A White Christmas

You would not believe the giant white fluffy flakes coming down right now!! It is absolutely gorgeous to look at, however, I fear it may keep our company from coming today. My husband's two sisters and their families are suppose to drive up from Naperville, IL - not too far, but still, not fun driving in this kind of weather. At least it is suppose to stop around 3PM - finally (has snowed past three days here).

I spent most of the day cleaning yesterday and grocery shopping for our Christmas Eve munch fest!! Today, the kids and I plan to bake Santa's favorite Snickerdoodle Cookies and try not to eat them all, so we have some left to leave for Santa tonight. Trey is at work and they are having a holiday luncheon that he set up for the plant - he loves to plan those sort of things. He's a good man!! I am praying for his safe trip home from work. He is suppose to start heading home right after the luncheon, but his normal commute without poor weather conditions is over an hour one way, so who knows what it will be like today??!!

Hoping to get caught up on my Dec. Daily maybe sometime today. I have all my photos printed out and stuffed in the album. Just need to adhere and journal. It has been a fun project, but hard to keep up with over the holidays - even though I made the album in advance.

Well, off to get the butter our to start softening for our cookie baking. Warmest wishes to you all this Christmas Eve and a very Merry Christmas to you tomorrow!!

EWE!!!...Yellow Snow

I absolutely hate it - in my yard!! Yellow snow!! Ick!! However, when you have two big dogs, there is really no way around it - I guess, unless you let them go in someone else's yard!! BUT I WOULD NEVER DO THAT - FOR THE RECORD!! I just want my yard to look pristine and white - no track marks, no brown or yellow snow - just beautiful and untouched. I get maybe a glimpse of that, then the kids are out, the dogs are out, and everyone is having a grand time. Well, at least the kids play across the way in the green space on the hill - don't want them playing in yellow snow - DOUBLE EWE!! Each year, I try to keep the dogs in one area, so as to not make a mess everywhere, but that never seems to work either. We take walks too, but when we have a lot of snow, they get pretty paticular about where they will go, and their favorite spot seems to be right back in our yard. What a picture I must make trudging around in the snow with a pooper scooper!! Oh well, enough potty talk.

Yesterday was a big snow day for us - 14" as per the weatherman - the most recorded snow of the day in Wisconsin. Everyone got to stay home for the day, including hubby! Some pics of everyone outside having some fun.




I stayed inside working on Christmas cards still!! I know, I know - they are getting mailed no matter what on Monday. If they arrive late - it's the thought that counts!!! I cannot just make one style and stick to it - I get too bored, so I made four different styles - mix up the process a little for me. No rhyme or reason as to who gets what - they just get one!!





Still trying to knock out the last of my cards today and doing laundry - mostly drying the kids snow pants and mittens, as they go out then in, then out then in - over and over again!!! Tonight we have my oldest daughter's (Abbey) Holiday Ice Show to go to. Expecting more snow too - 3 to 5 inches tonight. That's nothing compared to what we just had, still - soooo cold, none of it looks to be melting anytime in the near future.

I have the SNEEZLES!!

Just like Chrisopher Robin who had the sneezles, and the wheezles. They bundled him into his bed (wish someone would do that for me). They gave him what goes with a cold in the nose (well, what I'm taking sure isn't working), and some more for a cold in the head (oh yah - definitely got that!!).

Oh well, just when I was already a little behind, now I am a lot behind. May not be making home made Challah bread for the teachers this year. Probably will do the ole' Starbucks giftcard standby.

Did get caught up on my Dec. Daily. Here are some pics. Hope to post some pics of the Christmas cards I have been making tomorrow.

Belated December Daily Posts

Ready for some more pictures??!! Just getting caught up on what I've done so far.

I'm Here, I'm Here, I'm Here!!!

Wow!! I cannot believe I have not posted in so long. I have been keeping up with my Dec. Daily Journal, and really enjoying it, however, I just haven't had much time to post on my blog, or read anyone else's for that matter!! Hopefully, that will soon change.

In today's entry, I included pictures of the Christmas trees my kids put up in their rooms. They love having their very own little tree in the rooms and are anxious to get them up as soon as we are done with Thanksgiving. I just realized now, that I did not journal on this entry. Arghhhh - so tired tonight!! I will probably add a tag in with some journaling.

Weekend Update & More This and That

Had lots of fun this weekend at a SISters crop where I finally got started on my Dec. Journal!! Mine is about half way finished now. I did it pretty much "bare bones" and plan to embellish more each day as I add photos and do my journaling day by day in December. I used a 7 Gypsies chipboard album I already had on hand and Scenic Route's Holiday line from last year - Roxbury. I got bored working with just one paper line and the ended up purchasing some of the new Good Cheer line from October Afternoon to mix in. I was trying to work with stash that I had on hand, but I couldn't resist a little more October Afternoon -swoon!! Also using some KI Memories, Hambly of course, and probably some Jenni Bowlin, Making Memories and whatever else suits my fancy at the moment. Starting to get in the Christmas spirit, but refuse to pull out and decor or play the holiday tunes until the day after Thanksgiving.


Made some really yummy cookies to for the crop. They are called Ranger Cookies. This has to be one of my all time favorite cookie recipes. If you know me at all, you know I have a love/hate relationship with cookies - I absolutely LOVE to eat cookies, but HATE that I have no willpower and cannot stop eating them!! Anyhow, not sure where this recipe came from, maybe my old Ranger Rick Magazines I used to get as a kid. I know I have had the recipe a very long time. Here it is:

Ranger Cookies sorry no pics - they have all been eaten!!
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks softened butter
1 c granulated sugar
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flaked coconut
1 c old fashion oats
2 c crushed corn flakes or Rice Krispies cereal
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cream butter, eggs, both sugars and vanilla in separate bowl. Add flour mixture to creamed butter/egg/sugar mixture and stir. Stir in coconut, oats and cereal. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (until golden brown)on ungreased cookie sheet. Makes about 60 cookies.

And last but not least - I FINALLY finished my Halloween House!! I had to finish it. I cannot bring myself to leave a project unfinished. At least next year, it will look real cute sitting next to my Halloween Tree.

I'm Back!!

I'm back from a most excellent weekend crop retreat in Lake Geneva with some great friends and from having my knee surgery yesterday. Ready to get back to norm here!! The crop weekend was sooo much fun. I have a picture of all of us to share - having dinner and visiting before our first night of scrapbooking...(L to R standing: Tracy, Carla, me, Cathy and Cricket; seated: Pat).

That's the only pic I took. Too much serious scrapbooking going on, and lots of chat. Got four LO's done and that is pretty good for me. The first three were done with a couple Studio Calico Kits I brought and the last LO was done with some of my fav. October Afternoon papers/stamps and embellies from my own stash. Sorry - not sure why one image is sideways. I attempted to fix with no luck. ARRRGGGHHH!