Hanukkah 2014

These were taken over the eight days of Hanukkah.

We haven't really figured out the best way to celebrate as a family, but last year we just let them open all the presents on the first night and it was pretty much a free for all and ended up being a bit of a disaster, so this year we planned it out that they would open a gift each night. 

 Also the kids and I made menorah's on paper, and each night we would add a flame to our paper menorah and on the flame we would write something we were thankful for. So each night we would light the big menorah with everyone at the center, and then we'd come home, "light" our menorah, write down what we were thankful for and add a flame to our paper menorah and then they could open a gift. Of course over the course of eight days there was a lot going on, but for the most part we tried to stick with that.

 Our Hanukkah party was the last night of Hanukkah, but we did try and have latkes, fritters, fried chicken or some other fried food the entire 8 days. ;)

 The kids love lighting the big menorah.

 Ella is a free spirit and her menorah sprouted flames in odd places. ;)

 So did Britton's.

 Aidan just cracks me up, I didn't even know he knew what Star Wars was...

Baker/ Garrison Christmas Program 2014

 Aidan and Ella had their school Christmas program last Thursday, and I was baking cookies for the potluck all morning, but it was not my baking day! Some days you have those days where nothing seems to go the way it should. I made Russian Tea Cakes first, and those are pretty hard to mess up, but I managed somehow. Then I made sugar cookies using cookie cutters that grandma Arlene gave me (she said they were from grandma Esther) I was so distracted that day and had already burned one pan of cookies, and then I had another pan of cookies in the oven when my mom called about my grandpa Bob falling. So Cary and I ran over there with the kids, and then I remembered I had cookies in the oven. Burn. So I burned two pan of cookies, but thankfully I had made extra cookie dough, so I did manage to make some cookies that weren't burned. ☺

This is Aidan's last year at Garrison Elementary. That went fast.

 Ella told us about the country France.

 Aidan talked to us about Japan.

I got her the wrong kind of cookie

The latest

Grandpa Bob fell and hit his head/ ear really hard a week ago on Saturday. He was able to get himself to his bed, and the only reason we knew about it is because whatever he hit his ear on cut almost all the way through and he had blood all over the side of his head. Dad and Mom ended up taking him into the hospital that night and stayed there overnight and they stitched his ear up and sent him home the next morning. 

He seemed to be having a much harder time getting around after that and was complaining of back pain. I try to check on him at least 2-3 times a day, and so Tuesday afternoon the kids and I took over some cookies when we went to see him, and right before we left his house, I was setting out some food for him but he couldn't get up off his couch without me helping him. That was a new development, and then he fell on Wednesday and dad found him sitting on the floor, and then on Thursday my dad was out of town, so my mom was checking on him, and in the afternoon found him laying flat on the floor in his bathroom. He couldn't get up at all, even with my mom trying to help, so she had to call me and Cary over, and Cary had to pick him up. Long story short, when my dad got home that night, he and my mom loaded grandpa up and took him back to the hospital. He's still in the hospital right, and I think they've got him on antibiotics for a possible infection, but we're taking it day by day as to what will happen. Janille, Megan, Sharon, and Kenneth went and visited him Friday afternoon and he seemed to be doing a lot better already, but knew that he can't get around by himself right now.

 This seems to be the new tradition after supper...the kids gather around Sharon's phone and watch music videos, or Rhett and Link videos. ☺

 And this is our after breakfast tradition...☺ Clara wants to sit on my lap and drink my coffee and look at my phone.