Brother to Brother

My oldest son gave quite a surprise to my youngest son on Chritmas morning. Wrapped in boxes from huge to smaller than ring size was a plane ticket to Georgia for the BSU/Georgia game.  Rich got them both from accumulated airline miles. 

 To say the least, Scott was thrilled!  James will be joining them too. 

Brotherly love....ya gotta love it.

Bird Christmas Party

Jess, Gordon, Scott and I made an impromptu visit to Idaho Falls on Monday for the Bird Family Christmas Party.  What a great time it was.  Grandma Bird had all 5 of her children there and it was Grandpa Bird's 81st birthday.  They are both awesome. 

Grandpa played guitar (and Scott, a little) and we sang Christmas songs.  Then he had Bishop Gordon give a message.  It was a highlight of this Christmas.

And then we came home - 24 hours later.  Two shopping days until Christmas Eve.  Wow.  Christmas is close.

But it was worth it.

Pictures to follow; for some reason it won't let me load them right now.

Bad Shoe Day?

I had a great belly laugh this morning; for that matter, the whole Dr.'s office had a belly laugh.

I had a yearly checkup today.  I wasn't in a hurry.  I wore my brown pants with a really nice brown/black/green top. 

I got to the Dr.'s office and after the nurse called me back, the first thing she did was have me get on the scales.  Of course, you take your shoes off because that can add two extra pounds.

She finished weighing me and I turned to put my shoes back on.

This is what I had worn:

They are both brown even though the one on the left looks black in the photo.  I tried both pair on when I got dressed and decided on the ones on the right. 

These wacky things seem to happen to me.  Why?  I don't know. 

But it's sure good for a laugh.

Second time around

 The Christmas village I put up every year is especially vulnerable this year......thanks to:

 This little sweetie!  She is a goer and a doer this one.  But I have to say that she is obedient too.

 We reached a compromise with her and her brothers; everything that doesn't have a light under it can be played with, including the nativity set. 

My own kids will groan at how flexible I've become with the grandchildren.  But I look at being a grandma as trying to do all of the things you should have done the first time around.

Gingerbread houses - eat them or view them?

Sunday night the family that is in town got together to do Gingerbread Houses for Christmas.  Everyone loves to make them, regardless of age. 

But the question is this:  do you eat yours or have it for a decoration?

I'm pretty sure ours make it one day, if that.

A lot depends on the freshness of the gingerbread and what kinds of candy (at least for me personally).

Both?  No way because by the time you view it as a decoration for a couple of weeks, it can't be fit for consumption.  But hey - thats just me.

Thanksgiving 2010

 Gordon got into the spirit early, donning his Pampered Chef apron and favorite ski hat.

 Notice the trees out the kitchen window.  What a beautiful sight.

 Ben getting some carving tips

 The day before Thanksgiving, I was getting three pies out of the oven; two pecan and a cherry.  The pecan pies needed another 5 minutes, so I pulled the rack out as far as I could and lifted the cherry pie. 
As I was setting it on the counter I heard a bang.  Turning around, I saw that both pecan pies had slid off the rack backwards when I lifted the cherry.  Luckily and to my amazement, they landed upright and only slightly jumbled, spilling just a little filling into the bottom of the oven.  I was very THANKFUL.
I love making pies, but find that I only make them at Thanksgiving.  I should make them more often.

 Laura doing our place settings for the table.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Birdhouse!