Putting out Fires

You know I adore Ryan’s family.  I do!  His parents are the greatest (and I’m not just saying that because his dad reads here and gift giving time is this weekend hehehe).  But seriously, they’re the best!  But our families are so different.  My extended family is very small, so we all know each other very well.  Ryan’s family is big enough that I can’t really keep them all straight in my head.  And sometimes neither can Ryan.  But this Sunday I was giving the opportunity to imagine what it would be like if my sweet little grandma pulled out all her change, plunked it down on the table, and started throwing dice w/ her grandson while he threatened, “Know your place old woman!”  Yeah, see, just wouldn’t happen in my family. 

OK, so I wrote about the girl gift giving a few months ago.  Well, my mother-in-law helped me with the idea this year.  And I think it was successful!  I needlepointed bread napkins to say “Bread Shared with Friends Makes Every Meal a Feast”, then got some cute baskets, made minature pumpkin chocolate breads, threw in a few magnets made out of used wine corks, filled the extra space with candy, and there you have it!

Doh!  Is that a beer bottle in the background?  Well how else do you expect me to get through all that crafting w/out losing my mind??  Anyway, all the gifts I got were GORGEOUS.  I got a handmade bag (which would probably sell for hundreds at an upscale boutique), a handmade ski hat, a handmade apron, a recipe for a night with a good book, handmade drink coasters, a tiffany ring (from a ’street store’ in NY!), a great ornament, and other great stuff.  My girls are so crafty and thoughtful!

This weekend we finally got a tree.  Its definitely a Charlie Brown tree, but we love it. On Saturday we went to Bec’s house for her husband Matt’s grad party.  Seriously, the FOOD…  ohhh  And you could barely move in that house!  The gift givingpalooza happened here, and the boys kept themselves busy while we were doing girly stuff.

And there was ample opportunity to hold other people’s babies (and to answer your question:  NO it didn’t make us ready for our own)

We made friends with our neighbors!  Evidently a big ole loaf of pumpkin chocolate bread is better than a casserole for meeting the neighbors.  Our sweet neighbors across the street were so thrilled at the thought that they sorta adopted us!  If it weren’t for the cow smell that drifts in every day around 4pm, this neighborhood would be the perfect place. Later.