Scanner

I have purchased a scanner.  My last scanner didn't function too long and then with a lost cord and new computer and who knows what all I was unable to use it much to my frustration.

I picked up a new scanner at Sam Club during the holidays.  I wasn't sure until last night that I would keep it.  But when decided I had Spencer set me up.

I have scanned many an item but am not skilled in using my scans yet.... shortly though.

I will include here if I can some of my scans.

Superstitious

I am not superstitious.
I do not put emphasis on Astrology. Fortune telling. Numerology, etc.

But I just ate a fortune cookie, actually I will be honest, I ate two cookies.
Each cookie had the same fortune inside.
The second cookie even had this fortune X 5!!! I had five fortunes in the second cookie and all the fortunes were the same...

That means I recieved this fortune 6 times today!

And I think I will believe on this fortune!!
How fun is that!!??

Sunday Dinner

And the weeks festivities began with a family dinner Sunday!!

We had helpful servers who served the adults with enthusiasm!!!!

Anna was true to form--- she upheld her role as the best Aunt, the favorite Aunt!!!!

Girlie Party!!

It was a girl party!!!

 Anna gave Abby a Birthday gift that had this wonderful nail poolish, make-up, 

Face paint?!

That all it took to have a real girlie party!!!

And she went home looking like the princess she is!!!!!!

Birthday Girl

And the real Birthday Girl wears the hat!!!

Dress-up Hat

This birthday hat seems to be the dress-up hat for these two!!

Christmas Elves

And the Christmas Elves came and they didn't stop till the tail gate of the trailer was closed.

They left without leaving a trace except a clean yard!!

What a wonderful surprise for Russ this AM when he had on his list to load the trailer.  When dawn came and he looked out the window he did a double take when he saw the trailer was loaded.

He wanted to know who those elves were.  He listed all the family.... no not them....  he said will I please tell them thank you!!!

The elves did what they wanted a they made a great Christmas surprise for Russ!!!

I want to be a Christmas elf!  What is needed???!  An ablity to look around and see what needs doing and a

 willing heart to do the job!

And I think it starts with a desire to be an elf too!!!!

The two elves that came to our home had a great desire and it was beautiful!!!

Our Dancer Abby!!!

I got to visit Abby's dance class today! What a fun time for Granna!

I was very proud of you Abby, it was wonderful to see your great dancing skills.  I loved your pink leotard and your beautiful ballet moves, and your impressive tapping skills!!

Quick shoe change!!

Thanks for letting me come Abby I loved being there and watching you!!!!

Continued Friendship

Happily these two continue to be friends!!!!

Fresh Pine

This year is the first year in almost 20 years that we are having a fresh Christmas tree!!

We had a beautifully shaped pine go down in the front yard during the wind storm.
It is providing us a beautiful fresh Christmas Tree.

Russ is working on a stand for such a tree. It has a trunk too large for stands that we have on hand. We thought a bucket could be the trees base.  Our buckets are not supporting this large tree well.  So Russ is creating a stand for the tree.  He has just headed down to the barn to cut some wood he has measured and marked for the stand.

I am crossing my fingers it will work, easily and quickly here.  Russ has worked so hard over the last week I would like this not to be another large project for him.

Our home smells unbelievable... I do not remember that our live trees in the past have ever smelled so heavenly!!  The strong pine smell is just permeating the whole house.  I don't know if I have forgotten how wonderful fresh trees smell or if this is such a fresh tree that has just had its trunk sawed that the pine smell is just pouring from it?!  I am thinking that we have really missed something with our reusable Christmas tree.

It is fun to begin to look like Christmas in the house.  We have no snow outside and so it is hard to feel too much like Christmas yet.

I have enjoyed Christmas music and that does put me in the spirit of Christmas!

Patterns.

My Grandchildren have been learning about patterns in school.

They have been trying to master what a pattern is.
They notice patterns around them.

They love to try to create patterns themselves.

They have an enthusiasm for patterns that is earnest.
They are thrilled to see patterns.
They show great enthusiasm when they are able to create patterns.

They make up patterns that don't exist. And are quick to tell others when they delcare a pattern that it is not a pattern.

It has become a fascination of mine, to see their fascination with what has been taught to them.

Their deep yearning for knowlege and new things has been an eye opener to me.
I applaud it totally.  I have great faith in their teachers as I see how open and wanting they are for learning.

Kids are great examples for us all.
This pattern thing has really got me to thinking.....

And as an adult I am coming to realize how very much patterns are truley of great importance!!!

Patterns of eating
Patterns of thinking
Patterns of working
Patterns of tradition
Patterns of talking
Patterns of creativitiy
Patterns of action
Patterns of reading....

Never Better Helpers!!

These are the best helpers anyone could have helping at their home!!!

Tree that went down.

These are the 2 big pine trees that we lost in our storm....

Obviously our yard will be forever altered!

New Boots

I think these boots are as fun for a 4 & 5 year old as red cowboy boots are for a Granna!!!!

And the Winds Came

And the winds came at 142 miles an hour... but only 120 mile an hour winds on record.  

That was enough wind to break trees, uproot very large trees, topple large trees,fences and take shingles off roofs.  Our neighborhood had so many large trees and fences down that it looked quite like a disaster.  Heidi's neighborhood a neighborhood by ours lost shingles from every home, had many broken windows in homes and cars from the flying debris.

It was a little eery driving down the streets looking at all the distruction.

The winds were to return a day later so the whole area worked all day Sat. and Sun. helping each other clean-up and battendown for the next round.

It was amazing to see how quickly trees were cut up & cleaned up!!!  

Tarps are evident on alot of roofs. Fences still have missing sections, but most felled trees are cleaned up. 

A few large roots still needing attention but it looks so much better it is now hard to believe that it looked so awful right after the winds subsided.

 An experience we won't forget for awhile!!