A New Year, a New Month......

Today is the first regular day after the holidays. Things are getting back to normal, whatever that is. The past two weeks went by without too much hassle.

I got everything I wanted for Christmas and then some! The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook was a real hit. I have eaten very well since that showed up. We have had sour cream pancakes twice, whiskey cream gravy twice, spiced pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, and a blackberry cobbler. And I haven't even had to do any of the cooking. But the eating has been great around here! Thanks, Rachel!

I have two new sets of Yarka watercolor paints, and I can't wait to get started on those. Unfortunately, I have to clear the drawing board, literally, before I can try them out. Thanks Clyde!

I spent the money from my mother on the gold hoop earrings that I wanted. This was the end of my Christmas list. But I did get some surprises....

Bekka and Brandi decided at Thanksgiving that I needed a purse....Apparently my denim tote bag wasn't good enough. So, Thanks Bekka for the purse!

And James and Solitare packed up a 15 qt covered tub with mints, cookies, chocolates, candy canes, hot chocolate, boxes of candy, a very nice warm throw, a back massager (which G has already tried out on me, and it works!) and a microwave heating thingy filled with beans to wrap around my shoulders and neck. Clyde can use it too. Thanks you guys.

Got some socks, dish towels, an oven mit (presumably for Clyde the next time he tries to burn the turkey) and the coolest cookie scoop for making cookies from Susie.
Can't wait to use that one!

We got G a camera, again. This one came with a warranty (extended) and we took the kids out to take pictures on Saturday. It started snowing these really tiny snow pellets just as we got there, but the ducks didn't care. They thought the bread was delicious.



If you look closely, you can see some faint white streaks. That is the snow coming down.


The pictures aren't perfect, but I think G has the idea that he needs to get close. Now we just have to learn to hold the camera still.


But I think he did a good job. G likes to click the button and take the pictures, and he sure liked that I printed him out some 4x6's. But I don't think he's much interested in the processing just yet. Right now we'll just concentrate on the pictures, and the rest will come.



G caught CJ sleeping on the couch after we got home. That little one sleeps wherever and whenever he needs to. Just lays down and goes to sleep. What a cutie!