Games Galore

The kids have always played games a lot. I don't like many board games; but I've tried really hard to like them. We bought games each year at Christmas. I know they have great value.  I love that Krista hosts many game nights and Nolan wants nothing more than games, games, games for Christmas and his birthday! We play a LOT of games when we are together. Mafia, Farkle, Bunco, Dominion, Monopoly, Ticket to Ride (which I DO like), Flash Point....

Michael's therapist has challenged us to learn new games and words from foreign languages frequently. He learned Dominion this week and seems to enjoy it. LOL I like this one too.

Krista buys LOTS of games, most her games, at thrift stores. I always get puzzles with 6 missing pieces or games with 30% of the parts missing...but I think I'll give it a try again.

We play Farkle a lot with our immediate family and with Mom, Dad and Lorri.  I had an EPIC WIN this week (I don't often win, I tend to take a few too many chances). I promised I would post a photo!

Note my giant win at 13, 550! Nolan wins a lot and his score was 8,650. ::wink::

BEST GREETERS EVER!

In the Philippines we were told it was important to consider what you do the first day of a New Year as you'll be doing it all year long.  Our tribe had a HARD time getting up and about this morning....but could there be anything better than reconnecting with old friends and ministry partners on New Year's Day?????

Brenner was a chaplain at Beale. Stephanie and I worked with Women's Ministry. Our kids babysat their kids....Clara Beth cried when she realized they weren't going to Arielle's wedding.  They made an impromptu trip to OR this weekend and stopped by on their way through. We met for dinner and a visit...and an introduction to the newest member of their family, Ella Rose. I can't tell you how fun it was to see Cole and the girls waiting for us at the front of Mod Pizza.  They are the best greeters ever!

Stephanie and I 

Michael & Brenner - note the Baylor shirt and the U of O background

Ella Rose

Ella Rose is SWEET! And very expressive. 

I remembered to call Arielle and ask if she and Cory would like to join us. 

Fascinated with Face Swap....Clara Beth, Arielle, Elise & Cory 

Nonie with Clara Beth, Cole and Elise

Clara Beth and Elise 

We understand, now, how fun it is for retirees to connect with active duty members! It was fun to talk Air Force, to remember the ministry and relationships, to mutually encourage and pray for one another.  We are thankful Brenner and Steph looked us up.

New Year's Eve 2016

For years we dragged ourselves out of bed Christmas morning, after a full month of squadron parties, wing parties, chapel parties, special chapel services and Christmas projects....so exhausted it was hard to take much interest in the day.....what little energy we had seemed to go towards corralling the gift exchange.....we kept gradually tweaking our celebration until 2009 when we  moved the gift exchange to New Year's Eve - the 7th Day of Christmas. Suddenly, Christmas was about WORSHIP and celebrating Jesus. We have a birthday cake and share and it's wonderful.   We are able to give ourselves fully to worship and serving during the Advent season, no added shopping or stress. We also get to shop the clearance aisles for our gift exchange.

 In 2012 we added a few more elements to NYE - not only was it a gift exchange, but we began to brainstorm activities we could present hourly - this helped young children (and older parents) stay awake. LOL

It's 5 p.m. and all but Cory, who is working, have gathered. The first bag is opened and we are instructed to proceed to our tables for an hour of Bunco.

Gpa Paul  and Arielle

Bella's first Bunco game

This wis the first time many have played Bunco. It went well. It's fun to have enough for 3 or 4 tables with just us. LOL  Six p.m. and Nolan discovers plates, napkins and munchies in the bag. We move into the kitchen where everyone chose to either create a Yum Bowl or a Taco.

Yuuki waits hopefully for someone to DROP something

Gpa Paul being silly 

 Dinner is consumed, cleaned up and the 7 o'clock bag is opened. We are on to a Nintendo Snowboard single elimination competition. Cory showed up and grabbed dinner during this portion of the night.

Final Round

Jamin won - but wisely decided this would be a target on his back at A&M
He passed the prize off to Alex

  Eight o'clock's bag gave instructions for the first round of the Gherkin Gingerbread Competition. You can find more photos and such in this post.  While everyone feverishly works on gingerbread masterpieces....Gramps and I play with Bella.

Gpa and Bella

Right at 9:00 p.m. we move on to this year's family gift exchange. 

Love Jamin's gigantic cards from Gma Jan

Not because she's the youngest, or we think she's the cutest - but simply because she IS still the most expressive gift giver and receiver..... Stacia is excited to get a Rapunzel pillow from Lorri.

Nolan, Stacia, 2nd Cousin Lorri 

And a "FOLDING UMBRELLA" from Krista

Krista gave Michael this - and it's perfect! 

A man-size pocket knife

Ten o'clock brings round 2 of the Gingerbread Competition.

Eleven O' Clock and we  play an hour of Mafia.  Gpa Paul is happy to play with Bella. She is an amazing trooper!

BreZaak and Bella called it a night a bit early...but the rest of us are ready and waiting for the New Year after opening our 11:55 p.m. bag!

Another fun holiday in the rear view mirror.  Thanks to Krista for opening her home to our celebration, the motorhome would be a tad bit crowded for all of us at one time.

Happy New Year! 2016 has certainly had it's challenges...but in it all and through it all....God has proven good and faithful. 

2016 Gherkin Gingerbread Competition

As I've shared repeatedly, consider your choices of activities carefully, one never knows what will become a tradition.  New Year's Eve means hourly fun, a family gift exchange and in 2013 I threw in Gingerbread building. This was a lark as we hadn't gotten around to building our houses earlier in the season. I had purchased two kits....next thing I knew the activity was a competition and now we always have our annual  "Gherkin Gingerbread Competition,"  on New Year's Eve.  I'll write a New Year's Eve post, but some are waiting eagerly for THIS post....Note the chance for YOU to vote at the bottom of this post.

First, KUDOS to this year's team captains - Stacia and Nolan.  Planning ahead in an organized manner is a new feature of our competition. Each was provided the same gingerbread kit, spatulas, bowls, spoons, and $20 to shop for anything else they may want. In past years, I did the shopping and provided exactly the same items to both teams. This change allowed all a more active role in the creative process (and made my life easier). They chose a theme, created a shopping list, shopped and brought the admins of the competition (Michael and me) receipts. They were allowed one free item from home and other items from home were given a monetary value and subtracted from their $20.

This "Gingerbread Gherkin" is also new this year. The winners will get to host him for the year. They will take photos of his adventures, mail him to one another and I'll post him on the blog and on our Courageous Joy Facebook page. He'll rejoin us next New Year's Eve.

We added an element of Cutthroat Kitchen. Each team was given $9,000.00 in Monopoly money. In round one they bid on cute little Wilton elements to add. In round two they tossed a coin and blindly chose from two elements to add to their design.  One was a sparkly, silver deer head, the other was two big silver bells with ribbon and mistletoe. Both teams did a great job of incorporating the elements - we forgot to take photos of how hideous they were.

Brainstorming has already begun for new items and handicaps for next year. Possibly a fan blowing on the creation as they work.....

 They were also able to bid on either using or passing on the large gloves. Stacia won the bid to pass the gloves to the men. This turned out great as the ladies were still working on detail work and the men used them to work with the copious amount of "mud and cement" in their creation.

Here are some random shots of the competition. 

So it begins....

Working with the deer head

 The women created icy trees and MT Rainer from their deer head. The men stuffed all the fluffy stuff into the bells and created a much more massive tower for their construction site than originally possible. Great creativity on both sides.

You never know who will show up at these competitions. I was charmed by the creativity all evening.

Bride and Groom

PEOTUS - Donald J. Trump 

All done

Here are the finished projects, team descriptions and a poll for YOU to select 2016's winner.

Women - We have prepared a Gingerbread portrait of our year in review. It is placed in a campground with a quaint trailer. It also features a wedding cabin, with ice covered trees in the background., a dog park with two pugs, a Seahawk goal post with Mt Rainer in the back ground. Sledding is featured on MT Rainer. Our baby is content in her carriage and another member  is building an orphanage in Mexico. Our challenge item was a silver sparkly buck's head and antlers. Our team had $3,800.00 left.

Portrait of 2016

Wedding cabin with Bride & Groom and icy trees

Baby Carriage....note the dog park in the left corner

Campground with tens and trailer - Seahawks stadium to the right

Sour patch people building an orphanage and sledding on MT Rainer

Men - We have prepared a winter wonderland construction site under the supervision of our PEOTUS, Donald Trump and his minions.  In this scene we have successfully created several action scenes: the minions create mayhem around the construction site - including trouble in the honey pot, the realistic depiction of the table saw, pouring of concrete... We ask that you vote for us and make Christmas great again. Our challenge item was two big sparkly bells, ribbon and mistletoe. Our team had $8,000.00 left.  

Make Christmas Great Again 

Table saw 

Note lumber piles and pasta scaffolding

Complete with a porta potty....

Trump and Pence oversee the construction from their giant tower

My vote for winner in the Gingerbread Competition

Past year's competitions and winners:
2013 Competition - Men won with their Town square complete with a clock tower.

2014 Competition - Women won with their sweet Chapel; Men's Night Before Christmas disqualified them according to judge Michael.

2015 Competition - Women won with Mad Hatter's Tea Party over the Men's rendition of Santa's Village.

2016 - will the winner be "Portrait of  2016" or "Make Christmas Great Again" - go vote.

*Note: Michael and I do not miss out on the fun. We got to play with Bella for two solid hours last night! 😀😁😀