Feeling the Season

It is definitely starting to feel like Christmas time. We were all able to get in the mood this week.
On Sunday after church I made Ace go with the kids and I, and cut down a tree. Last year I went and did it by myself. This year, being pregnant, I didn't think I could do it. He wasn't to happy to do it just then, so I picked the first tree that sort of even resembled a Christmas tree and acted ultra excited saying how perfect it was. It is all about the mood for the kids anyway. We cut a little bity charlie brown tree for our mud room too. Denim and Blazen think they have the best trees in the whole world. They loved their decorating too. After we put the tree up (that has two tops, and the star is forever completely sideways falling off), Ace asked me if I know what a Christmas Tree is supposed to look like. I wacked him a good one. Denim did ask why Grannies tree was so big and fluffy after seeing it. I guess you actually have to "see" the grass on the other side to know it's greener, right. Anyway, we sure had a lot of fun.

Denim and Blazen in front of the Christmas Tree we picked. Watching Dad get ready to cut it. Sassy had to come with us.

Ace cutting the tree. Love the man to death, but he got the Mr. Grinch tag from me this day. Loading the tree in the trailer.

When we went to Grants last week, I bought these really cute snowmen mugs. We had fun using them this week.

Denim putting light bulbs on the bottom of the tree. Since the kids decorated, the majority of the decorations are on the lower part. I think it is the most beautiful tree ever!
Blazen getting bulbs.

Denim decorated the charlie brown tree all by herself. She is so very proud of it. I am too.

Me and the kiddos after the tree has been finished.
I loved this picture. Denim looks so little and sweet. She was just having such a good time. Dad even had fun. They look so alike.

Blazen's spot where he put all of his bulbs. After two days the branches there were touching the floor. Denim was very frustrated with Blazen for putting them all in one spot. The funny thing is, is that was how she put them on the last two years.



Denim and Blazen played with play dough this week. I am needing to make a new batch of play dough. This stuff is getting a bit crumbly. Play dough is so fun, but such a big mess to clean up.

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We played Go Fish this week as a family. It was fun.

Denim's latest thing is making these pink balls. I honestly don't have a clue how she got the idea, but I have been finding them ALL over the house. She gets toilet paper (lots of it) and then puts pink baby lotion all over it until it turns pink. Then she smashes it into pretty balls. Don't you think they are pretty?

I worked on sending Christmas newsletters and cards. Getting all of the addresses took forever, but I got the majority done. I also put the addresses in my computer so I won't have to redue everthing next year. What a project. I also about died having to buy the stamps. I can't believe it cost 44 cents per stamp now. Crazy!

I had to take this picture. Ace came and got me just before we went to bed and told me to look at the kids. They were both completely sideways on the bed.

This week for Relief Society we took the blankets with stuffed animal that we had made to Socorro to the nursing home. We gave them to the Alzheimer unit, where a sister that we know is living now. We started the day with a sourdough waffle breakfast. I made the sourdough start earlier this week. I thought they were good, I ate like 4 waffles. There weren't very many of us, but we did have a good experience. I don't want to get that old unless I am all there. So sad. It was nice that the Alzheimer unit was made to be very homelike, I was impressed. The kids stayed and worked with their dad. I was grateful that Ace could watch them.

Me making waffles. The breaker went off in the kitchen, so we cooked in the hall.
Darlene enjoying waffles.

This picture was so blurry, but I just loved it, so I wanted to include it. Bree, Mary, and, Darlene taking the gifts into the nursing home.

Carolyn talking to the ladies in the Alsheimer unit. They were so sweet, they made me laugh. Each one of the ladies was like a little mother hen to the others. They bossed each other around. Then they would tell us how embarrassing the others were because they were or weren't doing something or the other. It was cute.

We gave the ladies hand rubs. Some of them liked it, some did not.

We made Christmas cookies. Ace really was craving them. He was fixing to make them himself unless I helped. They turned out really well and we had fun.
Ace helped the kids make the colors of frosting that they wanted. Denim picked pink, Blazen picked blue.

Me cooking the cookies.

Denim has been asking lots of questions about the baby. She is getting so excited. She played with her baby Ariel a lot this week. One day she came out to the kitchen. "Mom look, I have boobies to nurse my baby." She had taken wet ones and stuffed herself.

It was pretty cold. Ace went out on the four-wheeler to check everything. He got all bundled up, and I thought he looked so fun.

Ace burned more deadwood piles near the lodge. We went out to get some fresh air, and had a very fun time. This is the kids running up and down the road.

Ace throwing more deadwood on one of the fires.
Blazen had fun helping his dad throw sticks in the fire. I had to make sure that he didn't get to close.

Ace waiting for the fires to burn down. He is so handsome! Me, by the big fire. I am in the Christmas spirit with my hat.

I thought this picture looked cool of the hot coals.

When we were playing by the fires, Denim wanted me to chase her. She got a kick out of hiding behind the trees and trying to sneak close. Then they wanted to play hide and seek. That was fun. Blazen would hide in one spot, then as I was coming to find him, he would jump up and tell me to "Stop." He would then run to another hiding spot and yell at me, "OK." Denim also cracked me up. She told me, pointing in one direction, "Mom we are going to go hide over there," then pointing the opposite direction, "you go walk that way." Sneaky hiding tricks. I had no clue where to find them I tell you.

In this picture we found a really cool old tree that had partially fallen over. It made the perfect little house. Denim just knew this is where the mommy deers have babies. We played house. Denim was the little mom. Blazen had to go be manly and hunt. Ace came and scared us and pretended to be an Indian. Blazen threw on the drama and acted like he got shot. He fell backwards in the snow and yelled, "Me dead, " sticking his tongue out and closing his eyes. When Denim and I started to go and help him, he jumped up and yelled, "Me alive." He got such attention from it that he had to do it several times. Then Ace acted like an elk so Blazen could shoot him and bring in the meat. Blazen loved that.

Blazen fell asleep on the rocking stool. He kept almost falling off and would wake himself just enough to push himself back up.

My kids love grapes. I sometimes let them eat them in the living room in a bowl IF THEY ARE CAREFUL. Well how careful does this look. I came in with smashed grapes all over. I asked Denim about it. She said, "Well I thought we would make grape juice. All you have to do is take you socks off and smash the grapes really good with your feet, and then you make grape juice." I swear she has never seen "A Walk in the Clouds" to get this idea.

This week we also played in the snow. We made snow angels. Denim was working very hard on hers. I told her, "Wow, Denim, that is a really cute little angel." She said,"NO, Mom I wanted to make a really big angel." She started flapping her arms and legs even faster like that would make it bigger. "See, isn't it big." Me. "Yep, looks big." Sassy kept jumping on Blazen when he was trying to make one, so that didn't turn out to well.
We also played a game that Granny taught Denim, and she just loves it. We call it footprints in the snow. It is like hide and seek, but you have to follow the footprints like a tracker. One person leaves the same spot as the counter and hides. Then the counter follows the footprints and finds the hider. It is fun. Blazen couldn't decide where to hide, so on his turn, his footprints zigzaged back and forth back and forth. Denim was laughing at the crazy pattern.
We finally named our new goat-Goaty Brown. Not to unusual, but as a child that was our goats name, so to me it is sentimental, especially since this goat resembles the one of my childhood.
Blazen gets very upset if you call him a baby or little. He tells me this week. "Mom, me want to be big wike Denim and Ike." He tries so hard to be big like them.
Blazen's newest think is this saying. He uses it in backtalking. "Yes is yes, no is no." For instance I will say, "Blazen we are turning the TV off." He says, "No." I say,"Yes, we are." He says. "NO IS NO, YES IS YES and NO IS NO."
Denim got sick this week with a cold. She got a really bad earache. I put garlic oil in her ear. The first night it still hurt, we did the Tylenol and Motrin for pain. I had her use a neti-pot to clean out her nostril. She did well. The second night, her ear didn't hurt as bad. We put more garlic oil and the neti-pot again. She was better the next day. I was so relieved. It worked so well. Before she would have gotten so bad I would have ended up driving 90 miles to take her to the doctor. The garlic oil and netipot totally work. I also did warm honey(raw) with lemon water.