Oregon Gardens

The Oregon Gardens has a beautiful Christmas light display.  We checked it out the day after Christmas with some friends who live a couple doors down.  Here's the evidence, however, that these posts can be misleading.  Scroll through the pictures and when you get to the bottom, answer me this:  Are these kids having a good time?  Does this look like it was time well-spent as far as "fun" goes?

If you answered: "yes", you probably did so with  a degree of hesitation because of the way I asked the question.  And that would be quite savvy of you.   Out of context, you might be tempted to think that these kids live a life of pure pleasure.  To see how the evening started ... I dare you to click on the link.  Go on.  I dare you.

"What did you get for Christmas?"

Flashlights!

 Clara has the stance down perfectly.

 Briton and Clara had a grand time putting together Legos.

Briton brought G&GB's Jeep back from Utah.  It took awhile before the kids realized it was their Jeep, not just a  similar one.
 (NB:    most of the other Christmas presents this year  came from the grandparent's nicely-timed downsizing efforts.  We've been playing A LOT of Mystery Mansion, Dungeon Dice, Life, Bonkers, and etc..).

We had a few special guests on Christmas morning.  e.g. Frosty came ...

... and so did Rudolph.

Clara gave Sydney Olaf-worthy sunglasses. 

And she gave Clara a Santa hat.

Hey ... re-arranged you can get "ChrisTMaS" with their initials.
Santa delivered these sweet indoor sleeping bags.


Miles likes the maze book.

Clara wouldn't get out of hers from then on.  She sat in it sniffing Mr. Sketch markers the rest of the morning.

"Twas the night of dear Christmas, and all through the house ..."

Anyway  whew.  Did looking at that make you tired, too?  

It was a fun day to focus on the kids and enjoy being together as a family.
See you in 2016, Christmas.

Some Christmas Traditions, new and old

NEW:  Instead of U-cutting a tree, we chose a pre-cut one

In and out of there in 10 minutes.

So easy.

KEEPER to continue tradition?  YEA.

NEW:  A story a night before Christmas.
KEEPER?  YEA.  For now.  For now, kids.

OLD:  Candles on Christmas Eve
KEEPER?  YEA.   Magical.

OLD:  Gingerbread House Decorating Party for the entire city
KEEPER?  YEA!

See?

Once again, Talmage and Davy spent the most time seriously considering architectural and landscaping features.

OLD: Decorating sugar cookies.  NEW:  Having Emily in charge from start to finish.
KEEPER:  If I can get Emily to live here, full-time, YEA and YEA.

NEW:  March of the Ponies and Wise Men to Bethlehem
KEEPER?  YEA.  For as long as they hold her imagination.

OLD:  Putting out Santa's snacks.

KEEPER?  Yea.  Consider adding Adams PB and some cheese as a side.

NEW:  A fourth Advent Calendar.  Briton made this up on a whim -- the kids took turns drawing something Christmas-themed each night..
KEEPER?  YEA!!!!

(The order of rotation was:  Sydney, Clara, Miles, Talmage -- Clara and Miles drew without help)
Of  note:

Dec 2, 14,   18:  Present
Dec 3: Bell
Dec 5:  Holly
Dec 6: Stocking with "Mom" written across top
Dec 7: Candy Cane
Dec 10: Snowman
Dec 11:  Reindeer
Dec 15:  Milo's Christmas Car (sideways view -- the purple is the road)
Dec 17:  Shepherd
Dec 19, 23: Christmas Car
Dec 22: Stocking with "Clara" across the top
Dec 24:  North Pole  

OLD:  "Who's doing pocket?"
KEEPER?  YEA.

Above:  the night before Christmas.
Who's excited for tomorrow???

(not shown: the Christmas Concert)

Experimenting with Picasa Collage

Great Wolf Lodge, Zoo Lights, Miles at Hagg Lake, Library, and Thanksgiving Decor.

The pic in the lower right corner is of the kids celebrating "earning" the GWL trip.  They put cotton balls in the mason jar whenever they did extra jobs or were extra thoughtful to a sibling.  Once full, we got to go.   This was a good trick for getting them to serve each other -- like Talmage helped Clara with her homework, Sydney made Clara's bed, Clara washed a lot of windows and mirrors, Miles ... hmm ... what did that buster do?  Can't remember.

Grandma and Grandpa Kartchner's house: Start to Not Finished.

Last time we'll need to field mow.

The First Load; and a view down The Panhandle.

The Basement

Grandpa K spiffed up Bob's trailer and used it as his living quarters/field office all summer.
Speaking of Bob ... that's him.  On the left.  He deserves his own post.

While I helped GK with The Shed, Miles and Graham would mess around.  Heaven for those boys.

"Hey, get those Subs back to work!"
The property is a little over 2 acres; and in all that space, the kids' most favorite spot was a small mound of dirt, just beside the Shed.  They'd play there the entire time GK and I were shingling and what-not.

Back to the house.  Ye walls go up.  The project started to go A LOT smoother and faster once the basement was done.

To the left:  Drive-thru garage.

Pretty good lookin' stone.

And notice the clean roof -- that's on account of the ridge vents.

Also notice the dinky windows beside the front door.  Grandma Kartchner has taken to calling their home, "The Bunker."