Christmas #2 - the deep south (part of the state)

Christmas at my parents for #2, and WD had caught on to the gifts and the fun tearing them up.

Here he shows off his Elmo from Aunt Kim and Uncle Mike. He loves it and learned to blow kisses from it. Never mind that Mama has been trying to teach him...but Elmo has it done in less than 30 seconds.

We stopped to see Great Grandma Frances (my grandma, my dad's mom). She was well, all things considered.

Sut & Row show off their gifts from Uncle Mike & Aunt Kim, they LOVED THEM!!! Footballs for "their teams" that were signed by the team members. Row actually hugged his!

Row and Sut taught WD to "feed" Elmo packing peanuts. They ALL giggled and laughed at this.

WD helps Dada open a gift with Rowan looking on.

Family picture by the tree (Karyn, Ray, Row, Sut, WD and Me). [Rob & Dave missing]

Christmas #1 - SNOWED IN!

Christmas #1 was up North at Don & Caroline's. Thank Heavens I was able to get my boss to let me take Christmas Eve morning off so that we could leave then to drive up. We took our time and arrived safely.

This was our car on Christmas day, and it kept coming after I took this picture. It was a LONG TIME digging the car out, and it took half the family in shifts, at least 6 shovels going, and a snow blower too.

Dave prepares to go shovel. I laughed hysterically as this made me think of Big Daddy when "Scuba Steve's Dad" comes to visit!?!?!? LOVED IT!

Uncle John and Aunt Kathy watch WD get started on a gift.

Aunt Kathy and Uncle John passed out after all the festivities.

The Cousins Kara (green), Christi (blue), Danielle (Black), and Anthony (6 weeks in white).

The guys just chillin. Dave w/ Buddy Too, Damon, and John.

WD hangs with (or on) Uncle John - watching everyone outside take turns shoveling the driveway out.

WD is ready for bed with Aunt Cindy and Christi trying to console him (and not doing too well).

Dinner is always a favorite time. After the kids are done, they leave while the adults sit, catch up, or reminisce. (L-R John, Kathy, Dave, Cindy, Bob & the back of Caroline).

A little fun before Christmas.

Just thought I'd share some fun photos before we head North for Christmas with the Kluvers this weekend. Then Next weekend South for Christmas w/ my folks. We've been pretty busy and poor WD has a double ear infection! I felt so guilty, but I guess that's how things go. All things considered he's really still been a wonderful baby and a blessing as always. Just wish I could make him feel better.

Going for a boat ride in the Christmas tree box.
Our sitter took a couple days off which ended up being the big blizzard, so Grandma Karyn came up (before it got bad) and stayed a few days to help out. WD and Grandma got pretty cozy.

Here WD demonstrates his nack for making trouble and for stacking things. (See the 3 glass-glasses stacked on top of one another - barely.)

Apparently WD got bored waiting for us to get him up one morning as this is how I found him. I think I interrupted shortly before he would have tried o get his diaper (a poopy one) off!

Our Thanksgiving - Such Blessings!

We had a great Thanksgiving and thought we'd share some of the pics. It was full of family and fun. Dave kept busy creating projects to do on the farm while WD and I made the rounds.

Inside: the adults made Aunt Lucille's AWESOME Peanut brittle. (L-R Sharon Bettis, Sabra Simmons, and Aunt Lucille)

Outside: Lydia takes everyone for a ride on the Kuboda, WD didn't last too long even with Uncle Rob and Ben there to reassure him.


The cousins are KING OF THE MOUNTAIN...but WD is off and running. (L-R Ben Bettis 5, Duncan Simmons 4, Kellen Simmons 3, Meredith Meyers 4, and WD 21mo.)



We also visited Great-Grandma Frances. She was awake and we had a nice visit.

GOING...

Going...

... gone.

Don't stop Great Grandma...

(She was rubbing WD's back and it calmed him almost instantly!)

Rowan, Sutton, Henry (their new addition) and WD.

Raspberry is plumb-tuckered-out after the weekend. Thank goodness for a relaxing Sunday.

Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving!

BOYCOTT WAL-MART (Why I am, and why you should)

I've said that I didn't like Wal-mart for several years now but I kept going right back to them because they were cheaper. Well - I've had enough and am trying to cut Wal-mart out of my life. I'm not 100% successful yet but I'd guess last month I was about 75% successfull. It's hard to find a better buy on diapers and wipes, but for everything else I'm trying to shop around (e.g. Fareway, Hy-vee, Dollar General, Campbell's, etc.). I hope this makes you think about your shopping.

Here are some Wal-mart facts to consider:

> Wal-Mart is the biggest employer in 25 states. They set the standard for wages and labor practices.

> Wal-Mart employs 1.4 million workers worldwide and over 1 million in the United States. More than half of Wal-Mart’s U.S. employees leave the company each year.

> In 1970, the country's largest employer was General Motors, with 350,000 workers. Overwhelmingly union, they earned $17.50 an hour plus health, pension and vacation benefits and cost-of-living increases. Today, the country's largest employer is Wal-Mart, with over 1 million US workers. They earn an average hourly wage of $8.00, with no defined benefit pension, and inadequate health care.

> 2007 study found that the opening of a single Wal-Mart store lowers average retail wages in that county nearly 1%. In the general merchandise sector, wages fell by 1% for each new Wal-Mart. And for grocery store employees, the effect of a single new Wal-Mart was a 1.5% reduction in earnings.

> Money spent at Wal-Mart does not stay in the community: In Virginia, for example, 60 cents of every dollar spent downtown, stays downtown — compared to just six cents for every dollar spent at a big-box stores like Wal-Mart.

> Wal-Mart forced local small businesses to close: Studies in Iowa showed that some small towns lost up to 47% of their retail trade after 10 years of a Wal-Mart store moving in nearby in the mid 1990’s.

> In 2005, Wal-Mart real-estate manager Jeff Doss spoke about an oft-cited remark by company founder Sam Walton that Wal-Mart would not build stores in towns if the residents did not want them. “Were that the case,” he said, “we’d never build a store anywhere”.

SOURCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

http://www.ufcw.org/take_action/walmart_workers_campaign_info/facts_and_figures/index.cfm http://wakeupwalmart.com/downloads/factsheets/wmt-community-impact.pdf

Fall Fun

We had a little fun yesterday in the yard taking our family picture.

Our Number 1 did a Number 2

Yesterday 11/15/09 WD saw me going the bathroom, so in trying to get him to talk I said "Mommy's going potty on the potty." At this WD patted his bottom so having time to spare I took his pants and diaper off and put him up on the toilet. He promptly started grimacing and his face turned beet-read. He then cocked an eye-brow up and then smiled. He must have watched his daddy as he sure didn't learn those things from his mommy. :-) And sure-enough he went #2 (if I have my numbers right) in the potty! This is the first attempt at potty training since the last entry. WD couldn't communicate when he needed to go, and we couldn't just ask every 30 seconds, so that first attempt didn't make it past that weekend. Maybe we'll start back up now.