All I want for Christmas is my .....

O.k, so one more video. The kids went to see Santa last night. It's a great thing we have come across--just about 5 minutes from us, Santa comes to visit this 'portrait studio'--how convenient! We know exactly when our appointment to see him is, so no long lines, and while we are there, he pulls out his list, to see if the kids names are on it, the nice one that is! Happy to report, they were all on there. Of course, just 30 minutes before, I never would have believed that! LOL Actually, I believe I was threatening to take them off myself :)

Wil was also very aware, and made sure I knew it :), that he was the ONLY 13 year old on that list visiting Santa. I guess all the "other" teenagers are texting Santa their wishes. LOL I told him he had about 4 years left--look to the bright side, he can drive us some of those years! Oh the joys of children, but how fast time flys. I'll take what I can get now :)

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

Well, every year since we have lived in Minnesota ( coming up on 8 years this next March!) we have a tradition of cutting down our own Christmas Tree at a Tree farm up in Cambridge, MN--it's about a 30-40 minute drive north of us. We always go with our neighbors, Jason and Karine, and their 3 children. The past 2 years, we have had another good family/friend join us, Delayna and Jeff, and their 3 children. So, we have quite a fun time riding out on the tractors, starting the hunt, sawing them down, hauling them back by trailer, the kids getting hot cocoa and cookies when we are done, then off to home with our trees--where all the fun really begins!

It may sound like a little too much effort to some, but it is one of the few traditions we started up here in Minnesota that the kids (and Den and I included!) really enjoy. One of the best parts is how good the house smells

Of course this year, we lucked out and found our tree within the first 50 ft from where we jumped off the trailer, and claimed it within minutes of looking. Our neighbors, Jason and Karine, weren't quite so fortunate--they hunted, and hunted, and hunted, and Den helped them hunt, and hunt, and hunt--but they finally found that perfect one! This year, the weather was perfect up here--no snow, sunny day, and in the upper 40's--so no one was cold! The first few years, we weren't so blessed--the kids bundled in snowsuits and gear, whipping wind, freezing feet and snow drifts to drag ourselves thru. I wish I could find a picture I have, but one of those years, Jacque was about 4 or 5, and she just layed herself down in the snow, sprawled on her back, crying. She was so tired of having to walk thru all the snow. It was the funniest picture.

So, below is the saga story of finding our tree. I can't figure out how to get the pictures to be lined up more horizontally, rather than all vertical in a row, so for now, just keep on scrolling down!................

All the kids loaded up and ready to go!

Jacque and Cayden, our neighbor's daughter

Let the hunt begin!

WAIT!! Not that one kids! That's too big! How many times have we told you not to wonder around on the tree farm, by yourselves, with the saw??

Now that one is just right!! We'll take it!

Now the fun part, which is always Den's part, the sawing----oh fun!

Oh, but we got smart this year--can you say "child labor?" :)

There is no age limit or gender discrimination on child labor in the Davis household!

OK, I guess we have to help, a little :)

Load it up, we're outta here!

Off we go!

Shake, Shake, Shake!! Our's is on the left

Bag it up please!

It's officially ours--paid for and on OUR trailer :) Tally ho!

But first, let's have some hot cocoa and cookies before we go!

Ahh, finally, home.

All done! Merry Christmas!

And herrrrrrre's Ben!!!!!

PACT Charter School 1st and 2nd Grade Christmas Concert

Well, he did it! Ben successfully enjoyed himself and sang in public, with a "little" motion included. He definately wasn't as "busy" as a few of the children were. I think one little girl in the front took her dress jacket on and off a couple dozen times :) A few others really projected themselves pretty well. And of course, there is always the one child that likes to be animated to every single word sung. Which of course, that child ends up being front and center, for all to enjoy :) We really enjoyed the program, and Ben had a fun time as well. There is a video clip below if anyone wants to hear a small portion. Enjoy!

Can you spot Ben?

As you can see, he was a lot more "serious" , or should I say, "stoic" than everyone else? :)

This is Ben before the program--looking pretty good!!! (See his name on his desk?)

And here's a sample of how cute they all were! Listen! (Don't forget, you'll have to mute my music player on the side of the blog to hear them)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving! I can already feel Christmas being over, and it hasn't even started yet! Time goes by so fast! Well, we had our spread today, which ALWAYS includes our deep fryed turkey and Nana's Cornbread Oyster Stuffing . This stuffing is made for Den so he can feel like he's home at his Nana's, I personally prefer "Stove Top." (Not that that makes me feel at home, I just don't prefer the smell of oysters.) Actually a bowl of gravy is about all I need! This year, Jacque decided Den's stuffing actually tasted pretty good. Den swears that it is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day--so we made it on Wednesday, and wouldn't you know when we put it on the table today, it already had one row MISSING! Guess a little taste test was necessary--hmmmm. Too bad you can't zoom in on this picture, you could see it gone. This first picture, I realized Den wasn't in it, and you were wondering "who" that was with me and the kids--well, it is a friend of ours that came to spend the afternoon with us while his wife and children were with family down in Arkansas. So, here is a picture of all of us........ Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving--we sure did!!!!!!!

Sneak Peek at Ben's Christmas program songs!!

Well, Ben's Christmas Program is Monday, December 1!! Many, well I should say all, won't be able to make that:) That's what we get for living so far away from everyone, I know, I know. So, now that I have found how to work video's on here, I thought I would give everyone a chance to see him in action! This is actually pretty good, considering all thru Pre-school and Kindergarten, he never sang--he just kept his hands tucked deep in his front pockets, and would stare right at his mom. If his eye's ever diverted off my face, he would end up in tears, not to mention I would too! (Which isn't unusual for me as most of you already know!) So this is huge--HE'S SINGING AND LOVING IT!!!! Way to go Ben!!!

You'll need to hit the pause button on my music player, "Playlist", to pause the background songs so you can hear Ben!

Christmas Time is Near (Alvin and the Chipmunks)

Up on the House Top

Mary Had a Baby

Buster and Mr. Jingles

Ok, trying something new here. While we were at the cabin, we found a little house guest, a cute furry brown mouse. Pretty much like the mouse on The Green Mile, Mr. Jingles--you get the picture. Well, Den first saw him sitting on the pillow on the couch, watching Fox News with him, just taking in the view. Well, he must have needed a change in scenery since he made a dash for Den's tennis shoe, hanging out there in his new little "mouse pad." As you can imagine, I quickly remedied that, and gave the little mousy a new home, OUTSIDE the front door of the cabin. Well, Buster, the indoor city dog that he is, quickly found out what he was actually made for. He had a blast trying to catch that little mouse, and when I finally grabbed the camera and video taped him, the mouse had found a new hiding spot under a tree. So, this was a little glimpse at Buster, doing what most dogs should be doing----unlike what Buster really is, becoming more human/spoiled everyday. :)

Den's 40th birthday at the Cabin

Well, we got up to the cabin and had a great time. As always, not enough time! We were good though, we didn't eat cake until 1 p.m. the next day--so Memaw, you will be proud of us for holding out, and keeping to a "healthy" breakfast! :) We actually got the first official snow that weekend, even though it didn't add up to much. It was a great weekend for catching up on movies, sleeping and snacking. Isn't that about what it is everytime??





Den and Jacque had a little issue with keeping the frosting off of their noses

Den was opening all of his birthday cards--thank you everyone!

The first official "dusting"--last time the cabin saw snow was April, and Den got

stuck there with the 30" snowfall, along with the ATV's, the car, and the tow truck--this was much easier to handle!

Ben always has fun typing on our 1920 typewriter, still with the original ribbon. One of our great finds from the local "junkman." He just started spelling this week at school, so he was practicing typing his spelling words!

Oh yeah, let the celebrating begin!!! He's 40!!

Lunch with friends



Den, Jacque and Julie

No school for Jacque!

Well, before we head to the cabin, we squeezed a little lunch in with some friends of Den's to start celebrating his 40th birthday!!!!!!!!! Nothing like some hot mexican food on a snowy day! We had a good lunch, the cake didn't even get cut, so we will dig into that this evening when we get up to the cabin--better yet, have some for breakfast! Yummmmmmmmmm!!!

A "dear" little friend

Moses


My brother Jeff with Moses

Even with Ben jumping on the trampoline above him, Moses isn't phased by the comotion!

While the kids and I went home for a visit over MEA break, we visited my brother's home in Maysville, MO. We met their newest addition, Moses. Earlier in the Spring, one of their children had rescued a fawn caught in the middle of rising flood waters. They appropriately named him Moses. Moses spent the first few nights in the house, in bed I might add!!, with one of my nephews, Joseph--the one who saved him. Since then, Moses just sticks around. He even sleeps curled up outside the front door. Too bad we can't keep him!!

Oh those pesky squirrels!

We had so much fun carving pumpkins this year---we even roasted the seeds, which I think Ben and Mommy liked the most. Wil and Jacque seem to still be occupying themselves with all their Halloween candy they need--no want--to eat. But as you can see, the squirrels have had a little fun with the kid's pumpkins. All good things must come to an end at some point!

Happy Halloween!!

Well, another Halloween has come and gone, which only means Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner!

We had our 6th annual neighborhood Halloween party last night out in our outer garage last night. Den and I started it by thinking of a way to get together with our neighbors for a quick, easy meal before the rush of trick-or-treating, sorting candy, baths (if your lucky), homework and off to bed for school the next day. So, we started with inviting the neighbors on our street, we provide the hotdogs and soda, they bring appetizers/dessert and we eat buffet style. Den does an amazing job of decorating our woods that surrounds the garage with a haunted graveyard theme, complete with huge spiderwebs that come out off the garage, fog machine, a brewing witch kettle, and mounds our leaves into "graves" with tombstones. It's all in good fun for all the kids, no scaring allowed. The first few years we had some really cold Halloween's, and everyone huddled in the garage. Then, each year, I started inviting neighbors on the street over, a few in the back of the neighborhood, and a few of my close friends not even in the neighborhood. Well, 6 years later, we are now up to 37 families! Last night, we ran out of my 120 plates I had, and Den had to come in and rummage in the pantry for more--so I think we are easily at about 135-140 people! It is so much fun to see everyone--actually, it's like a "pre-hibernation" party for us Minnesotans, since we probably won't see much of them until Spring!

So, I bet your asking, where's the pictures of this?? WELLLLLLLLLL, I just created this blog site, the day AFTER Halloween, so I wasn't thinking how necessary it was for me to get pictures, so I will get some for next year--better yet, come join us!!! I've already got 3 more families getting added for next year, so why not, I'm already adding for more anyway!! :) Honestly, it does get pretty busy once everyone gets here, they stay for about 1 1/2 hours--once it starts getting dark, most everyone loads up on a trailer with/4 wheeler driven by their dad, and off they go trick-or-treating. By the time we think of taking a picture, we are in the middle of tearing it all down. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, next year I promise to get some pictures--for now, we are left with the leftovers of 8 various liters of half empty soda, 7 family sized bags of various chips, 1/2 gallon of leftover orange dreamsicle punch (by the way is packed with calories/fat but way to good to just toss, I just can't do it!), only about 16 hotdogs (which is quite good considering we started out with 120!) chili and onions. Guess what's for dinner?????