Christmas Traditions--Christmas Day

Christmas day hmmmm....How do you describe the chaotic fun that goes on at our place during the unwrapping? Or the candy trading that happens over breakfast? I don't think there really is a way to describe it; you would have to see it to believe it.

I have no idea when the day starts for the younger children, but after staying up into the wee hours of the morning wrapping gifts, I stay in bed as long as I can. Then it's up and start the crazy day.

We start it with stockings being opened while someone works on breakfast and someone else gets dinner in the turkey roaster.

Then coffee is made and handed out, it's tradition to have good coffee with whipped cream and shaved chocolate on top. I promise you it's better than Starbucks!! Then Dad reads the Christmas story and does advent, everyone then tells who their secret person was and the it's gift opening time!

And that's when all the mayhem starts! Normally one or two people sit next to the tree and hand out gifts one at a time opening them only two people at a time. Sometimes that works, other times it doesn't. It all depends on if there are other people there helping.

As soon as all the gifts are opened and the paper picked up, everyone heads to their own spot to play with, read, and try out, etc. their new gifts. And the rest of the day is spent being lazy. We just lay around doing nothing really but playing and enjoying our gifts and time with our family. Then its evening chores and bed time for all.

Though this year it's a little different than most years, as it falls on a Friday. Fridays are our busiest days, it's the day when everything is loaded into the two cars for four markets, we make sure all product labeled, ice chest cleaned, ice ready, and people have what they need for to go to market. It makes for a VERY busy day. With it falling on Christmas it's all ready looking to be busier than most Fridays, thankfully we all ready had most of it done. :D

Now it's off to bottle milk and load the cars.

Merry Christmas to All!

The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Christmas Traditions--Christmas Eve

Ah, Christmas Eve the Day in which any child under the age of 15 runs around shouting "Tomorrow is CHRISTMAS!!  I can't wait for CHRISTMAS!  You will never guess what I got YOU for CHRISTMAS!!"  It's a fun filled day, in which we make sure all the kids are ready to go to evening service, all gifts are bought and wrapped, ready and waiting to go under the tree as soon as the kids are in bed.

It's that day when Christmas music is played nonstop (The only day that there is more Christmas music played would be Christmas).  The kids eagerly talk about where we are eating out that night, and trying not to tell everyone what they got for everyone. :D

The morning of Christmas Eve is never the same, there are times when we do nothing that morning, where as other mornings we decorate cookies or the tree.  Sometimes we've even watched one of the movies we have yet to watch.

But it\'s the evening of Christmas Eve that we can always count on being the same.  Every year everyone gets dressed in their best Christmas clothes, we all load into the van and head out to eat.  Where we eat all depends on what mom and dad want and how much time we have, we've done Jason's Deli, Cajun Town, and Fuzzy's Pizza, like I said it all depends on what mom and dad want.  :D  But no matter what for us children it's a treat and we always look forward to it enjoy the time out immensely!

After that (or sometimes even before that) we go our church's Christmas Eve service, where we get to sing Christmas hymns, listen to bible passages, and a short sermon from our pastor.  It's my favorite part about Christmas Eve (the only thing better was when Christmas was on a Sunday a couple years back. :D )  Afterwards there is some visiting with other church members, and then on then on home we go.

Once we get home, after our traditional stop at Central Market, all the youngers get ready for bed, while the olders finish evening chores.  Then we all gather around dad and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while he reads "The night Before Christmas" and "Texas Night Before Christmas".

After he is finished we all open on present and to a point we all know what we are going to be getting--A Christmas tree Ornament.  Everyone gets one, so that we are "All grown up and have our own house with our own tree we will be able to have ornaments all ready to put on the tree.  Mom and dad get one so that when we move away their tree won't be bare."  :D  It's always fun to see what we are going to get, for my 16th Christmas I got one from there I was born, another year I got one that looked like a scroll and had a verse on it that means a lot to me.  Each year they are different, but they almost always match.  Two years ago it was cowboy Santas for everyone, where as last year it was animal themed, and three years ago it was Texas themed.

Then everyone under the age of 16 heads to bed after putting out hay, cookies, peanut butter and a beverage.  Then mom and dad relax while eating the eatable stuff put out for "Santa and his reindeer".  Then mom and I will stuff stockings.  After that everyone heads off to bed except for me and one or two other sisters who lock ourselves into my room and finish wrapping the gifts.

Then it's off to bed with "visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas Traditions--Movie Watching (Non-Cartoons)

Here are the other two movies that we watch.  :D 

"Scrooge" A.K.A--The Christmas Carol" (with Alastair Sim)--This movie tells about Scrooge’s visits from three ghosts (four is you count Marley), all telling him about his Christmas'--Past, Present, and Future--and what a humbug he was when it came to the holiday.  Not only have we watched this movie every year, but every three or so years dad pulls out his copy of the Dickens’s masterpiece and spends a couple weeks reading it to us.  He's done it enough times, combined with watching the movie that any time someone say's "Marley" around anyone in our family esp. mom or I we are known to say "Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail."  From the second paragraph of both the book and the movie.

"Stingy old Ebenezer Scrooge is known as the meanest man in London. He overworks and underpays his humble clerk, Bob Cratchit, whose little son, Tiny Tim, is crippled and may soon die. He also has nothing to do with his nephew, Fred, because his birth cost the life of his beloved sister. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge has a haunting nightmare. He is visited by three ghosts and is given one last chance to change his ways and save himself from the grim fate that befell his business partner, Jacob Marley."

"If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.  He should!"

"Mrs. Dilber: Are you all right, Mr. Scrooge?
Ebenezer: [ecstatic] I... I don't know. I don't know anything. I never did know anything.

[starts laughing]
But now I KNOW that I don't know anything!

[begins to sing and clap his hands]
I don't know anything!  I never did know anything!  But now I know that I don't know  All on a Christmas morning!

[speaking again]
Ebenezer: Shall I stand on my head? I must stand on my head.
[He does so, and Mrs. Dilber runs out screaming]" 

"Mrs. Dilber: A guinea? For me? What for?
Ebenezer: I'll give you a guess!
Mrs. Dilber: [pause] To keep me mouth shut?"

"It's A Wonderful Life"--An all time favorite in our house, so much so that we've been known to watch it more than once a year.  Up to as many as three or four!!  Now, that's breaking tradition if I've ever seen it in our house.  :D  And all throughout the year we are known to comment on the movie, recite lines from it, or wish that we could watch it right then.  Think about it--A movie with Jimmy Stewart in it is always bound to be good.  :D

"On the Christmas Eve of Bedford Falls, the guardian angel Clarence is assigned to convince the desperate George Bailey to not commit suicide. George is a good man, that sacrificed his dreams and his youth on behalf of the citizens of his small town. He inherited the loan business of his father and he gave up traveling the world and joining University as scheduled. Later he resisted the proposals of the evil banker Mr. Potter, and never sold his business to protect the poor community of Bedford Falls and offer a means to afford to buy their own house. He married his beloved Mary Hatch Bailey and had four children with her and a tough life with his family. When his uncle Billy loses $8,000.00, found and stolen by Mr. Potter, George decides to commit suicide, since he believes he worth more dead than alive. When Clarence sees that he is not able to persuade George to give up his intention, he decides to show the life in town if George had never existed. George concludes that life is wonderful."

"George Bailey: I'm shakin' the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world. Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I'm comin' back here to go to college and see what they know. And then I'm gonna build things. I'm gonna build airfields, I'm gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I'm gonna build bridges a mile long..."

"Clarence: You've been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you.

---

Clarence: You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?  

---

Clarence: Strange isn't. Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole doesn't he? 

---

Clarence: [In book inscription] Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends. "

" George Bailey: Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!"

Christmas Traditions--Movie Watching (Cartoons)

One of the younger’s favorite Christmas tradition is the movies we watch. O.K. I have to be totally honest, some of the movies we watch rank pretty high on my favorite list of traditions. :D  Since I couldn't keep the quotes down to one or small ones a couple of the movies, I decided to make this into two post, the cartoons and the non-cartoons.  :D  As you can see I am starting with the Cartoon movies.  :)

"The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"--Of the Cartoon movies that we watch, this my favorite. Don't ask me why, but it is and has always been. It could be, perhaps, all the rhyming. Or it could be "Little Cindy Lou Who". But I think that the most likely reason of all is the Grinch himself.  Whatever it maybe be it the rhyming, or Cindy Lou, or even the Grinch himself. I love this movie and will always watch it even if there are no kids in the house. :D

"Bitter and hateful, the Grinch is irritated at the thought of the nearby village having a happy time celebrating Christmas. So disguised as Santa Claus, with his dog made to look like a reindeer, he raids the village to steal all the Christmas things, hoping to keep the Who's from having a Christmas that year."

"Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small."

"And what happened then...? Well...in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!
And then the true meaning of Christmas came through,
And the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches… plus two."

"Little Drummer Boy"--Of all the movies we watch this is my least favorite, always has been. Way back to when I was eight or nine.  It's one of those things where I can't pin point it and everyone else I know loves it, but I have always disliked it. There are times when even the music gets on my nerves. But, I sit through it and watch it for my family. But, between you, me, and everyone else in the world who reads this--I HATE that movie!!

"When Aaron's family is killed, he hates all people and his only friends are the lamb Baabaa (we have a dog named Babaa, because he looks a lot like the lamb from this movie), the donkey Samson and the camel Joshua. But an unscrupulous traveling performer convinces them to join his troupe, and then sells Joshua to a trio of kings. Aaron follows the star to find Joshua, but then Baabaa is badly injured, and Aaron must overcome his hatred of mankind and find a gift with which to approach the babe in the manger and ask for help"

  

"Come they told me, pa rum pa pom pom
A new born King to see, pa rum pa pom pom
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pa pom pom
To lay before the King, pa rum pa pom pom,
rum pa pom pom, rum pa pom pom" 

"Frosty The Snowman"--A fun loving movie about a snowman, (which I have only made one of in my life, lol). I'm sure everyone has seen this movie (as well as all the other movies I have and will mention) at least once in their life. It's a fun movie all about the "magic of Christmas Snow" and good music, which makes for an enjoyable thirty minutes. :)

"A discarded silk tophat becomes the focus of a struggle between a washed-up stage magician and a group of schoolchildren after it magically brings a snowman to life. Realizing that newly-living Frosty will melt in spring unless he takes refuge in a colder climate, Frosty and a young girl who he befriends stow away on a freight train headed for the north pole. Little do they know that the magician is following them, and he wants his hat back."

"I suppose it all started with the snow. You see, it was a very special kind of snow. A snow that made the happy happier, and the giddy even giddier. A snow that'd make a homecoming homier, and natural enemies, friends, natural. For it was the first snow of the season. And as any child can tell you, there's a certain magic that comes with the very first snow, especially when it falls on the day before Christmas. For when the first snow is also a Christmas snow..."

"Traffic Cop: That silly snowman. Once they come to life, they don't know nothin'."

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"--The movie about the reindeer with a red-nose, good Burl Ives music, and nothing it oh so terrible and oh so boring. It’s all very enjoyable. lol And just in case you’re wondering when...In our family we all agree, that when they wanted something to give them an idea of reindeer playing they watched four day old baby goats.

"Sam the snowman tells us the story of a young red-nosed reindeer who, after being ousted from the reindeer games because of his beaming honker, teams up with Hermey, an elf who wants to be a dentist, and Yukon Cornelius, the prospector. They run into the Abominable Snowman and find a whole island of misfit toys. Rudoph vows to see if he can get Santa to help the toys, and he goes back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. But Santa's sleigh is fogged in. But when Santa looks over Rudolph, he gets a very bright idea"

"Have a holly jolly Christmas
It's the best time of the year
Well I don't know if there'll be snow
But have a cup of cheer

Have a holly jolly Christmas
And when you walk down the street
Say hello to friends you know
And everyone you meet

Ho ho the mistletoe
Hung where you can see
Somebody waits for you
Kiss her once for me

Have a holly jolly Christmas
And in case you didn't hear
Oh bygolly have a holly jolly Christmas
This yea"

Christmas Traditions--Messiah

Another tradition that we always do is listening to Handel's Messiah.

We all gather in the living room, and spend the evening  listen to scripture being sung.  Sometimes it takes two evenings to listen to the entire thing, but hopefully we get it all listened to before Christmas comes around.

With the toddlers and younger children it's not a case of everyone sitting still and listening.  Sometimes the youngers will play a game while the olders will wrap presents or work on Christmas gifts, the main point is that we are all there as a family and we are all enjoying the listening of the Messiah together.  :D

Christmas Traditions--Light Seeing

For as long as I can remember when we lived in the city, twice a year ever year dad and mom would load us all up into what every vehicle that we had at the time and we would go around two neighborhoods and look at all the lights.

One night we would spend looking at lights in our neighborhood and the other night we would spend looking at the lights in the River Oaks area.

This is one of those traditions that probably stayed alive for all these years due to the amount of younger siblings that I have. Because something tells me that my dad wouldn't drive Chris and me around at the age of 20 and 21. lol (Though, this year I did offer to drive so dad could look, but he didn't take me up on it.)

And yet this is also one of those traditions that have changed over the years. First off there is not much to see in our neighborhood.  So, we've gone to going only one night and with us being in Houston very rarely at night it's moved so that we look at lights after Christmas Eve Service. It makes for Christmas Eve being a litter later than it used to, but a very enjoyable and memory filled evening. :D

Christmas Traditions--St. Lucia Day

"The Story of Saint Lucia stretches back to the time of the Vikings and the Roman Empire. According to legend, Lucia was a brave young woman from the island of Sicily, in the Mediterranean. When Lucia heard about the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian, she gave one Christian family her entire dowry. This so angered her betrothed husband, that he told authorities that Lucia secretly practiced Christianity. Lucia, who died a martyr’s death, was much admired for her courage, generosity and faith."

In case you haven't found out yet we are Swedish. (Thanks to my mom the Carlson children are more Irish then Swedish, but don't tell that to my Grandfather. lol) But, being the traditionalists that we are we do a few traditions from Sweden. O.K. so this is really the only Swedish tradition we do in our family, but it's one that our parents love and that the kids enjoy doing.

Every December 13th, the oldest daughter will serve coffee and breakfast in bed to either her entire family or just her parents. It all depends on the family traditions and I am guessing that family size. She wears an outfit of all white, except for a red sash. She will also wear a crown or wreaths with candles.

In our family it's every December 13th the oldest child gets up at whatever time she has to get all of the food cooked and coffee made for the entire family before we have to start our activities for that day. As soon as the food is made she gathers all the children into the kitchen and hands out stacks of plates, napkins, cups, utensils, plates filled with rolls or fruit and someone to carry the coffee pot. Just in case you’re wondering it takes everyone to get all of those things into mom and dad's room.

We all do our best to dress in all white as the tradition would have us do, but as I gave up white clothing about a decade ago it's hard to find all the gear for all of us. And as it wouldn't be all that safe to have lighted candles we just have one of the younger children hold an unlit candle.

You might guess that being the oldest I am always the first in line with the rolls. But in truth I am not for more than one reason. A couple of my sisters wanted to be the "Lucia Bride", plus it's hard to make sure everyone is in line and not dropping any food, plates, candles, etc. when you’re in the front. So starting a few years back we decided that when you were 13 and 15 you could be the "Lucia Bride". And for the past 6 years I have not had to go in first and worry who was spilling or dropping what, as each of my sisters from Chris on down to Linnea have been the "Lucia Bride" and made my job easier.

Once we've brought the food into our parent’s room everyone finds a spot where ever they can, food is served, we all eat and then dad does the advent reading of the day. :D It's a tradition that the girls always look forward to and I am assuming my parents do as well. :D

Circus

A week and half ago the circus came to town!! And we got to go!!

I'm sure that everyone is thinking about Barnum and Bailey and that they came to Houston. If so, you are incorrect. :D We went to the Carson and Barnes Circus, in Waller Texas.

It was a Monday morning, and mom and dad were out of town still (they asked for the weekend off in Austin, and Christin and I said "Sure why not?"). And I had to get the younger three boys and Liberty out of the house so the older girls could get the house cleaned for mom and dad. Remembering that they were setting up the big tent that morning, I loaded GrandDavid, Seth, Noah, and Liberty in my car and asked my neighbor if they could take Judah (as I already knew she was going with her two children and had a spare seat).

I didn't think we would be able to go as it cost over $150 for our entire family, but I thought this would be a great way for the youngest four to see some of the circus fun and for GrandDavid to see it and remember when he went when he was a child.

So, we went and saw all the sights, watched the elephant help put up the tent and left. As we get in the car GrandDavid asks how much it would cost for our entire family to go, thinks on it for ten minutes and says "Let’s get the tickets, I think everyone will LOVE it!!". So we got the tickets, and the younger’s are ecstatic and the older are excited (Chris and I being the only children who had seen a circus, 17 years ago, were the only ones not talking about their first time at a circus).

All in all it was so much fun, the kids loved, the dogs, the olders loved the trapeze act, and of course the elephants were a hit with everyone. :D Even if Seth was way too tired and Judah decided that that was the best time to be sick all over dad.

"I'M GOING TO THE CIRCUS!!!"

"I'm not so sure about this circus thing, I saw those animals that are larger than my house and could eat me for dinner. Isn't there something else we could do tonight?!"

"Please hurry up and open!!"
(We got there 45 minutes early as it was a first come first serve for the seating and with the amount of people we have and all the littles that we have, we wanted to make sure we could all sit together at a "lower" level. Thus, making for a long wait and some impatient toddlers. lol)

Everyone waiting for it to start.

Oh, look Seth likes cotton candy. Two weeks before at our church's Reformation party, he wouldn't touch cotton candy with a ten foot pole (as he had his hand over his mouth to make sure no one would force him to eat it.) But at the circus, he loved it. lol Go figure.




The Elephants




The trapeze act

Reformation Party

Every year our church has a Reformation Party and chili contests on the 31st of October. It's the day that we celebrate Martin Luther posting of his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517.

We've been doing this at our church for 7 years now (in fact it was the second time we ever went to this church). Each year the kids have tons of fun, playing games, eating candy, being with friends, and trying to see who can kill all their taste buds first with the chili.

This year with the party being on a Saturday it took a little more planning on our side since we had four markets to be in and couldn't bring all the kids with us to market. It worked like a dream, even though the adults of the family were running purely on coffee by the end of the day.

This year the girls also dressed up. They weren't too keen on dressing as bible characters as that would mean they would have to make entire new outfits. So they went as the wife’s of reformers or woman who is very rarely known and who helped translate the bible. The girls loved dressing up and were very disappointed in me as I was a "spoil sport" and wouldn't dress up like the rest of them.

I have to say that even though, by the end of the day I was really only running on sugar and coffee it was very enjoyable and I wish we had far less candy and desserts in the house right now. lol

Sand

Here are some picture of our sand and the kids playing on it. :D

I'm standing one pile, and from there you can see the seven other piles, all the way back towards the street. :D

Trenches that the kids made while acting out the war between the states. (It's a lot deeper then it looks).

The girls eating lunch while the boys play.

The only problem with all this sand is that it was all dumped between the house and the Dairy, so to get to the dairy we either have to walk over it or around it, all the while dodging sand balls. lol

Swede Farm Happenings

>We're getting EIGHT dump truck loads of sand (yes you read that correctly eight truck loads.) The kids think it's the best thing since seeing over a foot of snow in Virginia five years ago. lol If you remember I posted some about this back in April when we go three loads worth. Well they think that this is better than that. :D

They are sharing two kids per pile right now, before they started sand art it was sliding down the SAND hill on a shovel. Remember the scene from "It's A Wonderful Life", when they are sliding down the ice on shovels? Same thing, except here it’s sand and heat. All the lines and everything were included as well. lol They are having the time of their lives, but I'm don't look forward to the laundry that I will have to be washing today, tomorrow, this week, and next week!! lol

>Today is cheese, chocolate milk, and room cleaning day. I am ashamed to say that my room has taken a back seat to other things these past few weeks, and the pile of books, papers, laundry, and toys is proving that. Even though I don't share a room with a sibling (as in they don't have a bed in there) I seem to share it with the entire family! The olders go in there all the time for books, while the youngers go in there to jump on my bed (it's the only bed in the house that is not a bunk bed besides my parent's and mom's bed is WAY off limits). Not to mention, they love reading the hunting, tanning, gun, and history books that I am always borrowing from the library.

So, with my room being a mini family room it needs constant cleaning and I've had to push it off for more than one reason in the past few days. Yesterday I had had it and made a point to work on it. Though, it seemed that the little that I got cleaned was messed up by a few toddlers. Now today it's looking much better and will hopefully be cleaned by the end of the day.

>Last night was family night--Pizza and ice cream in front of a movie--It happened that we ended up watching a kid movie. And truthfully it really was a kid movie. "The Adventures of Milo and Otis", a movie that I remember watching when I was Liberty and Timothy's age (It sounds weird hearing that come from my mouth!!). All about a cat that accidently leaves its farm home and the dog that follows it to rescue it. It had Emma on down in fits of laughter through the entire thing, while Linnea on up sat there either laughing at the antics of the toddlers or deciding if what they said about farm life was true.

Tonight we are planning on another family night with a movie for the older kids--Jimmy Stewart's "Bend of the River"--Maybe--It's also the first night of the NLCS, which I would like to watch, but I will have to wait and see which we do. :D

>I think that's all that's all that is going on here except for the normal--Milking, markets, processing, school, Dr. Appointments, church, etc.. Life here at Swede Farm is NEVER dull!! :D

Movie Night

Last night we had a movie night. It was all of the children and mom (dad was out of town for a cheese making class). We watched "Bringing Up Baby", a favorite in our house for years. I remember watching it for the first time when I was Tim's age (gosh, that feels like ages ago!).

In "Bringing Up Baby" Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) is trying to finish his project for the museum that he works for. He is also trying to convince Mrs. Random to donate one million dollars to the museum. While meeting with the Mrs. Random's lawyer, Huxley runs into Mrs. Random's scatterbrained niece--Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn), who decides that she likes David Huxley and is going to marry him. Never really taking into fact the he is already engaged (in fact plans to be married the day after he meets Susan).

Susan uses a leopard named baby, a dog named George, and the fact that her Aunt is Mrs. Random, for a day that she considers is fun and one that David considers as anxiety provoking.

In the end.....Well, in the end, no one gets eaten, things fall apart and our entire family is sent into gales of laughter more times than I can count. You didn't really expect me to tell you, how it ended did you?

Through out the entire movie it seems like at least one person in our family is chuckling. Be it Noah over the leopard, mom over an adult comment or Emma over a song, it's a movie that at any given time our entire family can sit down and all enjoy. Which is no easy matter when there are 13 people to please! But with lines like....

David Huxley: You don't understand: this is *my* car!
Susan Vance: Your golf ball, your running board, your car? Is there anything in the world that doesn't belong to you?
David Huxley: Yes, thank heavens, YOU!

and

Susan Vance: Anyway, David, when they find out who we are they'll let us out.
David Huxley: When they find out who *you* are they'll pad the cell.

It will always be a favorite, and I think us enjoying it and continuing to watch it a dozen years after us kids first saw it, might prove my point. :D

YES!!

They're home! They're home! Doing the happy dance here!! lol Some of the kids are acting like they have been gone for months!! oh, wait it has been months! But they have been so jammed pack full of things to do on and off the farm, that it seemed to fly by---For me at least! lol

Well, it was non-stop talking in the car, each wanting to tell the other what happened where they were. Not to mention a number of people all wanting to tell the same thing in a different way! There is no way we could catch up in our two hour car drive. So, there will be a lot of that going on in the next few days.

As it is right now, Chris and Grace have already visited the old animals, the new animals, and just walked around a little bit.

Right now Christin is helping dad put a gate in one of the doe pens, making it easier to get in and out, to move does around, feed animals, etc. and Grace is helping to milk (since the milking machine broke yesterday morning. grrrrr!!!!)

Now, they are teasing us telling us we will have to wait for our birthday's or Christmas to see what they got. And those skittles I asked them to get me? Well, they forgot. And chocolate? I need to wait until the unpack. (As their suite cases sit in my room taking up about 1/3 of my free floor space.)

Grace has already said she is sleeping with me tonight and taken Seth and won't seem to let him go, (She did her farm check while holding him!) where as Christin has taken all control of Judah. They have also told us when and what chores they are taking over starting either tomorrow or Wednesday. lol

Now, I am off to cook so it will be warm when they come in from chores and MAYBE we will get to see what they brought home. And then again, maybe, maybe not. When I went to D.C. I gave everyone one or two gifts, then saved the rest for Christmas. (The again it was only 3 & 1/2 months until Christmas).

I am so glad they are home!!

They are coming home!!

Well, Chris and Grace are probably sleeping (I know would be!). While we are frantically running around trying to get shores done, kids dressed and the floors picked up. (You would never believe that I had them all picked up last night. :- S )

I can't wait! I've been counting down the days! I can't wait to see them, hear their stories, see their pictures, and finally all the postcards they have bought us. lol

Though I can wait for the fight that will ensue when we get to the car, who sits next to who, where will the suite cases go, etc. But it will be worth having them back home. :D

It always amazes me, that with the amount of people in our house, you would think that one or two being gone, wouldn't be noticed. But it is! Not just in numbers, but in noise, laundry, work, pretty much everything. When two are gone there is less noise at meal times, and bed times. Less laundry by about four loads a day and more work for us all!

I am so glad that they got to go! At least someone in my family went on my dream trip and got a ton of pictures! : D Though if they didn't bring me chocolate there might be trouble!

Well, off to get everyone ready to go to the airport. Something I don't think the toddler boys have ever done, this will be fun!