Hurrah for the Conquistadors! and no more snow

Some more christmas pictures... The very magical drive to Grandma's House Christmas morning. It was even snowing when we woke up.

Cyprian was a little worn out from the festivities and the couches being mostly occupied, found himself a a cozy, quiet spot on the stairs. And went to sleep.

The fabulous famous Trudy Christmas Morning Feast.

Sierra brought over her trunk of beautiful princess dresses, and Pippin decided to join in.

Shane convinced me to watch Apocolypto last night- not necessarily a heartwarming Christmas story, but good nonetheless. I was a little hesitant because I can't stand kids suffering, being abandoned, separated from their parents, and of course everything else that goes along the raping, pillaging, barbaric sort of life depicted in the movie. I admit I watched a fair bit of it through my fingers and often not at all. You wonder how an entire civilization could be so warped as to allow and promote so much evil. And then I thought. Which is very good for my age. The whole thinking bit.

But really, we design "temples" with clean, well appointed rooms and nice pictures. And call it a clinic. We pay the "priest" to perform barbaric acts. We make it a profession and call him a doctor. The altars have become hopital beds. The "ritual" a "right". And because its not performed publicly and shown to be the violent act it is, we are somehow different and more enlightened than they. Although, in a way we are worse. Theirs was done to appease a god: ours to please ourselves.

But on a less bloody note, the snow is melting. They finally cleared our cuo-de-sac yesterday. And just maybe the UPS man can deliver all the Christmas packages we couldn't get before. I am excited to have the garbage picked up.

Snow, Snow, and more Snow

We have had an amazing anount of snow for an amazing amount of time. IT started the day we left for Canada-Dec 14th- and has continued off and on since. The Friday we got homewas a big snow and it has not gone away but been added to daily since. The boys in their Christmas JammiesAll the grandkids huddled around the tree waiting for Uncle Kevin to hand them a gift.

Shane unveiling the tree. We didn't get one until the 20th and had to hunt a bit before we found this one. We were breaking down at Fred Meyer's when we saw the completely ice and snow encrusted Charlie Brown Christmas Specials they had left and at that point were ready to purchase a fake pre-lit tree. Audrey was crushed at the thought of "had never been living" tree but when Shane saw the line wrapping around the store he said forget it. And then we found a sign for "Donna's trees' where we usually get ours. But this year they had moved. But we pulled up to the lot and immediately found "our tree". So it all worked out and we came home and played in the snow and decorated out tree and a good time was had by all.

It was pretty magical to have it snowing at Christmal time. It snowed late Christmas Eve and again Christmas morning. I've never seen this much snow at Christmas time here. Typically it would all have been rain. I am sure once it starts to melt we'll get flooding and all that, but for now its kind of cozy being snowed in. Shane just went to get the mail and there is a stuck car blocking out street so we couldn't get out if we wanted to. He helped dig out a van on Tuesday- it was the new neighbors.

I think this was the third day after we got home. They are saying it will turn to rain now and we'll start the melting-slushy-flooding part. But who knows.

Where's My Chicken Bone?

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with cousins, food, forts, and fun. We played a rollicking game of Balderdash and mixed in some Wise and Otherwise. Trudy took 1st prize in making up beleivable definitions. Audrey was 4th- she beat Grandpa. We all laughed until we cried, several times.

Grandpa arming the kids. The Grandparents brought guns and ammo for the boys, and flashlights for everyone.

"I'm Superman"

"No, I'm Superman"

Luckily, they all cooperated in beating up Grandpa so there was no "Superman Showdown".

After looking at his plate, Cyprian asked "Where's my chickie bone?" He likes legs- which he calls bones.

Pippin's legs disappearing around a cardboard tunnel.

I got the pictures out of order so it looks in reverse.

Cyril offered to go through the tunnels and get pictures. Lots of pictures.

Here is the fort Grandpa built for the kids. Grandpa collects boxes and generously pulls them out at festive times to entertain the kids by building bunkers for them. It was pretty impressive. This year he added a second story to one section. I'm hoping next year he throws in a hot tub.

Last year the kids were all busy playing and dinner was ready so we opted to sit down and eat and call the kids for the second shift- as we couldn't all sit at one table anyway. Later that evening, Cyril asked when Thanksgiving was. I told him it had been today. He looked puzzled and said,

"But we didn't all sit down and eat together"

I felt pretty badly. So this year we set up the kids table in the family rooom and we all sat down together. Then we all played games and the younger kids ran around looking for Charlie in tunnels. Cyril never asked if it was Thanksgiving, so I'm calling it a success.