Hey, all… I figured we could use a little peace and quiet after all the trash talkin’ from yesterday’s game. So I figured we’d gather in a nice cozy living room and light a fire. There’s coffee and hot chocolate going, and snacks on the way.
Y’all know the rules – talk about anything you want, but be nice. If you wanted to talk trash, you missed it, and you’ll have to wait until the next time the Bears and Vikings meet on the field.
PS… I love that picture, if you’d like to see the cabin that it was taken from, I linked the picture to the resort in TN where it’s located. Just click the photo, and the site will open in a new window.
Us Girls..Our Views 
Holy crap!!! I want to go to that cabin. How did you link it like that??? That’s cool.
I’ll be back tomorrow. I’m crying in my beer.
I changed the “target” of the picture in the Advanced Settings.
I’m dancing naked and drinking champagne.
That’s neat. I’ll have to try that smartie-pants.
Dancing naked and drinking champagne!! *sufferin’ succotash*
I do love the picture too, what a nice place there. I am sorry for you guys that The Vikings could not make it today. Next time, I’m sure!
This week will be so special for us..We are going to visit my family in The Netherlands. I cannot wait to see them all. The house is almost prepared for the trip. All cameras and alarms are in place, neighbors will keep an eye on our house and will take care of the mail. I haven’t been back to my home country in 1 1/2 year. I do know already though, that I will be homesick after a few to my home/ my life here. Living for a bit over 2 years in this country now, made me more feel at home than I ever could expecting. (not sure I phrase this last sentence correct).
Now, I go sit and relax after a busy, stressful day, full with doing last minute tasks.
Oh, how fun! I love to travel (TSA not withstanding), and hope you have an awesome time!
I hope you have a wonderful time Ellen and take lots of photo’s to share. I’ll bet you really miss your boys. Have a great and safe trip and we’ll be right here when you get back.
These cabins remind me of the one we had for our honeymoon. I can’t remember the name of the rental place we had but it was in Gatlinburg, it might have been this same place but I don’t recognize any of the names. It is a beautiful place to be in the fall.
Oh man, the second I saw that photo I got that “take me away” feeling. Something about varnished wood walls along with a fireplace, I guess. Now if I could just go there alone (or at least without “cares”), sometime in the next decade or two . . . .
Ellen, that trip sounds so exciting for you. I would find it so hard to be away from family for so long, but I am really glad to hear you say that your new place feels like “home” now. Best of luck, I hope you have a great time!
Today was my girls’ baptism. I intended to not make a “big deal” out of it, but it ended up being quite a big day for the girls, and I am happy about how it went. They posted it in the church bulletin, so people kept stopping us and congratulating the girls beforehand. My dad and most of my siblings came, as well as everyone who lives in my house. I showed my co-residents around the church/school while waiting for my family to arrive, and they got a good impression, especially since we were stopped by several teachers encouraging me to get the girls back to Sunday School so they can learn the songs for the Christmas play. (They have missed the past 3 weeks for various reasons.) Everyone loved their dresses, and the girls were just lively enough to be “cute” without being obnoxious during the baptism itself. We went to lunch at Olive Garden afterwards and it was a nice bonding time. Then my brother and his friend came over to my house to hang out afterward. The girls got a pile of gifts and cards, which I was not expecting. Finally my sister and I hung out and chatted after the girls went to bed. In searching for the girls’ cross necklaces (one of which I could not find – bummer), I dug out a bunch of old stuff and got that somewhat re-organized. So all in all, it was a really good day.
Because I knew Sunday morning would be intense, I kept Saturday pretty low-key. Got the kids to clean up some leaves (to pay off a loan and earn some more $), which was probably our last chance to hang out in the sun together until next year. Went for a walk. I was pretty mellow because I have been taking an anti-anxiety pill for my itching. I only took one pill on Thursday night and one on Friday night, and yet I was still feeling it this morning. I actually forgot to drink coffee until after church, ha ha. That is a first. No wonder I kept forgetting stuff. It’s scary to think that some folks take those pills regularly (in fact I could have taken one every 6 hours since Thursday). But on the other hand, chemicals affect me more than some people. I am still not back to normal health-wise, but a lot better than I was when I went to the doctor on Thursday.
I am getting back into the swing of work after being really out of it for over a week. Tonight I have to re-do a bunch of stuff because certain team members have decided to make changes to a deal that is closing on Tuesday. Wouldn’t you know it. So I will be working on that deep into tonight. Hopefully I won’t get too far away from a reasonable sleep schedule again.
I got a start on shopping for my niece’s 1st birthday and a little of Christmas. My goal for this coming week is to get my order in for the Oriental Trading Company, at least, and figure out what to get my kids. I think I will get them watches this Christmas. Face watches or digital? Or a combination? I don’t know. I should probably also try on last year’s Christmas dresses and see if they still fit. (Now how am I going to get Christmas card photos without our Christmas tree being up yet?)
I can’t say I’ve made much progress on figuring out how to improve my health and attitude. I guess that will be a work in progress. I think getting through the holidays in one piece is more than enough to hope for at this point.
Well, I hope everyone has a great week!
Congratulations to Miss A and Miss E on their Baptisms!! And Congrats to you, too, Mom. Such a big day, I’m very happy that it went well for all of you.
I got Josh a watch when he was, I don’t know, four? I made sure it was an analog, because it seems like there are no kids around anymore who can read that – all they know is digital. I think it’s important that he be able to be able to “tell time” as opposed to just reading the numbers. Just be warned – I *thought* he was ready for it, but he really wasn’t. I don’t think he really grasped the idea, and he wore it a little, but it just bugged him, so he’d take it off and leave it places. Fortunately, when he took it off at school, his teachers always made sure it went into his backpack so it would come home. It was much easier for him after I taught him how to count by 5’s.
I’m so happy for you and I’m SO glad everything turned out so well at the baptism. I’ll bet your dad was proud as punch. Thanks for the photo as well. What a couple of little angels. Aw, to be back at that age again sometimes sounds so fun. You could also have the girls wear their pretty dresses and sit in front of the fireplace this year for the Christmas photo. (PS. I thought you always left your tree up year round?)
I’m also really glad you’re feeling better and that itch is leaving.
We took down the tree when we had that VIP visitor some months ago. I would have rather kept it up.
The cabin looks sooo cosy and warm! Ideal place to spend evenings with family/friends.
The House Personality Test
What portion of the house are you?
http://www.3smartcubes.com/pages/tests/house-personality/house-personality_instructions.asp
This weekend really put me in the Christmas spirit. All though we didn’t get much snow, it was still white out. I guess I don’t mind the snow, I just wish it could stay off the roads! I started to decorate my house. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but his family is coming from SC on Saturday for a week. We are gonna be celebrating Christmas while they are here so I figured I could start decorating! So this week I will be doing a TON of cleaning. ugh it almost doesn’t pay to clean until the last day with my son here! I clean something and he makes it dirty again right away.
Well I hope the neighbors will have their lights ready to turn on for Thanksgiving night!?!? (Joy & Sue) Well I hope everyone enjoys the short week and have a good Turkey Day!!
ok now after I have HAD my coffee….A little early on the Thanksgiving! I was thinking it was this week. no idea what I was thinking…LOL
You had me going for a minute there . . . but hey, I’ll take a short week any time.
Don’t feel bad, Jenny… I’ve been thinking a week ahead, too. I enjoy T-day, so maybe it’s wishful thinking? (I prefer that to “dreading having to travel and go-go-go for five days straight)
Jenny I did the same thing last week!! LOL!! I read this and thought, “wait, I have Bailey this weekend it can’t be Thanksgiving.” LOLOLOLOLOL.
I DID THAT TOO!!!!! After I had asked you to take him, my brain went hay wire and I scramble for a calendar! LOL
Saturday Sue and I hit some stores in our area that were having open house’s. We also went to a new store in Annandale that I know will be one of my favorite places. It’s a fantastic little shop called “All Things Good.” I put several things from there on my Christmas list. Hmmm….I got a few other things there but I won’t mention it *cough*Nikki* cough* The weather was really crappy though with wet rain/snow and we did get really wet. I was glad to get home and warm up.
Yesterday after our huge Viking loss we went out and got all our lawn figures out and in place and tested all the lights on the barn and they all came on. I was so happy. We are going to do a few more tree’s this year and really do the deck but that’s about it. Nothing else much new but I have to say, our neighborhood looks awesome at Christmas.
I get to have Bailey for part of this coming weekend and we are really excited. It seems like such a long time since I’ve spent time with him. Him and grandpa can bb gun some pop cans.
I have a kind of funky throat thing going on and really hope I’m not getting sick. I plan on doing as little as possible today. It’s really foggy and very damp looking so I’m going to read and catch up on a few soaps I have on DVR.
Have a great day all.
Oh I just read that!!!! Shame on you for doing that to me! LOL
😉
Well, we had another great weekend. I hate when they end though. 😦 We watched some movies, since we were snowed in. We weren’t really snowed in, but it was a good excuse to stay in and snuggle all day. Sunday poor Jason had end of the year inventory and everything that could possibly go wrong did. A fire in one store, one whole state was off on their numbers…so I feel bad for him, especially today. But Bailey loves inventory because he gets to go to work with Dad, and he loves that!
Sunday ended with good TV, The Amazing Race has been so good this season! The Vikings pretty much sucked but it is what it is…I wish we could just call it a season and be done with it. They have to win out now to make playoffs…whatever! Next year is our year!
Happy Monday…wishin’ it were Friday already!
Please don’t wish this Monday away. It’s like my perfect Saturday today! LOL!!
LOL I know Mondays are different for you!
I want to LIVE in this cabin!!!! I’d be sitting in that hot tub right now!
I KNOW!!! Can you believe how nice it is?? I’d love to go there. The views are to die for.
The cabin looks amazing!!! All this talk of snow had made me want some here too… but alas…I will make do with the cooler, 55 degree weather 🙂 Sorry I haven’t been around much. Work has been busy and all my free time has been spent visiting and helping out my friend whose been in the hospital for the last week. I’m still reading as much as I can, just not commenting as much! Hope you all have a good week!!
Well, I HAD this nice, peaceful Monday planned – nice to have after a busy weekend, and before a busy Tuesday (my Tues is going to be crazy) – and then I get a message that part of the plans for tomorrow have gone haywire. I have two college girls coming over tomorrow to decorate a cake. It’s a bit of an intricate design, and one of them has NEVER decorated, and one has done two. So I’m pretty much working with beginners. I told them to bake the cakes tonight, so that tomorrow we’re working with cooled and set cakes. They planned to come to town (one has family that lives near me) tonight and make the cakes, since all the supplies are here. Well, it turns out that one of them has to work tonight, so they can’t make the cakes, and they’d have had to make them here tomorrow. So guess what I’m doing today? Yep… cakes 1 & 2 are in the oven right now, 3 & 4 will be going in when that’s done. *sigh*
And while they’re baking, I’m trying to plan and prepare for a Den Meeting tomorrow. Anybody got any good ideas for a fun game for about 8 first-grade boys? I don’t have a lot of space, only a small-ish parking lot, so stuff like basketball or flag football are out. I prefer “team-building” type games, where they can have fun and learn something along the way. If you have any suggestions, I’m eternally grateful. The theme of the meeting seems to be shaping up to be Patriotism, since we’re going over the parts of the Pledge and what they mean.
Cowboys and Indians! Cops & Robbers! Bang, bang, shoot’em up!
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist that!
One thing that might work well for boys that age is to take turns telling a story. You start it like “one evening in a deep woods . . . ” and each boy adds something until it grows into an elaborate story. It keeps the minds active without necessarily having anyone jumping around. But you could add twists to make it physical. You could also start it out by connecting it to something patriotic such as being lookouts for a fort or something, and stick your two cents in here and there if you want to. If you want to guide indirectly, you could start out by reading a story along the lines of the ideas you want the kids to think about, or close with such a story. Good luck!
Actually…. that’s a wicked good idea!! Except I’m going to stash it for part of our “communication” achievement. We’re supposed to play a game of Telephone, which we did last time, to illustrate how a message can get garbled along the way. But this game would be a really good way to get some of the quieter kids to open up and use words to express an idea.
Well, I haven’t decided if it’s happy Monday or not! I woke up with a horrible sore throat today and no matter how many advil I take, it doesn’t touch the pain. Work was not fun! If it was Strep, I wish it’d just hurry up and get on with it so I can at least start to feel better, but I’m thinkin’ that’s not it. Oh well! We had a pretty good weekend overall. Friday was spent in Cloudy looking for snowboots for the kids. Everyone has their Christmas crap out, but can you find a pair of decent boots in MN??? NO!!!!! It was so frustrating! We settled on pairs, but the kids weren’t thrilled to death so I can just see another pair of boots in my future 😦
On Saturday, like Joy said, we went shopping and found some neat stuff. That one store is fun and I can’t wait to go back 😉 Saturday night we had bowling and we WON all 3 games and total pins so it was a great night! We celebrated afterward and I had a lot of fun 🙂 Yesterday was pretty lazy for us. No Christmas lights up yet so maybe this week. Gotta think of a one-uper on those neighbors!
You will never beat our decorations!!!! Bwahahahaha!!!! If you look at Jenny’s FB page we even hired a hispanic to hang our lights on the roof…
Jason, you are TERRIBLE!!!!
Oh God you guys!! LMAO!!!
Did you see the pictures Joy? He was really nice to get up there and do that, and the best part was he worked for cash.
I did Jason. I’m still laughing.
Sue… here is my two cents on your situations…
1. boots. http://www.keen.com yes, I know they’re expensive. But they’re also really, really, REALLY good boots. I’ve got a pair of winter boots and they keep my feet warm and dry, even when I’m wearing a pair of old, holey, cotton sweat socks. I have a pair of regular hiking-style shoes that I wear for EVERYTHING from about Sept – May, and then a pair of sandals that get worn all summer. I swear by the brand. Especially for adults. I buy Land’s End for Josh. Almost as durable, and not as expensive.
2. For your throat – it’s not going to cure it, but “Throat Coat” Tea, by Traditional Medicinals (generally found in the organic section/store), really makes my throat feel better. It doesn’t last a long time, but when it’s going down, the combination of warmth and slippery elm sure make the ouch go away for a while. It tastes kind of like black licorice, but not enough (at least for me, and I HATE black licorice) to be a turn-off. They also make it for kids, but Josh rarely gets sick, so I have it, but haven’t used it on him.
Hope you find warm boots and feel better.
I usually get the kids Lands End boots also, but I was a little slow on the draw this year and since we were getting a snow storm, I really didn’t have time to order them. Why does stuff take so long from there? Or is that LLBean I’m thinking of? At any rate, I really just wish I would have ordered them!
Old Navy takes a long time too. That’s a reason I don’t order from there much. When I forget what I’ve ordered, it’s too long.