Annual Christmas Play and Lights

We had another fun weekend.

I Friday night we helped Harmony celebrate her second birthday at the bowling alley.

It was a great, fun party for her.

John and I went to have pizza at Biggs after the party.

On Saturday we took the girls to see "The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever," at the Todd Weir Theater.  It was a funny, well done play with a message.  We all loved it.

After that we had dinner at Fudd Ruckers and went to the Country Christmas Lights.

Both girls drove again and stuck themselves out the roof, always a special part of the lights.

Today the girls came out and we baked chocolate and white sugar cut outs.  A bit messy as usual but so many memories were made.

Another Weekend is in the Books

We had another really fun weekend.

It started on Friday night with the Live Nativity.  Courtney, Paul, and the girls came out for the Live Nativity.

After that, we had Marco's pizza and after the Van Aukens left, we went to Lyons Pub to meet up with Connie and Paul.

We had a great time full of great conversation and laughs.

On Saturday we headed into Milwaukee to do some shopping and then watch the girls compete in a cheer competition at the Wisconsin Center.

It was a great way to spend a gloomy, rainy Saturday.

Both girls did a great job.  Tiz's team got first place and Soliana's team got a second place.

After the competition we went to Solderman's for hamburgers.

It was a good day.

Today I got started on Christmas cookies.

The Packers lost and fired their coach.

It was a great weekend.

Thanksgiving in Door County

Since the Van Aukens were off to Iowa and Alissa doesn't really like Thanksgiving, John and I cancelled it this year and headed up to Door County.

Of course, I couldn't do without the smell of a cooking turkey so on the Sunday before I made mom, John and I a full thanksgiving dinner.  It was delicious and the house smelled so good.

I also decorated the house for Christmas, took my time this year and really enjoyed doing it.

Courtney, Paul and the girls came out the day before Thanksgiving on their way to Iowa.  They got manicures and we had Kwik Trip for lunch.

The girls also had to spend time with Lacey.

On Thanksgiving Day, John and I headed up to Door County.

We hiked to Old Baldy and went to Cave Point before our dinner at The English Inn.  It was very good.

We stayed at Julie's Motel in Fish Creek for the two nights.  It was a great place to stay.

On Friday we hiked Ellison Bay County Park, drove to the tip, hiked Penninsula State Park, and had a delicious fish boil at the White Gull.  It was a great day.

On O

We ended our night under the Christmas lights in Sister Bay.

On Saturday we took a nice drive home through Two Rivers, it did rain the entire drive, but the scenery is still nice.

So, all in all, it was a great Thanksgiving.  I think we may need to cancel it every year.

The new kitty, the village, and a fun weekend

We woke up to a dusting of snow on Friday.  Since I didn't have school, I decided to put up my village.

I was able to take my time and enjoyed putting it up.

Now it is beginning to look like Christmas inside, too.

Our new kitty, Lacey is doing very well.

We did lose her one day and after searching for two hours, we found her under the chest in the entrance.  She was scared and we did have to start all over with our getting her used to things, but by Friday, she was doing well again. 

On Saturday Paul brought the girls out.  Soli and I played day care and with the doll house while Tiz played with the kitty  and Paul watch football.

Soli and Paul went home after dinner and Tiz spent the night with us.

We watched some funny Netflix show she likes and then a movie.

Today we took her to church where we met Paul and Soli.

After church Paul took the girls to the gym while John and I went to Courtney's craft show in Franklin.

She had been there all day Saturday and today.  She was doing a great job of selling.

It was a very successful show for her.

So, with that another weekend is in the books and we move on toward Christmas.

Marge turns 90 and a new kitty

 Mom turned 90 this past weekend.

It was a big celebration that started on Friday night with subway, cake and presents here at our house to Saturday at the Essen Haus and Comfort Inn in Madison.

A few people did end up with the stomach flu but that did not really dampen Marge's celebration.

She was queen for the night, the polka band played for her and she danced the night away.

On Sunday we stopped and picked up this sweet kitty for her.  It was a gift from Soli and Tiz.

 Meet Lacey Kitty Kohlhoff.

And here she is with all of her cards.  I think she got around 70 or so.

It was a great celebration.

Old Friends and a New Bucks ArenaIt'

It's been another great weekend.

I did not have school on Thursday or Friday so John took Friday off and we headed up to Oshkosh to meet Terri and Mark for a nice, long overdue lunch.

After the lunch John and I walked around Oshkosh for a bit. I miss that city, but in less than a year the Van Aukens will be back there and we can visit more often again.

We went to The Van Auken home in Milwaukee to spend the night.  They were camping so we had the place to ourselves.

We met Joan for dinner at Ricardo's and caught up on her life.  It was a great day to catch up with old friends.

On Saturday we went to a cheer showcase to watch both girls perform with their new gym.  That was fun and that night we went to a Bucks game at their new arena.  We all had a great time at the game which they won.

Soli came home with us after the game, we did church today and then she trick or treated with Kaliyah.

We just returned her to meet her family in Delafield.

It was a fun, full weekend.

Going back to work tomorrow will be hard, I think.

On another note, last Tuesday, John and I made a run to the emergency room.  We are not doctor people and try to keep our distance from them but john was worried about a bruise type thing that was moving up his leg.

Turns out he did have a superficial blood clot which he treated with warm compresses and aspirin.

We spent three hours there and got home by around 1:00 in the morning.

He was supposed to have a follow up appt with a surgeon, but since it seems to be gone, we have decided that it is not necessary.  Doctors only find more things wrong and they aren't there to cure just treat.

So there was that little bit of excitement.

I think that is all for now.

Till next time...

Brewers, Tipsy Goose, and Silent AuctionIt'

It's been another fun weekend.

On Friday after grocery shopping, John and I went to Biggs for some beers, pizza, and the Brewers game.

Brewers game, you ask, since when did I become a Brewer fan?

Well, in the last two weeks when they made it to the playoffs.

I couldn't get enough of them and I learned so much of the strategy involved in the game.

Anyway they had to win the best of seven and they were on game five on Friday which they needed to win to stay alive.

Connie and Paul were in town so they met us there and we had a great time catching up.

The Brewers did indeed win so now they are all tied up at 2 - 2 so Saturday night would be the big game that would decide it all.

On Saturday we did some shopping at Kohl's where John actually found pants, shoes, and gloves.  He never buys himself anything so that was nice.  We also stopped at Farm and Fleet to look at toys for school and much to our dismay, you can bring your dogs to Farm and Fleet now.  What does a dog need in a store.  So many dogs, barking, scaring little kids, ugh!

We went to the Alpha Resource Center Silent Auction on Saturday night.

Great food, good beer, and a lot of nice items.

We bid on quite a few things including the raffle for a purse which could have $100. in it.

Well, I got the lucky purse, but felt it was only right to give the money back, but I kept the purse and it is cute.

After that, we went over to the Tipsy Goose which is an old bar taken over by new owners who also happen to own Biggs.

We had Door County Mules that were so good and we watched the Brewers lose.

I am no longer a Brewer fan.  We will see what next year brings.

Today my kids sang in church.  It was great as it always is.

John and I did lots of yard work, so many leaves!

Now for some down time before another week starts.