Winter Wonderland Overload

This last weekend we headed up north to check on the cottage and maybe get some R&R.

We certainly have more snow up there and it hangs on the trees making everything look like your standing inside a snow globe..... including the patio door when we walked in and the snow was hanging over the roof.

I so wanted to poke at the overhanging snow so John and I headed up to the deck with shovel in hand..... once up there I got nervous about the snow falling on me as John shoveled the deck and I stood under it.  I quickly got out of there but I think he was purposely taking his time shoveling.    When he hit the overhang it came down fast and buried the shoveled deck once again.  Okay I was done with that and took a walk with my camera.

That night Adam, Monica and Little A came up.  We sat in the sitting room watching it snow with huge flakes we could almost hear them fall.  But then the morning it was time to shovel the deck and get more snow off the roof and John took advantage of Adam being there.

Good thing there is lots of snow to break their fall if they lose their footing.

It snowed a LOT.

So that means more pictures.

It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed time outside.  Little A is so good about being outside, he tried to follow me to the fire pit so I had to shovel him a path.  

Of course we are known as "the smoke people" and winter is no exception.   The river is still open and if I could have figured out how to get the kayak in the water and out again without getting wet I might have tried it.  John tells me to stick with the snowshoes for winter......

After 2 sets of mittens and now Little A's bare hands it must be time to go in and warm up.  Adam did go sledding but making a path with the deep snow was a bit difficult.  

Weather was great and it was so fun to be up north with new snow making memories for Little A. 

Christmas Day

Christmas Day and how do I feel.................  "I'm okay"....... or that is what I kept telling John when he was so concerned about me.  Yep, I lied to him, I lied to everyone who asked because I felt like crap, I felt like I needed to lay down and nap for about 16 hours.......... and I don't nap......... ever.  But it was Christmas and you can't be sick on Christmas, it still happens....... so after my wonderful surprise of a clean house and no dirty dishes all I had to do was make a taco dip, shower and get to Gayles by noon.  I did it and even took the time for our annual Christmas morning pictures...... I might have been a bit off...... hence my focus on the self timer being way off.  Oh well I tried.  

Gayle had the stockings this year so we got the Sock Viewing and Christmas Day at the same time.  Gayle and Bill worked very hard to make a fireplace for all our stockings.  

There are

2 - Mom and Dad

11 - Children

8 - Spouses

23 - Grandchildren

10 - Spouse Grandchildren

28 - Great Grandchildren

82 total and there are more to join this clan in 2015  

We had a few games of Bingo and Giant Jenga 

Beau might have grown up a bit.....

Beau making sure Adam isn't cheating

Paige has never played before

Hey Brother Randy...... no cheating

Elaine LOVES this game that is why I picked her to play on the girls team.

This is the highest we ever got and they ran out of moves so Tricia had to take from the top 2 rows

Elaine gets the last possible move

So the boys have to go for it

Adam bails and Randy is caught with the stick in his hand

That is all I took pictures of but we had a great time playing and the kids have so much fun at Gayles.  We shook dice and there might have been a little girl who needed a jar to take her winnings home in.  

Of course we were the last ones to go home and when we got there I again crashed on the couch until I John got me to take more medicine and off to bed he sent me.

Christmas with the kids

This year I was far from being prepared for Christmas.  I'm not sure why besides being too busy and unorganized got me all discombobulated for the holiday celebration that was to happen in our house on Christmas Eve.  I've wrapped presents minutes before they needed to be and I've been known to throw together a pretty fantastic meal complete with dessert after a full day of work so this little set back was nothing in my eyes.  

Well after a few un-known health issues with a few loved ones this might have been my most challenging ever.  Even more challenging than wrapping all the Santa presents on one Christmas Eve, that I will never forget, after a few (okay a lot) too many drinks.  

The presents did get bought, they also got wrapped in plenty of time, the groceries were bought all in one trip to the store..... yeah for a list that I don't usually have.   All on the night before Christmas Eve Eve.  Then it happened....... I got sick.  Down on the couch sick trying to function but couldn't.  Can't do much about it so I went to bed hoping for a quick recovery.  Christmas Eve Day I got up and felt like.......................... crap.  Oh well there is house to clean and food to cook.  

Of course clumsy me while picking up things I reached to the top shelf of the closet which is too high but of course I do it anyway because getting a chair to stand on takes too much time..... I drop a wood photo block that is coming straight down so I quickly turn my face and it hits me right on the temple with the corner of the block and instant tears well up in my eyes I fall back and grab the door handle to steady myself and see stars and almost pass out.  That would be great to pass out inside the closet with no one around.... not cool.  After a few minutes I think I'm okay and back to work I go.  A nice black eye for Christmas :)

Everything was done and we were showered and dressed before the first guest arrived.   Complete with an Old Fashion in hopes of a bit relaxing.  

All the kids and grandkids were here along with Grandma Great and the food was fantastic, we all ate way to much.  As I fought bouts of coughing uncontrollably the celebration continued.... 

I even cleaned up the toy room and made a craft room for the kids to make Christmas ornaments complete with lights strung throughout the room and tables of supplies with little chairs for all of them.  I didn't take any pictures of that room and should have along with all their completed projects. I will do that before I clean it up.   Of course this wasn't without injury to myself..... the room has slanted ceilings so when I bent over to pick something up I came up and slammed my head in the corner of the ceiling for a nice big lump on my melon.  At least it was the same side as my black eye.

Now it's present time.  Elly and Garrett handed out presents since I was already dizzy I didn't need the bending over and and spinning around to hand them out.  They did a good job they might have just gotten a new job.  

Grandma Great just love to sit and watch all the excitement from the kids and their new toys.

We might just bury small children in presents and then ignore them while they dig their way out.

Every year each of the grandkids has to take a picture with their ornament.  Little A was not a fan so Big A helped him.

Miss Melanie Mae 

Maxwell

Garrett

Miss El

Miss Mallory 

Again we might just bury the babies and ignore them....

The big girls got lego sets and got right to work.

Grandma Great leaving, we were so happy she was well enough to come spend some time with us.  I think she was tuckered out by the time she left.  

It gets hot in Grandpas house and one by one the small children lose their clothes to help make them happy.  

It was a great day and night and I kept moving even though I felt like napping (dying) a couple of times.  After everyone left I crashed on the couch without even touching a dish or scrap of paper..... the house was a mess, the kitchen was horrid and I felt worse than all of it.  After a bit of moaning and coughing spells John talked me into taking some medicine and heading to bed.  He said he wanted to stay up and watch TV.  Now that doesn't happen in our house, we go to bed at the same time even if one of us has to sleep on the couch until the other is ready for bed..... but I didn't ague and passed out when my head hit the pillow.  What I didn't know was John stayed up till wee hours of the morning to wash every dish, clean up every piece of paper and straighten up everything to look perfect for my Christmas morning.  BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER