Sparkle’s Family Blog

We've returned from our ski trip and have to unpack, do laundry, repack, and leave for Jamestown by tomorrow afternoon.  We can't pick up the U-Haul on New Year's Day so are leaving a day earlier than planned.  Oh well, one more day to see our friends there!

The kids aren't allowed to get up before 6:30 on Christmas Day.  The boys were standing by our beds watching the clock at 6:27. 

Lily is not an early riser and nobody's allowed to wake her up when unnecessary or she's a BEAR!  She was up by about 7:30.

Our plans got crimped a little due to a blizzard.  My grandma stayed out at my aunt & uncle's and they were stuck at their place out of town.  My brother and Amy did brave it and come in the 40 mile drive from the ranch.

We had a superb dinner of beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes, corn pie, salad, and double pumpkin cheesecake.  Since Amy's a chef, she baked TONS of goodies that we got to munch on all day.

Before opening presents, Lily sang us several Christmas songs.

Grandpa & Grandma got the boys these chairs to coordinate with their new rooms.

I've been eyeing these boots for a few months.

I've wanted a stove-top egg poacher for several years.  Poached are my favorite type of eggs and my mom always used to make them.  She's been spoiling us with lots of poached eggs at breakfast while we've been living with them but now I'll be able to make my own!

When Ray & I were married, my aunt made us a cookbook composed of recipes that she obtained from everyone who we invited to our wedding.  It was a tremendous treasure.

In honor of our 15 year anniversary in 2010, she revised and updated the cookbook for everyone's Christmas gifts.  The cover is composed of tons of tiny family pictures from several generations and there are other pictures throughout the cookbook.  It truly is a treasure!

I hardly had the chance to take any landscape photos this year so I made calendars from family photos.

The rest of the day was spent doing puzzles and playing cards.

Now, we're packing as we're off on our annual ski trip to Bozeman in the morning.  Our good friends from Jamestown will meet us there as well as 2 families from here and my brother and his girlfriend.  It should be a blast!

 

 

We have a family tradition of making sugar cookies.  My brother and I always made them with my Little Grandma and now my kids make them with my mom.

We went to church at 3:30 where the kids' choir sang a song with the adult choir.  It was fun to sing with my kids.  The church service was just beautiful!

These were taken at church.

We had a wonderful lasagne supper and then opened gifts.

 

Cody had surgery to remove his adenoids on Monday.  Everything went very smoothly though we were there longer than I expected.  He stayed home from school yesterday but went the 1/2 day they had left today.  His throat is a bit sore but not too bad.  Hopefully, this will relieve his constant stuffiness and snorting! 

Dining room - still needs trim and chair rail.

Powder room (1/2 bath) 

The kitchen is still too much of a mess to get a decent picture.  They came and installed the granite countertop yesterday and part of it broke when they were cutting out the spot for the cooktop.  Probably won't be back to replace it until after New Year's but the rest of it is stunning!

 

Jace's bedroom - still needs trim, doors, and light fixture.

Cody's room - still needs trim, light fixture, chair rail, numbers on the yard lines, and doors.

Toy room - needs doors and trim

Den and stairs - needs trim and stair railing.  Ray's dad has welded us a wrought iron stair railing but we have to get it from WY.

Today the laundry room floor will be installed.  Ray finished the hardwood in the kitchen, dining room, and powder room, and the granite countertops are being installed today.  So close!

 

Guest bedroom - all it needs is the trim around the window arch and the heat vents to be done!

Lily's room - needs closet door and rods as well as trim around window arch.

Master bedroom - just needs heat vents and closet organizer

 

Bah Humbug:

1. The Steelers football season is basically over for this year.  They have to give another team a turn ;)  We have so many injured players that it's just pretty hopeless.
2. It causes me great stress to just be mailing my Christmas cards.  I know that's probably odd but I like to have them out at the beginning of Dec.  Dumb computer crash!

Merry Christmas:

1. A friend and I made a shopping trip today to buy Christmas presents for a family whose having a rough December.  It's a single mom of 5 and she crushed her wrist in a 4-wheeling accident so is unable to work.  I have to say it finally got me in the holiday spirit!
2. Our entire house is carpeted!  Well, except for the theater which we don't plan to finish for a year or two.  By the end of Monday, the rest of the flooring will be finished as well as the kitchen counter.  We have 2 working toilets, too!  (I'll post some more pictures soon).
3. We've made plans to go back to Jamestown January 1-3 to move the rest of our furniture.  Could still use some prayers for that house to sell.  Anytime now would be just perfect!!
4. We'll be moving in after we get our things.  There will still be little stuff to do but we can do that while living there.  I finally feel like I can get excited!!
5. My grandma, aunt & uncle, brother & girlfriend, parents, and cousin's family will all be here for Christmas.  I love a big Christmas!  Ray is thrilled to not have to pack up every single present and travel this year.

Chorister Choir performing in church this last Sunday.  Lily is the last solo.  I couldn't figure out why she was being so fidgetey but I guess her nose wouldn't quit running.