Christmas Eve 2012

We started off making the cookies at Clayton and Michelle's - we knew this was to be a healthy Christmas Eve

Broden was the first to move in on the healthy pizza

Clayton making the healthy sausages - and brats!

Michelle adding some supposedly healthy vegetable

These guys have matching blue eyes

And there were some presents...just one though as it is Christmas Eve

Please enjoy the following presentatation of family picture poses...sometimes the first one is the best!

okay we are done

Do you use plug in air freshners? Don't

I have been working on our basement family room area..so that is
finally getting the attention it needs.

I had a line of electric outlets on one wall that did not work, and
although I was doing a little insulation on the one end - I found a
wire that the previous owner must have hit with a drill or something.
So  I repaired that (not easily)  .  I figured that was the reason all
the outlets on the west side did not work.  It fixed two of them, but
then the Third one was dead,  So I took that one apart to find out it
was totally toasted!  Burned out from the inside - Melted the
insulation around it - and charred the back of the paneling. 

 I remember when we looked at the house there had been one of those plug
in room deodorizers in that outlet! - I had heard from my insurance agent that those
are a major cause for home fires - I think this one came close - but
since it never "shorted" it just burned the wires off the outlet and
did not blow the breaker.

The Family Picture 2012

Great Grandma's Chair

This is Doug's Mom  Bernice sitting with her Father, August Bender, on His Back porch in the summer of 1961 in Belleville Illinois

This is Tahlia - sitting in Great Grandma's chair...Summer of 2012

I thought that was kind of cool!

Do you remember 1961

Yup This is me - 1961 ...One bad dude with cowboy boots and patches ironed on my jeans...and dig that short jacket!

Working at Bretschneider photography studio - showing my sister Betty how the print dryer works

My 8th Birthday party

Nothing like working in the darkroom with a pipe full of fine tobacci!

Betty ready for her field day square dance!

Life in the Tank

Taking a break from people - houses and activities - here is some new life from the fish tank

This is the smallest aquarium I have - a baby food jar with holes poked in the lid

About two weeks ago my mystery snails laid a cocoon of eggs on the underside of the aquarium lid.  Once they started to drop off I placed the egg sac into this jar.  I keep it suspended in the big aquarium to keep the temperature even.

There are at least a hundred or more baby snails in here - I have no idea how many may have gotten into the big tank

 The proud mama and papa - although I do not know which is which..but they do, that is the important thing.

These are the silly camera shy cichlids

December Update 2

This game is called - What's in the frig?

Bett and Loren invited us all once again to the Bluegreen condo's at Boyne

We spent a lot of time sharing food - and games - and swimming and hot tubbing. 

taking walks etc...most of the time we did not have the camera with us.

Judah gets his prision garb on

A little snow sculpturing!

This is a worried snowman - and he should be as the weather forecast was calling for temps in the 50's and rain.   Yup - he was pretty much gone by morning!

December update

Checking out the blog reminds me I have not updated in awhile - nor have I taken too many pictures since camping with the boys - but here are some new things to look at for those who look.

And oh yeah...now with a higher speed Internet - these load faster..

In October there was the Treasure Hunt on the 31st with the boys - Clayton had to help decipher the clues.

feeding the piggy banks - all part of the treasure

Buried Treasure is Buried - ya gotta dig where X marks the spot!

Thank you Jesus - I got a phone!

Fall Camping

After all the work on the house you may think we do not have any time for fun - well we do - and this time we brought the camera.  We did a little Fall camping at Lincoln Pines resort - on Lincoln Lake in Northern Kent County...it seemed like the right place to be

The campground was not too populated and

the temps reached 77 degrees the first day only ....so fishing was in order!

Lincoln lake has a channel that flows into  three other lakes - and the boat docks are on this channel...it is a literal fish highway! 

 Broden commanded the Snoopy rod well and landed bluegill - sunfish - perch - and a largemouth bass

The boys learned you have to catch a fish twice -

once on the hook - and again to get it off the hook

..Not to sure about holding it though

Noah landed the biggest Blue gill of the day -

 a bucket of these would have made a great dinner.

Another day - another carton of worms  - warmer clothes - more fishing.

Noah learned how to cast with an open face reel....really well.

Broden, particularly proud of the way this one got hooked - and the sweetness of not having to get another worm...Although digging the worms out for everybody was his second favorite part of fishing

There was a tractor playground

Grandpa shows Broden how to plow Straight!

There is also a Train playground. 

We spent much time re enacting the Great Train Robbery, fighting Ninja's and Singing Train songs with Grandpa

And more fun on a great beach...

we wondered what this looked like on those hundred degree days last July

We practiced match lighting and fire building

It is very important to have long sticks if you plan to attend the fire.

Made Hobo Pies

 

On Saturday it was too cold and windy to fish - so we went to Klackle orchards for Root beer - doughnuts - Cider - fudge and of course Pumpkins

Broden Telling Grandpa just exactly the way he wants it cut

Grandpa showing the pumpkin how to hold it's mouth so he can cut in it's teeth

Re lighting the pumkins in the morning...yes we were always up before the sun!

It was an all smiles weekend