Christmas 2011 - Part 2

Well part 2 is going to be big... Lots of pictures. I had intended on doing a weekly update, but that didn't happen - obviously! So here's the rest of the December story (almost) in one post. Tiffani is up with Brianna right now and Les & I will go get her, so there may be more pictures from 2011 still...

The first weekend we went to the Caldwell night light parade, the following weekend was the Kuna Night Light Parade. I had been invited to a Christmas party with some friends from Reed on the same night. Tiffani was participating in the parade with the Color Guard, but they were just walking along and throwing out candy, so I opted to go to the party with friends (just 5 of us girls watching a movie and munching on snacks we all brought). We had a lot of fun and it was so good to see and hang out with my "long lost friends". :) Les took some pictures at the parade, but the camera was slow at "rebooting" and Tiffani had walked on by before he could snap a picture of her! He did get one of our friend Mark driving the old Kuna school bus though. And one of Rob's "horse" as he likes to call it.

The following week I did a little baking and made some goodie boxes to give to my co-workers. And Tiffani stayed late at school doing yearbook stuff and then we had to go shopping one night and get stuff for her friends and food stuffs to add to the care package that the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) was putting together to deliver to a a family here in Kuna. All this time I was feeling ok - but my voice would be gone by about mid day everyday that last week of school. And then to be working with such honest children who would tell you multiple times a day that your voice sounds funny. I was so glad by the end of the day on the 16th! But relief didn't come right away even though I didn't have to talk alot anymore...

Saturday night we went out to Ron & Judy's to help decorate their tree. I couldn't get warm and stayed in my double layer coat all night and wrapped in a blanket as we all watched Tiffani hang things on the tree! Katie Cat decided my lap would be a good place to lay for the longest time. I didn't have the energy to care and she was helping keep me warm.

This is what happens when you let Tiffani play with the camera and mess with the settings...

the tree...

Tiffani...

Not sure what she did to the camera, but this is what I get when she's done!

Then Monday, bright and early, Tiffani had her wisdom teeth out. Monday after we got home was ...interesting, to say the least. After she finally calmed down and was able to fall asleep, I got a little nap in also. Brianna got home later in the afternoon that day and so all was well. :)

Tiffani didn't have a lot of energy, some thing about lack of eating, I am sure! But she spent the next several days camped out in the media room playing her Harry Potter game on the wii and Simba was always very near.

I made peppermint ice cream. YUM! It was basically vanilla ice cream with crushed candy canes in it. It was just the right amount of peppermint flavor without being overpowering.

We also made plans to go see some Christmas Lights Friday evening. Last year we did that on Christmas Eve and all the houses with musical light shows were extremely busy and by the time we got to some place to eat it was very late and everything was closed. I think we ended up at a Shari's after 11pm. That didn't make for a fun night. So this time we went a day earlier and stopped to eat along the way. Much nicer evening!

Here's a few pictures of some of the houses we saw. The second one was very simply done compared to the others, but it was still a light show put to music and was very nice. The other two were very elaborate! Les took some video too, of bits and pieces. When he posts them to youtube I'll share the link. (hint, hint Les)

We also went to the Capitol building. We used to do that every year when the girls were little. It's been awhile since we'd done that though. But the huge tree used to be put up on the top of the steps and you could walk up under it. You also used to be able to go inside in the evening. I don't know when they quit doing both... but this year the tree is out in the very front next to the road almost and the doors were locked so we got a picture of the poinsettia "tree" from outside. It starts on the bottom floor and is stacked up through the middle to the next floor. It's really cool to be able to see the whole thing in person - inside! I guess you have to go during the daytime now-a-days.

Christmas morning...

The girls were both on the same track for Les and got him posters...

Brianna's was a large poster that says "Courage - He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." There is a mountain/rock climber standing on top of a rock in the clouds in the bottom corner.

Tiffani created a collage of pictures and had them printed on a 2012 calendar/postert hrough Walgreens. She also put the quote,  "ANY fool can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a daddy. ~Philip Whitmore Senior" between the pictures of Les carrying each girl during their senior picture shoots. Les has it hanging in his cubicle at work. :)

Tiffani and Simba on her bed Christmas morning.

Pure confusion... a zipper!?

Tiffani got it!!

(She did see it together at the store, just didn't know she was getting one.)

It is a zipper that zips up around itself to form a pencil pouch. Pretty cool actually!

Got this sock monkey scarf from the book fair at school... Brianna opened it & thought we'd got her sock monkey socks. She got a little more excited when she thought it was a scarf and a lot more excited when she realized it was a scarf, but the sock monkey "heads" were mittens attached to the scarf. She loved it! And kept it on most of the day.

Les volunteered us to bring a vege tray as part of our contribution to dinner... Partly Mostly because I had made these for our school potluck and he didn't get any of it. So I made them again - which was no big deal and doesn't take many vege's at all and it is so very good!

Tiffani made reindeer cupcakes for dessert, which we had along with that peppermint ice cream. Here she's putting the finishing touches on them so they wouldn't suffer any casualties during transportation.

This is Tracy's dog Rocko (I believe!) sitting on Tracy's lap and sleeping on Jadd's shoulder. Sweet picture.

I sure like this picture of Brianna.

The gift card reads...

Cowgirl Wine Glass

You don't have to be a cowgirl to like this wine glass

but a sense of humor does help.

Everyone will like it and remember your unique glass.

There's a lid to save, shake and even keep you from spilling your drink!

Heck, you can keep the bugs out too.

Perfect for wine, beer, iced tea, and even white lightening...

Every glass is hand assembled.

I have a rule about washing...

Hand  made ~ hand wash!

The finished product...

a pint jar on a candle stick holder. :)

Yes, Les & I made them - but I didn't come up with the idea... they are all over the Internet. But it was a cute idea and I knew that these unique glasses would be appreciated!

The girls always look forward to their t-shirts from Tracy.

This year Tiffani got one with an old fashioned camera on it.

And Brianna's was printed with.... do you know...??

Michael Buble. Sweet!

Just gotta end the post with another picture of Tracy's dogs, Beni and Rocko. Rocko is asleep on Tracy's lap (again or still... not sure!) and Beni is standing beside her with his head on Rocko. Cute.

That brings ya'll up to date - Tiffani left with Brianna on Monday and we will head up to get her tomorrow. Les worked, so I had the house to myself - and just cleaned!  Exciting, huh!? And tried to convince Simba that Tiffani wasn't coming through the back door anytime soon...

Christmas 2011 - Part 1

Last weekend when Brianna was home, Les got the lights out to put up since both the girls like getting up on the roof with him. I went out to take a few pictures but most of them turned out blurry. It was SO cold and I couldn't hold the camera still!

The one shot that wasn't blurry, I cut off a head... but couldn't resist Tiffani's break-dancer-ninja move!

Lots of lights were out, so Les had to test all the bulbs. He made a tester and pulled all the lights out, brought them in the warm house to test them while I blogged! So now that we have had the lights up for a week they are finally on! We also pulled out the tree and ornaments while Brianna was here so she could put her own ornaments on the tree but, again, lights were an issue! We have had our last set for over 10 years!! This weekend we bought new lights and got the tree together. Brianna's ornaments are sitting on the piano bench waiting for her to put them on the tree.

Saturday night was the Treasure Valley Night Light Parade. We bundled up, went early to find a good spot to park so we could stay in the warm trailblazer if needed while watching the parade. While waiting for the parade to start, Tiffani did homework, I think....

...this homework looks pretty entertaining!

Les & I played cribbage... He won...

The parade theme this year was a Cartoon Christmas. 

The first float was one of the best - Geppetto's Workshop. Pinocchio was a human puppet on "strings" hanging from the backhoe. They would swing the backhoe from side to side and Pinocchio would go off the side and dangle from his lighted "marionette strings" and move his arms around like a puppet. Pretty innovative.

There were a LOT of Charlie Brown/Snoopy themed floats.

But our absolute favorite was Mater and his tractor tipping game! 

Here's Mater, in the middle of a corn field.

And the tipped up tractor. It had the sound affects, too. Totally cool float. Worth the wait since it was almost a 2 hour parade in under 40 degree temps and it was at the end of the parade!

This Saturday, Tiffani won't get the warm vehicle treatment... It's Kuna's night light parade and the Color Guard is walking the route throwing candy. At least she can keep moving to stay warm and can dress warm - not in a guard uniform!!! BRRRR!

It's an Ameroccan Thanksgiving

Yep, you read that right - we had an American/Moroccan Thanksgiving Feast. We went out to U. Don and A. Esther's a little bit early to help with dinner. Little did we know we'd be shredding pounds of chicken for a Moroccan dish (Pastilla) that was to be a part of our meal. I was a little worried when we started on all that chicken that THAT was going to be our dinner. (Not that anything would be wrong with that, I was just looking forward to some turkey!) I was sure glad when U. Don started carving the turkey's - yep 2 of 'em! One oven roasted and one smoked - yum! 

Les snapped a picture with his phone...

...and a bit later Brianna got one the short time Les was helping. 

Not that he would have minded helping, but when little Claire comes up to him and wants picked up... What would you do!? Cuddle with the cute little girl instead of shred chicken, of course! Claire doesn't know Les at all, so we decided that maybe she thought he was Ed - they kind of look alike. Whatever the reason, she didn't want to get down either.

And then of course when Nick comes in and tells Les it's time to play football and he needs to come out now - well, ya know how that one ended. Really, that one ended with Brianna leaving the chicken to Tiff, Kit and I and her going out to play football, too. 2 girls and 11 guys - yep, that's my Brianna.

Tiffani took over the camera and took lots of shots of lots of things. The table, waiting patiently for the rest of the food (mostly the Pastilla).We had the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, rolls and salad - plus the Pastilla and another salad.

Half of the dessert table.

The reason we had this special Moroccan Wedding dish was the wife of the family that was staying with U. Don & A. Esther wanted to make it for everyone. It is a very special dish that is generally served at Moroccan weddings along with the salad. I don't recall the lady's name but it sounded Hawaiian, but she is Irish and her husband is from Japan.

So this is the assembly line for putting the Pastilla together. The Irish lady is making some juice with rose water. I think Becky was getting ready to assemble... Tiffani was taking pictures and by this time, I either was taking a plate of food to Mom or was cuddling babies in the dining room. :)

The stuff in the pan at the top is a custard of sorts that has the chicken stock, a LOT of eggs, and spices in it. It was cooled and crumbled and kind of resembles bread crumbs here.... the white bowl is full of sliced almonds, golden raisins, regular raisins, and powder sugar for the top when it come out of the oven.

There are multiple layers of phyillo dough, spread with melted butter and then piled high with all the other stuff, folded over and baked.

This is a completed one - not yet cut into - on the back. And the remains of one after it was cut into pieces.

 

The is the beginning of the special salad - lots of parsley, tomatoes (I think Katie cut 3 or 4 and the lady asked her to cut "oh, about 10 more. I think that should be enough"!), green onions, pine nuts, couscous and lots of lemon juice. I haven't found a recipe online, but that's what I remember going into it.

Served up with lime and lemon slices.

Lots of babies at the dinner... Brianna and I were quite content holding little three day old Elijah. 

And yes, we did kind of "hog" him a little bit, but he'll definitely be out of that newborn stage before we see him again. So I had to get all the baby snuggles I could!!!

This is sweet Gracen. Such a doll - wish this picture showed her curls on top - she looks a little like a mini Claire.

And Max - not really baby anymore, but just as cute.

When we left one Giesbrecht house, we stopped at another. Had to get the Levi fix in, too. ;) We also got the chance to visit with Alan and Heather, Wally and Sue and Brad and Ashley - a nice added bonus.

Tiffani took a whole LOT of rapid fire shots, hoping for a good one of Levi smiling, but not even that worked! So here's the best of over 200 pictures...

30 pictures of this - Levi is in different stages of climbing up on the chair and the other 3 hardly moved - I don't think Ella even blinked!

 

Almost 100 shots of this - trying to get Levi to look at the camera and this is the best Tiffani got. He loves that little kitten.

That was our Thanksgiving. We headed back in our separate cars on Friday - Les and Tiffani in his pickup and Brianna and I and the dogs in the other. Drove straight past our exit and went to Nampa so us girls could go see the movie "The Help". Les took the dogs home and we watched the movie (great flick, by the way) and then did a little bit of shopping before coming home.

Saturday, Brianna and I did some more shopping for gifts and spent some great mom/daughter time together and then she was off again for another 3 weeks till we get to see her again. All these visits the last couple months is sure going to make that January to May stretch a l-o-n-g one till we see her again!