Did you have a Merry CHRISTmas??? We did!?? After FIVE family Christmas parties (last one ending this morning), we are finally finished with Christmas this year!?? This morning Grandma and Grandpa came over for breakfast and Grandma (Sarah) made French Toast and Brown Sugar Pepper Bacon.?? Yummy!?? Jim and I received a night out with babysitting, dinner, and a movie so what should we see? National Treasure 2??? Enchanted??? That movie with Steve Carrell that Daniel keeps wanting us to see??? Hmmmmm….?? Anxious for a date already!

Poor Sweetie got the stomach flu on Christmas Eve and though the party was at her house, she was stuck in the back bedroom the whole time.?? Jim and I and the kids and Darin, Jodi, and Karsyn all spent the night on the 23rd to the 24th at Papa and Sweetie’s and then Jodi and I made 88 Krautnettle balls before noon!?? That is a job let me tell ya!?? We knew our heads were going to be on the line if we didn’t get it right because my brothers have been concerned for quite some time about what they would eat for Christmas Eve if mom couldn’t (for whatever reason) fix our traditional German dinner.?? Jodi and I managed to pull it off and were quite proud of ourselves.

We ended the evening with a hilarious game of Cranium.?? We teamed up guys against girls.?? I hate to admit this but the guys just slaughtered us – fair and square.?? They got a lot of “acting” type cards though and they are pro’s at that!?? LOL!?? Here is Dusty’s impersonation of Keanu Reeves “I SHOULD HAVE EATEN THE BLUE PILL!”?? :)?? I videoed different segments of this game so I may post some of it later – toooo funny!?? There was so much screaming I doubt I’ll be able to decipher a word on the video though.??

Christmas day we spent with Grandma and Grandpa (Jim’s mom and step dad) and Grandma’s family.?? I made lasagna and toasted ravioli for that dinner.?? I was worried about the lasagna and Jim was increasing my stress by suggesting I not mess it up considering that is all Alex has been asking me for since his injury last march!?? (Alex was rendered quadrapalegic in a snowboarding accident earlier this year.?? He is doing okay but had back surgery recently and is still in a lot of pain – he could use prayer support).?? It turned out to be my favorite lasagna yet!?? I mixed mozz and parmesan in with the ricotta this time and I liked it better that way.

Following are Christmas pictures that I took a few weeks ago.?? There are three postings of them so be sure to scroll down.??

Thinking I got a bit carried away with the polka dots but I really love polka dots (and stripes!)

I LOVE Snowglobes and Heidi discovered that I actually don’t even own one so guess what she bought me for Christmas??? The Snowgobe above is what she bought and I love it!?? I saw a picture online of a little pair of eyes behind a snowglobe and I thought it was so cute so I had to try it.?? I made some digital snowglobes this year but I am not finished with that project so they will get posted later.

I hope you got to see Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer this year.?? I need to see it every year.?? I DID however miss Miracle on 34th Street (the newer version) and that is a long running tradition that I messed up this year.??

Hoping you had a wonderful Christmas!

Love Jim, Doni, Tanner, and Ty?? (can’t wait to get to add another extension here….still waiting!)