Christmas Eve

Meowy Christmas

 A selection of names from the first ballot. We had about 15 on our whiteboard and each picked 3 of our favorites.

Zoe found a small stray black cat outside our door in early December. We had him in our house for about a week, when we determined we'd surrender him to the Humane Society.

It took Mike less than a day to look in earnest for a 2nd kitty for our house. Or 'catty' as cousin Audrey likes to say.

We landed on a name.

Mike was looking for an easy going and affectionate cat. 

To complement our outdoor hunter cat, Finn.

Who likes to bite our toes if he doesn't go outside.

Go outside, Finn.

I think we found one in Cooper.

Bob Ross

And Zoe.

Me want coooookie

When asked if she snuck a cookie Zoe said "no..."  the powdered sugar coating her chin told another story.

Gabe and Gavin came over to make Gingerbread men (yes, Star Wars themed), but no one was too keen on the smell of molasses. They worked thru it :)

Smiling faces with no braces

It's really quiet when you wake up first

and the fresh snow out front...

..and out back is unspoiled by tracks from people or machines.

American Indian Day at MN History Center

Zoe and I went with two of her fellow Brownie scouts.

This was my favorite part

Making a mini birch bark canoe.

Although I'd have to say the sod house (!) and the buffalo that they got to disassemble were their favorites. Disassemble means take out body parts, scan a barcode and learn about them. Liver! Heart! Ribs!.....The sod house was just an opportunity to play house. And laugh at the chamber pot. 

Happy llama.....narwal

Grandma Candy found the perfect ornaments to compliment the song the kids were singing this summer.....

Happy llama, sad llama.....

More cookies

Winter dance recital

Both grandmas, mom, dad, brother and bestie Georgia in the house.

Might have to make a four season collage of scenes from the deck....this was really pretty the other morning. And Mike and I are a broken record, but this sure beats the old house!
Later that day I was sitting in the family room watching tv. I looked out and saw something moving in the woods. Deer? Not this time, although I've seen a family of 3 several times lately. No, smaller, stealthier....Finn! Our cat. He's an outdoor cat. Even in winter (at least so far, when the real cold comes I think he'll change his mind).  The kids have seen him with a mouse and he brought Mike a dead bird last week. Nummy.
A few minutes later I saw something in the grass along the shore. What? Kind of big. I texted Mike if turtles would be out this late (and as I recalled this to Roman later he answered "no, they'd be buried and hibernating"). Mike thought it was a muscrat (Sally?), Mike's Nature Center.

Cookies!

In the mind of an 8 year old boy, one of our cookie cutters is a ninja star....what I have to say is God bless every adult who has made cut out cookies with a kid.