Things we've been up to since Christmas

Happy Wednesday of the week between Christmas and New Years! Otherwise known as the week I have to check the calendar multiple times daily to see what the day of the week is and/or the date. LOL How has everyone's week been so far? 

Around here, Bill has been working. The boys have been playing with their new Christmas toys and watching lots of "American Ninja Warrior" shows on Peacock. Currently as I am typing this, Benjamin is playing a WWE wrestling game on the Wii that Jacob got for Christmas. Jacob has asked if we could watch "Hamilton" after Ben gets done, so we will do that. Rebecca is upstairs in her bedroom messing around with art, her music, or online. Updated: She is now downstairs in the living room watching Hamilton with us.  I have been doing this and that this week. 

Monday, the kids and I went on a nice walk on the Kokosing Gap Trail at Kenyon. We walked for 2 miles and it made me so tired. COVID fatigue is so real. 

Even though I was tired I was able to clean out and inventory our freezer and pantry items. I was able to make out a menu plan for the entire month of January. I am participating in a pantry challenge in a Facebook group that I belong to. My goal for the challenge is to clean enough out of my big freezer that I am able to defrost it. I never got it defrosted over the summer like I typically do and it really needs it. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to fill out 90% of the ingredients needed for the month and will only need to fill in fresh stuff and cheese. 

Tuesday, the kids and I went to Kroger and did some grocery shopping picking up the things that we need to get through the end of next week. We had a low key kind of day other than that. I made tacos for dinner and then after dinner we ended up playing many rounds of "Bananagrams" as a family. This a great game for practicing spelling. Bill won most of the rounds, but Rebecca and I each won 1. It was a lot of fun.

 

 

I took the kids to Walmart this morning to use gift cards that they had received in November. Actually, Rebecca used hers last night when I ordered her a guitar online. Ben and Jacob wanted to use theirs. Ben ended up getting a magic 8 ball, a matching game and a matchbox car with his. Jacob couldn't find anything, so when we came home he asked me to order him a Ronda Rousey action figure (which I did). I also needed to get Jacob a new pair of tennis shoes as he is so rough on his shoes. I found a pair on clearance for $9. That is good for me. 

Since we have been home I have made lunch, done 2 loads of laundry and now I am sitting typing this up. It is raining outside and cold and dreary. 

Tonight and tomorrow will be spent straightening up the  house for the new year-- doing all the laundry, trash out, etc. We will be having our annual fancy appetizer dinner for New Year's Eve. I also want to spend some time finalizing some goals and hopes for 2021.  

What have you guys been up to? Any plans for New Year's Eve or New Year's day? 

Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the holiday weekend

Happy Sunday night everyone! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a good weekend. We ended up having a very nice Christmas Eve and Christmas and really weekend too. 

One of our traditions for Christmas Eve is that we eat out at a local restaurant and leave a nice tip. Well, this being the unusual year that it is we got takeout from our local Mexican place for Bill and I and the kids asked for McDonalds. Bill picked the food up, which was good as it was snowing pretty good. The weather forecast had originally said we "might" get 1-3 inches of snow. Well, we ended up with 8+ inches of snow on Christmas Eve evening through Christmas morning. We were thrilled to get a white Christmas. 

After dinner, Ben noticed a package on our porch and it was new pajamas from "Mrs. Claus." It is our tradition to get new pajamas on Christmas Eve. This year we all got black and white checked pants and new elf shirts. After dinner, we relaxed by watching "Elf" on TV and then the kids headed off to bed. 

After we brought down presents and filled stockings, Bill and I headed to bed as well.

On Christmas morning, the kids were thrilled to find that Santa had come. Even Rebecca was up early... I guess Christmas is one day that teenagers get up earlier than 11. LOL 

They loved their gifts from Santa-- Ben received 2 action figures (Captain Marvel and Valkyrie). Jacob received a football action figure set. Rebecca received 2 music CDs from her favorite musicians. They also enjoyed their gifts from us.  We all received fuzzy blankets from Santa. I received a nice lap desk from Bill. Bill received a new hoodie and a book from me. Even the kitties got stockings with Temptations treats and a new collar for each in them. It was a nice, low key Christmas morning. 

After opening presents, we just hung out and relaxed and chilled. 

In the afternoon, we headed out to my parents house. The kids were thrilled to go sledding at Nanny and Pappy's house. It was super fun even though it was super cold (the high temperatures were like 12 degrees).

 

We exchanged gifts and enjoyed an appetizer dinner. We also enjoyed playing Rummy and enjoying shots of Fireball whiskey. It was a great day and we are blessed to be able to spend time with them. My niece kept telling me she had missed me as I hadn't been over for 3 weeks due to our COVID diagnoses and quarantining.

 

Saturday and today the kids have been playing with their new toys. We have just been relaxing. Last night we watched "Soul" on Disney+. I will admit that I was disappointed in it. It was just an okay movie. Today, we spent more time outside playing in the snow as temperatures were in the 30s. It was a lot of fun. We also played some board games. 

It has been a very fun holiday weekend and I am striving to focus on the good and the way we are blessed. 

How was your Christmas? How is your weekend going? 

Park, Sugar Cookies, Aunt Sis, and Christmas Eve

Happy Thursday everyone! AND a happy Christmas Eve to everyone! Is everyone ready for Christmas? I am, I think.

Yesterday the weather around here was perfect. It was 55 degrees and sunny. So I took the kids over to the park to walk and throw rocks. The kids were thrilled that parts of the lakes had a very thin layer of ice so they could throw rocks on the ice. It is the little things. 

After we got home and the kids ate lunch, we made sugar cookies to decorate. I don't know what happened with our dough this year, but the first batch the dough was really hard and didn't want to roll out at all. So I ended up throwing that out. The second batch was softer but still didn't really want to roll out very well. We got enough to work though and they still tasted good. 

I was going to make my own icing to frost them, but after the fiasco with the dough I asked Bill to run to the store to pick up a couple of cans of frosting. He said that the baking aisle was packed and they had 1 can of vanilla frosting left. He did find a can of funfetti that did not have the sprinkles mixed in. We made it work and decorated cookies after dinner. 

Today, I wrapped the last few gifts (ones that we ordered for the kids from the in-laws). Bill worked until around 1pm. He got home just as the rain we were seeing turned over to ice/snow. It looks like we might have a white Christmas after all. 

Some very sad news today. My Great Aunt Sis passed away early this morning. She was the last remaining biological great Aunt on my dad's side of the family. (I still have 2 great Aunts living but they married into the family). In a way it was kind of sweet that she passed away on what was her youngest brother's birthday. My grandpa, great uncles and now Great Aunt get to celebrate in Heaven.

Tonight, we are getting take out from our local Mexican restaurant for Bill and I and then we will get McDonalds for the kids. Tonight we will watch "Elf" as a family before the big guy comes over night to all those who have been good. 

So with that my family is ready for our Christmas festivities to begin so I will sign off and wish you all a Merry Christmas!