We made home made jelly out of the wild black raspberries we picked this past summer. Every time you open a new jar it is like a bit of summer sun just waiting there for you. Caelun LOVES it with peanut butter. Come have a taste – he will share.
So yummy! Look mommy it is in my hair.
Want a taste?
Here – have some.
How about a kiss?
Now that the tree is out of the way and we have made space in the living room we decided to take advantage and re-claim another section of the wood floor. Our house was built some where around 1820-1840 but has had some not so pleasant “up-dates” prior to my purchase in 1999. An example is the 3 tone green shag carpet installed in the dinning and living rooms over the original oak and knotty pine wood floors. Maybe installed isn’t the correct word because who ever put the carpet in glued it to the floor. Yes you read correctly- glued. Clint and I have scraped every inch of this floor with a heat gun to get rid of the glue. Then the floors have to be sanded, stained, and coated with 3 layers of polyurethane. The dining room is finished but the living room is barley started on the sanding and staining process. Because we are trying to live in it while we do this we do it in chunks. Here is one more chunk.
Caelun got his own broom from Grandpa Medford to help. He loves to sweep.
Even if the sweeping isn’t where one would think the sweeping needs to be.
He is even going to use the dust pan.
Where we left off.
Then we sand.
I ran the sander, Clint stayed behind me with the shop-vac, and Caelun was the cheering section.
Then stain.
Then the polyurethane.
This is kind of a before and after.
There are some stains that I didn’t sand deep enough to get out but for almost 200 year old floors not to bad. At some future date when other projects have been completed I may come back to some of these spots to sand deeper or use some bleach but for now it is a great improvement.
Christmas is over- we still had a few presents to give to some folks but it was time to make some space in the living room and take down the tree. The 2 year old thought it was as much fun as putting it up so we had lots of “help”. Our fair city will collect the tree, chip it, and have it available to be picked up by residents to be used as garden mulch in the spring. We will think of our tree when the tulips start to pop.
Look at dad’s helper get busy.
Caelun loved the lights and kept trying to take them off the whole time the tree was up- now he got his chance.
So many shiny things.
We had our family Christmas with my parents a couple of days after Christmas. We usually go Christmas night and have dinner but the weather was very inhospitable and Abbi and Clint were tired from the marathon trek through the snow on Christmas Eve so we postponed the festivities. It was worth the wait. This also meant our dear friend Dawn was available to partake in the festivities. She had fun playing with my camera and took most of the pictures. This did mean I didn’t get any pictures of her but she was a wonderful part of our day. My mother really got in the spirit this year- holidays usually aren’t her thing- and asked me to go shopping and buy presents for everybody on her behalf. My dad is always the holiday gift giver and he still did that so we got extra spoiled. The really cool surprise was for Abbi from my dad. I have to give a bit of back ground here. My dad as a kid wanted to play the saxophone. He was told no by his very religious parents in the 1930’s because the sax was an instrument used to play the devils music which was jazz. Fast forward 75 years and my daughter, who currently plays flute, wants to add to her musical skills the ability to play the sax. My dad asked us to find a saxophone for her for Christmas and that he would also through in some lessons. Clint and I had it hiding under our bed from Thanksgiving on. It was a pretty fabulous moment for both Abbi and my dad when she opened up the case. Hope you enjoy the the day- we certainly did.
Caelun loves to touch everything on the tree.
So many presents.
Cool converse from Grandma Medford.
Even Chessie the rat thinks they are cool.
Yeah for fuzzy new jammies from Grandma!
And grandma got me a big truck fUll of matchbox cars!
Abbi always get in her words “the coolest books from Aunt Dawn”
Dawn got dad some pretty cool videos.
Abbi liked her jammies too.
Grandma Medford got her some clothes- the sweat shirt is “epic” according to Abbi. I think that is a good thing.
Mom got new clothes too.
I know one would not think that those pants go with that sweatshirt- what can I say.
Grandpa knows his grand kids- cheese puffs are at the ready.
Grandma Medford was specific about wanting to get Caelun a alphabet puzzle and he loves it.
Of course the letters MUST get lined up.
Clint got new scrubs to wear teaching lab.
And a new lab coat.
Abbi is in to her books.
Grandpa got a new MSU shirt- his and Clint’s alma motter.
Grandma got ne sweaters.
Clint got tools.
A tractor- just like grandpa’s big one.
What do you think is in the big box?
Wow!
This NOT for little brothers!
Abbi – you are so cool!
Grandpa was singing a silly song and Caelun was loving it and trying to sing along.
Merry Christmas everybody!
