*Wordless Wednesday*

A sneak peek of our CHRISTmas break!

UPDATE: I got word on my van. The computer is shot, they have to order it. It will be done on Monday... ONE WEEK! Praising God that is is UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY ARE LETTING ME KEEP THE VAN NO CHARGE until mine is done!!! Can't believe we blew another computer (we had issues with the impalas computer... twice.)
CHRISTmas cards are done and I have twenty more ordered. When those are gone, if you didn't get one, sorry. Out of luck!
Please pray for Stellan who has RSV and has been admitted to the PICU. And Auntie Mary who is going to attempt to get home tomorrow. SNOW + Airport = a need for migraine medicine!

Well, we made it. We survived the CHRISTmas weekend with everyone in tact. I did not even have to use my migraine meds... although the events of yesterday... nearly pushed me over the edge.
As soon as I get my house cleaned and the stink out I will post photos of our weekend. But here is a sneak peek.

• CHRISTmas eve day, driving north in a blinding snow storm... trip should have taken less than three hours, took four. Arrived safe and sound to a warm home, a BEAUTIFUL ~ huge CHRISTmas tree, and a 52 inch flat screen TV. Merry CHRISTmas if I ever saw one!
• Snow gear on. CHECK. Sleds hooked to back of snow-mo-bile. CHECK. kids in helmets. CHECK. D eating his share of snow. CHECK. winter fun... Absolutely.
• CHRISTmas morning, "Santa" spoiled. CHRISTmas church. CHRISTmas naps. More snow fun. Wait for in-laws. Open gifts, spoiled again. Standing rib, riced potatoes, and all the fix'ns. A day spent with family.
• Friday, SNOW! Trip to Escanaba for the the ornaments that I "needed". Nice time spent with sister-in-law. More snow fun! I even got to ride on the sled... until I broke the string and L and I got booted to the other snow-mo-bile.
• Saturday, RAIN! Can you say sloppy mess. Alumni basketball game, fun to see hubby play ball. Slip in parking lot (H gets soaking wet). In safe, that's where we stay. Address all 100 CHRISTmas cards, realize we are 11 or so short.
• Sunday, SNOW and ICE! Packing, ready to go home! 11:45 "our time" we set out... van stuffed to the gills... can you say spoiled. 10 miles down road, phone rings, I forgot my "backpack" (diapers, meds, vitamins, more meds, more vitamins, wipes, camera, did I mention diapers... the kind you can not buy in the UP) we turn around and head back. Head out again, fifteen miles back down the road... WAHM.... van jolts into "limp home mode" let's just say, 25 mph on a busy, icy highway isn't where we wanted to be. Pull over, cycle the key call our mechanic... what the heck is he going to do three hours away? Not a dang thing be we needed him to know we were in deep trouble. Jeremy gets it out of "limp home mode" and we are off again... five miles down the road... WAHMMMMMM... "limp home mode again... this time we can't get out of it. We drive very carefully back to the in-laws. Arrive back at 1:15 "our time". Can you say, Mama might need some migraine meds soon.... actually I was fine... We called our jobs and let them know the situation. Call my parents to "brief" them. Get back to grandma not needing us there for three more days. You know it would take that long for us to find someone to fix it and then wait for them to get it right... Might I add, this was "fixed" in September(but that is a whole nother story). Grandpa and Jeremy head out to borrow a car trailer. We were NOT paying for a tow because we did not break it. Our plan, take it to the local (45miles away) dealer Monday morning. Grandpa and grandma's plan, take us home to our house... Van loaded. Grandpa's truck loaded with him, Jeremy, H and W. Grandma's vehicle laded with her, me, D and L. Oh, yah, I didn't mention, the only vehicle we all fit in is our van... which is on a trailer. Drive three and a half hours, we get home.
• HOME, STINK! We left the neighbors with a house key and asked them to get our mail, paper and take care of the snow. OH and boy did they ever. BUT, they must have seen a light on in the house (snaps tank) and came in and unplugged it. BUT, they unplugged the filter too.... one dead fish, and a whole lot of stink! You think my house stinks of dirty diapers on a normal basis, you are right, let's just say, this did not come close to comparing to that smell. And even though we changed the filter and got it running... the house STILL STINKS. Oh, and my beautiful wreath on the side of my home no longer lights up either, they took care of all the lights... he hit the cord with the snow blower!!! Oh well, the house is still warm and standing.

Got work to do, I will update this post with photos and an update on my van, soon. Oh yah, the place the broke it and "fixed" it last time has it again... and I have a rental... again. We are not stranded!

I might add that we are ALL healthy and safe so there are no complaints. Praising God that I have in-laws that love me enough to bring me home... Now if we can survive the kids week off of school!

Merry CHRISTmas to you and your family. Luke 2: 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Remembering the Reason for the season.

*Wordless Wednesday*

Explanation: I was going to blog about the time we had going out and cutting down our own tree and the decorating process. All the photos to go with it. I was so excited. THEN, yesterday morning we were all in the kitchen getting ready to leave for school and we heard a huge crash. This is what I found. Seeing how the entire tree was starwars and glass bulbs with the exception of my favorite glass frog there was glass and figures strune EVERYWHERE. D will tell you that H did it... (really, no one did, it just came over). All of the starwars (I have been collecting them for Jeremy for almost ten years) except one were just fine. The bulbs... well, let's just say while at walmart, we purchased some more. The tree currently stands lights in complete disarray with the star, four figures and two bulbs on it. Jeremy is going to put it in a different stand. We are currently on damage control at our house. Oh and by the way, NO ONE touches the tree. That is unless you ask daddy nice if you can make on of the ornaments talk. Coming soon: our CHRISTmas tree. The complete story from cut to beautiful again. Oh and by the way, my frog was just fine too... you can see the bottom (green) of it in the "rubble". Did ya click on the photo? Gotta to fully grasp my mess. Did I mention that it was full of water at the time too...

Happy birthday to you! My sweet eight year old!

Yep, you got it, H is eight today. Spending his birthday as a "snow" day.

Happy birthday!!!

**due to technical difficulties you will have to bare with me for the photos of his "little days"**

11:54pm tonight marks TWO YEARS!

Happy Second Birthday L!

*photo edited to meet blog protocol.

Happy Fifth Birthday E!

*cousins born on the same day three years apart.

*Wordless Wednesday*

left to right : My mom, me ,(behind me) Jeremy, sister Mary with D on her lap, brother Noah with L on his lap, brother Adam with W on his lap, Kellie (Adam's wife), sister Sara with H on her lap, (behind Sara) brother Luke, brother Seth with E on his lap (Sara's son).

Update on my hunter!!

Saturday afternoon Jeremy got a five point buck. As you can see he was a decent size. He hung in the "slaughter house" over night to drain and on Sunday Jeremy took H and W with him to pick it up.

All of the processing was done in the in-laws garage by Jeremy and us (I include myself because I was the photographer! You think I am going to touch that you got another thing coming!) All of the children (yes even L) observed and helped where ever they could.

I love the picture with the legs. They carried them around for quite a while!

They checked out the head a lot. Even opened it's mouth and such. What a great way to learn!

For a little boy that in years past could not even be in the garage with a deer because he would throw up, W sure did a whole lot of work. Here he is proud of the tenderloin!

If you have spoken to me before, you know that we process all of our meat. Here Jeremy and his dad are taking care of it. I have all (26lbs) of it and am working on getting it vacuum sealed and the hamburger ground to be put in the freezer and made into jerky.

The deer below was shot by Nancy... on her 72 birthday! From the same blind that Jeremy got his little guy (which, it isn't little until you see this monster!).

A very generous lady for allowing us to hunt on her land! Thank you and Happy Birthday!

You have read a about MckMama on my blog before... Remember Stellan... Anyway, if you were looking for somewhere to make a small (or large) donation this year check out her blog (press the button above). All the details are there let's just put it this way you can win a HUGE camera package. If you don't have the money to donate you can leave a comment with the proper information (read the fine print at the bottom of her post) and be entered also. Pass on this information for a great cause!
Happy day.