Thanksgiving Break - Day Two and Three

Day two of break started with this view from our front window...snow on

top of ice and frigid temperatures.

I think the skiers were happy!

And so were these two. Emma has wanted to make a snow

angel for so long. She plopped down and just laid in the snow for a while.

Meanwhile, Ryan went out and started to shovel the sidewalk and the driveway

without being asked. I'm starting to think that there are a few benefits to

having an almost-ten-year-old!

We discovered that we traded our very long sidewalk and short driveway for a short

sidewalk and very long driveway! Lots to shovel!

The view from my kitchen window as I was making hot chocolate.

The afternoon was spent playing DS,

relaxing (and then napping),

playing with stuffed animals with a chocolate mustache.

I spent my afternoon finishing a few gifts...no pictures to share until

much later!

Later yesterday afternoon, I finally got up the courage to

help with kids make their own pillowcases.

These are the fabrics the kids picked.

I may never get to use my machine again!

Emma's photo of me as I'm ironing her seams.

All done!

Ryan did a bit more of it on his own.

All done!

So, the day went well, until about 6 p.m.

About half of the people we spent the evening with on Sunday ended up

with the stomach flu. Ryan decided to join the ranks. It was a loooong night!

This photo is from this morning (Wednesday). He's feeling better.

We're wondering who's next!

Rather than head out to Mom and Dad's for Thankgiving Dinner tomorrow,

we'll be keeping our germs here.

Thanksgiving Break - Day One

Weeks ago, when we decided to spend Thanksgiving Week at home rather than

travel to La Grande like normal, I promised the kids I'd take them swimming at the

YMCA pool. There's one just about fifteen minutes away, and it is awesome for the kids.

The roads were driveable this morning, so we hopped in the car and headed to the warm water.

I was in the pool with them, so the only photos are the ones taken before we headed out.

Anyway, the kids had a great time! Ryan tried to give me a heart attack as I watched

the one who will always be my little boy go off the high dive from cllleeeeeaaaarrrr across three pools. That's way too far for this momma's comfort! I love that he's so comfortable in the water.

Emmalee met a new friend and then, to her delight, discovered that she's also a Kindergarten student at Emma's school. They have plans to meet under the big yellow slide when

school starts again. Her name is Kennedy, but Emma kept calling her Canada.

I was just going to post the one photo...but look at that pose!

Our Weekend

Bob has always wanted a pool table. When we looked at this house and

found the large room downstairs, he really started his campaign for one!

Friday, after he got home from work, I went and picked up our new

pool/air hockey/table tennis/flick football table. Then he and Ryan started doing what they love to do best...putting things together.

We also watched the Sloan boys that evening while Greg and Amy went to a
very cold, but exciting BSU football game. Carson got to help put it together.
Unfortunately, he didn't get to try it out that evening. Part of the design was a bit
flawed, so Bob had to do some extra work on in Saturday morning.

These two crack me up...this is how they are smiling in every posed photo I have
of the two of them. They had a great time, and Emma decided that six hours
is the perfect length for a play date. They played with playdoh (for hours!), their Gameboys,
stickers, stamps, and with all of the toys in Emma's room.

Trevor

These two played with light sabers, their DS's, and Cool Math on the laptop.

This was at about 11:15 p.m. ~ a little quieter, but still going strong!

Carson and Ryan were "chatting" back and forth on their DS's, in Chinese.

Quite entertaining!

Ryan spent most of Saturday at the airport helping Dad and Max on Dad's plane.

When he got home, the table was all put together and ready to try out.

They only used the pool side ... Bob had to use some epoxy and it had to cure 24 hours before they could spin the table over to the air hockey side.

Bob giving Ryan lessons in pool.

There's plenty of room for the table downstairs...the only downside is

this support beam! Bob seems to have figured a way around it...literally! :)

With the kids off for the next week for Thanksgiving, the delivery of this

early family Christmas present was perfectly timed!

We had a bit of snow on Sunday. Between meetings, the kids

went out to check it out. More is expected over today and tomorrow, and then lows close to 0 degrees on Wednesday. I guess I have to accept the fact that winter has decided to arrive!

After Gospel meeting on Sunday, we headed over to the Sloan's house for some pizza, delicious chicken/white bean soup, Settlers, and playtime for the kids!

Con and Brice

Greg and Ryan

Amy and Malia...such a little cutie!

These two used to not get along that great....guess they've

gotten over it! There's nothing like a friend you can sit on!

The dads and the babies...

Greg with Trevor and Ryan with Malia

He's 15 months and she's almost 6 months.

Ryan, Carson, and Damion

~~~

What a wonderful weekend!

Ryan's Music Program

The third and fourth grade classes had their music program

last week. The theme was "Fall and Veterens."

They did a great job!

Aren't the decorations cute?

Emma had to try out the stage before the performance.

Ryan...second on the second row from the top.
~~~
Ryan did a duet with another classmate called "Soldier, Soldier."
It was a song about a girl asking a soldier to marry her. First, he couldn't marry her because he had no shoes to put on. Then he needed a hat and then finally a coat. The frustrated girl asks again and Ryan answers, "Oh how could I marry such a pretty girl as you, if I have a WIFE at home?!" And then he takes off at a dead run. Hopefully, the attached video will work...

One-of-a-kind Bag Raffle

I am raffling off this one-of-a-kind handmade bag...100% of the proceeds

will go to Ryan's Scout Pack 97.

The bag is fully lined with two interior pockets.

Tickets are $2/each or $5 for three.

The drawing will be Saturday, December 4th.

If you'd like to purchase tickets, please contact me via

e-mail at bobandkatie1@gmail.com.

Thanks so much for your support!

Almost Done!

So sorry for the silence these past couple of days.

I'm busy working on this...and it could be yours for

a mere $2!

Come back and see me tomorrow for all the details.

Off to sew...

That little white truck

There's a little white truck that visits our house most days.

Usually, it delivers bills or junk mail. This past week, however, it's

delivered daily news from a sweet sister-in-law and a little bit of my past.

~~~

When we were kids, we lived across the street from Lloyd and Esther.

We spent lots of time over there in the summer, saw them every week, and

counted them as relatives. To us, they were Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Esther.

If something would have happened to Mom and Dad, we could have gone to live with them...that's how close we were to them. They now live in California and are in their seventies.

I miss their steadfastness, their spirit, their kindness.

This past week, Aunt Esther had been going through a desk when she came across something I'd

made for her when I was young. There isn't a date, but it was before I started to write

cursive, so I was probably seven or eight. She even kept the original envelope.

I drew two pictures for her on cloth and colored them.

It touches my heart that she saved them for over twenty years and

that she thought to send them to me.

Thank you, little white truck. It's my aim over the next couple of months
to use you more...to send out handwritten letters and cards....just to let
those I care about know that I'm thinking of them.

Around the house

{Emma's reading canopy is now a bed canopy}

{A new photo grouping of the kids' seven cousins}

The shelves were from a thrift store...originally white.

Close-up of the largest frame

{Emma's bow holder}
The "Cherish" sign was in the $1 section at either
JoAnn's or Michaels.

I attached the ribbons to the back...instant and cheap bow holder!

{Hand Sewn Wall Hanging}
This was intended as my winter project...I want to
start doing some hand sewing. I started yesterday, and I'm about 1/4 of the way
done with the largest part. This might be a couple-a-weeks project.
I'm discovering that, while I'm relieved we no longer have to hand sew our clothes,
I really enjoy hand sewing.



{And, coming soon to a blog near you, something made out of thisthat might just become yours!! Stay tuned...}