On the way home from a friend's house...

Johnny:  We had a great time.  Gabers and I didn't fight even once!

Annual Christmas Tree Post

Just for fun I had to look back at our previous tree shopping experiences. 

 The past two years are here and here, if you care to check them out.

 

This year,the temperature was frigid and there was a fair amount of snow. So we made pretty quick work of picking out our tree.

 

 Here's Marianna getting some big sister help.

 

 Loading everyone up!

 

   As Dan would say, "We stack 'em in like cord wood."

 

 One unimpressed baby.

Over the river and through the woods...

 

 And they're off!

 

 Could this teeny, tiny tree be The Tree?

 Hmm, is this The Tree?

 

 No....THIS is The Tree.

 

 Oh, wait!  THIS... is The Tree.

 

 And then a little brotherly love gets in the way of finding The Tree.

 

 OK, boys, lets get back to business.

 See all that light? 

 Surely, THIS is The Tree.

 

 About this time, Clare points out that her boots have accumulated more snow

than most of our neighboring counties have. 

(Can't feel my ankles anymore, Mom!)

 But all is soon forgotten when we find The Tree...

 and hack it down.

 Maybe "hack" isn't the correct term, when handy tools like this are available.

 Then it's a quick run back to the van.

 With a pit stop for a little rest...

 

 warmth...

 

 and refreshment.

 

 Then Marianna decides she is warm and tired and ready to strip down and stay for awhile!

After a bit, we're able to talk her (and everyone else) into packing up and heading home.

 

 After all, the natives are getting restless.

 

 Poor Francis can't figure out why he doesn't get a candy cane.

 Then there's the decorating...

 

 and the UNdecorating.

 

 (If only they would have let me have a candy cane...

 

 I wouldn't have to resort to this...

 

less than tasty ornament!)

Cookie Baking Day

 

SOME people just can't wait until the cookies are decorated to begin munching on them.

 

And she's not even one bit sorry.  Is she?

 

 

Gabers is guarding the rest of them...and hoping to grab a sweet reward, when no one is looking.

 

There's Matthew making sure to get the optimum number of cookies out of the dough.

Cookie Day always runs more smoothly when Grandma's here to help.

 (You know, help tame the chaos.)

 

Everyone's getting down to business.

 

The little pearly decorations were a pretty addition this year.

 

Marianna spent a lot of time and even more frosting on that one particular cookie.

 

Twin gingerbread guys.

 



And a lovely Santa's boot.

 

Marianna's singing the Grinch song.

(Gotta make a grumpy face when singing that one.)

 

 

After an all day cookie-eating binge...these were the survivors!