New Year's Eve

Greetings from Alabama! As soon as I figure out how to upload photos to my IPad, I will post some. Until then, Happy 2012!

Thanksgiving 2011

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day.  Buck and I were headed to WalMart around 7:15 a.m. in search of a GPS.  His old one had started to lose her way ~ sometimes giving wrong information. . . . and he is NOT going to stop and ask directions!!!!  And a map?  Way too old school. We bought a new one (his birthday present ~ from January) and went back to the house so I could ice the red velvet and get the turkey in the oven.  Supper was at Mother's. . . .

While the boys showed each other a little

"brotherly love" 

the girls checked the sale papers

Skoot took the opportunity

to rest (he went shopping at 10 p.m.) 

Buck seemed oblivious to

the "creeper" behind him

And Topher showed off his

. . . .

After supper it was time for the Thanksgiving Take Down

(Scrabble Game) 

The board is empty and the ladies are

concentrating 

Mother went first which meant I went last

it didn't help! 

The guys, sans Topher, relaxed

in the living room.

Topher opted to help Kim with her game

they won!!!! 

It was a good day ~ good food ~ laughs ~ leftovers.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Claire's b'day

Claire celebrated her fifth birthday while I was in Colorado.  The first few pictures are pretty self explanatory ~ Claire blowing out her candles ~ and opening gifts....she made out like a bandit!!!

 

The next day was Halloween and the girls had a BLAST!!  I stayed home and gave out candy, which is always FUN.  As you can see from the photo below ~ there was PLENTY of SUGAR in the Willenbrecht house (and lots of candy too)

Maybe a little TOO much

Trick or Treating??

The Wednesday I was supposed to leave ~ there was another snow ~ OH NO?!  Jennifer took Sarah to school that day since she had to work.  Claire and I suited up to go out and clean off the car for when we would go pick Sarah up.

The tree didn't suffer this time....

but, alas, the jack-o-lanterns did.

More from Colorado

Claire went to a dress up party with her friend Felicity.  

The girl isn't afraid on a little make-up!

That day, Linda and Roger arrived to celebrate Claire's birthday. 
We had already planned to go to the library
for their Halloween program so we left the guys at home
and away we went....
 

Is it me, or does Sarah look a little pale??

Someone should have told me to
"step away from the eyeshadow"!! YIKES!!

(and what's up with those lips??)

The girls enjoyed the storytellers
who entertained with spooky tales.

Sarah thought those little wings

could help her fly!!!?

They dissected and reattached gummy bodies

worms, and bears, and sharks, OH MY!!

The next morning we met Karyn and Lenny (Linda's sister and her husband)

at the "Egg and I" for brunch.  The host was nice enough

to snap a shot of everyone. 

Sisters

Linda and Karyn (back row)

Claire and Sarah (front)

That afternoon we gutted and carved

jack-o-lanterns.

Scoooooop! 

Jennifer dug right in with her hands.

(We saved the seeds and toasted them ~ they were yummy) 

The tower of pumpkintude!!!!

We went to the Centennial Village in Greely

for some pre Halloween

trick or treating 

There were all sorts of costumes to be seen

and lines for every little piece of candy

(it was FUN!!!)

Yes it snowed....

While I was in Colorado, it snowed!  It was beautiful ~ quiet ~ peaceful....and cold.  We were all excited because it was the first snow of the season.  The good news is Sarah got a snow day and Arie and Jennifer stayed home from work!!!!  The bad news is many people were without electricity for a day or more.  Thankfully, the power went off but came back on at Jennifer's house.  They did loose some tree limbs....sad.

This is how it started ~ that's snow

even thought it sort of looks like rain,

doesn't it?? 

This is the tree out front loaded down with snow

limbs scattered underneath from the burden. 

Isn't this one BEAUTIFUL??

It didn't loose many limbs 

Their poor cottonwood survived a tornado

a few years back only to be beaten and

broken by snow!

(They may take it down this time)

Arie is underneath there shaking the limbs

to lessen their burden

Alas, we didn't have a picnic

The girls were ready to go out asap!!!  Jennifer was smart enough to ask if ANYONE needed to go to the bathroom BEFORE pulling on snow gear.  Then ~ they were out the door!!!!

Claire

Sarah

Dad came in way before the girls did

Our Jennifer ~ all bundled up

and SMILING  

Sarah helped Arie build a "fort"

which to me looked like an

igloo?? 

The proud construction crew

Sarah wanted the pointy thing on top

"like a castle"

Sarah inside the fort 

There was room for both of them

(they wanted to sleep out there!)

And then it was time for a SNOWMAN ~ not a snowman like I would build in Alabama ~ oh no ~ this was a work of art that required all members to contribute.  He stood proudly in front of the house for several days and on Halloween an evil trick or treater karate chopped him....

My redition of a snow something

(check the ears)



The girls got busy rolling the

snowman. Sarah did the bottom

and Claire did the second ball

Jennifer and Arie started the assembly

Mid section ~ check!

A few finishing touches and....

Voila!

He is almost as tall as Jennifer and Arie!

Showing the snowman some love!

(check the smile ~ I think he liked it)

Gotta admit Snowman has STYLE!

(check the hair)

After a battle with Dad

and a group shot of Claire, Jennifer,

me and Sarah

it was time to go inside

shed the snow clothes

and relax