Need Help...

Grant has to do a report on a Traditional Australian Christmas.  For extra credit he can bring in a dish that is traditional to share with his classmates.  It seems to me in the little I have researched the Australians either one: Share in the English Traditions at Christmas time or two: They go to the beach or go camping because it is a long weekend and it is summer time there.  If you know of an "traditional" Australian Christmas dishes, could you email them to me.  I appreciate your help!

Random Thoughts by Me!

~As I was getting dressed today in my Arizona Winter Finest, Jeans, pretty new green sweater and my flip flops, I thought. "Ah today Arizona is good cause it is December, it is kind of chilly (like 50 when I took the kids to school at 7:30) and I can still wear my flip flops. Now I would much rather spend the Holiday season trudging around in boots and a coat ~not zipped up if you know me at all, and oh and I probably don't have socks on inside the boots. Just ask Bill's folks, they used to borrow me socks when I would come over and hang out cause I never had any on. :-) But for today I am happy to be in my jeans and flip flops.

~Not all children like Gingersnap cookies from a box. It was James' turn to bring snack for school today and he asked for gingerbread man. Well, we can't bring homemade things into our schools here and all I could find at the store were above said cookies. Most of the kids took one bite, turned up their noses and chose not to finish their snack. James on the other hand went...Yummy mommy those were great! Can you buy me more?

~Bill wrapped some gifts last night and put them under the tree. This NEVER happens. He likes to be the last one to bring out his offerings. I guess he decided they are "safer" under the tree wrapped then "hidden" somewhere for me, err the kids, to find. Now if only I could remember Betsy Alexander's techniques for rewrapping her Christmas gifts. :-)

Happy December!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I love wrapping gifts, so I would rather put things in a box and wrap it up!

2. Real tree or Artificial?

The artificial-pre-lit tree is up,

but I would prefer tromping through the Montana snow to cut our own!
3. When do you put up the tree?

Last year I didn't put up a tree because we were traveling,

and this year it went up Monday night after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down?

I like to keep it up until New Year's Day then take it down.

If you don't even put one up you don't have anything to clean up.
5. Do you like egg nog?

Yum!Yum! I like making Egg Nog French Toast and Pancakes too!

(just substitue egg nog for the milk)
6. Favorite gift received as a child?

The set of Twin "cabbage patch dolls" my mom made me. One was a boy and one was a girl.
7. Do you have a nativity scene?

I have not found one that I just LOVE yet!

I do have a Precious Moment Ornament that is Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.
8. Hardest person to buy for?

Our Parents. I like to give them gifts with meaning

so I put a lot of thought and time and effort into their gifts.
9. Easiest person to buy for?

Bill! I usually have a list bigger than a budget

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

In the last couple of years neither! HaHa! I do have plans for Christmas cards this year, they have been started, but I don't know if I will finish them. I have really good intention!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

I really can't think of one. I guess I truly believe it is the thought that counts. I do remember that a family friend one time made some Christmas goodies for us. She was a dear sweet lady and she smoked. All the food tasted like cigarette smoke. But again the thought that counts.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

White Christmas hands down!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

All year! I like to be done 2 weeks before Christmas so we can enjoy the season.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

I don't think so...
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

I love Bill's families tradition for having plates full of goodies while opening presents.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

One of our trees has pre-lit white lights.

The other tree is a fiber optic tree with colored lights.

17. Favorite Christmas song?

The Prayer...and new favorites this year: Silent Night and Noel sung by Josh Groban
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

I love to stay home, but it's fun to travel to family once in a while
19. Angel on the tree top or a star?

I have an angel!

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Bill's family opens gifts on Christmas Eve, and my family opens one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas day. I guess I won on this one...We open 1 gift on Christmas Eve and then we open the rest Christmas day. When we are home for Christmas we like to drag out opening the gifts all day. 2 years ago we started opening the first gifts at 7 am and finished opening the last gifts at 7 pm. It was such a fun day!
21. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

I don't like that you can buy Halloween and Christmas Decorations at the same time.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color?

I love traditional red and green especially on a nice plaid. This year I did buy tiny little navy blue stockings to hang off the back of the chairs to match the decor. I put red and green plaid bows above them and stuck red and white candy canes inside them too!

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

Ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, marshmallow yams, hot fresh rolls, pinapple casserole. Yum Yum

November Update

My good friend reminded me yesterday that I have been neglecting my blog. So here is my quick update!

~Grant punched a hole in his head at after school care the day before Thanksgiving. Bill drove home to find not even a little scratch near the dried blood. We have reminded Grant that running around not paying attention can and will result in a meeting of his head and the window air conditioning unit. The unit will probably win.

~I boycotted the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and made cinnamon crepes filled with Bananas, Strawberries and Cream Cheese, Mushroom Artichoke Egg Frittata, Bacon and Sparkling Cider mixed with Orange juice. I then went to work and was very Thankful to not be out travelling this holiday season, especially with small children. Bill hung out at home with the kids and was very thankful for our TV, cable and Thanksgiving day football and movies.

~Christmas Shopping is almost done.

~Christmas Tree is up...not decorated yet, but up.

~Billie is wondering where the Christmas cookies are. It isn't even December 1.

It's a good day around our house!

November 11 is a GREAT day here. Happy Birthday to James and congratulations to Mike and Kel for their new baby born early in the morning. We are very excited to share this day with our darling new cousin and nephew!

Here are some pictures from our weekend. (not the greatest, I took them with my cell phone)

We ate at James' favorite resturant. Village Inn! When asked what he was going to eat he told me to guess. "I think you are going to have a Village Inn Funny Face." "Ahh mom, You are just too smart. You ALWAYS guess what I eat." (Cause that is ALWAYS what he orders there.)

Grant and Billie waiting patiently for their meals.

James was sick on Friday so he didn't finish his whole meal and we didn't even cut into his icecream cake until Sunday. We went home and opened presents. Then it was bed time. James' lovingly passed his "crap" around and he was the only one who went to school today. Billie and Grant are finally keeping down crackers and 7up.(for now at least) Good thing I had today off. This is the part that is stressing me out about having a job. The twice a year the kids are sick, I have to figure things out. Bill has been awesome and stayed home with James Friday. I think it will be helpful when his commute is only 30 minutes instead of 1-1.5 hours. Plus he will miss all the bad traffic. Here is a link to the job he will be on. He is coming on as a Project Manager and jumping into the scheduling side things. I am so proud of my scheduling man! This is going to be a great move for him and us. And let me brag some more about him. He has really picked up the slack from me not being here all day.

He can vaccum like none other! Thanks Babe!

Here's Jack!

I grabbed the camera last night while we were putting the kids to bed and got some better pictures of Jack. He has done surprisingly well. He handled being crated all week (except today) really well. He only slightly ate up his new bed, so now he is just sleeping on the hard bottom of the crate. He did have an accident tonight. I think he was severely abused by his former family(if he even had one) because as I started yelling at him (he POOPED on the carpet) he immediately dropped to the floor and began "army crawling" to get away from me. The yelling was enough and he sat on his bed for the next 2 hours without hardly moving. He is learning to sit well. We are feeding Sadie first to continue with her dominance and he sits really good if he sees that he is getting fed next. He has a funny quirk: His upper lip gets caught in one of his canine tooth and he looks a little...well, not quite right in his head when he does it. It is pretty funny and we laugh at him when he does it. He definately wants to be a lap dog.

Today I had the first internal conflict that really tore me up about working. James woke up in the middle of the night and had thrown up. I haven't accumulated any sick leave or time off yet and we were training today on a really cool topic. Bill said he would work from home today with out hesitation, but it really tore me up to not be here. Bill is amazing and wonderful and I trust him completely, now I am having to trust myself to really trust him. He did great with him today and when I got home the WHOLE house had been vaccumned and picked up. Gotta love that. Next week I switch to my on the job trainind and my hours are more "family" friendly. We will still have to switch off with the kids, but I can get them off to school and put dinner in the crock pot before I go off to work. I am really going to love my job and all the posiblities. I can see myself getting interested in things that I don't think even 2 years ago I could picture me doing. It will be fun to see the places I will go. :-) Have a happy weekend!

It's a BOY!!!

He wouldn't take a good pictures, but this is our new boy "JACK." He was turned in to boxer luv rescue with a severe case of Bronchitis and a nasty cough to go with it. He is still coughing a bit, but so far he has blended nicely into our family. Sadie is happier than an old lady with new knitting needles. They played all day yesterday and today all they have done is slept. Jack is a bit under weight and we are going to have to work on fattening him up but I think he is going to be a healthy sized male. We are excited to have him and he seems to be a really fast learner. It will help Sadie to have a companion while I am at work and the house is quiet.