my birthday celebration

We have made it a family tradition to decorate the Christmas tree on my birthday. Our daughter Miranda also sets up 'the church village' just days before, so when our granddaughter Emolyn walks in the front door, she sees it for the first time on my birthday. For she knows she is about to take part in a snowstorm that will suddenly blanket the entire village. Although we have to remind her often that it better not snow on the railroad tracks, or else Pop Pop's N gauge train will not be able to travel throughout the village.

This year we set up 'the village' on one of the counter tops I got on Craig's List, that will eventually be installed in Randy's office. (so I can get my 6 ft. banquet tables back!)

Love that row of festive mailboxes and the kids putting up the town flag...

... and Randy playing with his N gauge train that he's had for over 40 years.

I set up the tripod for a quick family picture and thankfully Elsie kept looking at the camera 

as it beeped for 10 seconds.

Emolyn ooh'd 'n aah'd with every ornament she pulled from the boxes.

I don't know what got Elsie so tickled, but she seems pretty satisfied with herself.

Shawn's favorite is the Sugar Bear ornament that came free in a box of Sugar Smacks cereal in 1990. You squeeze the bear's tummy and it plays Jingle Bells. Well, one year the music stopped. Poor little guy. So we gathered around Sugar Bear and performed open tummy surgery. I took my seam ripper and opened his tummy... Randy removed the old battery... Shawn replaced it with a new battery (which cost $8.00!)... and I slip-stitched him back up. He was good as new! Sugar Bear lives on! 

Oh my gosh! I just saw THIS on eBay. 

We ended the evening over Schwann's Andes Mint Creme Pie complete with candles and the usual Happy Birthday 4-part harmony rendition. Pretty darn awesome!
And then it occurred to us that next year 8 month old twins will be joining in on the festivities! Oh my gosh, I can't imagine!

Christmas Lego collection

We've been a Lego loving family ever since our kids were little.

Back in the late 80's/ early 90's they starting selling these Christmas Lego packets at Lionel Playworld ~ in bins near the check out line for a dollar each. Over the years I would pick up the latest Santa, Snowman or Angel for the kids to put together each Christmas and then take apart so they could put it together the following year. And yes, there were years that I actually waited till after Christmas so I could get the bags half-off. Seriously.

Then the Lego Advent Calendars came out and my kids loved putting together a little Santa or small toy each day leading up to Christmas.

Here's a better look at my Santa collection that I photographed for a blog post a year ago.

We ordered that Lego Christmas tree online last year and we love it!

  Then last night we went to Toy's R Us because we saw that we could get a free Lego Snowman with any $30.00 or more Lego purchase. Well we weren't interested in buying Legos but we wondered if they would sell us just the Lego Snowman. And they did! (for $3.99) So that little guy up there is now the latest addition to our Lego Snowman collection.
Isn't he adorable!

And as you can see, he fits in beautifully!

Hey, come check out more Holiday treasures at these blog parties ~

TUESDAY'S TREASURES
SHOW AND TELL
SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY

warm woolen mittens

What is it about mittens? Maybe it's memories of snowballs and snowmen, sleds and toboggans... resulting in wet mittens drying over hot vents. I can see em all now, several pair draped over warm blowing vents. And there was always a pair on my Mom's knitting needles. I even knitted a pair during a Wisconsin snowstorm back in 1974. (the variegated blue pair atop the solid red pair in the basket below) 

Yes, I have been smitten with mittens for as long as I can remember. 

My Mom knitted mittens for each of my kids over the years, but they were never worn.

So years ago I created a mitten garland for our front window.

And what started out as a handful of homemade mittens has grown to a laundry basket full.

I pick em up at thrift stores and yard sales all year long.

And who remembers mitten clips? Love those plaid clips!

I love this entire retro inspired mantel! That's a plaid woolen scarf with mittens clipped to it ~

along with skis and skates... and framed black 'n white memories.

I've had that picture filed away for years,

hoping one day I would come upon a bag of mitten clips. But seriously, what are the chances of finding such a treasure in the middle of the desert? I know. Pretty slim. ha!

Through Different Eyes

Randy begins each concert with a song he wrote, that was inspired while reflecting on Christmas memories as seen through the eyes of a young boy and then seen through the eyes of our children. Pictures of him and his siblings and our kids are shown on a slideshow as he sings. I have yet to watch it without crying. 

That's our Shawn (4) and Miranda (2) on the screen. 

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of Grace and Truth. 

John 1:14

Our children were all performing on stage as we did "Child of Love"

Our daughter Miranda, me, Shawn and Randy

Our son Shawn on lead guitar

Randy and our friend Terry

Thanks Nancy for capturing these memorable moments over the weekend.

Randy's CDs are available HERE.

He wrote all the songs except "Oh Holy Night". Such powerful music. And just so you know, we do lots of mailing if you'd like us to pop a CD in the mail for you. 

And now that the concerts are over, let the Christmas festivities begin!

concert images

One down, one more to go.

So excited for tonight's final concert. And just as in years past, the weather is cooperating beautifully... as in cold and rainy. I love it. Makes me so happy. We have a fire roaring in the woodstove. And I'm sitting here munching on mint M'nMs while facebooking, blogging and pinning online. Doesn't get much better than that.

Our son Shawn took some artsy cool photos with my camera last night during our sound-check. Love this one of my husband on his 12-string Guild. And you know how much I love bokeh shots. Well, imagine my surprise and delight to be seen in the presence of such bokeh bliss. ha! Love it!
Thanks Shawn.

Thanksgiving '11

I'm in no hurry to post about Christmas till December, so I might as well close out November 

with a few images from our Thanksgiving weekend. 

And yes, I've been setting out that turkey centerpiece for way too many years. 

But I'm not looking to retire her anytime too soon.

We actually had a few rain showers throughout the day.

Made it real fun to snuggle up in the fairy house on the patio.

Pop Pop was invited to join emolyn & elsie in the fairy house for some tickle time.

(notice emolyn holding her powder compact)

How cute is emolyn admiring herself in that makeup mirror... 

and how elsie is so tickled with her Pop Pop.

So thankful that Nicole was able to get off work early and join us for pumpkin pie around the firepot.

We closed out the weekend with a rehearsal for Randy's Christmas Concert Sunday afternoon.

Our drummer took this picture of Randy & I on his iPhone.

We're really looking forward to the concerts this weekend.

Hope you can join us!

Please click the poster on my sidebar for more concert info.

repurposing Packer apparel

To celebrate the Green Bay Packers 11-0 record,

I'm going to show you what I did to the Packer t-shirt I bought for my granddaughter.

Hey, you don't tour Lambeau Field without bringing back t-shirts for your favorite girls! 

But I had to laugh, because after this little photo shoot, 

Emolyn said to me ever so sweetly ~

"Mimi, I don't like looking like a boy. I like dressing like a girl."

Well then, I know a challenge when I see one!

So the day before Thanksgiving I went to the ARC and bought a mens t-shirt for a dollar.

I didn't have emolyn's t-shirt with me,

so I had not a clue as to whether the greens would match.

But they did! Perfectly!

I could not have been more pleased with the final results! 

The t-shirt dress turned out just as I had envisioned it would.

I didn't have time to transform Elsie's t-shirt,

but you can be sure that come Super Bowl XLVI ~ hers will be completed too.

Umm, hello! The Packers better be playing in the Super Bowl!!

So, did I take a picture of Emolyn wearing the dress on Thanksgiving Day ~

during the Green Bay Packers awesome WIN over the Lions? Heck no! 

Thankfully she was thrilled with the dress but before I could snap a picture,

she was on to more important apparel. Like fancy princess dresses.

I'm linking up with my favorite link parties ~

SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY

Happy Birthday Miranda!

We celebrated Miranda's birthday last night with a family dinner

and affirmation around the fire after devouring the Oreo ice cream cake she requested.

Do you see that Birthday Care Bear next to the Birthday Beanie Baby?

Well, Miranda got that Birthday Care Bear on her 1st birthday 26 years ago.

And we make sure to include that Birthday Care Bear every single year 

when celebrating Miranda's birthday.

When it was Emolyn's turn to affirm her Aunt Miranda,

she said "you're awesome and nice, and your voice is pretty and you're pretty."

Isn't that the sweetest ever!

Oh and guess what ~ 

that young man sitting next to my daughter happens to be her boyfriend. 

And we could not be more thrilled!

And that purple crocheted hat that Emolyn is wearing ~

I made that when I was in high school ~ over 35 years ago! I know!