Happenings here

We usually eat dinner out on Sunday afternoons. It is usually because we stay up in DeLand for the day. One of our favorite places to eat is FIREHOUSE SUBS. We do not have one in the town where we live, and so we frequent the one in DeLand.

The crew there is very special.

Sometimes they see us come in, and have already started our subs.

We don't know how they can remember what we order, but they do.

If you are ever in DeLand, FL... stop in and see our friends at the

local FIREHOUSE SUBS there!

The subs are fantastic!

Dad was even helping with our baking projects today.
He helped mom fill some of the bags for the customers,
while I was busy working on baking cookies.

Mom and I worked on making Seasoned Rice Mix packets last month.

I worked on making the labels (instructions for cooking on the back).

Mom was able to staple them on the bags that she had made up

before her surgery.

Tomorrow morning, I will be baking cookies again. Mom and dad

have a chiro appointment, and then mom will be back to help me.

We have things ready for Todd to deliver to his customers... he will work on that.

I have read a book since the semester has ended. I have a few more I would like

to read before school starts again. :)

CHOCOLATE

After we stopped in at the LEGO store, we went to the

Ghirardelli Soda Shop for an ice cream treat.

Bear was happy with his kid's SMORE SUNDAE.

This is the table where we ate.

It looks like one of those square Ghirardelli chocoate pieces.

Here we are heading towards the Ghirardelli store.

First, we shopped in the store,

and enjoyed the free square that they always give.

Today, it was a piece of the peppermint, and it was good!

Mom bought! She did get an apron,

and a reusable Ghirardelli shopping Bag

in addition to the bags of chocolate she bought.

We will be sharing our chocolate!

While Bear feasted on his kid's Sundae,

Mom, dad, Todd and I feasted on an

EARTHQUAKE!

IT was sooooooo good!

We decided that Butter Pecan Ice Cream with Pineapple topping on it

is REALLY GOOD!

The Ghirardelli DARK HOT FUDGE TOPPING is also really good!

It was a really good treat for a very warm FLORIDA 'winter' DAY!

Another semester finished, December Baking begins

Todd and I completed our 2nd semester of Bible school. This semester was tiring for us. The lawn service keeps us busy during the day, Bible school keeps us busy at night, and extra activites really kept our time occupied. It has been fun, and good for us. But Todd and I are both looking forward to the 5 week break!

We have started making up our platters to take and deliver

all over town to places that we

do business with throughout the year.

There are many people that are a blessing to us all year long,

we enjoy being a small blessing to them at this time of the year.

Todd has figured we will bake over 100 dozen cookies over the next 2 days.

Mom had ordered some new Christmas CDs from SMS.

(Sacred Music Service)

We will be listening to those tomorrow!

Today, we went to Orlando.

My mom had an appointment

with her Endocrinologist.

We all go along and make a fun day of it.

Here I am eating a BURGER with everything on it,

from FIVE GUYS BURGERS and FRIES.

They are the best burgers!

I usually will opt for CHICKEN over a burger,

but these I really like!

While Dad, Todd and I had burgers with everything on them,

Mom and Bear had ones with just ketchup and mustard.

Mom is still watching what she eats, after her gall bladder surgery.

After we had lunch, we did some shopping.

Mom had a coupon to one of my favorite stores....

SHEPLERS.

My parents bought me a new pair of boots.
I LOVE BOOTS.

Bear found a cowboy Monkey for me, and mom bought that.

Mom and I found a couple shirts for Todd, and a new string tie for Bear.

And mom used her coupon on everything!

Staying busy

We bake a lot in December. Yesterday, mom and I worked on

part of our gift bags for the Lawn Service Customers.

We have a lot of fun doing this.

Mom put the finished ones in bags.

I put the twist tie on.
We have a LOT of cookie cutters to fill.
We found most of them after Christmas last year,
at really good prices.

We have a lot done.
Next, we will work on the gifts for my dad's crew at work.

It is a sweet time of the year.

all that is left for us .....

This semester is coming to an end. All that is left are the tests!

Mom took some 'school' pictures of us....
Todd and I in deep test taking mode!

We are almost done until late January!

Christmas Parades

This past Saturday, my brothers and I help out with one of several parades our church will be a part of this year. Mom is not yet up to walking in a parade. We had a large turnout of church members at the DeLand Parade. We passed out a LOT of tracts as we walked with the church float.

Bear was really excited about being IN a parade.
We are waiting to board the church bus to be taken to the starting point...

I didn't get a GOOD pic of the FLOAT.

The THEME is...

JESUS CHRIST-- THE SAVIOR OF ALL NATIONS.

As the float rolled, a recording of scripture was played.

The back of the float.

Some of the many that helped to give the Gospel

to those along the parade route.

We had a really good time.

It was a cool day in Florida.

Our church is working to get 25,000 tracts out at

different local parades on 2 weekends this year.

After all, the GOSPEL is what everyone needs to hear!

Aimée

Mom has TWINS!

Last week is a blur! My mom had been working on things to have a SCHEDULE surgery done this month or early in December. Her surgeon noticed something else that might be a problem, and asked her to have an ultrasound done on her gall bladder. This did show that she had some stones. The plan was to meet again with the surgeon, and schedule a date for surgery that would take care of both of the problems.

On Monday morning, mom and I went to my eye appointment. I needed new lenses in my regular glasses, and a complete new pair of protective sun glasses. We got that all done, and then headed off to a 'girls' breakfast. After that, we went home to work on a list of things we needed to get a Sam's. Mom had a mammogram in the afternoon, after that we were going to Sam's. Mom's mammogram went fine, but then she started having some unusual pains in her abdomen. We went on to Sam's thinking she would just 'walk' them off.

By the time we got home, mom was totally uncomfortable. Nothing seemed to help the pain, and it just got worse. About 8 pm, mom told me to call dad and just tell him to come home. Mom NEVER does that. I knew that she was hurting bad at that point. When Dad got home, we, mom, dad and I, headed to the ER. Todd stayed at home with Bear. At the ER we found there was no where to sit and wait. It was very crowded, and mom wanted to go home. She had a restless night, neither she nor dad had any sleep. The next morning, we went to the surgeon's office. He sent her to the hospital to preregister. Mom and I were waiting there, but mom was totally uncomfortable. The staff felt sorry for her, she just wanted to lay down. They encouraged her to head to the ER, and let her doctor admit her through there. When she and I got to the ER we were happy to see it was nearly empty. They did get her in promptly, and put her in bed. Laying down seemed to be the only way to get any relief. They started an IV drip with meds that really helped to ease her pain. It didn't take long to move her to the Women's center floor. It is the place to go to be totally pampered! We also got to see the Babies.

Mom had 2 surgeries on Wednesday morning. The gall bladder was done laproscopic, and her other surgery was done 'open'. Mom had 2 gall stones. The doctor said they were some of the largest he had ever seen. Mom had requested to have them. They brought them to Dad later, the girl from Pathology told Dad those were the biggest the hospital had seen in a very long time.
I think that was why mom was hurting so bad.

She is recovering now. Sore, but glad to have it all behind her.

Mom taking a picture of me. I hadn't had much sleep!
Mom's feet. She likes to have her feet out!
Can you see her Birkenstock stripes?

Bear was facsinated with the IV machine.

Mom's Twins as she calls them.

"GREGG and GRACEE"

Here they are still in her gallbladder,

and they sort of look elegant...

I did say SORT OF!

Here they are compared to the size of a pen!

Now, maybe we can get on to a quieter few months!

Aimée

A Grumpy Turtle

We have had RED EAR SLIDER TURTLES for pets since March of 1995. My parents found that my brother Todd was allergic to dogs years before. My mom found a little turtle pond with three quarter sized turtles in it for sale at a yard sale. My dad agreed that Todd and I could have them. Dad didn't think they would live long. Those three turtles, Pumpkin, Ginger, and Spice, have now had their own children, who have had their own children. We have enjoyed the turtles, and have added several land turtles to our turtle enclosures.

This is Ginger, JR. He looks just like his dad, and is grumpy like him, too!
Todd trying to get Ginger, JR to 'smile'.

That might could be considered a smile, if Ginger, JR wasn't

HISSING!

He sure is a grumpy turtle!

Firework kids

BEAR
TODD

ME

To be honest, I was the one that started this.

The boys were quick to jump in and join me!

We had it all cleaned up when we were done.

Dad didn't even know we had made a mess when

he came home from work at 1 am.

Aimée

More November Fireworks

I even got to hold some 'flames'.
Colored smoke bombs are always a hit.

SOME of our leftover selections........

Towering lights....

colorful lights.....

November 5th, with July 4th Fireworks

We had some fireworks leftover from July 4th.

Mom decided that she was ready to have them

out of the house.

So, we spent one evening entertaining our neighbors.

(all before 8 pm)

I was in charge of the 'torch'.

At one point, mom and Todd were certain that I had a

flaming jumper. This would not have been good,

nor would it had been a BIG surprise to my family.

I did manage to come away without 'torching' myself.

WHEW!

A small one....

Todd considering a career as a flame dancer.....

These are called 'Morning Glories'.

Ares 1-X

My mom grew up on the very street that we live on. We are able to watch shuttle launches from our front yard. Sometimes, we go in the back yard to view the rockets that are launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Station because those launch pads are further south of us. My mom's dad worked for NASA for many years, she has seen many launches. She has told us how windows in their house would rattle when the Saturn V rockets launched the Apollo capsules into space. The shuttle program is winding down, there are just a few more launches left.

Today was the first time the ARES 1-X rocket was test fired. My dad was excited, it involves his work.

The Ares from our front yard.

The shuttle moves slowing in the sky,

but the Ares moved much quicker.

Always a good feeling here when a launch is successful!

Aimée