Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011 started with us all going to candlelight services at church.  I had made dresses for Katlin and Kyann and we tried to get them to pose but I never did get a really good picture of the two of them.   Kyann was pretty wound up at church.  Pastor John was praying and said something about being naughty or being nice and Kyann said in her stage whisper "I'm nice".   Shane finally took her out for a walk. I stuck supper in the oven and had the table all set so when we got home it was ready.  Ham, Mac and cheese, green bean casserole baked beans and home made rye bread. (thanks Mary).  Kyann went to bed not long after and the rest of us visited.  Then Dan and Sue and Katlin went to have their Christmas.  I got busy getting stuff ready for the next morning. 

Here is the tree before.  Somehow I never get an after. I think every one had a good Christmas.  I did.  We started with stockings when ever you get up and then had a late breakfast.  This year I made that hash brown casserole from Marcelline that everyone really likes, stuffed French toast with warm cinnamon syrup, (yumo) sausage links and sugar plum loaf. 

Here Cindy is opening her stocking.  I didn't get many pictures of her opening presents because she got mostly clothes and for some reason Kyann thought she had to fluff them all.  So Cindy would hold them up in front of her and Kyann would pat them a while. 

We started with Kyann and since they hadn't had very good luck with her opening presents at home (she wanted to stop and play with them)  we decided to start with clothes to keep her interested.  The first box was pajamas and she said just what I always wanted.  Too funny.  She finally did start asking where her Jessie doll was so we gave it to her.  But she was a trooper and opened all her own.

Shane with his reciprocating saw.

Katlin with her grown up bedding.

 Dan with his saddle Dr. book.  We didn't hear much out of him after that.  He had his nose stuck in that book.

Katlin with her Minion. and Kyann with her Jessie doll.

Cindy helping Kyann with her ABC Learning Classroom

After presents, Cindy Kyann and Katlin went out side to play for a while.  Dan took a nap and Shane watched a movie with his eyes closed.  When the kids came back in Kyann was playing with her play dough and made a mustache with it.   Katlin had to be at her other Grandmas by 2 :30 and Cindy's wanted to get home so they could go she Shane's dad who was in the hospital.  The place cleared out by 2 and I had a relaxing afternoon.   We had fun and it was a good year.

The Christmas Carol

Friday night Cindy and I went to see Katlin in her play at the Coralville Center for Preforming Arts.  It is kind of like our Sondheim Center.  The play was very good.  and there weren't any bad seats in the place.  We had a couple with tow little girls sit behind us and the little girl who sat behind me kept kicking my seat.  Her Dad would tell her to quit and she would do it again.  I didn't turn around to see them but Cindy did and thought she was about 5.  After the play started she kept talking to her dad in a stage whisper.  They had evidently brought candy to keep them quiet but the rattling wrappers were so loud you couldn't hear.  I guess people kept giving them dirty looks and shhh's and not too long into the play they got up and left.    Can't say I was sorry but that was a lot of money wasted. The first picture was of Marley and Scrooge.

This is the scene at the Fezziwig's party.  Katlin did a good job and looked 23 instead of 13! 

 This is the Cratchit family with the ghost of Christmas Present.  Tiny Tim was played by a girl.  Katlin thought that was really funny!

This was the ghost of Christmas Future.  You can barely see him.  Only his hands.

When the play was over and they were ready to take their bows.  Katlin was the first one to come out.  Then she played for all the rest to come forward and bow.  Amy said she was so surprised the first night when she came out and people applauded for her.    She is a funny girl..

Kyann's Preschool Christmas Program

Thursday night we went to Kyann's Christmas Program for Preschool .  Here she is walking down the isle.  She seams pretty happy here. 

She was the one everyone watches during a little kids program.  She sat down on the stage.  Wouldn't always sing the songs.  Pulled her dress over her head.   They sangs several songs with the 4 year olds.  Then the three's did the story of Jesus's birth with a flannel board.  Kyann put Joseph up.  She did a good job with that. 

The program is almost over and she is done!  The little girl sitting beside her is Riley one of her best friends. Right after I took this Riley reached over and hugged Kyann trying to comfort her.     Cindy and Shane took her for a walk around the church trying to get her calmed down and when they came back she was fine.

She was surprised to see Tori and Peyton there.  Here she is with her cookie and milk.

This is another friend Chyenne.  All in all she did pretty good for her first time.   And we will always remember it. 

We celebrated Shane's birthday while I was at Cindy's.  His birthday really isn't until the 20th but probably wouldn't see him then.  I made supper and took up with me.  Kyann helped him blow out the candles.    She kept calling him the birthday boy. 

I got him a new wheel barrow.  Kyann thought it was a new canoe for her.    She made Shane go get the oars so she could paddle her canoe. 

She played her drum and sang some Christmas songs for us.  She has really really good timing.  Humm another musician in the family?

She used the handles of the wheel barrow as a balance beam and did pretty good.  It was a fun evening. 

Hospital Employee Rocognition Party

I hadn't been able to go to the hospital Christmas party for several years because it usually falls on our family Christmas party but since we had Duppa early this year I signed up to go.  You can bring a spouse or significant other but since I have neither I asked if I could bring a friend.  They were agreeable and Cindy Dunn agreed to go with me.  Even though I asked her out on the date she picked me up.  As you can see the food was really good.  Surprising as it was catered by the hospital but we enjoyed it. 

Especially the deserts.

 Part of the entertainment.  Trace Adkins ?

These are the baduca baduca dancers.  Some danced better than others.  They also showed a video done by different departments and it was really funny.   I am glad I got to go it was a fun evening.  Very different from years gone by but I guess things can't always stay the same.Missed Kathy and Paul.

Duppa 2011

Duppa was December 3rd this year.  It was kind of a miserable night out,  rainy and cold  but was definitely warm inside.  We had 6 little girls and 1 little boy.  Some day he may be happy about that but since he was only a couple of weeks old I don't think Wyatt cared.    Here Angie is reading to some of the little ones.  We had a really good supper. All the regular Swedish stuff plus lots of extra goodies. Jeanine made the Ostakaka this year and it was really good.  Think she may have inherited the job. It doesn't hurt that she had fresh milk and eggs.  

All the little ones were really good.  This is Olivia.  Cutie pie.

Little Marley Rose.  Another cutie.

I was in charge and we played Minute to Win it.  Here Adam is trying to  do the Stack Attack game.  Sadly he didn't make it.  However John did.  You can see my two helpers in the back ground.  Ellerie was the score keeper and Van White (AKA Dan) was my lovely assistant  and the official timekeeper.

This game is called Noodling Around.  The object is to pick up 6 pieces of penne pasta with a piece of spaghetti in your mouth.  No hands.  Brianne tried it here and was really close but some of the older contestants ( I won't name any names but the initials are LLE) wanted the stool up a little higher so we let Brianne try again and she made it. 

Jeanine and Katlin trying a game called Spin Dr.  Try to stop a spinning quarter on its side.  They did it with only 2 seconds left.  Whew!  Close one.

Here is Shane trying to do This Blows.  The object was to blow 10 cups off the table with a balloon.On the real show they have to do 30 cups.   Guess he isn't windy enough.  Cindy tried  after him and was done in no time.  And this girl has asthma?  She sure blew him out of the water.

 This game is called On the Rebound.  The object is to bounce a ping pong ball on the floor to hit on the backboard ( clipboard) and have it go into the basket. You had to do it  three times.  This was hilarious.  Donnie and Angie are trying to get in the right position. 

We had a really good time and a good turn out.  Glad my turn is over.   Connie is up for next year.