Sunday, December 28, 2008

this christmas

Jaclyn and Ryan are moving to Arkansas which means they're completely moving out of their respective homes.

But don't let the smiles fool you...
This is how we really feel. Mom apparently is still holding on to her brave face, but she'll join the ranks of the downtrodden and crazy soon enough.

Enough of that... it's supposed to be Christmas.
Mom and I had fun with the presents this year. Can you tell this one has a poinsettia made out of ribbon on it?















Socks are somehow always on the Christmas list. This year pictures were a big one. The one on the left is one of a set of two for mom and dad. The other one is of Jaclyn and Ryan...no I'm not that stuck on myself. :) and the one on the right is from Jaclyn for me!

I'll give you some of the highlights of the rest.



Mom got the plate that matches her cookie jar and bowl among other things.





Ryan got some NY Giants golf club covers from me and the parents.







I happened to find these one day and they fit Jaclyn rather well. By her reaction I think I chose fairly decently. They say things like "Dance like nobody is watching." Carrie, Jaclyn says she's sending that one to you...




I kept with the Kitchen theme quite a bit since I am trying to come up with one. Not terribly exciting but terribly needed. And now that Jaclyn is moving I can't just run 30 seconds down the road to grab some such supply I don't have. But we aren't going to talk about that. This blender is a replacement for the one I already have, which can't blend water without smelling like it might explode.


Dad got a nice....uhhh... jogging suit? or lay around the house in comfort fleece thingy that we all think makes him look like quite the stud. he he.








Their big present was a DVD/VCR player.

And I got them an ornament from Things Remembered that says "Knight's First Christmas"

This happens to be my favorite present probably. It's a puzzle ball that Mom and I spent Friday night putting together.
The Ford girls
heh well that's probably politically incorrect. I guess I'm the only "purebred" left. Between the three of us we have 5 last names.

And what Christmas would be complete without some Settlers.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

the trouble with haystacks

Katie surprised us and came over for the weekend. Saturday afternoon we watched Joseph and then before going to coolidge decided we'd better eat something even tho we'd eaten 2-3 hours previous. Haystacks it what I had but there's a problem with haystacks. It's hard to keep them small. sooo....




Yes I know, I'm odd but I had to take a picture of this because I am proud. It's pumpkin cheesecake with graham cracker crust and it is almost gone. Julie came over last night and we made a gluten free dinner complete with this and I must say we pulled it off nicely. Katie commented she didn't know gluten free could taste so good.
Coolidge has got to be one of my favorite places on earth

Trying to get to her level


we had lots of fun with the sculptures
Bird watching with an old friend

This has got to be one of my favorite sculptures ever.
This sculpture chair thing however was quite disturbing.

I just liked this door.

Grace on the elephant fountain


Is it just me or is the english not entirely correct? I don't exactly get what is being said.

They have these gold feet on the sidewalk that show you how to do different dances. This is the Cha Cha.

12 days of christmas countdown

Christmas is coming amazingly fast. Since I got back from Thanksgiving it's been one event after another first of which being putting up my measly Christmas tree.

I probably should invest in an angel.

Then there was Christmas on the promenade. Sarah and Grace made friends with Santa Clause. He appears delighted.
And Thursday night of this week, different Southern groups, the fire dept, and the community kitchen teamed up to put on a party for some kids. You know like those ones that you hear about in story books where Santa comes in on a fire truck? Well he did. I went with Phi Alpha which is the Social Work Honor Society.


Grace, Jodi, and I ran the ornament making station.


This little boy would yell YAY!!! and clap enthusiastically every time I successfully put a dot of glitter glue where he would tell me to. There were some great kids. The coolest thing all night tho was this family, two boys and a girl, whose names were Romeo, Casanova, and Bella.


Friday, November 28, 2008

Roast Beastyfu 08

Ryan and Jaclyn are at our house for this Holiday.
Event 1: Baseball. Red Sox vs. Braves

The following ensued...







The Red Sox completely and totally dominated... Later in the series the big looser switched his team to the Yankees because he knows his team stinks, and proceeded to dominate the Red Sox. (the game actually bats and fields according to their team standing that year. I mean you have a lot to do with it but if the player can't catch in real life, you have a hard time getting him to do it in the game.)

Then came the park and some frisbee throwing...or chasing the frisbee all over the field, if you want to go for the more truthful description.

























And then the frisbee decided to take on other territory, as if the entire field wasn't enough, and ended up in a tree. We intellectuals were trying to think up a way to get it down when I turned around and found Ryan pulling an entire tree out of the ground.

He then proceeded to successfully get the frisbee back. We were proud to know him.

After pizza and a movie, the evening ended with putting together a puzzle while Ryan DJ'd on the computer over dad's stereo system.

Thursday night we put up the tree being that Thanksgiving has "passed" and we can now, AND ONLY NOW, move on to the next holiday.