Vets and NOT Christmas Decorating

Millie made her annual trip to the Vet today. She is a bit adverse to vet visits. 

She acts so big and brave when people come to our home. When we take her out and about THIS is often what we get. I opened the door for her to go, her tail was wagging, when she realized Stacia wasn't coming with her, she jumped back into the car and had to be coaxed out again. 

Her shots are updated, her weight is good - they are happy. We laughed when the assistant got her from the car and said, "She's big for 1 year." Yep. 

I woke up this morning with the NEED to do something other than speaking prep and caregiving. I rearranged the living room. We have been discussing how to fit the Christmas tree into our living room as we have moved big pieces of furniture since last year. We're NOT planning on a Christmas tree at this point...but I thought arranging the furniture would be a good idea so it is easy to decorate when we ARE ready....

One thing led to another. We do have FALL/WINTER lights up outside our house...they are so cheery in these darkening days....

Why NOT put the tree up? Until the ornaments are on it - it's not REALLY a Christmas tree...it's simply a lighted accent piece.... 

Yes, I excavated the tree from under the stairs. This afternoon Stacia drug the box up the stairs.   The girls and I set the tree up and moved it into the corner. I had stored the tree's lights in the box with the tree...what madness is THIS? None of them worked. Replacing fuses didn't even help. 

I hadn't been set on colored lights on a multi-seasonal tree....and it was time for me to run to Bible study so I set the project aside. 

I had to pick up laundry detergent and milk after study...and sometime in here it HIT me...YES, I do WANT a Fall Tree. We always leave it up late...why not have a FALL tree NOW and we can convert it to Christmas easily...later. 

I needed to pick up lights for a Christmas Blessing package and there were some clear lights...I picked up some lights and some clearanced fall decorations... Stacia is devoted to her bedtime and tomorrow is an early morning. She called it quits. I got the lights out just to look.... ::snort::

 Allie had mercy on me and did a bang up job with the lights, Michael helped us top the tree with a straw pumpkin, he cut up some burlap....and  we got this much done. We'll finish tomorrow. Yes, I like having a fall tree....and it will be easier to put up our Christmas tree, as we do each year, the DAY AFTER THANKSGIVNG....

This is how you have your cake and eat it too! 

 

Seriously, we all needed a diversion today and this worked. I'm not sure what Grandpa will think when he wakes up in the morning. He went to bed saying it seemed a bit early to put the Christmas tree up. He insists his mother put the tree up for ONE DAY...because birthdays only last a day. I find this story suspect. LOL  Does anyone else in the family remember Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas habits? I know MOM always put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving...just as I plan to do. TRADITIONS. 

Smash Cakes

 Stacia was asked to make a "Little Mermaid Smash cake."  This is a difficult concept. People spend good money for a 6 in cake, fully decorated and no one will EAT it. It's the THING for One Year Olds.  Stacia sold this one to a gal from Josiah's work.  It was darling and they loved it. 

She made two of these for Danny and JoJo's first birthdays. In the future she will not use fondant on the smash cakes...it made it difficult for the kids to get the idea of smashing the cake. 

Alaska Problems

The majority of our spare moments this week are filled with prepping for speaking at an upcoming 3 day Parenting Retreat for JBER.  

The girls are quick to jump in the car for any errands I need to run. Today,  I zipped through a coffee shack drive-through and we stopped beside the river, on our drive home. What a blessing it was to sit together and enjoy  a bit of nature -  the world outside our walls. 

As I attempted to clean up spilled chai, I discovered while it IS still fall, and I am FULLY EMBRACING FALL  for the beauty it IS (rather than dreading the winter it heralds), THE WIPES WERE FROZEN. 

Yes, frozen. I didn't think alcohol froze...Alaska problems. 

And the river? Beautiful. I need to go back with the camera (rather than the phone).  The river is a big, moving slushy! 

The white is ice...not waves....

Some of the water near the banks is frozen (though one should NOT go out on it), the river will continue to flow...but it is showing more and more ice and snow in it..... 

I DO love the sun coming through the trees in the back yard in the morning. 

This will be a ramp for the sledding "hill." 

Since there is still NOT significant snow on the ground, I am still comfortable calling this Alaska fall. 

Busy Day

No respite care today. I woke up feeling overwhelmed and realized how wonderful those few hours on Monday really are.  We had told Arielle not to come as she and her guys will be here for two nights and three days this weekend. 

Michael and I spent time this afternoon going over slides, notetakers, and notes for the upcoming parenting workshop we will be facilitating for JBER. 

I had saved my notes from the last workshop - and I can't figure out what in the world I was trying to remember. ::snort::  Michael suggested it might be better for me to start clean. LOL 

The girls finished school and began another painting project...I think I need to find more things like this for them to do during winter. I love seeing projects in this downstairs room - it's what our vision was for the room. 

We are currently reading Frankenstein. None of us have ever read this book. ::blush:: It's been a surprise. We are enjoying it and it is certainly leading to some fun conversations.  I'm enjoying Brit Lit quite a bit...once we got out of the lop of the head/poetry genre. 

Stacia, Allie, Nolan, Alex, Grandpa, Michael 

Michael and I were working into my dinner prep time. Tacos are a favorite of his and so we threw together Tacos for dinner. I keep ingredients for a few meals that are easy to throw together on busy nights. Tonight was a special dinner as EVERYONE was home. We had gone months without Nolan at home, but he's getting a bit more time off these days. 

Saturday Celebration

Danny turns one year old on Nov 10th. Benny turns 4 years old on Nov 15th.  Michael turns 61 years old on Nov 17th and Jojo turns 1year old on Nov 17th as well. We typically try to have a monthly dinner and celebrate birthday celebrations then....this month we'll celebrate our November birthdays together on Thanksgiving Day. 

CoRielle invited us to join them today to celebrate Danny and Benny's birthday.  Nolan and Alex are working. Michael is preparing for a sermon. Grandpa, the girls and I joined CoRielle, Cy and Livie the Fly Park. 

Cy and Livie brought the boys gifts. Danny loved the crinkling paper as much as the gift. 

Benny is impressed with Danny's gift. He loved his too. 

 

Three of my favorite seven people in the world in one spot. 

Livie, Danny & Benny 

Livie, Josiah

Look at her go! 

Everyone had stepped and wobbled across these. Benny JUMPED from pad to pad. 

Livie excels at back flips. 

Cory does an amazing back flip too! 

Stacia and Danny 

It was hard to get good photos from the available angels. First they climbed a "high tower," grabbed a rope and swung into a pit of foam cubes. 

Go Allie! 

Yay, Stacia!

Danny loved jumping with Arielle

Look at those guys jump! Cory's a monkey! 

Arielle, Stacia, Livie, Allie

Jump, girls, jump!

 Grandpa and I had a nice visit and helped occupy Danny so Arielle could jump with the big kids! 

We decided to get lunch together after we finished at the jump park. When we asked where he wanted to go, Benny asked for a place with a cheeseburger. We found that place WITH a play area...

With lunch finished CoRielle headed home for the boys to nap. Cy and Livie came to our house.   Stacia and Livie began working on Benny's birthday cake.  These will turn into planets. She will bake most inside the cake so that they show up when the cake is cut....four of the planets will float above the cake on skewers of some sort, a rocket will blast off from the cake into the planets.  The party won't be until Thanksgiving....check back if you want to see how it all turns out. LOL 

While the cakes baked, and we visited, the girls played Twister. I am once again very thankful for the basement oven. 

Millie didn't get her morning romp and run...she was quite ready to play this afternoon. 

It was a great day...Grandpa enjoyed the outing. Michael was able to work on a sermon with quiet, I enjoyed being with the kids and grands, we got a bit of time with Josiah and Livie back at the house before they leave for an adventure to warmer areas. 

Friday Fun

Alex helped Michael up the fall lights. 

The sun rose this morning at 9:36 and set at 5:43 this evening. Tomorrow we are forecasted to have 8 hours and 1 min of sunlight. We are losing 7 minutes a day.

The lights make everything cheerier. These are NOT Christmas lights, they are our fall/winter lights. Michael is not happy they don't match...I am happy they are up and lit.

Stacia and I were surprised how DARK when we went out for Bible study. We can't sit at the river or on the mountaintop at 0700 any longer. 😂 We are nearing the end of the New Testament. 

Stacia has been talking about cutting her hair short. Arielle came over to give her an idea of what it would feel like to have short hair. 

In the end they went with a tamer look. Grandpa said she looked like Mickey Mouse in the first hairdo.

TGIF - the girls finished week 11 of school this week. We have  on from Peter Pan to Frankenstein.  

I got the rest of the kitchen picked up and found places to store our canning. We are brainstorming a better set up for canning, maybe under our stairs. 

I had hoped to have a photo of a brilliantly working oven tonight. Alas, the oven was looked it and he will be back with a part next week which will "hopefully" fix the oven. In the meantime I will close with this photo of Michael counter surfing while he Nolan initially worked on the oven.

We ended the evening with pizza and movies... "Sonic The Hedgehog," and "Yes Day."

A Well Oiled Machine

As part of Pastor Appreciation month our church presented me with a dozen beautiful yellow roses, as well as a card and gift for Michael, on Sunday. Thanks guys, we love and appreciate you as well. 

It was very sweet.  I am reminded of our church family often this week,  as it has prompted dad to sing the, "Yellow Rose of Texas,"  every time he enters the dining room. 

One more unexpected blessing from having Dad live with us. 

Our day progressed like a well-oiled machine. 

Stacia and I had dental appointments at 0830. We made it home in time for Stacia to go work on school, and for Allie  - who had gotten an early start on school - to jump into the car. 

She and I found a secluded spot to continue our Bible study.  

Michael had asked us to be home by 12:30 so he could make it to his appointment. We walked in the door at 12:20. SCORE. 

Stacia and Allie finished school. 

Grandpa asked for a sandwich - seems the breakfasts I make have more staying power than the oatmeal Michael gave him this a.m. He told me he didn't have toast or bacon. ::snort::  He ate and decided to nap. 

This gave me time to lug jars of applesauce and canning supplies back to the basement AND spend 45 minutes on the elliptical. I had just finished when Michael walked in the door. 

Dinner. 

An episode of Librarian.

Grandpa and Stacia went to bed.  

Michael met Nolan on the other side of the door when he went to take care of chickens. 

It all worked well - I love days like this. Many of our days are more like herding cats.