Destined to end in tragedy....

I turned the video camera on to catch the tragedy

but missed it by just a few seconds. I don't know

how it happened but Megan ran into calamity out

of sight in the kitchen.

Just Pictures

The snow we got last month turned into a sheet of ice after the first night--hard to walk on--but a great way to tear up the front of your jacket!!!! Or the back.Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Jessica gets up and starts reading, then is late getting ready for school--but at least she is reading. She broadened her horizons by reading a book about a boy who's father was killed at Pearl Harbor. I was impressed.Happy Corey. He can be such a good boy sometimes. Can't you see it?This was not a duet. It probably turned into a brawl.

Music

I was putting new music on our blog. I wanted hip stuff. I've done 80's, and blues-y stuff so I wanted modern pop. I realized I don't really know any modern stuff!! I never listen to the radio! So I put on as many cool movie themes as I could think of--and actually find. I can't believe I'm so out of date. AHHHHH!!

Same as we ever were!!!!

Sorry I cut Annies head off!!

Cross-dressers...

more cross dressing...

and more cross dressing.

This is packaging styrofoam that Corey turned into artwork. He called it the 'cracken'. Can you see it?

Megans class hermit crab. This is not the one we killed.

Cute baby--not ours. Bummer.

Strong man!

Santa and His Reindeer

This was a fun Christmas game Corey put together. He had turned his box into a sled and he was complaining that he didn't know what to do for a reindeer. He needed something to pull him around the house. (He had put presents from under the tree in his 'sled'). So I said to do what the Grinch did and tie some horns to Megans head--I mean antlers. Well, he didn't tie antlers to her head but its nothing short of a Christmas miracle that she agreed to be his reindeer and zip him and his little box around the house.

Go, Rudolph, go!!!!!
They got going a little too fast.............................

and Santa bit the dust. But all the presents got delivered. Hooray!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Well, it's9 am, and we are done with presents. We did all we could to prolong the ceremonies, ('you have to wait until 7 before you can get up', eat breakfast before opening presents, opened presents one at a time-one person at at time, etc.)-- but that is as far as we made it. Everyone seems to be quite satisfied. The girls love all of their presents. The boys groaned at the sunday shirts and ties but the legos made up for it. The hand puppets from G&G Ravsten were a big hit. We are excited to put on a puppet show and put it on the blog. Corey has especially liked his dinosaur one. He has been quite a shark purist for a long time now, but with the way he marches around with that dinosaur knocking down the lincoln log towers the girls build, I think he may convert back to the Jurassic World. (The lincoln logs were Coreys present but when he opened them he almost had a fit because he did't like them. Corey is honest--he will not play along).
The full capacity for fun with the marshmellow guns from G&G Wendel is still being reached. We couldn't figure out why the boys got a bunch of dried up marshmellows for a present! This bewildered us--we thought Grandpa & Grandma's mental Christmas tree was missing a few too many lights--if you know what I mean. Then they opened the guns--and it all came together. We've already figured out how to shoot with rapid fire. When we opened those, the unwrapping came to a halt. After a while the girls moaned and asked if we could get back to the rest of the presents. I want everyone to know that I'm really excited at the prospect of finding marshmellows all over the house for the next--who knows how long---it will be a pleasure.
The cuckoo clock is awesome! We love it and it's already hanging in the kitchen. For my families benefit--Jason's parents went to Germany earlier this year and bought us a real German cuckoo clock. If's really fun. We love it.
Ryan and Mindy--thanks for the games. We are trying to build up our game collection. We didn't have Cadoo yet. We are still building up patience and skill for games--we need constant practice, but, by dang, these kids will learn to enjoy a family activity that is not T.V.!! Sit down, pay attention, wait your turn, quit arguing, be a good sport, it doesn't matter who wins or loses, count 7 squares, you don't have enough money, what goes around comes around, and
'that's enough-lets go watch TV before we strangle each other'--these are all life lessons we learn from playing games!! Thank you!!
And to Mom and Dad Ravsten, Jen, Brian, Lindsay, Annie, Jo, Gabe, Melissa, and Jeff--thank you for the present you helped Jason with. That was really nice. I owe you all. I love you all.
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! We are ready....except for the presents part. But who needs presents?

We are only one of two houses on the street with Christmas lights on. I love Christmas lights!! They are very cheery. Our little house has no outdoor light outlets. So the cords are running through the kitchen window. We stuffed a whole bunch of plastic bags in the gap. We may look 'trashy' but we have spirit!