getting ready for Christmas

One Friday in the middle of December while we were watching The Price is Right as a family per usual, Evie randomly made foam crowns for everyone. We were still in our pajamas and everything! Luna's face. 😂

She even made one for Trouncer. His expression is so funny and appropriate. "Kill me now," comes to mind, or, "I am plotting your murder," or, "I will just wait."

Just the day before, my mom had randomly stopped by and I took advantage of her magical presence and made the first of my Christmas treats. My fudge never seems to turn out unless she's present, or helping. It was the first time that I'd made my mom's traditional nut butter balls. YUM.

Terry had bought a Christmas devotional book called "Prepare Him Room" that we started up around that same time. Here we are singing a Christmas carol...

...while the littles wrestle the submissive yet unwilling kitty into a snuggle headlock.

That weekend was packed with Christmas parties but the following week I thought of a good gift for me, a haircut for Luna! 

She hadn't had one since the one I gave her at the end of August and clearly was in desperate need. I call her grooming a shorn because she's so curly like a sheep.

Boom baby! She looked so great and I didn't have to do any of the work. However, the following week she developed an ear infection and some redness to one paw, her first problems ever. I didn't and still don't know if it was related to her visit to Snap's groomer (he actually died a few days after getting last groomed there), but regardless, we're not going back. 

That evening, which was December 18th, we participated in a Christmas scavenger hunt like last year. It wasn't quite as much fun since we were all exceptionally grouchy for some reason, but still a good time. Oh, that reminds me, part of the reason I had such a rough night was that I actually had strep throat! I found out the next day and had to take a day off of school to recover. 

The following night I missed the Youth Group Christmas party where this hilarious gift was given to Terry by Kaleah. 😂

A couple days later we found that even our friendly neighborhood squirrel was preparing for Christmas by eating one of our old apples. You could see the juice dripping to the ground!

Later that day, which was Thursday the 20th, I had "enough energy" to do school with the boys though it really tired me out. I actually didn't feel better for three days but we got it done...with a little help from fun Snapchat filters. 

Cut little Dwidge reviewing his reading words. 

We laughed and laughed at the hotdog filter. That's me.

All five of us as hotdogs!

And then with fat faces. 

Later that afternoon, despite being pretty worn out we all visited the park with Denise and her girls so we could meet the three orphans they were hosting for a month. Here's Samuel and Luda. They were SO interested in phones and technology. 

The following night I took the plunge and made Terry's favorite Christmas treat, peanut butter balls. 

I always have a hard time dipping them but added enough Crisco to thin it and it worked like a charm. 👏

Trouncer and Luna were sure tired that family pizza movie night. 😂

Trouncer was similarly tired the next day, Saturday the 22nd.

Late afternoon Nathan and Ana arrived!!

While they were running around getting settled, we made our very last Christmas treat, spritz cookies. I've had a rough time with those in recent years too so Terry is now in charge of pressing them out. 

Evie and I used the extra chocolate dip for half of the spritz cookies for just meh results. We don't need to do that again. 

Goodnight Elin!

Goodnight Theo!

The following day after church Terry and Evie delivered the completed treats to our neighbors. 

YUM.

That afternoon was spent just chilling.

Elin is so pretty! And so is her mama! 

Quinn is just the sweetest baby. She was eight months old then.

That night we ate delicious beef and broccoli together (my folks came over too) and mom began some prep work on our Christmas/Thanksgiving feast for the following night.

Mer-ower!

All the kids listening to the bedtime Christmas story.

I made a point to take more pictures while Nathan and Ana were here. It's easy to forget because it gets absolutely crazy with seven kids in the house.

The following day, Christmas Eve, was our feast.

It was a tight squeeze that's for sure, but wonderfully delicious. We ate early since we had the Christmas Eve service to go to.

There's Ezra grabbing the advent stocking's last bible verse from what my mom made in 2014.

One more Christmas story and they were so excited for the following morning!

spring flip flopping in SD

People are always complaining when there's snow in the spring and indeed, it seems like that's when we get most of our snow, but I don't whine. Not when half the forest or grasslands will probably go up in flame due to more drought. Bring the snow on. We need the moisture, though of course it'd be nice if it wasn't frozen when it fell from the sky.

So just a couple days after our sunny Easter egg hunt at the ranch, on April 2 we got some more snow, the second after our first spring storm a week earlier.

Two days later the kitty learned a new trick.

The kids were so worried!

He thought it was pretty fantastic though. 

I did help him down the first two times but since then he's figured out how to climb down by himself. It's pretty amusing to watch. He digs his front claws in, swings his bottom end around to go first, and uses those handy claws to climb down.

Luna likes to pull the cat around the back yard.

Four days later on April 6, we received even more snow. 

After reading complaint after complaint, I saw this on social media somewhere and had to steal it. Ha! 😹

No spring for us. 

Therefore, I bought some spring at Safeway and it bloomed inside.

That same day I took Noah out in the Envoy with four wheel drive to buy some new shoes. That boy is growing quick! After we found three pairs for $18 at Plato's Closet, we went and visited my parents and their new cat. They had recently put Dakota down and were interested in getting a new cat - I mean, how were they to survive with only one cat in the house?! 😜😂 They'd even visited the pound! However, through an acquaintance on Facebook that was looking to give away their mother's cat, they got a new one! Meet Ebony, or Ebi. She's a fat one. Hopefully a diet will improve her extra round shape. She's a really large cat, tall too.

I shoveled their sidewalk since my dad was actually away in Mesa, Arizona fetching my aunt Nancy.

From there we visited another shop, Clothing Mentor (why oh why do jeans never fit me?), and then I remembered I needed to pick up a new replacement blender for mine that broke recently. It had quit snowing and warmed up, and now steam was rising off the road. 

Remember how I said Noah was growing quickly? See?!!! 

Pastor Dave got sick with a pretty nasty spring cold, so Terry had to preach that Sunday, the 15th. 

The weather didn't warm up too quick I guess because we still had snow the next day, well, half a yard of snow, the shady part. 

Evie learned how to sew on buttons on the 10th.

After lunch we went outside to enjoy the sun since all the snow was gone! I put those stepping stones on the ground to cover up the mud. Grass seed never wants to grow there.

While the kids played, I transplanted the two big bushy perennials that have always drove me crazy. 

I put them under the laundry room window because that spot is always difficult to fill. Now it'll be more than full!

The snowy weather had been causing all the track meets to be cancelled. When the first one finally took place that night, Terry wanted to go to cheer for some students. I got dinner done early and the kids and I went along. There's Noah talking with Jack. 

The following day, the 11th, we spent some time playing outside at Canyon Lake. There had been a lot of wind that broke off many smaller branches off the huge trees. But when they were on the ground I could see the new buds beginning to emerge!

Playing by the water's edge. 

Ezra nearly fell in! Not really though.  

Most of the geese had flown but these ones were still present. 

Luna is hilarious when she chases the geese.

We did play at the boring playground for a while but since we didn't have a leash for Luna, I took us for a walk to explore more interesting things, namely nature! 

There were rain clouds on the horizon! That sure was hopeful looking.

It was so warm out! We were all overdressed for a nice change. 

 Luna played at the water's edge a lot. She had to have a bath when we got home.

Luna would actually fetch larger sticks that the kids threw nearby for her.

Fetching footage.

More daffodils! 

We needed new spring cheer since we were getting more snow two days after our romp at Canyon Lake, on the 13th.

I believe this was our last spring storm.  

Some actual footage of the blowing and cold.

The kids played later, it was their last chance to sled. 

Last chance to slide into a pillow of snow. 

Plop out of the slide.

See you next year Snow Dog. 

It's hard to remember anymore, but I think they were forecasting more snow than we received. 

I made delicious pizza that night, just like every week. 

Ealier in the day Ezra plays Mariokart for the first time and it was adorable.

The following day, the 14th, I worked. I had to walk across a sheet of ice to get in the back door. That afternoon it was completely gone and hardly any puddles were even left. The good thing about spring snow is that it is gone quickly. 

I took the Envoy to work since I was worried I'd get stuck. I did put it in 4WD to pull up the little icy hill to park.

Pretty drifting off the roof. And that's the end of our spring snow storms! Now we just need several days of good, heavy, consistent rain. 🙏