Goodbye Holidays

Well, the Holidays have come and gone around the Foley home. We woke to a beautiful Christmas morn with a pristine white blanket of snow.

We opened presents at home,

At Nana and Papa's,

And at Grandma and Grandpa's.

We woke up at 6 a.m. with really bad hair and fought with packaging twist ties and dolls with sewn in hair.

We got some really cool presents, and witnessed some really bad wrap jobs.

We ate, we celebrated, we sang, we socialized and we are now thoroughly exhausted.

Today I said goodbye to the Christmas tree by wrestling it out the deck door while it coated me and a ceiling fan in sap and pine needles, and I was glad to see it go.

Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies

Now we all know about my baking addictions...But this year, I may have finally gone over the edge....

I love to bake cookies for all my neighbors. I do this out of the pure joy it brings me to have them delight in the tasty goodness of fresh baked cookies, filled with love and caring - Ok, I do this because we have horses, and as many of you know, horses get out. Not often, granted, but every once in a while, we loose one or two, or three... So far it has only been twice that they have actually gotten off the farm, but when they do, they are running for the hills, boy. And it is nice to know that I have cushioned the neighbors with plenty of baked goods to make them think twice about hating me when my horses eat their Miscanthus grass, or trot up on their deck for their afternoon release (if you catch my drift)- The pony has been known to do that.

This year, I think I may have gotten a little carried away, however. Not only did I bake enough cookies to take sizable tins to all who live within a 10 mile radius of me, but I still have a whole freezer FULL of cookies, bars, pies, cakes and muffins. What was I thinking?! Maybe it was because Aiden is SO good about sitting on the counter and helping me bake, or that Sarah LOVES to sift flour, salt and baking soda, or maybe I have finally lost my mind...Hummm, I think that last one hits home.

The last batch of cookies, I did drag the whole darn family into - even Uncle Mike, who I am sure, thought that he could get out of helping and play video games instead. I am all about the Holiday torture!

And a Merry Christmas To All!

Fa La La

OK, I will be the first to admit that I have been a little lax on the postings around here. But, with all the Internet shopping and holiday decorating - I think I have a pretty good excuse.

We did finally make it this week to get our wonderful Christmas tree. I think it happened to be the coldest day on record that we ventured out - but, alas, it is here and it is beautiful. For a while there I was doubtful we would have a real tree this year, what with all the corn still in the fields and the Farmer working double duty lately. On Monday our salvation from fake tree doom came in the form of a snow day, or rather an "ice day". We had a lovely showering of rain just before the earth froze into a glittery ice kingdom as far as the eye could see. Why not venture out on the roads to bring home a Christmas tree? After all - a real tree is worth our lives, is it not? Bring me a tree or bring me death!

So I took this scary looking feller out into the woods with me to ward off the bears, as we hunted down that perfect tree.

Sarah is a great hunter, by the way. See how she lures in the tree by waving a branch over the ground as to leave a scent trail...

Ah-Ha! We have led one into our trap! The agile Farmer leaps on it and takes hold of it's trunk to immobilize it. There is no getting away from us now!

Ya know, each year we embark on this adventure together, as a family, and each year I have wonderful visions of how the Christmas tree hunt will go. There are visions of hot cocoa, and snowball fights, and hours of carousing through the wood (Ok- tree farm) to find that perfect tree. Heading home to a crockpot full of yummies and admiring our new tree in the warm glow of a lit fireplace. There have been years exactly like that - Norman Rockwell perfect. Then there are years in which the Farmer is laying down in a pool of mud trying the saw down a tree with the dullest saw blade the Tree Farm Man could find, as it pours down rain on our heads and we stand in sodden clothes praying the Farmer hurries up already and we can go home.

Then there are years like this year. A year in which we are late getting the tree, so we are forced to jump on any available moment that the family is all together and able to venture out, even if it is only 10 degrees outside, and we rush from the car to the field of trees, pick the first one we see, and make a mad dash back into the store to pay for it and retreat to the warmth of the car once more.

I think Aiden thinks we are crazy... Doesn't that cold, red nose just break your heart? Get that boy back to the car!

And what better way to finish up this festive day then hitting the KFC drive through and heading home for a nice sit-down supper.

Happy Thanksgiving

Good Morning All! Here is to wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving Day. We will be celebrating in full with a little turkey for supper....

OOPS - Wrong Turkey...

OK - That is better. Sorry Folks, you were not supposed to see that last one...Maybe I have had a little too much already...Kidding! It is only 10 a.m. - I don't start drinking 'til at least noon...

So, no matter who you are, or how you celebrate (I won't even ask about the photo above) - we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!