Christmas #2

We spent the actual Christmas weekend at David’s parents' house, along with his sisters and their families.  It is always a full house and we have a great time.  The cousins all get to play together, the adults get to catch up, and grandpa and grandma have all of their grandkids in one place.  Being able to get the whole family together is a blessing.

One of our favorite traditions is leaving the grandkids with grandpa and grandma while the adult siblings and their spouses get a night out together.  It is usually just for a meal, but it gives us time to visit, laugh, and take a break from the kids.  We started this tradition a while back and have continued it no matter what the weather has been like.  Of course, we can’t complain about the weather this year: it was 40+ degrees everyday through the weekend.

The kids enjoyed their time together, but they also enjoyed the gift opening.  Everyone wanted to play with each other's gifts just as much as they enjoyed their own.  We opened gifts on Christmas Eve, so they had several days to play with them before coming home.

Each of the girls opening one of their gifts.  They won the award for getting the gifts with the most pieces.  Almost every gift they opened had a lot of pieces to it.

Everyone opened their stockings on Christmas morning before we went to church.  After church and lunch, the pastor of David’s parents’ church rode their horses over to the house so the kids could see them.  All the kids loved it.

Bria and some of the cousins looking at one of the horses.

Bentley looking at the pastor’s dog with Aunt S.

What a great holiday!  I don’t know if I said this in the last post, in case I didn’t:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas at Home

Saturday morning we had our little Christmas with our girls.  We had company coming later in the day (and staying for a few days).  Then the girls were going with David’s parents until we go there for Christmas.  Saturday was the last day before Christmas that we could have our celebration.

The girls each took their items out of their stockings and opened their present.

This is the first year we have actually had something in their stockings—slippers for Bentley and kid friendly scissors for Bria.

Bria was reading her tag while Bentley got started opening her gift.

Bentley’s doll house castle.

Bria’s doll house stable.

The girls played with them quite a bit after opening them (especially Bria).  We hoped they wouldn’t fight over them since they were very similar, but Bria wanted both of them all to herself.  Bentley lost interest after a little while and Bria got her way.

After the gift opening, the girls and I made some Christmas cookies for the church Christmas program on Sunday evening.  David and I participated in it again this year, so all the grandparents took care of the girls while we performed.

The girls putting sprinkles on the Christmas cookies.  They loved it.  Bentley just wanted to keep going and figured out how to get the lid off of the sprinkles all by herself (Uh-Oh!).  They also helped me use the stand mixer and add the ingredients to the bowl, but I didn’t get pictures of that.

Little Explorer

As the cold weather becomes more frequent it is harder to find ways for the girls to be entertained.  When the weather is decent enough I make sure they get outside, or if there is snow on the ground they get all bundled up and head out.  But what is there to do when it is just plain cold and there is no snow?  They have spent a lot of time coloring, building jungle-gyms out of all the couch cushions and pillows, and looking at books.  Sometimes one of them will get dressed up in something silly from the small assortment of clothes and various hats that are in their toy box.  Yesterday, Bentley decided to be an explorer.

Bentley dressed herself this way, but usually it is Bria who dresses Bentley up. 

Bria has been using the Christmas aprons that grandma brought and putting two on at a time, one backwards, and pretending they are dresses.  I didn’t get a picture of that one yet.  They have entertained themselves so far, but their attitudes tell me they are already tired of being cooped up.

Thanksgiving

It is wonderful how holidays still bring families together despite the miles and the schedules.  I am grateful that we still make the time for each other.  Over the years I’ve found that we laugh the most with our families, and that is something to look forward to every year.

This Thanksgiving was relatively laid back.  We spent our time at my parents’ house, and had 70+ degree weather on Thanksgiving day allowing us to get outside and have some fun.

Bria helping rake the last of the fall leaves.

Bentley sitting in the huge pile that was made.

Both girls in the pile.

Grandpa blowing the leaves off Bentley while she was swinging with Uncle C.

Aunt T trying to stay clean.  Uncle C made sure she had a few leaves on her later.

Bria cuddling with Uncle N, during the parade I think.

Bentley helping me with something in the kitchen, while Grandma and Aunt D did the real work.

All the leaf dust made Bentley quite congested.  Now that we are home she has so nicely shared it with me, but she seems to be doing a lot better.

Holiday Cheer

We had our first snow of the season on Saturday and the girls couldn’t have been more excited.  As soon as Bentley saw the snow she kept saying “Winter Outside”.  I didn’t know that she understood that snow and winter went together.  The girls, especially Bria, spent hours outside in the snow despite the cold. 

Each one played their own way out in the snow, so it was hard to get a picture of them together.  The large snowflakes made it hard for the camera to focus on the girls in the pictures.

With the first snow, being gone for Thanksgiving, and wanting to have the Christmas decorations up when we get home from Thanksgiving, we decided to decorate our house for Christmas yesterday.  Again, the girls couldn’t have been more excited.  David and I got the tree out and put together, strung the lights, hung the stockings, and wrapped the garland on the bannister.  The girls wanted to hang the ornaments on the tree, so we gave them some the non-breakable ornaments and their ornaments and let them hang them how they wanted.  David and I hung our own ornaments after the girls had all of theirs’ up.  Now when we get home from Thanksgiving we can turn on all the lights.

Bria trying to look Christmassy in her own way.

Bentley with some extra Christmas stockings on her feet like socks.

The girls deciding who should hang each ornament on the tree.

When Bentley comes out of her room from naps and in the morning, she says excitedly, “Christmas time.”  I also enjoy the cheer of the holiday lights on the dark winter nights.

After church yesterday, we had a Thanksgiving potluck. We don’t want to miss the special time to be thankful for all the blessings God has given us, or let Christmas excitement overshadow Thanksgiving.  Both holidays, however, are something we should remember and celebrate all throughout the year, not just on the days that have been set aside for them.

Twin Cities Weekend

This last weekend, we took a long weekend to visit David’s and my sisters in the twin cities.  The girls played with their cousins and my sister’s new kitty, and we had some time with adults and to do some Christmas shopping.  We thought the drive would be a bit long for the girls, but they actually did quite well (better on the way home than on the way there).  We had good time with both our families, but it still felt short.  The holidays are coming so we can see both of them again very soon.

Bentley with cousin L playing in the hide-a-bed where David and I slept.

All the cousins getting ready for bed.

Bentley wondering why cousin L would put himself in a timeout.

Bentley and Bria still trying to play with the kitty even after they wore her out.

Bria and Bentley at Uncle C and Aunt T’s apartment.

Grandpa and Grandma’s House

Last week my Dad asked for some help with the corn harvest. He needed David starting Wednesday morning. Tuesday evening David took the girls and headed to their house, and I stayed home to take care of some previous engagements and other projects. Grandma looked after the girls while David ran the grain cart. Grandma took the girls out to the field to ride along in the tractor and combine Wednesday. Then on Thursday night, after all of my activities were done, I headed to my parents too.

The girls and I enjoyed a hay ride Friday evening. My Mom arranged it through the Christian Youth Center she runs.

This was their first hay ride. They had a great time, and have asked to go again since we’ve been home.

The dirt pile at the back of grandma’s garden provided a great place for the girls to play. They discovered it not too long before we had to leave. Just before we left I had to give them a quick bath because of all the dirt—pockets and shoes were loaded with it.

Saturday night we came back home. David came home a couple of hours after us, when he finished helping harvest the field they were on.

The 3 P’s Of The Last Week

We had some projects we wanted to get accomplished on the house before it got too cold outside, but we weren’t sure we would get them all done.  David’s parents came out to help for a whole week, and we got a lot more done than we expected.  What a blessing they were.

Projects (the first P):

Our first project was getting the window in the main floor bathroom replaced (I think it was as old as the house).  It didn’t open like it should, it had a storm window on that didn’t fit the opening, the wood around the window looked gross, and I couldn’t clean it.  David and his dad tackled that project right away.  It looks a hundred times better.

This is the after picture; the before picture doesn’t show how bad the window really was so I didn’t include it.  We still have to finish some layers of mudding and sanding around the window.  After that is done I will paint the whole bathroom.

The second project was replacing the front door.  Last winter we realized that every Northwesterly breeze made our living room very cold.  As David took apart the door a couple of days ago it was obvious why: there was no insulations around the frame of the door.  We also needed to move the threshold of the door up and add a screen door.

David and his dad working on the door, which is not as easy as replacing a window.

The new door!  We still need to paint it and put the screen door on.  It is a great improvement, especially with the bigger windows that have blinds in them.

Painting (the second P):

Every room in our house needed to be painted when we moved in because most rooms did not have enough coats of paint to cover the walls well.  We have gradually gotten some of the rooms done, so it was time to do the master bedroom and bathroom.  David, his parents, and I all worked on the bedroom for several days over the weekend.  When David went back to work, his mom and I tackled the bathroom (we still have the wall with the new window to do because the window is not completely finished off).

There are still a couple of things that need to be changed in our bedroom (broken blinds and the curtains), but I absolutely love it now.  It was always nice, but the colors are much softer and it feels cozier.

Potty Training (the third P):

Bentley decided that she wanted to start going potty on the toilet.  That is great! The timing, however, not so much.  It is hard to stop in the middle of painting to take her to the bathroom.  Also, she only wants to sit on it every once in a while.  At least she knows what she needs to do to go, but she is not to the point that she can tell us before she has to go.  I know that this will be a process, but I hope it is not a long one.

We have decided that after all of the projects we have done since it warmed up outside, that we definitely need a break.  We have to finish up the inside portions of the window and door projects.  But, there will be no more major house projects for a long, long time.

On the Farm

At the beginning of the week the girls and I went to my parents’ for a couple of days.  My sister and her husband from the cities were coming down to visit, and we try to make it down to see them whenever they come back (especially before Bria starts going to school).  We spent one day putting everything into the cupboards of my mom’s newly added onto kitchen.  The second day we spent some time out at the farm with grandpa, who was harvesting soybeans.

Bentley with Uncle N.

Bria with Uncle C.

This was one of the really windy days this week, it also happened to be the hottest. We were hanging out in the shade of the grain cart while people took turns riding in the combine.

The girls sitting in the extra seat, ready to ride with grandpa.

Bentley copying Uncle C by laying down in the field.  She was really dirty when she got up.

Our trip was short, but eventful.  It was nice to see my sister again too.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Not the movie! 

I planted our tomatoes a few days before Memorial Day, which usually gives them enough time to ripen.  This year, with June being so cool, the tomatoes grew very slowly.  We finally started getting some ripe tomatoes in September.  There are several plants, however, that have not started to ripen yet.  I didn’t want to waste all of the big green tomatoes that are out there, so tonight I tried fried green tomatoes.  They are actually pretty good, a little sweet with crunchy breading that had some seasoning, but they still needed a little more flavor.  What doesn’t taste better with ranch dressing.  The girls and David ate theirs with ranch dressing while I enjoyed mine plain.  If you’ve ever thought of giving green tomatoes a try, I would recommend it. 

The most impressive thing is that Bria really liked them.  Bria always loved her vegetables, until she was about four.  Now it is hard to get her to eat anything healthy on a regular basis.  If we have to fry the vegetables to get her to eat them, so be it.  She does eat two vegetable without complaining—broccoli and cauliflower—which is also quite unusual.  Hopefully, she will change her mind and start liking vegetables again.

Homecoming

You can’t live in a small town and not be involved in homecoming in some way.  David’s office had a float, the girls and I watched the parade, we ate at the annual fireman’s pancake feed, and we all went to the football game.  This is the first year the girls and I have gone to the game, and it was pretty good.  Our team is undefeated so far this year, which is a lot better than they have been in the past.

The girls in their matching Coyote shirts while we waited for the parade to start.  We all purchased Coyote gear this year.

This is the float that David’s office built and pulled through the parade.

A Warm Day and Hard Work

Yesterday was like summer here.  The weather was hot, there wasn’t a breeze, and the air was dry (which was not typical for this summer).  It was a nice day to work outside too.  One of our friends that David helps work cattle was giving fall shots so the girls and I went out to watch for the afternoon.

Bentley and David on Rock before they went out to round up the cattle.

Bria rode with David on Twilight to round up the cattle.

Bria and Bentley learning how to work the gates on the chute.

Bria and Bentley standing on the side of the tub.  They could see the cows and calves from here.  Bentley had to climb up the side to see, but Bria is finally tall enough to see over the side.

We had a great time out there (we especially enjoy the food).  The girls are definitely less afraid of the cows than I am, but I am getting less nervous every time we go out.

1 More Project and an Unrelated Story

   

A week ago Saturday, David worked on replacing the window in our upstairs bathroom.  Last winter, the window that was in there had cracked and ice built up on the inside of the window would then drip down the wall.  This summer, we made it our goal to replace three windows in our house and this one was number two.  The third one will be in the other bathroom, which still has the window that was original to the house.  David is becoming a pro at installing windows.  The first two have the added complication of being used windows, so we had to make bigger holes in the house to make them fit.  David did a great job of making them fit the style of our house.

The unrelated story... 

On Thursday night after bible study, we drove to RC to stay over night in order to do some swimming and shopping the next day.  The girls were tired and cranky in the back seat, but there were times that they each said something cute. 

Bentley was going around the vehicle saying “Heh-wo” (hello) to all of us, “Heh-wo Mommy, Heh-wo Daddy, Heh-wo Bia (Bria),” pause to think who else might need a greeting—oh, yeah—“Heh-wo ME!”.  That gave us all a good laugh.

In trying to encourage both the girls to go to sleep, I pretended that I was going to sleep, then Bentley, then Bria, and then David (who was driving).  The conversation that followed:

Bria: “Daddy, you can’t sleep, you’re driving.”
David: “I thought you were asleep Bria.”
Bria: “I was talking in my sleep.”
(Whispered while she was still pretending to be asleep.)

We all had another good laugh over that.

Even in difficult times there are things that can bring a smile to our face.

Birthday Parties

We had two girls in our house who had birthdays in the last week and a half; of course, we had to have a party.  Yesterday was the big day.  Both sets of grandparents came bearing lots of gifts.  Uncle N even made it too.  The girls had lots of fun opening their gifts and even did a good job taking turns (because they had their own new toys to play with).  It didn’t take long after the gift opening was finished for the fighting over toys to begin.  We distracted them each with their own cake and some ice cream.  Some time outside was necessary, especially with the new scooter and trike.  The special request birthday meal brought us to a less busy evening (at least for the adults). 

I know that Bria running through the picture is a bit blurry, but the mess on the floor gives an indication of how many gifts the girls had to open. 

Bria’s requested cake: a zebra with grass and clouds.  This was quite the experiment for me.  I have never made such a detailed cake.

Bentley’s cake was a lot easier.  She really loves puppies and rainbows so I opted for the rainbow.

Bria had to try out Bentley’s trike, but Bentley wanted to ride too.  Bentley can’t quite reach the pedals, so this was a good compromise; however, it was a bit dangerous.  They both also had to try the scooter.  Bria knows how to ride it just fine, but Bentley just stood on it with both feet and had someone pull her around.  Thankfully (for me) there were plenty of helpers to make sure the girls were safe.