Gingy Party

Last weekend was the annual trip to Bethlehem for the Christkindl Market on Friday and an abridged Gingerbread party.  Thursday after work I picked Baylor up from school and we headed to Grandma and Buddy's to spend the night.  They are closer to Bethlehem than we are so it made sense to go there for the night rather than wake up really early.  The drive was fine, though it rained most of the day.  Thankfully it was not freezing cold!  We made our usual stops this year.  I bought 6 glass candy canes which Baylor picked out the colors.  I bought him a glass penquin ornament and a German ornament for the same line that I have been getting him every year we have gone.  He has a nice collection of ornaments now, at least in my opinion.  I bought a smoker house for a gift, some kettle corn because you cannot get that every day.  We ate lunch before we took him to get a photo with Father Christmas.  

Father Christmas has been coming here for 23 years and I am thankful we were able to see him again this year.  He is so good with the children and him and Baylor had quite a nice, long talk.  My only problem with the photo is how old he looks!  Like he is 10 or something!  He looks super handsome and the other photo I had printed has him and Father Christmas talking to each other.  

I made him pose for photos while we were waiting for everyone to make a rest stop before leaving.  He is such a goobernut when posing now but I will take what I can get.  

The whole house construction thing has taken the holiday wind out of my sails this year.   Thanksgiving weekend we brought down the tree and set it up.  I got all the lights on it and we started on the bead garland.  Baylor whacked his on and declared the whole tree beautiful as it was and he wanted no more decorations on the tree. I started to protest as I love my tree laden with ornaments and the more I thought about it, the more I was OK with it.  He was happy, at least the tree was up and Santa would have some place to put the gifts.  He as put some plastic and real candy canes on the tree now and I took over his small tree from last year and put a few penquin non breakable ornaments on it for some color!  He likes to try to get me to give him my ornaments for his tree but I remind him that he was happy with the lights and beads.  I am frankly surprised he has not just helped himself to my ornaments but he has been leaving them on my tree. 

Last year the Gingerbread party was a huge affair and while I enjoyed it, enjoyed seeing all the beautiful houses and trees and giant gingerbread men, the large party had really run its course for me. I asked Heather if she would host a small party this year and she could invite some of her friends and I would invite just a few of the closest of mine.  She was happy to and it worked out well at her place.  

I invited Tara, Julie and Lucas but they were not able to make it due to a birthday party that same day.  Julie, Amy and Cullen were able to make it and Cullen spent the whole day playing and the girls decorated their house together.  Baylor made a two minute effort on one house and then played the rest of the day too.

One of Connor's school friends, Quaid, came and the boys did a house together and I sat with them and helped them out. The colaborated well but jumped from one idea before finishing or starting the last.  Too bad I was always a step behind planning their last idea while they were moving one.  

Of course we did the usual picture with the completed house in front of the tree. 

Heather's sister Jen, brother in law Larry  and niece Lexie and nephew Josh also came over.  Lexi and Jen made one house and I had invited Josh to do one as well.  He is a freshman and was too cool/shy for a long time but eventually they wore him down to help his sister with one.  She called the shots and followed her lead.  

Heather was asking me all afternoon to start my house and I was just not into it.  But finally I made one with sugared nuts for stone work and candy rocks for the foundation and chimny.  I used chex for the roof and made lots of icicles. All the houses turned out wonderful and I really had a good time!  I think everyone did.  

Construction has begun

It has begun.  One day I came home from work and half the deck was gone.  So was part of the fence.   While I knew it was going to start sometime, it was still weird when it did.  

And weird being to see out in the yard from the remaining deck.  It would have been nice to have the view when Baylor was younger playing out there on his own.  

It did not take Eddy long to find out she could escape by the side where the deck used to be.  She is not a runner anymore but I never let her out without me being there.  She has a tie up in the front of the house now.  She has not been tied in the yard for years and I am sure at her age, she is not happy about it.  She still goes to the back door to go out but it is quite a drop now and not such a good idea.  

And then a week later, the rest of the deck was gone and a skid steer was in the yard.  Baylor was hoping it was there for him.  He wanted to know if we could take him for a ride in it. Thankfully Bob and his crew are a nice bunch and are going to take him for a ride before they are done with the machines.  I will miss it but hopefully Lori will remember to take photos for me. 

  

And a few days later, this guy was delivered.  He was really stoked about this one!  

The back hoe dug out the foundation trench and it was all becoming a reality.  

Sorry Eddy, no going out this door any more.  

Hey guys, nice trench!  

more to come...

My Baby Girl

My daugher in a dog suit  is getting up there in dog years, 12 this year, yet she is still my sweet baby.  She does not show her age in a graying face (unlike my graying hair!) and her get up and go goes pretty fast now.  She cannot make it through the night without a trip outside.  If we even try to sleep in on the weekends past 6:00 she wakes me up to make her breakfast. Sometimes she wants breakfast as early as 4:30.  She is very forcefully in her begging and whining.  But she is the best dog and we will continue to do everything we can to make her life happy.  Because she definitely makes our lives happy.  

Thanksgiving Weekend

My brother and sister in law drove down from Vermont on Wednesday for Thanksgiving.  I usually have that holiday but Mom called it this year because he was coming down .  I took the opportunity for a family photo.  It was not planned so we were all in just what we were wearing that day.  But since we are rarely all together it really does not matter.  This is the one that turned out the best for the adults and Baylor was being himself pulling poses.  

The boys together while I was trying out different lighting and window blind combinations  Baylor has a bit of growing to do to catch up with his Grandpa and Uncle.  

They brought him his birthday gift because they were not able to make it down for his birthday.  They gave him a set of real walkie talkies.  He has some learning to do on when to push the button to hear as he keeps it held in.  But he loved them just the same. 

On Black Friday I took them to the Amish Wegmans and the Mennonite KMart (Shady Maple grocery store and Goods) in Blue Ball.  Baylor stayed at home with his grandparents so we could shop and prowl around.  Laura and I had a great time in the bulk section of Shady Maple as they have everything!   Being from VT where it is more expensive they were both in sticker shock over many items. One item Laura bought a pint container of poppy seeds as a gift for a friend who bakes with them a lot. They can only get them in the small Spice Island containers for the same price as the pint. 

When we got home I brought out the candy and a gingerbread house I put together for Laura to do.  She has never made one before and will never be able to come to one of our parties.  I thought it would be a nice thing for her to do with us.  She was a bit intimidated at first but really got into it in the end.    

Baylor worked on a few flat pieces we had made while she worked on her house.  I make her two people and a dog for her house.  Their dog O'Malley is definitely their daughter in a dog suit and would of course be included in their family.  

She had to stop only because her husband was about to serve dinner in the same location as the house making. She was saying about what she could put where and there as we were packing it up. 

Saturday we left early in the morning to have time to stop at the candy store for more candy, because there is never enough for Gingerbread!  Baylor fell asleep on the way home so I left him in the car while I unloaded the car and then we headed to Heather's to visit.  Her dad is home from Chili for a few days and we wanted to see him while he is home. Jamie and Laura were spending the day with their friends in Lancaster so they were not there.  My parents drove up also.   Heather made a nice dinner and we had a good time visiting and playing with the camera.  We went to the Dollar General around the corner and I bought Brigid the new Santa hat. 

Heather was on the floor and the dogs and Brigid thought she was there for them to crawl on.  

The dust in the air was acting like ghost orbs when I had the camera on.  It was fun telling ghost stories about the orbs in her house.  

Most of the day was spent watching football and playing with Brigid.  The boys had a great time playing with each other.  

It was a busy weekend but was made wonderful spending time with my family!  

Sunrise, Sunset

Lately, the sunrise and sunsets have been just gorgeous.

Hello Moon!