken a few years)

Father and Sons 

 1992

It Is Cold....

at the beach

Last Saturday, there wasn't much going

on at the beach... all of the docks are

being stored on the shore

The lake was busy with portable 

fish houses - I wonder if they

were catching anything?

Heavenly Birthday

Happy Heavenly Birthday Grandma

Grandma has been gone now 10 years - oh

the memories, she was a special lady.

I sure do miss her ~