The Weekend.....Christmas Sugar Cookies........Basketball

Picture of our tree, in the house & decorated. I'm not the best picture taker but I like my tree!

Wow! Minus 13 degrees today! Wow, that is cold.

This weekend we helped our friend move his cows home, it was cold cold cold, super cold! I didn't think I would ever get warm. But I did! Not only was it minus degrees but the wind was crazy, blowing & COLD.....again....COLD! The cows moved pretty good though, because it was so cold, so that was a plus!

On Sunday the kids finally rolled out the sugar cookies & we frosted & decorated them. It was great fun & I got some cute pictures of them in action. I love Christmas time for so many reasons but baking & making all kinds of treats is one of my favs! Love it!

Last week, on Thursday both of the kids had basketball games. Emmy did great & Tennyson had a double header, that is a long night of basketball. He is getting so good, I'm so proud of him! He is such a hussler! I have some pictures of them playing b-ball too.

I am excited for this week, Emmy has her Christmas program on Thursday & then we are out at 1pm on Friday for 2 weeks....yahoo! I'm so ready for a break! I love Christmas Break, I can spend the entire time with the kids and we can just hang out and be BUMS! I love being a bum!

Merry Christmas Everyone! I love this time of year. Enjoy the treats of the season and the music all around us.

Have the time of your life!

Candice

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

...............or if you are from Canada! O Tannenbaum O Tannenbaum!
I always thought this was a French Origin but I just learned it is German?! Huh, since we learned it in school, I just assumed french!

We finally went & got our tree on Sunday. It was great fun, of course we cut down a huge tree & had to cut about half of it off! But we have some great boughs to use. I love having a tree! It is so pretty and it looks so festive. Emmy & I decorated it and put all the decorations. Dave cussed the lights, I make him put the lights on because he is way more patient than I am. ha ha!

Here are a few pictures of us getting the tree.

Emmy & Tenny sledding while we were getting a tree

Tenny & Emmy in a tree!

This is the TREE! Imagine it about 1/2 this size...in my house. I'll have to get a picture of it all decorated now.

Onto another SUBJECT.......................
I'm all finished with my classes this semester & keep your fingers crossed (or at least, I will be). I'm hoping for my first ever 4.0......i've gotten close before but stupid B+'s and A-'s keeping screwing up my chances! ha ha! It was a tough semester and was alot of work with projects. I am soooo looking forward to a break. I have a break until Jan. 14th. I'm going to love the month off! For work, we have 2 weeks off for Christmas Vacation, so the kids & I will have 2 weeks off together with NO school or work! I cannot wait.
This past weekend was the STROLL in Downtown Deer Lodge, I was busy finishing up a final but managed to make it just in time for the parade....of lights. It was cute. Tennyson was his 4-H float, those pictures did not turn out but Emmy's did from the Church Float.

I am looking forward to NO school work & baking cookies, wrapping presents and spending some quality time with the family!

Have the time of your life!

Candice

Emmy on the Church Float - Christmas Stroll 2008

It's beginning.....

Tenny & Emmy at the Wild Life Zoo in Phoenix...Feeding the Giraffe's

............................To FEEL Alot like Christmas.

We made it home safely from Phoenix. It was a LONG road trip but it was great fun. My kids are such great travelers, it wasn't even that painful. It was just hard sitting for so long and trying to sleep in the pick-up....NOT fun!

I have some pictures from our adventures while in Phoenix. Some road-trip scenery pictures that Tennyson took while on the way home. Some pictures while we were at the zoo and cabela's. I think of the highlights of the trip for me was jogging outside in the mornings with just shorts & a tank top! I could get used to that! There is no jogging at home, with tanks & shorts....too cold.

We finally got some white stuff on the ground, very little though!

But at least it's starting to look a little more like Christmas.

This week is finals week, so I have been burning the midnight oil, trying to get all my projects/papers/exams completed! I'm tired and can't wait until Wednesday of next week, all will be turned in and completed.

Because I have been so busy with school work, we don't have our tree yet. I think we'll get it on Sunday, after church. What a fun way to spend an afternoon..right? But I did manage to set out a few decorations on Sunday night before I went to bed. I wanted to wake up on Monday, December 1st and have it feel like Christmas. The stockings are hung, and a few decorations too. It's minimal but it will due until next week! I have been blasting the Christmas tunes since Monday! I love Christmas music....love love love it!

Well, here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend in Phoenix. Enjoy.

Make today GREAT. Have the TIME of your life.

Candice

Tenny & Emmy in front of Cabela's in Phoenix

**More pictures on my facebook! Check them out, pictures even include Turtles Mating, who knew that could be so entertaining!

Turkey Day

I am so thankful for family, friends, good and a fun trip to Arizona.

We took a road trip with Dave's mom and dad down to Sunny Arizona. We drove all night (picture me saying that while singing the song....We drove all night....to get to you).......anyways we spent 17.5 hours on the road. Stop for 1 hour to eat dinner at the Olive Garden (my favorite restaurant)! It was yummy. We left at 3:45pm on Tuesday and got Phoenix at 9:15am on Wednesday morning. It was a long trip but what a great way to travel with kids. We have taken some pics but I'll have to post them when we get home. I know, I hate posts without pictures.

Tennyson jumped into Donny's freezing cold pool..........I have some great pictures of that.

We took the kids to Cabela's yesterday and got some great pics outside and inside of Cabela's. They loved it! Tennyson had some serious cash burning a whole in his pocket. He had saved up $100 from his odd jobs to spend at Cabela's. He blew his cash wad pretty quickly but he knew exactly what he wanted, so it was pretty fun.

Tomorrow, we are taking the kids to the Zoo. I love the zoo and am so excited to see the Phoenix zoo. I have never been before.

WE just ate a wonderful turkey dinner. It has been a fun weekend. So nice to have 5 days off of work & to be down where it is much WARMER. Sarah & I went for a run this morning, we wore shorts and tank tops. What a fun run!

I am thankful for:

School (even though I complain all the time about how much work it is....I do love it)

My family

My kids

My house
Wonderful Friends

and to live in this wonderful country!

I am so lucky and so blessed!

Have a great LONG weekend.

Make it the TIME of your life.

Rival Weekend!

It's the weekend that all football fans look forward to....RIVALRY! In the state of Montana it is Cat/Griz weekend. Since Dave and I are both Alumni of MSU, we are crazed CAT fans, and we are raising two crazed Cats Fans. I have made sure that Tennyson has worn an MSU shirt everyday this week......some might call that fanatical but I call it dedicated.
I have never attended a LIVE Cat/Griz game, not when I was a student in Bozeman or not even when I worked at the University. I prefer to enjoy the game, from the comfort of my couch! Plus, the game is always the middle/end of November.....BRRRR! I'm a total fair weather fan, I don't like to bust out the Carhartt's unless I have too!
This rivalry has been going on for 108 years! Yes, I said 108 years. They didn't play during WWII, so there were no games the years 1941-1946. The CATS have been in a slump for the past few years, really since their big championship team isn the 1980's. We have won a few games since then but NOT many. Again, I say, I am a dedicated FAN! Maybe even fanatical.
BUT I feel it, I really do....I think this year could be the year of the CATS. New, young quarterback.....I think he's 3rd String...........great running game, a receiver that is in his senior year. "Lulay...Lulay....Lulay!"
I love college football!
I love a good game!
And I love RIVAL Weekend!
Whereever you are, enjoy the weekend and be thankful for family, friends and football!
Have the time of your LIFE!

Champ (The Bobcat) & Monte (The Griz)....you're going down...MONTE!

My Future Bobcat....Tennyson Miller (Corner Back #88)

I love CANDY!

I decided to make this post, really light & fun!

If you were a starburst, what color would you be?

How do you eat your starbursts?

Do you eat all the same color at once or do you mix two flavors in one bite?

Do you share your starbursts or only the ones you don't like?

Tell me....how do you eat your starbursts?

EGG Launch

So you ask, what does a Grad Student do?

We LAUNCH eggs!

Yes, one of my assignments this unit was to launch an egg.

Here are the "rules":

1. The egg can be in a container no larger than 10 cm X 10 cm X 10 cm. That is, it cannot be a larger volume than one liter container.
2. It is to be launched at least 10 meters (40 feet) into the air and return to the ground. For the launcher you can use anything but your arm.
3. There are no other rules other than it must be a raw egg, but if you are concerned about a particular talk to me about it in the faculty lounge area.
4. Anyone with a camera and who is proud of their innovation. Send your picts or post them for all to see in the doc sharing.

I got a half filled container of frosting that had been in the fridge for way TOO long and put an egg in there, stuff a plastic bag over the top of it and put the lid on. I used a pilate resistant band for the launcher.....voila.......you have an egg ready to be launced!

Dave and John held the bands, Tennyson held the egg and let it go. I took pictures and videoed it. It was quite a fun family project. The kids were so excited to see if the EGG survived and it did. In fact, we had to launch it twice because I didn't go 40 feet the first time.

The egg survived all the attempts. When it landed the last time, the lid came off the frosting container....yet, the egg, still survived!

I have posted some pics and my video clips of the launching.

If you ever need a Family Home Evening idea, try launching an EGG in a container no bigger than 10x10x10, 40 feet in the air BUT the egg has to survive!

Good luck!

The egg in the container, covered with one plastic grocery bag.

The launcher, only we did it outside!

The egg, survived. This is the egg after it had been lauched (a couple times).

The bottom of the container did NOT fair so well, it was a little cracked and covered with grass.

The video of the launch (please don't mind my voice).

The EGG survived! (Again, please disregard my commentary).

Country Music AWARDS

So let me recap our evening.

Candice - bakes 3 batches of cookies (new recipe-Chocolate-Mint Cookies, Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies & Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies).

I have included the recipe for the Chocolate-Mint Cookies - they are DELISH, certain to be a crowd favorite.

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter softened

3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips (I substituted white chips, looks really pretty w/ white)

Preheat oven to 375F. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Add the egg and peppermint extract, and beat until combined.

Stir the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a second bowl. Mash any lumps with your fingers. Add this dry stuff to the wet mixture. Mix well.

Add the chips. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly blended.

Put spoonfuls of dough a couple inches apart on the coookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Anyway back to the recap of the night!

Emmy & I programmed in the CMA awards.

Award show begins at 6pm. I am on batch #2 of cookies.

Emmy & Tennyson - watch CMA Awards.....

As instructed Emmy yells up the stairs a play by play of CMA action.....who exactly was singing and who just won awards. It was priceless.

What was even more priceless, was her hoot and holler when she agreed with the WINNER!

I love that my kids are such Country Music Fans!

What was even more priceless.......they know all the words to the songs too!

I love music and I love listening to my kids sing along with the radio.....TV....whatever!

Priceless moments!

Here are a few pics of our favorite stars.

Notice I saved the "King" of Country for last.....yes GEORGE is my favorite!!! :-)

Click on this link to enjoy a little of George: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aca3s7l_Db0

Remembrance Day/Veterans Day

Today is Remembrance Day or in America, they call is Veteran's Day. In the GREAT USofA NO holiday! Oh yes, the banks are closed, the post office is closed, all state & federal buildings & offices but NO...we still have SCHOOL! What is with that?! Crazy, I tell you!

All my Canadian Family are home enjoying the day off & I'm stuck at work. Somedays I long to be a "Canadian" again! I will always be Canadian but I want the holidays of both....USA & Canada! Is that asking too much?

Here is a great way to honor Remembrance Day. All of YOU Canadian Friends & Family will appreciate this.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

As we go about the DAY, remember those that have served....long ago and those that serve today, so that we can celebrate and experience all the freedoms we do...in this life!

Have a GREAT day.

Have the TIME of your LiFe!

Candice

Finally FrIdAy!

Emmy - PRE-pink eye at school watching a puppet show!

TGIF! and I really really really emphasize Thank you! it is Friday!

What a week!

Here is a snap-shot version of our week!

Monday - Emmy woke up with Pink eye

Tuesday - 2:30am, Candice in ER with stomach pain! Was sicker than a dog! I hate being sick!

Wednesday - Work & school, feel a cold coming on!

Thursday - Work & school, that cold I felt coming on.....is developing into SNOT all over me. Sneeze..... jeez..... louise.....it's NOT pretty!

Friday - Finally HeRe!



I think all my late nights are starting to catch up with me. And this is my bodies way of saying....S-L-O-W Down!



What a week too! The USA elected a new President. It was an exciting night! Here is what I have loved about the election:

1. That it is over!

2. To see people get really passionate!

3. The price of GAS, $2.14 this morning in Deer Lodge!


I don't get to vote, as I'm not a Citizen yet, so I don't really have an opinion. Maybe someday I will! :-)

Enjoy your weekend.

Have the time of your LiFe!

Candice

Trick or Treating & Hunter's

November Already? Where has this year gone?

Tennyson's first hunt!

First off, we had a great time Trick or Treating. The house party was a great time! Tennyson had three friends over for Pizza & FUN! Then they dressed up and went trick or treating. Then our friends the Stevenson's came over with their little girls. The little girls had pizza and then we took them trick or treating.

Tennyson is getting old enough, we just dropped them off and let them go for a couple hours by themselves. Oh the life of an 11 year old!

The boys (Ethan, Miles, KC & Tenny)Emmy, Morgan & Taylor are still too little so we walked around town with them. It was such a gorgeous night. I cannot remember trick or treating when it was so nice outside! I loved it.

I got some cute pictures of the kids in their costumes.

Taylor, Morgan and Emmy Then on Saturday, Dave, Grandpa John & Tennyson went out hunting. This was the first time Dave has gone hunting since we've been married. They were all very excited and had a GREAT time. They went out early in the day and sighted in their guns and did some spottin'. (Whatever that means). Then they went back out in the late afternoon, and Dave shot a Doe. It was quite an exciting evening at our house that night.

Here the MEN heading out for the BIG hunt.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I love halloween, I always have and I always will. When we lived in Belgrade we were in a subdivision and we would always get together with neighbors and have fun parties. Now that we live, "out of town" & our neighbors...are well, let's just say, retired, we haven't been quite the party central that we like.

But that is about to change tonight! The kids have friends coming over for Pizza & then we are taking them into Trick OR Treat! Emmy is dressing up as a Princess, of course! Actually, I think she specifically called it a Prom Queen.
I'm NOT sure about Tennyson, he's getting to the end of his trick or treating days. How sad is that? He'll probably just dress up as a Hunter or something like that...he has tons of camo & orange...so maybe GI JOE.

I LOVE Halloween!
I love to decorate for Halloween, I love to buy candy all month, just because I can and have it in the bowl all month long and amazingly it somehow stays full all month long.....(thanks to the many refills).
I love candy & I love costumes!
My friend thinks Halloween is great, it allows men to dress in drag at least once a year...and they just say "it's their costume"!

Happy Halloween, have fun with your kids or have fun scaring other kids!

Have the time of your life!
Candice

Emmy the Football Player at our church party.

Emmy at the Halloween Parade at school today.