Random pictures of the holidays.

New years day  Braden with his dislocated collar bone

 Fixing fence. Busy hands. The best picture of Caib I've gotten in a long time.

 Trying out my new camera at the Holiday tourney at Wayne.  Warming up for the game.

 Christmas Morning. Caib is checking out his new leather tooling kit.Braden and Caib generally get about the same stuff for Christmas each year.  So when opening presents this year, we usually open in turn youngest to oldest, they were alternating back and forth and laughing about how they were taking turns being surprised.  I love their ability to laugh and enjoy our traditions.

 Chance trying out his new roller skates.  Oaklee got some as well.  They spent a lot of Christmas on their behinds but by Christmas night they were zipping all over the house on the wood floors.

 Oaklee shooting her new Rifle.  She out shot every one of the rest of us. and she even learned how to load her gun all by herself.  Oh all right Caib had to help her a little but she was just sure she hit everything she aimed at. and of course we had no evidence to prove other wise.

 Chance, on the other hand, was learning that the closer you got to the target the easier it was to hit. 

 Aubree is Daddy's girl so she is going to learn to shoot no matter what, with her new 22. 

 And here are the two boys with their new pistols.  We had them wrapped under the tree but the bullets with their stuff from Santa.  They never said a word until Dad finally grabbed the packages for them to open. Then Braden piped up with "I was wondering what the bullets were for."

We had a great Christmas!  

My favourite present this year came from my Father, He taught me, as Roger and I were shopping for Christmas this year, How truly remarkable the man I married is."  Roger's middle initial is S. and I'm starting to believe that it really does stand for Santa.  I Love him for his desire to shower gifts upon his children especially at this time of year, just as our Father desires to shower gifts on us. Sometimes all it takes is just asking and trusting.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Merry Christmas

Santa showed up at our house, That jolly old ELF!!

Still, The Christmas Star

“I see it, Mom,” Came a little voice from the back seat of the car.

It was cold and dark as we travelled home, the distance not too far.

“It’s a pattern in the stars, Mom,” He voiced from the back.

“It doesn’t change it’s always there. I’ve watched and I’ve kept track.”

“See, Mom, right above us,” he said, his voice filled with awe!

“I can see the very thing that those three wise men saw.”

“The Christmas star is up there, shining bright to guide our way.

It’s leading us back home mom,” I heard his tender voice say.

Emotion overcame me as I glanced towards his face,

He was staring into heaven. The stars were shining in their place.

How profound my little child, such wisdom for his youth.

Yes the stars in heaven guide us. He knew that simple truth.

It was a guide for those so long ago, and for us, it still can be.

If we follow where it leads, I’m sure heavens where we’ll be.

©Cathy Brian- Dec. 2012

Merry Christmas this year from Roger, Cathy, Braden, Caib, Aubree, Chance, and Oaklee

Chance's Chatterings

Just lost in a world of his own. The weather has been so uncommonly warm!!

I glanced out the window a couple of days ago to see this...Yes the car is hanging from the tree, yes he has on safety goggles and yes he finally decided that he'd try to climb up in it.  Luckily when he did climb up in it it was only a foot off the ground.  It lasted maybe 30 seconds before his not came loose and he fell.  Braden then went out and helped him raise it to this level.  Luckily it hurt him enough falling 12 inches that he didn't try it again....Smart kid!!

And., for the final Chance activities... 

Yesterday I was busy making dinner about, oh say, halfway through Chance comes upstairs and says, "Mom, you gotta come see what I did!!"  

"Give me a minute, Chance." says I

"No, Mom, you gotta come now!" He was literally bouncing with enthusiasm and beaming with pride. "Oh alright"  I say as I wipe my hands on my beautiful, ruffled  home makey apron, NOT"( I was just trying to conjure up images of the perfect mother)

We headed down the stairs.

"Close your eyes , Mom"

I dutifully close my eyes and stumble down the two remaining stairs, into the hallway and around the corner to the door of his room....It's shut Why was I closing my eyes? says a little voice in my head that I don't acknowledge. I open my eyes, Chance opens the door, I stare in amazement at an almost perfectly straight shelf made from materials that Chance has found out in the garage.  I said ALMOST!!  how did you put it up I say as I step in to closely examine his handy work.....He sheepishly points at a bucket of screws and a large power drill that even I find a bit heavy to use....  and...neatly, in a perfect row right there on his beautiful new shelf sat his miniature plastic replicas of dinosaur skulls.  He definitely needed a new shelf in his room.  I've always told people when they raise their eyebrows in questioning wonder at the antics of this particular child that...well..... "He's got a LOT of potential"

It's more the poster that is crooked, really, Not so much the shelf.

My Scandinavian Cook

Chance has been on a recipe Kick........I'm not sure why......but then again......It is Chance I'm blogging about.  He has given me numerous recipes this week right from his own recipe book.  One of them was strawberry cake..It went something like this.... 7 strawberrys
                                                                       cake dough
                                                                        then we put in the oven 25 minits.



another couple I'll share with you that I'm sure you'll enjoy...

I'm not sure what this one is called but he wrote:  Moms make the dough.
                                                                          7 red raisins and fold the dough
                                                                           cook the dough in the microwave for 21 minutes
                                                                           eat and enjoy.

Here's another favorite:  1 bnanu and 3 scoops of ice cream,
                                      14 chockolits.  

here is one for Christmas tree cookies:  Sum peesis of dough
                                                            make the shape of a (christmas tree) he drew a tree

This one is my favorite

I was told it was for pizza but when I read it I was really getting a Scandinavian sound.     the little circle that we "poot" on is a pepperoni.

I was so proud of the kid for spelling Mushroom right, but noticed there was a scribbled out letter and then a P on the edge of the paper. Curiously I asked him what the P was for.
"That's the end of the word mushroomp." he said with a serious...very serious... expression.   "AHHHH!" says I




Oh and here's an apple juice recipe to wash it all down.
4 apples, blend the apples, Dun.

I do believe I should have this book professionally bound for posterity.  Each recipe is illustrated by the chef and quite colorful...

Let me know if you'd like a copy......29.99 each (remember it is beautifully illustrated and hand written by the chef himself)

Halloween parade.

 I hate Halloween and My kids know it.  Thankfully, Braden and Caib don't care for it either, no dressing up for them.  But I try to be a good sport and dress up the little ones and we go to the costume parade.  Here are my few pictures. I know I Know..... I'm a poor sport but.....guess what dinner was last night while Roger and I spent the night out for our anniversary.......,I had planned with Aubree what she could make and left her with the responsibility of dinner.  They had Halloween candy.  I got suspicious when I got home and there were no dirty dishes and the kitchen was spotless......."Hmmm," thinks I, "I'm pretty sure they didn't clean up THAT good."  I was right.  They weren't hungry so they didn't eat dinner.  But 3/4's of their candy was gone.    I'd even made Home made whole wheat bread that day and it was untouched.  See why Mom's are so important and HALLOWEEN is NOT!!!!! ah well it only comes round once a year.  and yes (sheepishly) I loved halloween when I was little.    

That spooky little dracula

Suddenly spread his wings and flew away.

almost last in line Pippi Longstocking holding a fairy princess's hand.  I added this one because it's the only picture that shows her cute socks.

It makes me laugh because the hair fits the personality.  The skirt jumper was thrown together from some old wranglers (Thank heavens there's a need for old Wranglers and the stacks and stacks that I have.=)

Close up.

Grandma trying to keep all the spooks under control. and an excited dad in the background. I'm not sure who he is but I love the excitement radiating from his whole aura.