charlie brown thanksgiving

we love to watch charlie brown videos associated with the holiday. i was talking with rich about having chicken since it was just us, and abra suggested we have a charlie brown thanksgiving...so we did for lunch. popcorn, pretzels, jellybeans and toast. i made her add some lunch meat to her toast. she loved our special lunch. rick joined us for dinner where we had ham, sweet potatoes, corn, apple pie and pumpkin pie. i think abra ate more than all of us. it was a nice, relaxing day that rich didnt have to go into work which has been rare lately.

santa advent calendar

i saw a calendar on the pottery barn kids website and thought to myself, i can make the for much less then they are selling it for. twenty dollars later i have one santa and enoough leftovers to make more with the exception of of the list felt, that i need to get more of, but still far less then buying them. i think the next ones will look much better because i have made one and have an idea how to do it.

the wall

we had another productive weekend. rich fixed the dryer, we played with abra, and we stated building the wall. my shelves are on hold again, but it will be nice to get the front yard finished. here is the vision, three blocks high all the way from the fence to the driveway. then we will fill with dirt to make the yard level/ gradual slope. on top will be grass with plants along the house and the fence. abra even wanted in on the fun.

halloween

Halloween fell on reformation sunday this year, so we had a busy day. abra and i went to church and had potluck afterwards, then we stopped and got a pumpkin because we hadn't done that yet, followed by a trip to walmart to pick up some groceries, finally home to carve the pumpkin and get ready to trick or treat.abra dressed up this year as barbie mariposa/butterfly fairy. when rich got home he took abra to the college and trick or treated around the dorms, then worked their way home.i got to stay home for the first time ever and pass out candy, do laundry, wash dishes, make dinner, you know, the things that you are grateful when everyone is out of the house so you can just get them done.overall, it was a huge success and abra has more than enough candy.

more trees gone

rich felt ambitious and cut down the remaining trees we were thinking about replacing. he cut eight more tree clusters down. all that remains to be taken out is the juniper and the rotting cedar in the back. might take one of the cedars out that is next to the shop, but that will be later determined. for all you tree lovers, i am planning on planting two apple trees in the backyard and some other bushes and shrubs. we are spending our outside time ripping out the front yard so we can work on the curb appeal. slowly but surely, it will get done