A Snowboard for Christmas and Lanie's New Sled

"I'll try it on a little snow bank first"

"It's not as easy as it looks, Mama!"
"O.K., try again."

Sweet success!!!!

Nate got a snowboard for Christmas. He asked for video games until I was about to scream! I have regretted the purchase of a Gameboy since day one. We have always tried to get the kids at least one thing that they ask for at Christmas, but this year I threw that out the window because video games is all he asked for. I picked a snowboard, and a B.B. gun. Both All-American boy things. Right? He can get exercise and shoot squirrels for Grandma at camp. Anyway, he was pretty excited and tried out the snowboard today. Lanie asked for a new sled that was just hers. So easy! We have a little hill in the back yard, so we don't even have to go any further than the back yard for fun sledding. At least Lanie is still happy with it. Mikayla and Nate would like a steeper hill usually. but Nate agreed today that our little hill was enough for his snowboard. He actually didn't even make it to the hill, but tried it first on the snow bank. Wise decision, I must say.

Christmas

Here's some pictures of the kids on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Pay no attention to the date on the pictures themselves. My camera apparently malfunctioned and put the wrong date on. Weird. Anyway, every year Nana sends them new PJs. They open them on Christmas Eve, which is a tradition that my Mom started when I was little. My Grandma sent me a new homemade nightie every year, and Mom let me open it Christmas Eve. It's nice to go to bed with something new and warm and fuzzy on, so since Nana started sending jammies, I continued the tradition. Thanks, Nana! We spent an afternoon over at my parents apartment with them, and my brother Carey and his wife Marie. Terry had to work Christmas Eve (Yuck!), so I got in a little more shopping. We didn't have the big Christmas meal this year since Dad isn't feeling well, and we weren't sure if he would have the energy for it. Our Christmas gifts this year, with the exception of gifts from Grandparents, were all made possible by monetary gifts from some wonderful folks. One man has given us a gift every year, but we really were surprised. The church folks gave us a gift. This on the heels of the gift that they gave us in order to make the trip to Michigan in November. They must really love their Pastor! Also, a little mission based here in Maine whose sole purpose is to encourage Maine pastor's and their families gave us a gift. We had told the kids that the trip to Michigan was our Christmas this year, and then I spent about thirty bucks each for a surprise. The Lord was good, and they made out like bandits after all. Several bills are paid off, too. To quote my preacher hubby, "He supplies our needs and sometimes even our greeds."

Lee Rand's Picture

OK, I got brave and asked Mr. Rand for a copy of the kids drink stand picture and I'm going to try posting it here. Yeah! I did it! Looks kind of funny after the snowy pictures, doesn't it? I just wish it was bigger, but.... The picture on his website is cropped and brought up closer. Mikayla started a mobile lemonade stand when she was about eight and this was a continuation of that. She put a cooler in the wagon and pulled it up and down Main street during homecoming weekend. She charged a quarter a cup, but everyone thought she was so cute that they handed her dollar bills and told her to keep the change. One lady even wrote to us and sent a picture of her that she took. Last year she felt like she was getting to old for it, but decided to do it one more year. When I mentioned this fact to someone buying a cup, they said that they would miss her, and that they looked for "Lincoln's Loveliest Lemonade" wagon every year. Who knew? It was a great way for her to learn about money, making change(when they let her), counting back the change, saving, spending, tithing. Even if you don't homeschool, you can teach this in the summer. When was the last time a cashier counted back change for you? I wonder if they know how.

Famous Kids? Well, sort of.

I just saw a great picture of my kids on Lee Rand's Lincoln, Maine website. I knew that he had taken the photo and posted it as a "photo of the day". I didn't know that he used it as a more permanent thing. You can see this wicked cute picture if you go to my links and find Lee Rand's Lincoln, Maine. Then click on "Our Area" , then "Business and Industry". Our kids where selling cold drinks on a hot day hoping to save money for summer camp. I think I'll have to ask him for a copy.

Tis the Season to be Freezin'

Our first snowfall was about 15 inches. Whoa!! Last year we had a brown Christmas, and it was probably 50 degrees. That was weird! This seems more like what we're used to. The kids went out today after being kind of cooped up. Lanie has had a wicked cold, so we have had her resting and doing everything possible to keep her from getting pneumonia. Today she begged to go out, so I let her go (bundled to the hilt) for a little while. Sunset today was at 3:42P.M. Tis the season for ... rosie cheeks, cold hands (warm heart?), runny noses (Ewww!), hot cocoa or mulled cider, 20 minutes of getting ready to go out only to run right back in to go pottie. (:

Alaska

My Dad went to visit my brother Chris and his family in Kodiak, Alaska. As you can see, they got in some good fishing. Check out how close they are to the bears!

All three kids played soccer during summer and fall. Nate and Mac had regular teams, so they got professional pictures taken. Poor Lanie. Mama forgot the camera every time she played. They just got them back. Here they are. Mikayla has played on the junior high team for two years. This was the first year that the rec department had soccer. They traveled around to different towns. We are hoping that there will be more interest next fall so they have a bigger team. This year it was new, so there was barely enough for a team, and then they couldn't sub. Nate is all sweaty in his picture because he played the whole game, plus he scored the teams only goal that day. That's my boy! Mikayla got an assist this year.

Homeward Bound

Our motor home was great to travel in. You can see how contented the kids are. It's a long trip from MI to ME. Especially New York! Terry said, "Great picture of my bald spot. Thanks alot!" snicker!!!!

Niagra in November! BBRRRRR! and the Aquarium

Aren't I sooo cute!

I always wondered how I"d look as a penguin.

Shark tank! Cool!

Niagra Falls in November is very cold, but since we don't get out of New England much we decided to take the time to show the kids one of the seven wonders of the world. BBBRRRR! There was so much spray from the falls that the picture came out all white in the background. One good thing about it, it was free and there were no crowds. You can call us crazy, it's O.K. We get that alot. The wind was whipping us around in the motor home, and it started to snow, so we found a motel and stayed the night in Niagra Falls. We also went to a small aquarium there.

First Baptist Church of Weston, MI

Terry was guest speaker at his folks church the Sunday that we were there. Here he is wired for sound. The other picture is their choir practice for Christmas. Dad U. is in the back. The people there are so nice! We had a good time getting to know some of them. It is a little church, but they have some talented folks. Pray for them as they look for a pastor.

One Foot in MI, One in OH

The part of MI that Tracy lives in is very nice. The town of Morenci is small town America for sure. Nearby are lots of beautiful, large farms. Ohio is only a couple blocks from her house, so the kids wanted to stand with one foot in Michigan and one in Ohio. So they did. The land seems very flat after living in Maine. We drove past huge corn fields. The corn had been harvested and the winter wheat had been planted. The barns were huge! They weren't connected to the house by a small shed like the New England barns are, but were set away from the house. Very beautiful scenery!

Did you say Castle?

Ever had White Castle burgers? I didn't really think they were that great, but Terry insisted that the kids needed the experience of these "Gut Bombs". He told us that as we finished each burger, we were supposed to build the boxes. So build we did. Here's our Castle.

Henry Ford Museum

What do our kids like to do for fun on a trip? Find a museum, of course. Any museum, with lots of things to read and learn about. Grandpapa took us up to the Henry Ford museum. That was fun, fun,fun! We saw a Cole's truck in the museum. Strange, but cool. We also saw presidential cars, the wiener mobile, lots of trains, the Stanly Steamer, and even a car that Grandpapa helped build when he worked for GM. The kids gave me a list of loads of other things that they saw, but ..... Lanie and Papa were wing walkers. Mac flew the Red Baron. And Nate folded and flew paper airplanes. What a great museum!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent Thanksgiving with the Michigan relatives. The women cooked all day, and the guys watched football. Go figure! Lions lost. Go figure! Here's some pictures of the cousins, including Nathan who we finally met for the first time. Handsome, isn't he?!! Lanie played with him alot, and read to him.

The Train

We're back in the great state of Maine. Michigan was wonderful, and the area beautiful, but we are glad to be home. We had a great time with Terry's sister ,Tracy and her family ,along with his folks. The train was interesting to say the least. Mostly, it was a very good trip, and I would do it again rather than fly. It's so much easier! If we do it again, we will get berths, or stay over somewhere rather than go straight through, though. Sleeping on the train in coach was difficult, to say the least.

MacTube maple leaf rag

Preacher's Kid Plays Ragtime

Here's Mikayla playing the first page of "Maple Leaf Rag" without the music! There are two more pages left to memorize! YIKES! I don't know how she does it. You can see how early it is getting dark here in Maine. It was only about four in the afternoon when I took this video. The sun has set by five.

Youth Service Day

We have such a goofy youth group, but we have lots of fun! After working all morning, we had them all up to our house for pizza, games, and fun.

Here's our youth group during youth service day. A day when the youth have the opportunity to do jobs for some of our older church members. We raked leaves and stacked wood .
What cute girls!

FUN FUN FUN! Rake rake rake!

Apples to Apples game. Very Fun!