Brrrrrr...December

We have monkeys for grandchildren, they all love counters and anywhere else they can climb up and into. This is Christmas morning in Harpers pajamas

These photos are all backwards due to my ignorance and forgetfullness, it's been awhile since I've done this again so bear with me.
Grandma Nettie had a fun day. She enjoyed every bit of it and did well all day.
We had Christmas at Josh and Chelsea's this year, it all went very well. We visited, played games, opened presents and ate the whole day. We saw all the grandparents with somewhat of a split up day with my parents but Rick's parents were there all day. It was all a lot of fun, it went so well they might want to have it again next year, we'll see. After dinner Brandyn, Emily and Bray-Lynne took off for Johnston to spend the rest of the day with Emily's family.
Grandma Nettie had leg cramps for a short time so we had her covered up with the best blanket in the house and a heat pad on her leg.

Who's winning guys?
Lots of hugs and kisses for Gr Joey today, that was the best present ever.

Josh already had Lake practicing for triathons This is a pretty cool game for Lake.

Lake didn't want pictures today with Papa and Nana so here we are with just the girls.

The Cowmans

Gr' ma Nettie and Harper

A digital picture frame, just what I wanted. I love it. The kids also gave me a calendar with all the family pictures on it too. They know what I like don't they!

Catchin' up
"my first purse...let me have it daddy!"

paper, oh good!

Lake is ready to start on the landscaping... "is it almost Spring daddy?"

As we said before Lake has a big job ahead of him, keeping these girls in control and out of trouble

Bray-Lynne's birthday December 23

Her own birthday cake baked by daddy, decorated by mommy

opening up her baby doll

It has been a rapid December with record breaking snow fall of approximately 28" and today it is -8 for our high. A few days ago it got down to -18. We have had lots of fun sledding at the VZ (Burr Oak) farm, which consists of tractor tire tubes, a 4-wheeler, and a Ranger, awnry daddies, (Papa too), and screaming mommies. Today Chelsea showed me her legs, she is covered in bruises. Payton soon found out when the little ones are napping and the adults go sledding, it is quite different.
We celebrated the 1 year old girl's birthdays on the 17th and 23rd after making Christina's 30th and Rick's 51st a celebration they will not forget anytime soon. The girls didn't act like the boys did with their first birthday cakes, they weren't overly impressed on the sweetness of it all and didn't want to make a mess or get dirty fingers. It was fun watching the girls open their first dolls and girly toys. However, Harper still prefers trains and trucks and playing rough with Lake and Bea. She is quite a monkey too, climbs up everywhere and has no fear what so ever. Bray-Lynne is enjoying her new toys, including a farm and her toboggan, she almost feel asleep on it one very cold day. Couldn't figure us out why we thought we had to go on a walk and drag her on the ground behind so she nearly fell asleep, a very worn out gal that day. She loves to play with their house cat Mittens. Starting to be a little rougher with Mittens but I think Mittens likes it, she seems to lie down in the middle of the toys just to be played with I think.
Em, Chels, and I got together and made candy a day with all the kids and later Lake and I decorated cookies for the season.
The house is ready for sheet rock finally. A lonnngggg month but it's ready to go. The plumbers, electricians, and insulation is finished. They will sheet rock the lid first this week and then insulate on top. We are hoping to get heat this week. We started staining some window trim this week and figured out it's not so difficult, just time consuming. We would love to be finished the beginning of March so we hope everyone helps out and cooperates well. There is a stimulus package that we need to take advantvage of so again I say, "full speed ahead."

This is Harper's coup but I think Lake will enjoy it a lot too, he was much more excited about opening it than Harper, hey where is Miss Harper?

A lamp for Harper's room. Chelsea keeps picking up unique different things for her room, it is adorable we think.

Her first baby doll, Lake cares for the dolly very well, he's a natural. I think he too will make a good daddy someday.

Books are always a hit for any age.

She did find out that her coup tips fairly easily, she loves the roughness of it and never seems tomind when it does fall over.

We had a ball decorating and eating our cookies that day.

Some of the cookies had lots and lots of decorations on them, that's what makes them so yummy

Spreading the frosting was a bit challenging cuz mom thought she had to help a little.