Merry Christmas 2012!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!  Our families highlight this year was talking with Elder Braeburn!  Yeah!  He looked great, and sipped on black currant juice mixed with lemonade at a member's house while he talked with us on skype.  The lady would occasionally bustle in and say, "can I get you some cake?!"  Braeburn says it's a myth that missionaries starve - at least not in England.  Everyone wants to feed him.  He told us all about his investigators and how to say strange things in "Yorshire".  For instance stairs are said, "apples and chairs" - so you go up the apples and chairs.  (how is that possible?? very strange.) 

Anyway, we got to meet his companion, Elder Botta, from Italy, and the other two missionaries in his flat in Leeds.  He loves being in the big city and all the excitement that comes in a University town.  It felt like we talked for maybe 20 minutes, and it had been an hour.  We loved every second of it.  The kids said, "Braeburn, you don't have an accent!"  He said, "No, my accent is terrible."  but then later in the conversation Prairie Spy told him something about Krav, and Braeburn said, "Are you doing Krav then?"  in this very lilting british voice and we all laughed hilariously.  

Miss Delicious got books to feed her inner creative muse.  The bestseller must have a mentor, right?

The boys also got gifts from their favorite mentor, Buck.  We've all been avoiding being roped ever since.  It's so much warmer to rope in the house. 

Prairie Spy got a new bit and put it on his old headstall.  Nova Spy got a whole awesome set up with headstall, bit and mecate, but somehow I didn't get a picture! Terrible!  That goes for Granny Smith too.  Just imagine him sitting at the kitchen table putting together lego contraptions for hours!  

Merry Christmas!

Here We Come A Caroling

Miss Golden Delicious and her group of cronies went caroling.  I loaned her the beret Grandpa brought me back from Paris several years ago.  So adorable!  Paris!

G. D. showing me how freezing it is. (and trying not to laugh)  Have fun caroling!

Quilting

Mr. Bechtel's sister's children came up to stay at our house for a few days before Christmas.  E. and I decided to have a little fun making a table runner for her mom.

She did a great job.  Unfortunately, I forgot how to bind quilts and kind of messed it all up.  I gave her the extra material.  Hopefully she and her mom can fix it!

Happy Birthday, Boys!

The Spy Twins turned 15 this year.  What!  I am in shock at how quickly everyone is growing up!

We had a great little party with Grandpa and Grandma.  They gave the boys beautiful brown brushed cotton shirts with their names on them.  Mr. Bechtel made them leather holders for their leatherman tools, and I gave them belts and cowboy scarves.

Nova Spy couldn't decide what cake he wanted so I made him oatmeal.  He liked it.

Happy Birthday Nova!  I hope 2013 is a perfect year for you!

Prairie Spy wanted German Chocolate cake.  I ended up putting regular frosting on it though, because I did coconut for the oatmeal one... confusing!

Happy Birthday Prairie!  May all your dreams come true!

Buckaroo Tree

The Christmas Festivities are beginning at our house.  Granny Smith finally persuaded us it was waaay past time to get a tree up and decorated.  When we were almost done, we realized we didn't have a star or angel for the top.  He said, "Just a second!"  and disappeared back into my room.  Pretty soon he came back with my hat.  He said, "I saw this at Barnard's.  I think it would look good here too."  and put my hat on the top of the tree.

I like it too.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is late I know!  

Thanksgiving was at Crabapple Farm this year.  I had such a nice time that I barely took any pictures, plus my camera ran out of batteries, which was horrid.  But we did have a very nice time including lovely food, a sing a long, a good backyard football game, and lots of left overs.

Little Honey Crisp was a big fan of the pickles.  I'm not sure about her mom :)

My brother, Gravenstein, set himself up at the kitchen sink and helped with dishes and did the potatoes.

My other brother, Winesap, created an incredible scavenger hunt involving clues everyone was amazed at.  He mined the family trivia, including what Braeburn is doing on his mission.  Impressive!

Nova Spy entertaining Honey Crisp.  (I am a bad photographer!) Sorry Honey!

And Golden Delicious setting the tables.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Hopeful Hunters

The boys keep trying to get a deer, or an elk, or anything, really... but no far nothing.

I love how this picture has all the junk from the previous nights book signing (more on that later.) and how it is still completely dark outside. (miracle that I am awake enough to make breakfast and take this picture.) The boys were just waiting for Bro. Burnham to come pick them up.

They've still got a little time though before the season is over.  Maybe they'll still get something.  Our freezer is pretty empty.  I would love some elk roasts for sunday dinner.  That would be really nice... and much less expensive than buying half a beef.