12 Grandchildren

12 smiling grandchildren but there are five more. The top row are l to r - Dustin, Joel, Tyler, Bryant, Lane and Isaac. The belong to Nikki our oldest daughter. She also has a step son that she mostly raised Christopher. The second row are Ryan, Seth and Sheya. They belong to our youngest son Tom. The bottom row is Nicolette, Skyelor and Jadeyn. They belong to our youngest daughter Christyn. Our second son Scott (deceased) has 2 children Coreen and Robby and our oldest son Steve has 2 children, Artie and Deanna. Christopher, Joel and Deanna are parents of our Great grandchildren and Robby will be a daddy in Feb. The family grows. and grows.

So my song goes: (remember the tune now) On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me One Christmas Cactus bloom, two puppies playing, 3horses hanging, 4 stuffed horses, 5 colorful cowboy boots........6 horses eating, 7 baseball caps, 8 horse ornaments, 9 empty baskets, 10 Santa Clauses, 11 presents waiting and 12 grandchildren: That was kind of fun. For me anyway.

Well the snow is upon us and upon and upon. It has been snowing since about 10 this morning. I don't know how much is out there but everything is white. I will say it is kind of pretty. The heaviest snow is predicted for tonight and tomorrow along with wind. They say blizzard conditions. I did cancel the Christmas party for tomorrow night. The roads should be awful. Even if it was at my house, I was worried about my friends driving. Andrea had already said she could not drive up. She lives down in the Palouse. Maybe come February we will have an UnChristmas Party.

Bob went down to feed and all the horses were under the shelter except Ditto. She is low man and they had her out in the snow. Poor old girl. She got put in right away. When Tyler went down to the barn to do the morning chores, good old Dixie had gotten her stall open and had a good time. She got into the cat food but didn't eat any, just nosed it around but she did eat about half a bale of hay. So she got put in her stall with her vitamins and nothing more. Oh was she mad. Bob did not give her grain tonight either, just some grass hay and her vitamins. Naughty naughty girl. He put a small chain on the gate so Ms Lips can not get it open.

Tyler worked down at the neighbors today and got really cold. He was putting up a shelter for her goats. The big ole boy goat knocked it all down. I sent him to a warm bath when he came in.

I baked Zucchini bread today. Now if I just can not eat it all...................

Steens Mt Horses

11 presents

11 presents waiting.......................I am not a fancy wrapper. Am trying to do better this year. I am out of paper and have 4 to wrap so I am trying to be creative. I have some rolls of wallpaper that I got at a yard sale and am using them. Different but who cares.

Bob got home today. All those days and they saw one elk a mile away. A guy who lives up there told Bob they had not seen elk in there since last March and there were cougars. They came home. No use hunting when there are none there. They were on the other side of the mountain I guess.

Bob did the chores this evening and Rusty came right up to him and put her nose on him. I told her "Traitor". I had made progress. But with the weather that is predicted, I am glad he is here to do it.

Got a lot done today surprisingly. Had a hard time motivating myself to do much today. Will do the floors tomorrow. Maybe. Bob has a doctor appointment at 8 in the AM with the L & I doctors about his leg and eye. Both seem OK and he is not looking for a settlement but he has nothing to say about it at this point. Tyler has a job with the neighbor again tomorrow. He makes pretty good when he works.

Some smiling Santas

Well they aren't all smiling but they should be. As you would guess, I collect Santa's. I always look forward to getting them out and setting them on the window sills in the living room.

I already wrote this once but it would not post and when I found it it would only print the part about the Santa's. Sooooooooooooooooo I am trying to remember all I said 45 minutes ago. That might be hard........LOL

On Barbara's blog The Serenity Room she listed a blog called Life in a Cordwood Cabin. It is a sweet blog and she is having a give away. All you have to do is comment and so I did. It is a sweet giveaway. I don't win, well I can't say that because I did win on Andrea's Mustang Saga. That was a surprise. I might have a giveaway in January when everyone has the after Christmas blahs. It will take me that long to figure out what to give away.

Also was sent another blog by my cousin Joy. It is www.wagonteamster.com/index.html. It is interesting. His name is Bob (there are lots of them) and he is driving a 4 up hitch of Percheron's across the country. He doesn't know where he is going or when he will get there. I did not have time to go over it all but it sure does look like fun. I would want to be in south Florida this time of the year though.

Rusty came right up to me and ate out of my hand this morning when I did chores. She was glad to see me. I did not try to touch her but that will come. Tyler did the chores this evening so I did not have to go out. It is so good to have her acting like I am not going to eat her for lunch.

Linda, I would love to come over and meet Beautiful and to look at your pony. She sounds like she really needs to have quality time spent with her. Why would I mind the mud and muck. That is what we have here too. It was very fun to meet you and no I had never been to Chaps before but am sure I will again. They serve lunch don't they? Have a friend I meet for lunch occasionally and we always end up going to the Casino to eat but I think I will suggest that sweet looking place next time.

I finished my sewing today. Now tomorrow I wrap and get my sister and her family box on its way to Mississippi. That is where they all will be. Its a big box but not heavy. Then I can get the house ready for our Mustang Horse Club party on Sat. evening. I hope the weather doesn't scare people away. Don't want anyone hurt though. Then next week I can mess it all up again with baking and filling baskets and so on.

When I talked to Bob today I told he I thought he should come home. I don't want them snowed in up in the mountains. He is in the Clockum mountains. I don't care if he gets an elk anyway. He told me he didn't think he would go that far again but we will see..........I just am worried about the roads and if it really gets that cold, it will be difficult to keep water clear even with heaters and it will be a hard thing to do. He is driving a four wheel drive truck but he is pulling a 28' trailer.

Gonzaga won big again tonight. I love GU basketball but had mixed feelings because my roots are at WSU.

Now if this posts we will all be happy.

Empty Baskets

Nine empty baskets just waiting to be filled with some kinds of Christmas goodies. I will bake next week, and make fudge and all the good stuff that will be the downfall of my hard fought weight loss. I fill the baskets and Bob takes them to the neighbors for me. Love doing that and I think the neighbors love to see him coming.

I had a delightful morning with Linda and some of her friends. We had coffee (well I had juice) at Chaps. What a nice little place. It was fun to meet Linda face to face and to meet other new friends. All are "horsey" people. Thanks you Linda for inviting me.

Almost finished my shopping this afternoon. Not quite. But almost. I need to go back to Pier One because I forgot something, and I need to find what I know Tom wants in my price range and to think of something for a son in law. I knew what I wanted to get him for his birthday but my mind is blank now. Come on brain kick in.

This evening I had a break through with Rusty. YAHOOOOOOO. When I took her hay in to her this evening she came right up to me. I held out some hay to her and she took it. I did not try to touch her, I just talked to her. I was so proud of her. I would have taken a hold of her halter if I had not put her hay in her feeder. We try not to interfere when we feed them. Tomorrow is another day. Maybe she thinks if I am going to feed her she had better be nice to me.

8 ornaments

8 Horse Ornaments.................That I made. I made them several years ago as a give away at a party we hosted. I think they are cute if I do say so.

Finished the tree mostly. Tyler put the new lights on the top half last night so I could decorate it today. Almost am finished sewing too so things are coming along. Tomorrow late morning I am going to try to about finish my shopping. Need to sit down a make a list though or I will forget something.

The rest of the day was same ole, same ole. A grey foggy day but I won't whine about it. The new frig for our trailer got here and it was not damaged. The first one was. Tyler went over it and signed for it. His brother is coming out tomorrow to help him put it in the garage. No one is going to steal it but it will be better in there. The box around it won't disintegrate either.

Hats

A seven baseball caps - and yes they are all mine. I have several more. I wore them a lot when my hair was longer and I put my hair thru the back. Love them.

Had a very nice time at our Christmas party last night. The food was delicious and the company was fun. There are some that drink in excess and last night was no exception but they don't get ugly, just funny. At least they think they are. The slide show of this last year was fun to watch. We even made it into a couple of the pictures. Bernie does such a nice job. For those who saw the picture of Sierra and me, he took those pictures.

I went with Katie right after church this morning to a large tack sale of show stuff out in Greenacres. I think most of their things were vastly overpriced but they were nice things. Katie bought a show shirt. It will be very pretty on her with black chaps, a black hat and boots. It is very blingy and 3 shades of pink/Burgundy. On her black horse she will look very professional. Then we went to Corrall West and shopped. I hate it that they are going out of business. I got Bob a 30.00 shirt 60% off and a pair of warm gloves for the same percent off. I would have loved to have spend a lot there. Tyler needs boots, I could use a shirt, but this is not the time of year to spend money on myself. And, I made Tyler a quilt. (shhhhhhhhhh Nikki don't you dare tell). Then Doug and Judy - Katie's parents - met us and kidnapped Katie to go to Couer'D Alene shopping and then so see the lights. I almost invited myself along but.........didn't.

Bob left this morning for another elk hunting adventure. He says he is not going away like this next year but we will see. I hate having him gone but I know he enjoys it. The new frig for our trailer arrived but had been damaged so they sent it back. So they don't have that again this time. It will probably be after Christmas when it arrives again. We won't be using it until probably March anyway. His friend Don is going to help him put it in.

Thank you Andrea. I won her drawing. Can't wait to see it. I don't win things ordinarily.

Only 5 more days and my silly song will be over. Then who knows. We lit our first advent candle today. I thought last Sunday was it, but was wrong. So I lit the first one again and sang Joy to the World all by myself. Well not here by myself. Skeeter, Sophie (my old Shtzu) and Trouble the cat sat and watched me. Am almost done with my sewing and a couple of other little things and then I can clean up my mess and decorate the dining room table. I won a table/candle wreath last night and am anxious to put it out.