Millie's First Luncheon

One of my dear friends wanted to do something special with her daughter so she planned a lunch with some of her daughter's little friends. Isn't that so sweet?

She took her daughter and three friends and treated them to lunch and ice cream. She let them pick out any flavor of ice cream they wanted and Millie picked out 'banilla' as she calls it. Vanilla! I know she ate the entire thing herself!

Thanks Amy for the sweet gesture!

Beautiful.

It was a Michigan snow. Mark makes fun of me because whenever it snows like this I ALWAYS say (as he points out) that it reminds me of our winter days in Michigan. My grandparents used to have a chalet in Michigan and we celebrated Christmas up there many times...got to snowmobile, ski, just enjoy the beautiful snow. It's the kind of snow that piles on the tips of the trees and sparkles brilliantly in the sunshine. I love it.

Now, I don't love the -10 degree weather we're having. But the day it snowed, it was not windy at all and in the teens, so out the kids went.

Finally some snow!

We headed up to Fort Wayne for a day visit and took the kids snow gear. The kids had fun sledding with their cousins for the first time this year. There is a great sledding hill really close to my brother's house, so we walked on over. It's a great hill because it has a really steep part and then gradually tapers off to a hill Millie went down.

A cold night in January

Millie has been enjoying the Goodnight Moon puzzle I bought, so Carrie brought over a bunch of puzzles for us to borrow. Millie has already enjoyed putting them together, and this was the princess puzzle.

Carrie also brought a 100 piece Kung Fu Panda puzzle. I told Hayden I'd give him a treat if he did the whole thing (he needed a bit of encouragement to decide to do it). He did it all himself and I think he even enjoyed it!!

Once Conner heard a treat was involved, he wanted in on the action. We have a 100 piece puzzle that we've done once I think, and it is of two baby penguins on a nest. I was sure we were missing pieces as I watched him make it because he'd be looking for something and I wouldn't see it anywhere on the table-but sure enough, they were all there.

Favorite Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas. I love our family traditions that surround this special time of year. Here's a glimpse of a few of them...

1. Each year we have a cookie decorating contest between the adults. We usually have have many shapes to choose from, but this year we were limited to just trees. The kids have enjoyed decorating their own cookies too. When we all get together to celebrate, everyone votes for the top three cookies, then we announce the winners. It is a great time (even if I did place third this year!).

I don't know why this photo is sideways...but the winning cookie is the bottom middle.

2. My mom hides clues all over the house for the kids to find their final present (she did this for my brother and I for a long time, now it's been passed on to the grandkids). They love running around the house to find the next clue. 3. We recently started the tradition of each bringing a $5 gift when we all get together (my aunt, uncle and cousins, my grandparents etc). Its been fun to see what we come up with for $5 and what gets 'stolen' the most. Mark's gift of a 6 pack of orange crush, orange tick tacs and orange stride gum was quite desired. My starbucks gift card was popular and I left with a subway gift card that I'm excited to use.

4. My grandma and grandpa have been giving the great grandkids a bag of goodies similar to what my grandparents received when they were kids. It includes an apple, an orange, a piece of candy and a small toy. It's amazing to see how much 'Christmas giving' has changed in three generations, for better or worse.

5. We always end our family celebration with a bingo game. My grandma has a small oatmeal container for each person and you can select one when you win (one prize per person). Inside one there is always a toilet paper roll with a $5 bill, some with very old half and silver dollars, and some with chocolate and nuts.

6. At the Raikes' family Christmas Poppy always reads the Christmas story to the kids before we open gifts. As the kids have gotten older, it has gone more smoothly (better attention spans!).

We had a great time celebrating Jesus' birthday with both sides of our family. I love being with all of them this time of year. Here are a few more photos of our fun...

Paige Davis Anyone?

Yes, that's right. Paige Davis from Trading Spaces was in Upland, IN today. Our church's new youth pastor and his wife won a room makeover from Kodak and Trading Spaces (an online thing) worth $5,000. Hilde was the designer and my friend Beth, an interior designer herself, got to help out with some elements.

At one point Hilde called Beth for a favor. How amazing is that? Everyone was very personable.

Don't count Upland out -we've got some action going on! You never know what you might find.

Wouldn't you love to win a room makeover? Once I was convinced I was going to win a backyard makeover from Meijer. Sent the photos in and an entry form. Needless to say, we've been hauling our own dirt and mulch ever since. Oh well, maybe next time.

Here's the room...


Paige is on the left (yes that's her back...I was trying to be inconspicuous) and Hilde on the right...


Paige and a friend's granddaughter...


Me, Hilde, Beth and Traci...

Mark's Photos

It seems Mark has taken more pictures lately than I have. I wanted to post some of the things Mark likes to capture. Photos 1-4...

1. He always busts out the camera when dear are in our yard, especially a 6 point buck-a rare sight.

2. Conner reading a book to Millie.

3. He had a little photo shoot with Millie while she was next to him on the couch. This was one of the pictures.

4. The three kids looking out the window...note Hayden's hat.