Gift Wrapping

You'll notice that all the presents match the tree theme and color and are wrapped with care :)

Guess who wrapped and who wasn't allowed :)

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Every home ought to have 3 Christmas trees :) A music themed tree for the formal living room,

a snowman tree for the dining room,

and a teddy bear tree for the upstairs family room! (actually, I really love them and all the lights and Christmas decor Floyd puts up :)

5th Monday FHE

For our 5th Monday Family Home Evening, we had a cake decorating contest with a Disney theme, complete with judges. (Although, I'm still not sure who won :) The Cooleys were in charge this time and we all had a lot of fun. The Cooley family all helped to make the tea pot and cups above.

Anita and Adri chose "The Nightmare Before Christmas" for their cake.

I frosted this "Belle" cake from "The Beauty and the Beast". I had an "in" with the baker who made the cake and brought the doll figure home :)

Felicia and family had to leave Monday morning so they couldn't be here for the activity. This is their entry. (If you don't know who Randall is, you'll have to ask someone:)

Ben and Carrie participated via Skype. I don't have a picture of their entry---hope they blog it---It was great!

Here's the judges, Sue, Marilyn, Frank and Donna.

Matt joined the family for this Family Home Evening!

Lee's Holiday Food Show 2009

As you came in the doors to the store you were greeted by these sampling tables and the Thanksgiving table in the middle (with our china). I actually totally missed it with all the people in the way.

Here's our old dining set with the Christmas display. Remember the Christmas rug I cleaned on the driveway in July? (One of my first posts:)

Melece hired out for the day----shown here helping customers. Notice the layered brownie torte? and the table Floyd made for Felicia's wedding.

Floyd with his assistant bakers---new James, and old James---still standing after an all nighter.

The boys. We just went for the food :)

Pleasant Surprise

When I went to the library this week, I was pleasantly surprised to see this painting hanging above the window----painted by my mother! (mom--did you donate it to the library?) I haven't seen it in years. This is the table and lap top computer I use while doing the Rosetta Stone Spanish program. (The librarian was using it to copy a book CD when I got there today.)

Here's a screen from one of the lessons :)

I Hate Box Elder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are common pests over much of the United States. Adults are about 1/2 inch long. They are bright red or black with narrow reddish lines on the back.

Boxelder bugs are primarily a nuisance because they enter homes and other building, often in large numbers. Fortunately, they do not bite people and are essentially harmless to property. When abundant, they can stain walls, curtains, and other surfaces with their excrement. (Amen:)

Once boxelder bugs have become established in the home, there aren't a lot of treatment options. There are not a lot of recommended chemical measures at this point. The easiest way to remove boxelder bugs, once they are indoors, is with a vacuum cleaner.

This is not the grandchildren's toy. It's mine :) Those little buggers don't stand a chance. Happy swimming (aka flushing)!!!!

Halloween 2009

This year Floyd dressed as "Chef Floydardee". Thanks Char for making the logo!

Pumpkin Walk

We went to the Pumpkin Walk last night. (California raisins in the background). It was fun to see all the displays made out of pumpkins and squash.

Finally, a good use for zucchini! See the towel rack on the wall?

We liked this one :)

The boys posed for these pictures :)

Out with the Old, In with the New

I like Corelle Ware. We've had these dishes for about 20 years, and they looked great in the kitchen at the farm. They went with our rust orange carpet and blue green kitchen chairs. But since moving to the new house, we've wanted another pattern but didn't like any of the Corelle choices.

Floyd found this pattern recently that we both liked. (But the mugs are stoneware---go figure). Happy new dishes!

Dinner Party

Saturday night we had a dinner party for Floyd's high school singing group "Front Porch Majority". (Don't know where they got that name :). Anyway, they've stayed close as a group and we get together every few years. We had them here the last time too. It gave us a dead line to finish the dining room addition!

This picture was taken in January 1973. Floyd's in front, on the end. We passed around this picture last night. It was fun to hear the comments. Someone said, "We thought we knew everything back then :)". And someone else said, "We did. We've just forgotten it all now :)"

There's been deaths of spouses, kids, divorces, remarriages, caring for elderly parents, grand kids--- a lot in the past 35 years---- but the friendships remain. It's been fun to get to know them all.

Finished Window Project

Here's Tyler working on framing the windows. You can see where it's not finished above the door.

The new addition has been a mess with tools and parts since last May. We didn't get the windows framed in oak in time for the wedding and other projects kind of got in the way.

The sheetrock is showing between the windows in this picture.

Here's what it looks like finished! There's a little shelf we can put decorations on. (The fall decor was just what we already had :)

Tyler worked late Friday night to finish all the windows and the baseboards. We had a dinner party here Saturday night for Floyd's high school singing group.

They ordered these corbels to put between the windows.

Here's the detail above the doors. The same rope molding is on the kitchen cabinets. It's so nice to finally be done!

Cardboard Boats

For the Single's ward FHE tonight, they made boats out of cardboard and duct tape at the Newton Dam. There were 3 teams each making a boat for one of the Bishopric to float in.

Bro. McKendrick is a crack-up :)

Floyd told me anything goes and cheating was encouraged. He wanted me to get some pool noodles to make sure his boat didn't sink, but it was too far past the summer clearance and I couldn't find any. I got 4 balls instead and told him to put them in plastic bags and duct tape them on.

Racing out to the middle of the lagoon.

Bishop Griffin's boat. They brought shrink wrap and lined the bottom of the boat with plastic.

Four of the guys had previously made a double wide boat. They launched at the same time and tried to sink the other three. They loaded huge rocks for bombs. Notice the shovels for oars :)

They sunk the Bishop first.

Then they got Bro. McKendrick. (Love that snow shovel :)

Bro. McKendrick wasn't going down without a fight. He tried to tip the boys over. The Bishop joined in and there was a bit of a water fight. Meanwhile, Floyd was paddling as fast as he could to shore :)

He made it with out getting wet at all or taking on any water. Hurray! The balls worked!