Handy Matty

Handy Matt put on our counter for the bar!  We found a good deal on this piece, and it fit perfectly!  Also found two stools on clearance!  So we ate dinner here last night!

Christmas cookies

I wouldn't say these would win the award for the prettiest ever - we had very runny frosting- but we had fun!  We might give it another shot.  Ava must have asked 100 times, can we eat one now?  Finally the answer was yes!

House updates

Thanksgiving Week

I'm so thankful always for our family and friends and especially my relationship with the Lord who shows such love to me!  He has blessed us so much, and it always seems so much more noticeable when we are with family!  We are so grateful for His leading in our lives. 

We started our holiday off with a very meaningful thanksgiving service on Tuesday night at church.  Then we headed to the cities and had a great time spent with our families where we were able to eat and shop and eat and the men hunted and we ATE way too much!  I can't remember the last time I was hungry.  We got back Saturday and after seeing all of the Christmas decorations everywhere, somebody was motivated to get our Christmas stuff up.  And it wasn't me!  Jack put our tree together.  He's becoming pretty handy!  Then Sunday after church, we surprised the kids with a trip to Mankato to see Disney Live: Three Fairy Tales.  They loved it!  Plays are always fun, and it was fun to share that with them.  Things we did:

Of course!

Nancy made the best cheeseball!

Turkey time!

Maddie hovering

Digging in!

The little beggars

The kids playing with grandma while I took a nap.  

Black Friday!  Matt's and Jack's first time hunting.  No actual living things were shot, but they still had a great time!  We girls were hunting for bargains.  We came out better than they did!  

Nadia Cakes on the way out of town!  Mmmm 

Decorating 

Found the mouse ears Christmas hats

Disney Live - I wonder how many swords he has owned?  At least in the 20s.  And he loves them all.  

Ava was more excited about carrying the Disney bag than what she actually got.  

Hard to see but there were 3 sets of princes and princesses on stage.  Very fun!

Countertops!

I am so excited to have countertops with a sink and faucet that gives water!  They're beautiful and bring us one step closer to functioning in this house!

Bowling

We had our first bowling activity with our youth group this past Saturday.  It was a good time.  The kids are really great, and of course our kids love being with them and love bowling!  I didn't get the best pictures, but here's a couple.  Ava pretty much just pushed her ball and turned around and jumped up and down.  I think she thought that's all there was to it.  

Unexpected Fun!

While heading to the cities to get a few housey things, we saw Sarah Palin at the Mall of America!  We also met up with Grandpa and Grandma and ran into Brent and Heidi.  Fun unexpected night!

Brookstone's massage chairs.