Christmas costume creativity........

Last Wednesday, the four of us got together at our church and cut material and Laura and Karen sewed up a storm. We are making costumes for our Christmas pageant. It is always fun to work together......

Don't we look busy? We did stop for coffee and some of Ardy's wonderful banana bread!!

I was just kidding in my previous post. This is a little better, not much but it will do!!!!

Your dad!!!!!

Your dad and I were trying to get a half decent picture for our Christmas letter and while I was smiling and trying to look "slim", this is what happened!!!!!! Don't tell him I chose this one.....my arm is stretched out as far as it can go with the camera in hand......it is a good thing we have the flip out screen. Anyway what you see is what you get!!!!!

Siri saw this....she said, "Grandpa's funny!!!"

SIRI'S TURN......

It was Siri's turn to come and sleep over at G and G's house so last night was the night. She and I worked together and made some cupcakes. How fun is that!!! She used a hand mixer for the first time and did very well. I don't know......there is just something about Christmas and baking that just go together..........

Mixing the dough.......

Time for the oven......These two pictures are out of order but that's O.K...... you get the gist of this story??????

Can't forget the vanilla......

A good cook always cleans as she goes........so here is Siri washing the dishes......she did a good job too!!!

The finished product........

All tuckered out from baking, going to Petland, and then to Starbucks for hot chocolate and lattes for G n G...........plus looking at lots of books at Chapters........

One of the special things they get to do at Gramma and Grandpa's house is climbing into our bed in the morning and having their fruit, as well as cuddle/reading time with G and G and a little bit of Treehouse. Very special time. To our grandchildren down in Fergus, I am waiting to do that at your house too so have your favorite books ready!!!!!

Taking Grandpa to work very early in the morning so Siri and I could have the car. We are going to go shopping abit and then out to Okotoks for her ballet lesson and then to the library for a special project her and Jemma have been working on but that will be the next post.

Birthdays and Babysitting.......

Kalle with her stroller and her dollies she got for her birthday...........

Last Saturday night, we went out to Heather and Duane's for Kalle and Duane's birthday supper. Al and Esther came down from Camrose for the weekend as well.

Of course it is so exciting to watch your little sister eat cake and open presents!!

Yummy chocolate cake.........

Here is the birthday girl with Gramma........

The birthday guy......Happy Birthday, Duane........the other birthday guy is many miles away.........Happy Birthday Eric!!!!

Weekend of Nov. 15th, I went out to Okotoks to babysit the kids while Heather and Duane went to Saskatoon for Duane's uncle's funeral. Here is Kalle and her little friend playing at Playtopia on Friday morning. There were about 15 homeschool kids there. It was a busy day. Siri had her dance lesson in the afternoon and then Grandpa came out Friday night. Saturday, Jemma had skating. Busy household but as always, we had a great time with the kids. But I do know why I am a gramma at this age and not the mom!!!! When I babysit for any length of time, I just am amazed again at the parents and how they handle these little ones and all that parenting involves. I think they do a fantastic job. I am looking forward to spending time with our grandchildren in Fergus in Jan. babysitting Sue and Eric's five kids for 4 days. Noah and Mikenna are such a help and then I will stay with Breiden as well. So fun!!! Can our lives get any richer and more blessed?

Watching a little video.............

Grandpa reading them a bedtime story..........Nate loves the Bible stories especially the ones about David..........

Jemma and Siri's temporary classroom.........

Here Jemma is reading to Kalle.....one of her classes is reading and she loves it.

Happy American Thanksgiving.......

This was at the border crossing going up into BC and I don't know if these were wild turkeys or not but they are turkeys nevertheless.

With turkeys in mind, I just wanted to wish all of you in Fergus a

Happy Thanksgiving........

Enjoy that pumpkin pie.........

Love you..........

Leavin' us.......

Our friend, Bev is leaving us for sunny Medicine Hat the end of November soooo last Saturday, Darlene, Arlene and I took her downtown to the Lougheed house for brunch. It was lovely and I will go back there again.

By next week, this house will be decorated beautifully for Christmas both inside and out.

Doesn't this look yummy?? A trout benny!!!!

The four of us posin'!! What a fun way to spend a few hours on a nice day. But we do not like saying good-bye to our friend!!!!!!

Fun with Nate......

Saying good-bye to his sisters and their friends on Friday night.........

Visiting Great-gramma and having a little snack........He loved the little Christmas tree with the neat train going through it........

Saturday morning Grandpa and Nate went browsing.......guess where?........a motorcycle shop.....

Of course we had to buy him a little motorcycle and have lunch at the mall.......

Riding the merry-go-round at Chinook.........

Helping Grandpa put up Christmas lights........

Having a little quiet time watching the Bernstein Bears........

We had suushi for supper Saturday night !!!!! Nate smelled it, took a very tiny bite and informed us that he did not like it!!!!! Not that that surprised me too much!! We had a good time. It always makes us feel so blessed when they are so excited to visit G n G.

A Story.......................for my grandkids!!!!!

Once upon a time in a valley far away lived a family of "kids"! The "kids" loved this valley, mountains in the distance, rivers and streams....their waters lazily cascading and tumbling over the rocks and logs.....trees standing tall and proud reaching for the clouds, their colors....green, orange, yellow and red, vibrant against the blue of the sky............flowers of every color, kind and description.......
The "kids' lived in this cozy log house. There were black "kids"...

brown "kids", white "kids".....

Mommies, Daddies and little "kids"............

They loved to play with each other, butting each other, running, jumping and climbing.......they LOVED to climb....especially on a high, narrow bridge that their owners had built just for them. The patriarch of the family...BIG BILLY THE KID..., with his air of authority and distinguished white goatee liked to spend his time at the very top of this bridge enjoying the sunshine and the view of the valley. BUT...he was also abit greedy.........

One sunny afternoon, a couple of humans came to visit, enjoying the unique farmyard, the array of pumpkins filling an old truck and spilling unto the ground........

teepees.....and.....tractors.....

Big buildings........

Little buildings........a fruit stand and flowers.....

and all the neat things that one could buy in their gift shop (which was built like a big ole' barn)

After checking out all the interesting buildings, the humans ambled over to watch the antics of the "kids" and said to each other, "How our grandkids would love this place!" There were picnic tables out in the yard, close to the log house where one could relax with a cup of coffee and watch their kids playing in the brightly colored playground.

Swans and ducks swam in the pond abit further down the path......

BIG BILLY THE KID on the bridge was getting hungry so one of the humans bought some corn, put it in a can attached to a rope which was attached to the wheel at the top. When BIG BILLY THE KID or should I say BIG BULLY THE KID heard the sound of the corn being put in the can, he quickly ran over to the wheel (butting in and pushing the other smaller "kid"out of the way and with his nose pulled that can of corn up the rope and gobbled it all up!!!!!!) The human, feeling sorry for the other "kid" on the bridge tried to feed him too BUT BIG BILLY THE BULLY was greedy and did not allow anyone else to enjoy the corn!!!!!!! The little "kid" ran off to tell his mother the whole sad story.........The humans said to each other, "That "kid" really needs to learn HOW TO SHARE!!!!!!"

The question is:

How does one teach BILLY THE BULLY a valuable lesson like that..........?????

Aren't you glad that we don't have to be like Billy........that we CAN share our time........our faith.......our love.........our homes...........our toys.........our food......so many things with others and it gives us joy in our hearts......

The humans enjoyed the time spent at this cute place in the valley before taking off for the next EXCITING DESTINATION AND ADVENTURE......

(by adventure I mean seeing a BLACK BEAR on a quiet street in a little town on the way......BUT......that is another story!!!!!!)

Party for the kids at the church.......

Heather and Siri........

Nate........

Kalle........

Jemma....

They loved the bouncy house. Siri, Nate, Sarah's niece, and Justin.

Thanks to Shirley and her crew for the great party for the kids. This is such a good alternative on Halloween night. They had so much fun.