Year End Recap--October to December

So Emmy Mom, CA Girl, Emilisq, Grumpy Grateful Mom, Impulsive Addict, Janette of Johanson Journey, MiMi Living in France, and Runner mom are doing a year end recap extravaganza and I thought it would be a great way to remember the last year.  It time to end the year.  Yep, October, November and December are up for this week.
October:

• The month started out on a good note.
• Then we got snow.  Yes, snow.
• I talked about my dream date.
• We had drama with our neighbors.
• I did a Halloween swap--Swapoween with Kathy from A Tiny Cottage on Grand.
• And of course, Halloween happened.

November:

• I asked why?
• We discovered Big Bang Theory and Bruiser locked himself in.
• I did the Autumn Swap with Jennifer from Living Our Green Life.
• I gave thanks for the good things in my life.
• I went a bit random and gave some timely tips.
• We had a great thanksgiving, grilled bird and all.

December:

• We went Christmas tree hunting and decorated.
• Turbo wrote typed a letter to Santa.
• We had fun with family, and a nice program at Turbo's school.
• I posted about Christmas fun.
• And Christmas happened.

So that is the last recap for the year.  My others are January to March, April to June, and July to September.
Go see some of the other recaps, just click the button below.

WWTK--New Years Resolutions

So We Want to Know this week is all about the new year--2012 is up on deck.

1. What was the best part of 2011?  There were so many good things about 2011, they mostly over shadow the not so good things.  We had an awesome summer and a pretty great fall.  Nick getting a new job was probably a highlight.
2. What do you look forward to in 2012?  Everything.  Camping, getting together with friends, traveling, home improvement, everything.
3. Do you actually keep your new year's resolutions?  I have decided that making resolutions doesn't really work for me.  Instead I make promises to myself.  I did this last year and it worked out pretty well.  I kept most of them.
4. What are your top three resolutions promises for the new year?  I really want to do more scrapbooking.  This is one I didn't keep last year.  I still need to continue to see the kitchen as a place of possibility.  I want to take the boys someplace fun this year, Denver for an overnight or two to go to Elitches (an amusement park) the aquarium, be tourists.  It would be good for all of us.
5. Do you have any fun New Years Traditions or plans?  We have had a seafood feast that we spread out over the course of the afternoon, but this year the grandparents have offered to take the boys New Year's Eve and you just don't turn down an offer like that so the feast has been moved to New Year's day.  New Year's Eve this year we just might go out Nick and I.  Maybe.  it would be fun not to be fuddy duddies like we usually are.

So there you have it.  What are you thinking of for the new year?

Go join up with Mamarazzi, Crazymama, and Queso for more resolutions.

Talking Tuesday

So Christmas happened.  Everyone got exactly what they wanted, and even some they didn't now they wanted.  I was awful and didn't get lots of pictures.  Or really any pictures.  OK maybe one or two but they are still living on the camera.
So you get Christmas in bullet points:

• Santa was good to me and I got a Kindle Touch.  I love it.
• Santa brought Turbo an Xbox 360.  Everyone is having a grand time playing games on it, even Nick.
• I got Nick a home beer brewing kit.  He has already started a batch of beer in it.
• Bruiser has had a wonderful time playing with any toy that crosses his path, be it his or Turbo's.
• We have all had varying stages of sick at our house, Nick got it for Christmas day, I had it Saturday and now I'm trying to fight off what seems to be another cold, more chest this time than the one I had last week.  What a way to spend time off from work.
• My mom had that boys last night and tonight, so we are kidless.  Unfortunately, neither one of feels like going out to take advantage of our freedom.  But Nick's folks have offered to take the boys for New Year's Eve for us.  We are moving our seafood feast to New Years day so  Turbo and Bruiser don't miss out on the food.  But for the first time in years, Nick and I may get to go out on New Year's Eve.
• Turbo has let us know that he knows who Santa is.  We told him to keep professing belief for Bruiser's sake (and to get more presents).  He has agreed.

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday.  Have a great New year too.
Go see Impulsive Addict and Shawn for more Talking To Us Tuesday, the link up with no rules.

Confession! Merry Christmas!!

I confess:

• I am just about ready for Christmas.
• Packages are wrapped.
• We actually sent Christmas cards.
• We are on break for the next week.
• All that's left to go is some baking.
• And I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! 

Year End Recap--July to September

So Emmy Mom, CA Girl, Emilisq, Grumpy Grateful Mom, Impulsive Addict, Janette of Johanson Journey, MiMi Living in France, and Runner mom are doing a year end recap extravaganza and I thought it would be a great way to remember the last year.  It's time for July to September:

July:

• We went camping and fourwheeling over the Fourth of July weekend.
• Nick built a new back porch and we enjoyed the local celebration, Jubilee Days.
• I showed of my boys as babies.
• We had a typical day in the summer sun.
• I started dating the household chores--not the best dates, but alas oh so necessary.

August:

• My boys showed off their Popsicle eating skills.
• We did one of the promises I made to myself.  We went to Rocky Mountain National Park for our anniversary.
• I debated Nature vs. Nurture in my boys.
• We had a couple of fun weekends, one for my birthday and one with Nick's family.
• School started for Turbo--a handsome third grader!

September:

• Nick got a new job--now we work just a bit closer together.
• I did a post on my boys as brothers.
• I posted about those accidental magic moments you have with kids.
• the rest of September was consumed by routine--clean house, make dinner, hang out with the boys.
• I did go hunting for the first time ever and I got my antelope.  It's very good eating.

So that covers the next quarter of the year.  Some of those months sped by, other's drug on and on.  Go see the other recaps and enjoy seeing the year go by.

Secret Santa Spin Cycle--Second Blooming

So Jen decided to have the Spin Cycle do the Secret Santa favorite blogger this year.  We were supposed to choose five of our favorite bloggers and send them to her and she would choose one for us to spotlight.
The blogger she picked out of my choices was Gretchen from Second Blooming.
I first found Gretchen through Sprite's Keeper's Spin Cycle.  She always had an interesting take on the spin topics and she has a little boy the same age as Turbo--instant connection in a totally not weird way.  I became a regular stalker of her blog and really enjoyed reading her posts.  She has a great take on just about everything.
I also saw her on Keely's Random Tuesday link up (which Stacy of Stacy Uncorked is leading for now).   Reading her Random Tuesday posts is alway interesting, she has fun links and great videos she posts.  Very random but always fun.
Gretchen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jimmy and son Jude.  She is an actress, mom and sometime cub scout chaperon, school volunteer, choir member, friend and weight watchers success.
Now I follow and read her posts with great enjoyment, whether it's a post about Mommy (her mother-in-law), adventures in boy scouts with Jude (and a refusal to wear a mom scout uniform), her efforts to entertain Jude at Camp Mama or just the trail and tribulations of being an actress mom in LA, she is always good for an entertaining read.
She gives me just a glimpse of a slightly more glamorous life than I lead here in the wilds of Wyoming.  And she always has yummy cocktails and recipes to share.
Really, you should go check her out.  Gretchen is a wonderful person, who I hope to meet in person one day.  But in California, not Wyoming, because sunny California would be so much fun and all that much more fun to meet a blogger I consider a friend.
(I'm skidding this in under the wire, because the sicks have been running around our house.)

WWTK--5 things about Christmas

So this week's We Want To Know is more of a list than questions (Crazymama got a bit caught up in the season and didn't get questions asked, so therefore no answers can be made).  So here are the choices for lists of 5 things:
A.  What do you want for Christmas.
B.  What do you have to get done before the holiday?
C.  Your Christmas Traditions.
D.  5 favorite Christmas songs.

I think I'm going to go with C.  Christmas traditions.

1. We make cookies on Christmas Eve day so we have fresh cookies to leave out for Santa.  Usually we make chocolate chip cookies, those go best with the Christmas milk (egg nog) that are left for Santa.
2. We go cut our tree down in the forest as a family.  When Bruiser was a baby we didn't get this one done, but we did this year and it's nice to have a real tree again.
3. We spend Christmas Eve at Nick's folk's house.  They make a good dinner and the kids get to open their presents and it takes the edge off the anticipation of Christmas.
4. We check Santa's progress on Santa Tracker through the day Christmas Eve.
5. We have all the grandparents over for Christmas breakfast together.  That way they get to see the kids open presents and spend time with out us having to make a big meal later.  This year we are going to go see a cousin of Nick's in the afternoon.  The kids will have fun playing and we always have a good time when we get together.

So those are some of the Christmas traditions we have, what are yours?

Go join up with the Lovely Mamarazzi (currently on bloggy break), Crazymama, and Queso.

Random Tuesday Before Christmas

So, everyone is all ready for Christmas right?  No?  Well that makes a bunch of us.

• This head cold is kicking me in the head.  My sinuses hate me.  I just hope it moves on quickly.
• Turbo had a stomach bug over the weekend.  Guess who he shared it with?
• I still have presents to wrap.
• I'm hoping for snow.
• Turbo got Pirate Farkle for Christmas from a friend of ours.  It's a really fun game to play.
• My brain is just not with it.  
• Santa should be pretty good to everyone this year.  I know the boys are going to have a very good Christmas.
• Turbo tried to tell me yesterday that he thought that Santa sometimes told parents that he could not make it and for them to give the presents.  I told him that nope, Santa exists.  I still believe in Santa.  If you don't believe in Santa, you don't get presents.  We are hoping he will continue to profess belief even if he doesn't, for the sake of Bruiser if nothing else.  We are appealing to his greed mostly.

Well that about covers what I have today.  It's not much, so go see Stacy for more random.

And go see Shawn and Impulsive Addict for Talking to you Tuesday.

Christmas Fun!

A christmas Meme stolen borrowed from Beth at Living a Goddess Life.  I have seen it pop up on several other blog, all admitting they stole borrowed it from somewhere else.  Anystealing, here goes:

1. Egg nog or Hot Chocolate?  Hot chocolate.  Egg nog gets too thick.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?  Wraps--in paper that the boys haven't seen.
3. Colored lights or tree/house or white?  Colored lights are more fun on the tree.  But I appreciate white lights outside.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.
5. When do you put your decorations up?  Usually by the first weekend in December.  We usually do it when we get the tree.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?  I like the cookies...oh you mean dish, like for a meal?  Then it would have to be prime rib.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?  Hanging out at home with my family for Christmas.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Santa still comes to visit us.  If you don't believe, you don't get presents.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas eve?  It depends.  If we open presents at the grandparents house no.  But if not, then maybe one.  That mom chooses.  I think this year, pajamas.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?  We get it set in the stand, put the lights on then the ornaments, then the strings of silver beads.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?  Love it.  Christmas is meant to be white, not brown and gray.
12. Can you ice skate?  Nope.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?  Well the gift I am still using are the cross country skis I got when I was 13.  May not have been my absolute favorite, but they have been the longest lasting.
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?  Family and spending time with them.
15. What is your favorite Holiday dessert?  Cookies!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?  Checking out the Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve day.
17. What tops your tree?  A home made star.  Nick and Turbo made it a few years ago.
18. Do you prefer giving or receiving?  I like giving.  Getting isn't bad, but it's fun to see someone be happy with the perfect thing I got them.
19. Candy canes: Yuck or yum?  Some candy canes are good, some not so much.
20. Favorite Christmas show?  I like White Christmas, but A Christmas Story runs a close second.
21. Saddest Christmas song?  Blue Christmas.
22. What is your favorite Christmas song?  I like so many of them.  I'd have an easier time finding one I didn't like.

Merry Christmas!

And the Countdown is On...

So who's ready for Christmas?
Just wanted to throw that out there.  Seems to be speeding up on us rather quickly, doesn't it?
Nick and I got our shopping done this weekend.  Well, the shopping we could do together.  I have no idea if Nick has gotten any shopping done.  You know, for me.  He'll pull it off, but it always amazes me that he does.
Now we have wrapping to do.  Both for stuff we are giving the boys and for Santa.  To bad that by the end of the evening, I feel too wiped out to do anything.
Turbo is counting down the days.  I have lots planned to get through Friday and Saturday. Friday we are going to have to go to the Chocolate Cellar, Wrap the present he got for Bruiser, play some video games and watch a couple of Christmas movies.  On Saturday, we are making chocolate chip cookies, brownies, checking on the location of Santa on Santa Tracker, going over to Papa and Nana's for dinner, then going to look at lights before coming home and shuffling boys off to bed so Santa can make his deliveries.  With any luck this will keep us busy enough to help the time move along relatively quickly.  Anything to avoid the cries of How much longer? and Can we open a present now?
Having to work this next week is going to be difficult.  It seems so mundane to go to work.  And since it's so close to the holidays, no one is there.  I really hope this is a shorter week than expected.
To top it off, Nick and I are flirting around with a head cold.  My nose is runny and Nick just sounds really stuffed up.  Turbo had a minor stomach bug over the weekend.  I guess if we have to get sick, it's better to be sick now than this coming weekend.
So, I hope everyone is close to being ready for Christmas.  I know we are--almost!