January 19, 2009

Out with the Old...

No I am not talking about my hubby.  This is the fan in the family room that came with the house.   I have looked at it from the recliner for 2 years now.  And I hate it.  I have threatened to take it down and spray paint it.  Figured if I covered up the brass it wouldn't be too bad.  Maybe even paint the blades and the housing.  But I really hate the lights also.  I just don't like looking at the lightbulbs.  Mark knows my feelings and I think he shares some of the same.  Men just don't have the same type of feelings for the decor of the house as they do for snowblowers or such.

While at Menard's on Saturday looking for humidifier filters (those are important to guys), we found a fan on sale.  This fan is just what I have been coveting and it being on sale was the frosting on the cake.  Into the basket it went.  Sunday night, I asked my son the troll (he lives in the basement)  to help me put it up.  We hadn't even got one blade off the new one before Mark took over.  He had been too tired before we started.  I learned a long, long time ago how to get him onboard with any of my projects.  Just start it myself or with one of the kids, he can't stop himself from getting involved.   
Anyway,  here is the new.
 

Now I need to work on decorating the top of the TV.


PS.  Mark solved the problem regarding the decorating of the TV top.  52" high defin in time for the Super Bowl.

Now I have to work around the black monster in the corner.

January 5, 2009

Christmas Joy!

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.  
This Christmas was one of the most laid back one we had in years.  Mark, Josh, Kelsey and I slept in until 8:30, opened our stockings, and had breakfast. Megan, Ben and Olivia got here around 10 am and did their stockings. We puttered and did dinner prep until G and Amber and the grandkids, Trisha, Keegon, Vaughn, Gage and Bree came and then opened presents. My sister Marsha, her husband John and my nephew Tyler came next. More present opening. G and Amber and the kids had to leave for another Christmas.

Santa  did come!!


Olivia in the new dress Aunt Raija made for her.




Olivia and George!


Josh opening his stocking


Santa brought me a new hat!


Santa brought us all new hats!
Wonder if he had help from Grandma and her embroidery machine?

The grandkids checking out what is in their stockings.
Bree had already emptied hers into her new castle.

My sister and brother-in-law, nephew Tyler and his girlfriend Ashley

My Aunt Audrey and some of her clan.


Nicolas and Olivia
We could have saved a bunch if we had just given them
the empty boxes.

Around 7 pm my Aunt Audrey and my 4 cousins and their spouses and kids came over and we did a "White Elephant Auction".   Great fun.  Poor Ben ended up with the 25 year old salmon that rears it's head every year.  We are running out of ways to disguise it. 

Hope you and yours had blessed holidays and that 2009 will be your best year ever.