Happy Holidays...2008

Misc December...

I can't believe
the last post I posted was Dec. 16...

well, actually I can...
to catch up...
here is a little
of what has happened since then...

~Dec. 17~
I watched a 23 year old girl
fall 25 feet
to her death
during a church production of
the Christmas Story...

the next day my Uncle died
Tommy and I left at 11 pm and
drove about 5 hours
to Bowling Green
for the funeral
We went to the funeral and
got a flat tire during the procession
to the church
and missed the burial
4 hours later,
with a new tire
we headed home again...

a few days later
The kids and I were in the car for
7 1/2 hours (going to LaGrange)
during a dangerous
ice storm
and only got 65 miles

We had a great Christmas
at my Aunt Joan's Christmas Eve
and at our house Christmas morning
and the Hamilton's parents on Christmas day...

Tommy was Baptized on the 27th

Sunday the 28th the boys and I
drove to Louisville
to celebrate Audrey's Baptism
We were going to
spend the night
at a friends
she went to a meeting
the key she left for us
did not work
so we ate
take out Chinese
on her front porch
and went to Starbucks
for Hot Chocolate...
(paid for by a gift card
that I found in a parking lot...
sorry to whoever lost it...)
she got home at 8:00...

Tommy had his front
two bottom teeth cut through...

I have also
gotten closer to my Pastor
am praying more
realized how strong I am
appreciate my home
love my husband and children
am happy that I am alive
and me

Baking

Benjamin upset

because I did not have icing...

his idea of baking

and my idea of baking

are not the same

at the moment

Soft and Chewy

Gingerbread

Tommy is 5 months today! Dec 16

~ tummy time...~

Tommy is 5 months today!

He is such a sweet little baby

Full of laughter

and

Already very inquisitive

TAG! I am it!~

I have been tagged by my friend Sonja and have to follow the rules:



Here they are:

List these rules on your blog.

Share seven facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their name as well as links to their blogs.

Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.



Seven facts about me:

I went to a French Preschool and spoke French before I spoke English...

I was in Who's Who Among American High School Students my Junior and Senior year

I used to pretend play I was a teacher and called myself Mary Sanders... ha ha !

I have wanted to learn to play the piano for as long as I can remember...

I LOVE swimming in the nude in the ocean

I LOVE the smell after fresh fallen rain

I always wanted to be an actress or in a band...

...

Unfortunetly I do not have 7 people/bloggers to tag..
so
here are
just 7 random facts about me...

Christmas Contest!

My friend Sonja is having a Christmas Contest -

the prize?

Kinder Eggs!!!!

To enter go to her blog:



http://www.pssstkeepasecret.blogspot.com/

this pic was taken by her

Julefest 2008

A typical Norwegian Christmas Tree

with the flags, straw ornaments and paper hearts

The 3rd Annual Sons of Norway

Julefest/Christmas Party

The party favors

The Norwegian Table Prayer

and a straw ornament

A Kransekake


Christmas Tree
that used to belong to my grandmother
with straw goat in the background





Decorations
(these were a wedding present
from my cousin and his wife from Norway





the butter knives
(for the lefse in the background)




The lefse with the sugar, butter and
Butter Girl







Ben with some of the kids






Close up pic of Benjamin
(this is my new favorite photo of him!)





Benjamin checking out the tree
He was very excited
and so good all day!
(As mommy was the chair person
for the event this was much appreciated)
Man I love that kid...!


Annie (Tommy's God Sister)
and Tommy
Yes, mommy got smart
and had a babysitter for him!
and Annie loved it!



Dancing around the Christmas Tree

~Tradition in Norway~

Another Norwegian tradition is a visit

from the Julenisse or Christmas Elf.

After we dance around the tree at our party

we have someone come out and ask three times-

"are there any good children out there??"-

Benjamin was so excited to see the Julenisse

He kept looking out the window

and asking me when he was going to come...

Here is the "nisse" handing out goodie bags...

Benjamin is beside to him to the left...

After the evening was wrapping up,

Ben came up to me and said...

"Is it over mom?"

"Yes..."

"But when is the Julenisse going to come??"

"He was here Ben...he gave you the goodie bag..."

"that wasn't the Julenisse! That was a

PARENT!"

To which I did not reply...

God Jul!

It was a great evening

Photos courtesy of Carol Stone

Turkey...and Thanksgiving

Yesterday Benjamin enthusiastically remarks

"Mom, I want a turkey"

to which I absentmindedly replied

"Okay dear, you can get some tomorrow at dinner."

"No, mom, I want to kill a turkey!"

What?????????

"How do you want to do that?"

"I want to shoot it"

"Where do you think you will find a turkey..."

(I am amused at this point)

"In the woods!"

"Ben, I don't think that is going to happen..."

"Will dad take me?"!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Benjamin is thankful for

turkey

and food...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am thankful for:

smiles

hugs and kisses

warmth

a full belly

a kind, understanding husband

heat in my home

running water

electricity

my home

a cup of hot tea with milk and honey

a good cup of coffee

chocolate

friends to share it with

my eyesight

to see the rain

the snow

the mountains

the ocean

flowers

shooting stars

rainbows

my hearing

to hear birds chirp

waves splash

the wind whip

laughter

me

Do you think he is my son???

One day last week Benjamin
was at a neighbors house
playing with their sons.
One of the kids
was eating a bowl of ice cream
and the parents asked him if he would like a bowl.
He said "sure!"
Then after taking a bite of it he asks
"Does this have High Fructose Corn Syrup in it"
After checking the father says, "yes it does..."
"Oh, then I can't eat it..."
"Oh, no? Why not? Are you allergic?"
"No, ... see this body-
I am strong and healthy
because I eat healthy!"
and he gives the bowl back...

Let the Holiday Season begin...

Ben and I baked a Banana Bread Cake last night.
With this cold weather
warm baked goods
sounded so good
and since I need to lose 80 lbs.
it needed to be healthy,
so we baked a banana bread
with whole wheat flour, applesauce and pineapple chunks.
(and bananas too, of course!)
It was really good.
I am calling it a cake
because Benjamin wanted to bake it
in the bundt cake pan.
Okay-why not?...Banana bread cake it is!

After it was done,
we sat with our IKEA plastic plates
and
HUGE forks and dug in...
even though Ben liked it
I think he likes the cooking/baking part
better than the
eating part
of it all...

and Ben says..."Want cake? Gotta Bake! Right mom?..."
Mom: "Right!"

Monday Madness

Things one should never do:

Punch Start

after you accidently hit 666

on the microwave

Result:

A cracked plate

your sister painted for you

~~~

...Note to self...

Never, never, never

take a kid

to the store

in the afternoon

without a snack

and a nap

~~~

*********************************

Adding to the list of things Ben does...

Soup of the day...

Ingredients:

water

salt

pepper

pumpkin seeds

celery tops

apple peel

Microwave on High for 137 seconds

Mom:...NO, No, no...

not that long...

how about just 37 seconds...

Chef Ole': OK...

Handmade ghosts



I love my life...
even on the hard days
~I love my family~
more than I ever imagined possible

I love that I can post all this here...

Tommy turns 4 mo and Mom gets Down Time

Tommy

4 months old

November 16, 2008

Well, after an emotional Saturday, we had a lazy Sunday. Tommy was 4 months old and slept most of the day...from 1:30 to 5:00. I layed down about 1:30 as well...and slept until 4:00! It was great! Bob and Ben went to Connie and Stu's to watch football so I was HOME ALONE for the early evening and it was nice, nice, nice. Just what I needed.

A Day of Remembering...

IN MEMORY OF

ANNICHEN H. THOMASON

SIT, TENK, OG SMIL

(SIT, THINK, AND SMILE)

A Day of Remembering...

Flashback:

November 15, 2007

I found out I was pregnant with Tommy

Tommy

November 15, 2008

Flashback:

November 15, 2002

My mother passed away

Mom, as a teen


Mom, twenty something...







Mom, In her 40's



When she passed away

her wish

was to have her ashes

spread on Aerø,

our family island in Norway

and because we can't go there often enough

my siblings and I decided to dedicate

a bench

in her honor

at a park

behind our house on Napoleon

in the middle

of a circle of houses

My siblings used to play back there

when it was thick woods...

We put the plaque on the bench

today

Tommy and I drove to Louisville

in the rain

The weather was fitting

it fit my mood

it fit my feelings



Here is a trip through the park



I hope you enjoy it

and

if you get a chance

go visit

her bench

and

Sit, Think, and Smile

Tree Face

Bike Rack /Sculpture

path leading down into the park

The Gazebo where her bench is located

Sitting on her bench looking out

Sitting on her bench looking up

Moms Bench

Looking out from the gazebo

Our old house

is a straight shot up

from the trashcan

The water in front of the cabin

Our cabin in Norway

The sunset

in front of the cabin

love you mommy

wish you were here...