Sleigh Ride with Santa

On our way home from tree cutting I spotted this sleigh ride going through downtown Fargo and decided we should check it out. Turned out they were giving rides starting at the US Bank plaza and going through the downtown area and back. We decided it would be fun and got a ride.
Mommy and Matthew on the sleigh ride. Matthew kept on telling everyone that "sometimes horses are smelly." Thanks Matthew.
Daddy and Abby on the sleigh ride. While we were on the ride it actually started snowing! I thought that was really neat. Just snowed while we were on the ride then stopped. Neat! When the ride was done the kids got to pets the horses also.

Christmas Tree Cutting

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Every year Todd's family cuts there own Christmas Tree. Usually we have a fake tree but thought the kids would like to cut there own tree and see where they come from so we went with this year. Most of the people wears Santa hats and then go out for lunch and shopping around Perham after the trees are cut. The picture above is of me and Abby at the tree place.
Matthew helping daddy drag the tree to the van.
Matthew telling daddy how to get the tree cut down. He also helped with a few tugs of the saw, then decided it wasn't for him and let daddy finish.
Uncle Tim and Abby.
Grandma Tina and Abby. Grandma bought the kids both Santa hats to wear, and Abby's ever said princess on it. The tree is warming up and the branches are "falling" now, but when we get it decorated I'll try and get a picture of it up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since Matthew has started preschool I've been getting some artwork. Here is the Thanksgiving projects he brought home for me. So Cute!
Tonight Grandma Wanda and the kids and my cousin Kaydee made these Turkey cupcakes. Matthew and Abby really had fun doing this. They both love to cook so they did alot of cooking tonight.
Decorating the Turkey cupcakes.
Mixing the cupcakes. He can mix now, because "he's four."
Abby getting her hands in on the cooking. She is making the pumpkin pie.

Holiday Lights Parade

Every year we go to the Holiday Lights Parade in downtown Fargo. Its such a fun, festive time, plus who dosen't like a parade? Here is Abby with her candy bag.
Matthew waiting for the parade to start. He sure looks like he stayed warm!

Baby Elias

A friend of ours recently had a baby a few weeks early that had to spend some time in the NICU. We helped them out by giving them our bed downstairs. Before they brought baby Elias home they stopped over to show us the new baby.

Cutting Deer Meat

I guess if you go hunting you have to learn to cut the meat up, even if you didn't even get to touch a "real gun!" I didn't know if Matthew would want to help Grandpa Joe and Uncle Luke cut up the deer meat, but he did. Weird though, because he won't even touch cooked hamburger. So anyway he cut meat at Grandpa Joes house for almost an hour using his own knife with no help. I got some good videos but I was having trouble getting the on here. Maybe I'll try again later.
Grandpa Joe, Uncle Luke and Matthew cutting deer meat.
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Of course they had to get my little girl in on the action too. She looks just pleased as a peach to be touching this disgusting dead deer. Oh the worry's a mother has. On another note when the boys were cutting meat last night I said something about it being disgusting and Matthew promptly told me "no, its not disgusting mom!"

Matthew Hunting!

Much to his mothers dismay Matthew went hunting for the first time this weekend. It has been my mom's dream since last year to take him, so instead of breaking her heart again this year, I tild her he could go for a little and only if Todd went with also. From talking to Matthew it sounds like he had a fun time, even though it was bitterly cold out. They didn't get anything but saw two deer according to Matthew. Mom was talking about taking him again next weekend, but I said I don't think so. I just don't think my nerves could handle it again!
Grandpa Joe and Grandma Wanda. Maybe they want to use this picture for there Christmas cards!?!?
Matthew walking the rode, looking for deer.
Grandma Wanda pointing out something really interesting it looks.
They started out the day with breakfast at Uncle Lukes house. Unlce Luke has three snakes and Matthew likes to look at them. I hate them so he only gets this close it I'm not there!

Fabric, Abby, Preschool

JoAnn fabrics just moved to a new buliding so the had a really good sale the other day. I got 25 yards or fabric for $25.00! It was all 90% off! The camo fabric was $.51 a yard and the others were $.81 a yard! I plan to make a quilt and stuffed chair for Matthew and curtins for Abby.
I just had to post a picture of what Matthew weres to preschool every day. He has been going to two weeks now and has only not worn a tie for two of those days! I don't know why but he insists on wearing a tie every day, and usually its a Christmas tie too! I guess maybe he thinks he is going to a prep school or something.
Couldn't leave Abby out of the post. Her newest thing is jumping which she gets about an inch off the floor, Maybe. She is also comming up with about 25 new words a day! Oh, and she now reads her books outloud to herself. Its pretty funny.

Go Bison

A week or two ago I had read in the paper that if you brought your recyclable cans to the Fargo dome for some sort of competition that the city of Fargo was competing in you could get FREE tickets to a Bison Basketball game. So the kids and I took the cans to the dome and got our free tickets and a week or two later came game night. Matthew wasn't even one yet when he went to a basketball game so we new he would like it. The picture above is by our aspiring photographer Matthew.
Matthew and Abby enjoying the game.
Matthew with the Bison. I thought Abby was actually going to take her picture with the bison also, but it turns out that she didn't get as excited about him when we got up close. :) All in all it was a fun game, but we left at half time, because it just got a little to long for the kids.

Freezer Meals

So I've been looking into this once a month cooking (OAMC) deal. Anyone ever herd of it? It's where you make a ton of meals in one day and then put them in your freezer ready for when you don't feel like cooking or have the time to. I think its a pretty good idea. Some people even get together with friends and do it and it goes alot faster and everyone just brings there own containers. Any takers? Has anyone ever done this before, let me know how it worked.

On another note..........Some of you have been asking me how preschool is going for Matthew. Well, he never says to much about it, we always have to pry things out of him. He is into his second week now. The first two days he told me he was kindof lonely at preschool. Then yesterday they had a Police Man come and visit and he was very excited about that. They are studing about comunity helpers this week thats the reason for the officer comming. Also yesterday I cought him singing a song about the weather that he said he leared at preschool. So, I think all in all he is having a good time. Oh he is also very confused though with all the different types of schools. He calls preschool, bibles school. He also thinks club 3:16 at church is preschool, so get very confussed when he has to go to "preschool" twice in a day. he will learn eventually.

Abby's first hair cut

Abby got her hair trimmed for the first time yesterday. I wasn't sure how she would do since she is miss independent. She was scared of the cape and didn't want to sit in the chair by herself, so she sat on my lap and neither of us wore a cape and were covered in hair. She did really good though after that. You can't really tell that its cut except in the bangs. I just wanted to get it evened out.

Halloween

A Few days before Halloween the kids and i decided to make and decorate cookies. The above picture4 is the finished product. I gave Matthew and Abby each a bowl with frosting and a cookie to decorate. Matthew put the frosting on and tons of sprinkles, and Abby got a spoon out and just ate the frosting and none of it made it on her cookie. Thats Abby for you. :)



Matthew came up with his costume for Halloween this year all on his own. He is a train conductor and had a very fun time trick or treating. Abby on the other hand woudl not put on any costume what so ever. The day of Halloween I found this cute puffy blue skirt and thought maybe she would wear that. Lone behold she put it on and was not happy about it right away, but she kept it on all night. I think that she figured out if she kept the skirt on she got candy. Smart girl.