Christmas at the zoo

Happiness is Christmas at the zoo.

Hoping your Christmas was merry and bright,

Denise

off to the pumpkin patch

Saturday morning awoke

cold and windy, 

very much

the feel of autumn.

Hitting the pumpkin patch

early helped with the

crowds.

August loved playing

on the "hay mountain."

Picking just the right

pumpkin is always

tough.

Of course,

August found the best one of all.

Denise

Friday night

Pacers game a week ago.

I love going to the Pacers and Fever games.

We don't go very often.

This game was special because the Pacers

honored ten students for

academic and community service.

Michelle was selected to be part of this group.

 Little man August also enjoyed the festivities

(except when he burst into tears when Mama went to the bathroom.

He told her later that he just missed her too much!)

Take care,

Denise

My top eleven from 2011

Eleven memories from 2011 (in random order)...

The ice storm kept us inside and off the roads for days.

We waited to hear from our friends in Japan after the tsunami and earthquake hit.

Michelle, Lily, and I decided to craft once a month for the year.  

These days have become a monthly gift...

a gift that has now become part of our lives together. 

Michelle joined the jazz band, at the last moment, right before contest.

Never thinking this was something she wanted to do, she jumped in with both feet.

She seems to really enjoy this group and we love listening to their music.

Mom turned 85 in October.

We loved treating her to a dinner with the family.

I love it that she enjoys her family and friends so much.

Mom is one busy lady!

My family took me to Iron Skillet for my birthday.

This restaurant is a family favorite. 

Watsach Lake always makes the best and funniest memories.

This year will be known as the year of the mice.

After four years of blood, sweat, and tears making Clarks Creek a fantastic school,  

Plainfield decided to turn our four/five building into a kindergarten through fifth grade, 

beginning the school year 2012-2013.

I do think this is the right thing to do.

However, we have become family and much of our staff will be split up between four schools.

I am thankful I will be staying at Clarks Creek.

I will miss so many teachers.

May of 2012 will be tough.

Hanging out with this little guy is always a highlight.

Oh, does he make us laugh!

The kitchen demo has begun!

Hopefully, this time next year I am not showing the same pictures!

Of course loving pets and the best family happen to be my #1 highlight! 

Oops!  Eric, was not in this picture.

He was, of course, taking the picture!

Until 2012,

Denise

August was here!

Erin and Eric were gone and we had Gus for part of the weekend.

Yea!

He was the best behaved little man, and it was lonely when he went home.

Yes, animals from the manger enjoyed watching the little train, too.

August spent most of his time playing with the train.

He spent hours playing with the train.

We spent hours playing with him and just watching.
(If he seems blurry in some of these pictures, this is only because that little man was always moving!)

We also took him to the high school for a Winter Wonderland with Santa and Mickey Mouse.
Santa wasn't bad, if he wasn't too close.

Gus wrote Santa a letter.
He asked for cookies and dinosaurs.

Mickey Mouse was quite scary.



But, the cookies were delicious!

Some quotes we heard over and over again that made us smile -

"I need help."

(Usually when the train track came apart.)

"Oh no, cow."

(Or a train will plow through you.)

"Oh no, horse."

(Or you'll get wiped out by a train.)

"I play with train."

(As soon as he was out of bed, finished with his bath, or finished eating.)

"I want tookie (cookie.)"

(Whenever he thought he could get one.)

What a happy little man!

Take care,

Denise