Showing the girls Kentland & Brook

Friday I took Meegan, Ashley, & Casey home with me to Kentland. We spent Friday night with my mom, dad, & sisters. We left Ohio in the morning and made a pit stop in Lafayette. We had to stop & Walmart to pick up groceries for the dinner we cooked for my parents. (It was delicious by the way....nothing beats home made chicken & dumplins!) Then it was up early in the morning to head to Chicago. None of my friends had ever been so it was an adventure. We drove to University Park and caught the train into Millenium station in Chicago. It was a first time train ride for my friends as well. We spent the entire day in Chicago. We were all exhausted... the youngest members of our group slept the whole way home while the older ones in our group chatted away. It was a wonderful weekend. Good times with great friends. I am sad that 2 of my friends are moving far away but I know we will stay in touch! Hope everyone has a great week!

Cookie Exchange with the Scrapping Ladies

My homemade bracelets!!

This pic is for Uncle Justin... his favorite little buddy as a future Bengles football player

Cannin with Santa!!

Me, Jane, Jamie, Cannin, Meegan, & Ashley

Today was the dessert exchange with the ladies (& Canni b too!) that I get together with & scrapbook. Even though it was raining and nasty out we all headed over to Meegan's house for a little girl time. Everyone brought such tasty treats!! We always have a good time chatting, eating, and scrapbooking. But today I scrapbooked a bit then Meegan taught us how to make jewelry. I made 3 bracelets and I must say I quite enjoyed making them. Cheri was unable to make it today but we sure did miss her!! Hope everyone has a great rest of the week and weekend.

Decorating!!

Garland on the Welcome sign

My lattice all decorated

The dining room fireplace

My hutch now holds all my snowmen figurines

This year since we aren't going to be home for a majority of the holiday, we decided not to buy a real tree but instead we just decorated a bit inside and outside the house.

Santa Pictures

Today Walmart was having a free 5 X 7 photo with Santa. The boys got dressed up and we headed to Walmart this morning so they could have their picture taken. They turned out wonderful and the boys were excited to tell Santa what they would like to have for Christmas. Enjoy!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent Thanksgiving this year with the Wedeking and Brady families. We deep fried a turkey, baked a ham, had cheesy mashed potatoes, a veggie tray, a meat, cheese, & cracker tray, corn, corn casserole, stuffing, rolls, trifle, ambrosia, white chocolate amaretto cheese cake, & pumkin pie. We were all stuffed. We also did some activities with kids to keep the occupied for a bit throughout the evening. My project for them was to make a reindeer using brown construction paper and using their hands as the antlers. We let them pick out what paper they wanted to use for antlers and we had some interesting choices. Then the kids used glitter glue to paint on his face and nose. Meegan's project for the kids was to turn cookies into Rudolph the red nosed reindeer using red m&ms, chocolate chips for the eyes and pretzels for the antlers. They turned out super cute and were very delicious to eat too! And finally Ashley's project was to make snowman on green ornaments using some paint and their little fingers. Then she wrote the kids name and year on the back so they can could always remember our holiday together. All and all is was a great day despite the snow/rain mix that decided to fall just about at the same time we decided to cook the turkey. Great Food and Great Friends make for a Fantastic holiday!!

Early Christmas Celebration!

On Wednesday before Thanksgiving we did our Christmas Gift Exchange with the Wedeking family since we all will be gone over the holidays. Ashley & Cannin are heading to Texas in mid December and Dustin will meet them closer to Christmas. We are heading to Kentland also in mid december to do Christmas with Justins' family. The boys are staying with family during their christmas break since Justin has to work. We are sad that we won't be together but this way he will get to sleep well and not have to worry about the boys waking him up during the day.

Our pre-Christmas celebration was so much fun and the kids got some really cute things. Cannin got some books, a bath toy set, & a sippy cup. Owen got a pillow case with his name on & the bowling dice game. Ashton got a pillow case & a bakugan dice game. Ashley got scrapbook stuff, a candle, & socks. Dustin got a blanket and a cuddlie since he is always freezing. Justin got a sign to start our collection for the bar downstairs and a set of beer glasses with a tin. I got scrapbook stuff & an ornament with a pic of Ashley & I. It was a nice way to spend our last holiday together. We had a great dinner watched movies by the fire and started the desserts for Thanksgiving the following day.

Practice run on Christmas pics

Owen

Ashton

Cannin

10 tiny toes

This weekend Ashley & I took some pictures of the kids for Christmas! She had seen some ideas that she wanted to try. So we headed down to the basement and gave it a whirl. Both of us with our cameras in head started snapping away. It was so much and I think the pictures turned out really well. I have so many to put on here but i only chose a few. Enjoy and hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.