O Tannenbaum

Yes we killed a tree. Well, it's not dead yet, but it is on life support. I love the rush I get from knowing I hold the power of life and death in my hands. Mwahahahaha. Seriously though, we risked life and limb to get our tree this year. Winter storm warning? Pshaw. I spit in the face of caution when Christmas traditions are at stake. We have a Dodge frickin' Caravan for Pete's sake. WITH newer tires. So after white knuckling it for a half hour to get to Hart's Tree Farm in Rockford. We were lucky enough to have Santa Claus drive us out to pick out our tree. I do have to say, we did get a nice Douglas Fir. Maybe I can make something out of it when we throw it out. A nice bow perhaps, or a very skinny dugout canoe... Are these the cutest elves ever? On a related note, the tree did not fall on any of our children this year. Thank goodness, but there goes our shot at 10k from AFHV. However, Jen's mascara was not snow proof, and she didn't know she looked like this until she got back into the van to go home. Jackpot.

Thanksgiving

This is probably a little late. Okay, it's a lot late, but here is the pic from Thanksgiving. We had the whole gang over: Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Mark and Aunt Crystal, and new neighbors/friends the Skillens. We had the best turkey ever (a fresh farm raised one) so suck it Butterball. Ow, I just hurt my shoulder patting myself on the back. Can you believe this is the only picture we got on Thanksgiving? Sad. No people gathered around the table enjoying fine food, and better company. Nope, just a jackass giving the thumbs up to gluttony.

Woodworking in America

This past weekend I was in Berea, KY for the first ever Woodworking in America conference. This was a hand-tool only event put on by Popular Woodworking magazine. I'm going to get right to the meat of the matter. I got to meet Roy Underhill. If you don't know who he is, shame on you: google his name. He is to the right of Frank Klausz. This is Adam Cherubini in period costume. He is a presenter at Pennsbury Manor. I listened to seminars from the likes of Roy Underhill, Frank Klausz, Adam Cherubini, Brian Boggs, and Christopher Schwarz. My head is still swimming. And I haven't washed the hand Roy shook either. I ordered some saw kits from Tools For Working Wood, an awesome little company in New York that has some incredible hand tools. So after I finish the beds, I'm building saws. I also got to have a beer with Brian Boggs, Michael Airiou, and Alfred Sharp. What a treat. Now all I need to do is finish the girls' bunk bed. Then it's on to a Nicholson style workbench, a tool chest, a salt cellar, a trestle table for the dining room, a bench and chairs for the table, a boat of some sort, traditional cross-country skis... I would like to make an 18th century flintlock musket this winter, something like a Tulle Fusil-de-Chasse, or a Northwestern Trade Musket the likes of which Chingachkook and Uncas used in Last of the Mohicans. I need more wood and more time. http://www.frankklausz.com/homepage.html; http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/; http://www.alfredsharp.com/index.php; http://www.brianboggschairs.com/; http://www.adamcherubini.com/Welcome.html (I would love to build chairs like Brian Boggs does. I'd also like to sell chairs for 1/10th of what we gets. My oh my.)

Boo!

Halloween has come and gone, and I think we're still on a sugar buzz. The day after, the kids emptied, counted, and sorted their booty approximately a dozen times. One time in the afternoon, Amelia turned to Isabelle and said "do you want to count our candy again?," with huge eyes full of anticipation. Gotta love it. This year Isabelle went as Hannah Montana (or Miley Cyrus, I can't tell,) Amelia was a baby, and Garrett was Batman. All week he wore his Batman mask, but when it came time to trick-or-treat he refused to wear it. I guess even the Caped Crusader has his limits.

More pictures of our gifts...

Forced to answer tough questions

After picking up Isabelle today at school, she announced that there was an election coming up! In her 6 year old way of saying things, she explained as best she could that one of her friends was talking about Obama not really believing that a woman is pregnant when she really is........ Hmmmm, I quietly said a prayer for wisdom and guidance. I knew what her friend was really talking about was abortion. I was angry that my innocent little sweet girl, was about to find out the truth about something that happens but didn't want her to know about yet. Maybe that's called sheltering, but maybe I felt more protection and heartbreak than anything. In very vague, easy to understand language I explained to her what I thought her friend had been trying to say. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. I wish everyone felt that all life is a gift from God.

Pics

Imitators? Nay. Originators? Yeah!

Here we are, brand new to this blog game, and already we have been accused of imitating somebody's blog. I was shocked. Stunned. So then I go look at this other blog, and see that they have, in fact, changed the layout and look of their blog to EXACTLY match ours! Who imitated whom? I feel so vindicated. Just go look at these plagiarists: http://thewitteveens.blogspot.com

Luddites weeping everywhere!

Well, I guess it's time we joined the 21st century. Against all of my regressive tendencies I have started a family blog. If there were as convenient a way to do this without using electricity I would have stumbled across it by now. So keep checking here for pics of the kids and news of our family. I'll be adding things here so our out-of-towners (you know who you are) can keep up with us a little easier.