Snow! Snow! And more snow!

The shoveled drive.

Our street, better than most as we are an emergency route.

Queen of the Snow Mountain.

Snow.

The path between the snow berms.

Looking out of our entry.

There was a wee bit o' snow this week and more to come today and tonight. There is enough snow that James, Alissa, and I were able to jump off of the roof! Thank you to Kirk for helping with the end of the drive with the magical snowblower! Alissa and I are tired and sore from the continual shoveling project. Well, it is probably time to take the advice of the radio announcer this morning and "...build a fire, watch a movie, and have a 'beverage' today."

Santa came to our house!

The morning after Solstice, Santa came to our house (he is a very accommodating guy.) He brought each boy a Rody Pony!!

Unwrapping..

It's mine Pony!

Bounce, bounce, bounce...

Two happy kiddos
They even had to ride their ponies over to eat snacks for breakfas

Later in the week Santa Carol brought them this huge fire truck as well as a semi that holds their littler cars. Ah, things with wheels- always a hit here.

Sugar Village

This year, as we have done in many years past, we all got together and made little "gingerbread" houses out of graham crackers and candies and loads of powdered sugar frosting. It was great- everyone really got into it. James even built a house all by himself and then helped Nana build one as well as conitinually making encouraging remarks about how great all the rest of our were coming along. We made a big pot of curry for dinner and the kids had more sugar than I'd like to think about for dessert. and dinner actually. Note to self: next year serve a very kids friendly dinner before any visual sitings of house making supplies!

Click on either collage to get a closer view.

Polar Express Magic

Polar Express

On Wednesday night with kids snug in their PJ's we took the Polar Express out of Williams to the North Pole. When we got there we got to wave at Santa and Santa even got on the train with us (James was just sure this would not happen) and gave each child their own bell! The Chefs served hot cocoa and cookies and led us in Christmas carols- we even got a Polar Express song book. It was a magical evening. Click on the above photo to see the photo album.

Visiting Grandma Laurla

AT the end of this past week we went down to Tucson to visit Alissa's Grandma Laurla and her uncle Sheridan and his wife Linda. We stayed at Sheridan and Linda's.

On Friday morning we went over to Grandma Laurla's place. The assisted living community she lives at has an aviary inside where the boys loved watching the finches.

Leland show Grandma a special rock he had in his pocket.

All of us together. The place is really pretty with lots of natural light and a good feeling. Everyone who works there seems to know my grandma's name and where she might be at any given time.

That afternoon we went to the Desert Museum. I hadn't been there since I was a kid- it was great. This raccoon was everyone's favorite. He was so silly- jumping on his tail, playing with his toys and showing them off to us. He was playing with the kids too- traveling back and forth to whatever window they went in front of. James and Leland were laughing and laughing.

At the exit of the Desert Museum

We, of course, had to take a break to do some digging on the long drive back home. James was planting trees and putting (pretend, rock) signs at the base that said, "Do not touch."

While Papa is at a meeting...

We're across the street at the mining museum- lots of big diggers.

Snow fun!

The perfect size sled hill- made out of the mountain of shoveled snow.

Leland telling me he's getting ''some air'' on his hands.

We have our own snow mountain out front!

Fairy cakes

Grandma calls banana slices with peanut butter ''fairy cakes.'' Both the name and eating them with toothpicks make this simple snack a magical favorite.

Oatmeal with Mustard

Yesterday morning Leland was excitedly talking to me about the oatmeal I was cooking. He was telling me what he wanted on it: "Honey and budder and honey and budder and honey and budder and honey and budder and honey and ..." You get the idea.
So we were teasing him a little, "Do you want...honey on it??"
"Yeah!"
"Do you want butter??""
"Yeah!!"
And then, just being silly, "Do you want mustard on it?"
"Yeah!!"

Well what do you know, after I had fixed his oatmeal with honey and butter he started crying. When I finally got him calmed enough to understand what he was upset about he told me, "Want mustard on it!"

So, yeah, my two year old ate not one, but three, bowls of oatmeal with honey and butter and mustard on it yesterday for breakfast.

Happy Halloween!

The Conductor, almost ready to go trick-or-treating

Admiring our Jack-O-Lanterns The boys wanted them to have round eyes, and be very happy.

He-who will-not-be-photographed. Also He-who-will-not-dress-up. He told me he wanted to, "not BE anything, just wear rainbow clothes," so there ya go.

Waiting for trick-or-treaters

Chickens go away!

I'm trying to sit on the lawn and do my German homework. The kids are occupied, but the chickens won't leave me be! Ack!

A new plant species?

James, after seeing a picture of an oat plant on a Cheerios box, "Mama, is that the plant that Cheerios grow on?"

New friends and old friends

Isaac, James, Kevin with Stella, and Michael with Leland.

James and Isaac

GABF

This picture cannot capture the huge size of the great american beer festival! Lots of fun, more than lots of beer.

Leland goes for stitches- again

You know what the important thing is about cutting your hand and getting stitches?

The nurse gives out really cool toys! James is showing off the top he got and Leland is showing the firetruck, which he held onto the entire time while the doctor stitched his hand. We were in the backyard today and he was carrying a metal box and fell down with it in his hands. He cut the base of his thumb- about 3/4 inches long, but didn't hit any ligaments, whew! The doctor and nurse said he was a joy to work on. He was chatting with them the whole time, telling about his chickens and kitties and saying the doctor was funny when he made chicken sounds. We're home now, bandaged up, but in good spirits thankfully.