Guess who got a Flip camera for Christmas!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lWVnhnaY_M]
Archive for December, 2008
Merry Christmas!
December 26, 2008
What-in-the-Heck Wednesday … The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
December 24, 2008(I’m posting this a day early since I have a feeling tomorrow may be a nuthouse)
OK, first the good.
Have I mentioned that Idaho is a unique place to live? Living out in the country affords many opportunities not available in the confines of a city. For instance, it snowed here in Idaho. A lot. And it’s been cold. Very cold. We accumulated enough snow to reconsider getting a second 4-wheel drive. Yet, I have not seen hide nor hair of a snowplow anywhere but on the highway. That leaves our neighborhood the perfect setting for doing things like this:
Uh Oh. Someone got left behind.
The Bad:
Is it just me or does it seem like every year there’s someone sick at Christmas time? Well, this year it’s Will’s turn to be feverish, drippy, crabby, and miserable. He’s been that way since Saturday and we’re hoping by tomorrow he’ll be much improved. Keep your fingers crossed!
I’m just gonna throw this next one in with the bad because I think it’s just about time that these two blonds get a haircut.
And the Ugly:
Know what happens when the kids are all out of school and you spend the day playing in the snow and baking the Christmas Eve desserts? Your house experiences neglect and in turn, revolts in the form of dirty laundry piles, sinks full of dishes, floors just pleading for a vacuum and rooms in want of a cleaning lady. Lest you think my house always looks photo-ready, here’s a little glimpse of what we’ll be workin’ on before the big day arrives.
Just keepin’ it real.
Happy Wednesday, thanks for stopping by and have a Wenderful Christmas!
Memory Monday
December 22, 2008
Charlotte and I figured that this is the oldest picture in the stack, dating back to about 1895. Just to give you a little perspective, here are a few things that happened in 1895:
- Volleyball was invented by W. G. Morgan in Massachusetts
- George B. Selden is granted the first U.S. patent for an automobile
- World’s 1st movie theater opens in Paris
- 1st cartoon comic strip is printed in a newspaper
- Frederick E. Blaisdell patents the pencil
- America’s 1st auto race starts; 6 cars, 55 miles, winner avg 7 MPH
- The first professional American football game is played, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, between the Latrobe YMCA and the Jeannette Athletic Club (Latrobe wins 12-0)
While all that was going on, in a tiny town near Vienna, these scrappy looking kids posed for this photo. Here’s the story:
The five children are my grandmother and her siblings around 1895 in front of their house in a tiny village south of Vienna, Austria. From left to right are: Ferdinand, who later emigrated to Milwaukee, USA; Karola, the oldest girl, who never married, although I was told she had an unhappy love affair in her youth; Emil was the oldest, and he joined the military and became a lieutnant as far as I know; he got married, and his daughter married an American soldier after WWII and moved to Los Angeles; next is Marie (or Mitzi), who married a rich older banker who died soon and left her all his money; and, finally, Josefine, my grandmother, the practical one. Two other siblings, Laura and Paula, were born after the picture was taken.
So, it turns out that the Mitzi in this picture is the very same Mitzi in last week’s post. Remember her? The one in the wedding photo (the one preparing to board the Titanic – not really but doesn’t she looked like she could’ve been?) with the gigantic hat on. Turns out she was able to snag the richest guy around, help out her siblings, and live out a comfortable life with her only daughter.
Happy Memory Monday!
We are loving all the snow that blew in over the weekend and are so happy to be done with school for two whole weeks! Just one more trip to Target and WinCo and Santa will be welcome with open arms! How about you. Are ready???
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas…
December 20, 2008* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thankful Thursday…Hot Stuff
December 19, 2008I’ve never been so thankful for HEAT than I have this week. I knew Idaho was cold, but Holy Toledo! I didn’t realize just how frigid it is here! I drove to Costco yesterday afternoon for my monthly trip to pick up a case of toilet paper and a bag of uncooked tortillas. Two hours and $250 later! , as I was driving home, my car said it was a mere 14 degrees out. I decided my sweatshirt and down vest would no longer cut it. Sigh. I’m gonna have to break out my winter coat. But at least I have heat. So this week I am thankful for heat, in all its forms.
- My Electric Blanket - Completely forgot I even had one of these. In the past 11 years our down comforter has done the trick. But our room in this house is missing insulation or something because it’s at least 10 degrees colder in the winter and 10 degrees hotter in the summer. So the other night, after I had just clambered into bed and my body was battling to warm up, it dawned on me that we used to have an electric blanket and wouldn’t it feel good right about now. Of course, there was no way I was getting out of bed to brave the chill at that point so the next day I rummaged through the linen closet and unearthed our electric blanket. And what a difference! Now I crank my side up to HI as I’m brushing my teeth and putting on my PJs. I slip in to the toasy, toasty, toasty warmth and it is heaven!
- My fireplace – There’s nothing cozier at Christmastime than Christmas music and a warm fire. Sure, it’s gas. Sure it isn’t real wood. Sure, it turns on and off at the flick of a switch. But it’s warm and glowy and oh so cozy!
- Hot Showers – OK, I like a hot shower even in the heat of the summer. But it’s especially nice in the cold of the winter. I mentioned our bedroom is cold. Well, our bathroom is no different. So in the morning after getting the kids off to school, I love to hop into a steamy hot shower and warm up. And I’m a little picky about the temperature. I like it to be comfortably warm so that it isn’t shocking going from room temperature to the water, but then I knock it up a tad until it has a bite to it. And I keep knocking it up a notch the entire time I’m in the shower. That way, by the time I’m done, it feels refreshing to step back into the chilly air. Yeah, it’s a science.
- Hot chocolate – My sister gave me a hot chocolate maker/warmer/frother for Christmas last year and I love it. That thing gets used everyday in the wintertime. It borders a little on an addiction. It keeps the hot cocoa warm and ready all day. It even has a switch that froths it as you dispense.
There’s always something to offer guests to drink with their Christmas cookies. I used it today when I had my friends Mindy, and Jennifer and their little boys over to decorate gingerbread men. If you don’t have one, consider it. I’m pretty sure Costco carries them. And if not, Costco has many, many other intriguing and unnecessary products to wreak havoc on your budget. Trust me!
Since, according to the weather channel, Idaho isn’t the only place shivering right now, tell me… what is your favorite form of heat this week???
Happy Thankful Thursday!
Oh, and I was totally kidding about Night Rider in the last post. I’m not a talking car enthusiast nor do I consider Hasselhoff a heart throb. Just for the record.