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Thanksgiving to Christmas

 Last weekend Dana was working on the stairs and had a bunch of the stuff pulled out from our under-the-stairs storage. Brynn saw my wedding dress and then decided to dig out my old prom and bridesmaid dresses to try on.

I loved this dress when I wore it to my first prom...I think it must have been when I was in ninth grade. So, two years older than Brynn is now.



There I am with it on. :-)


We had wanted to do some scrapbooking over Thanksgiving break and finally got around to getting it set up into the weekend. It looked like Hobby Lobby had exploded in there. We're hoping to get back to it more over Christmas break.


I had really a hankerin to fondue over the past month or two. So, I decided to dig out my mom's old fondue pot that I have and go for it.

I found a beer cheese recipe that we dipped in with deli ham, broccoli, potatoes, elk brats, tots, auntie Christel's homemade bread. I thought we had one other kind of meat, but now I can't remember what that would have been. We did think steak would have been good with the beer cheese too.


We dipped marshmallows, fruit and grahams in a chocolate sauce for dessert. It was fun and really yummy. I already can't wait to do it again soon.




Brynn has been into a new game that is apparently all the teenage rage at the moment: Among Us. She was showing me how to play it one night this past week.


Brynn did at at-home science experiment with an egg while she was still finishing her quarantine last week. I am trying to remember all the different kind of liquids that it was in...I think this was after it was in vinegar for a few days. It was so weird!


I had some errands to run on Saturday and Brynn was itching to get out somewhere after having been cooped up for two weeks. So, she tagged along with me for the afternoon, but first we had to stop at Sweet Dreams for a treat. :-)


With our wares at Hobby Lobby. Everywhere was pretty busy, especially Target, which we didn't even make it into because there was a line out the door!

As of yesterday, we still hadn't put up our Christmas tree yet. We were planning to do it in the afternoon, but the amazing weather lured us outside instead. So, we went on a four-wheeler ride.


Operation: New Stairs complete! Yay! I love how it turned out. Big shout out to Dana for tackling this project. 

Oh, there's the tree. Oops - got a little out of order.


I am still teaching Clara's Sunday school class, though the past two times, it's just been her and me in our group. We don't mind...though it is oddly quiet with a small fraction of the kids in attendance. 

Anyway, we got an Advent calendar. We were already a week behind, I guess, so Brynn had the good idea to go through each week on Sunday and then Wednesday.  So, we did our first one last night and I love it. I've always wanted to do a Advent calendar, but never had gotten one. This one guides you through the verse to read from the Bible, a devotional, discussion questions and a prayer to finish.

And then it tells you which candles to light for each time as well. 
There was some arguments over who was lighting candles, saying the prayer, etc. but thankfully we got it sorted out that this week, Brynn lit the candles and Clara read the prayer.


FINALLY! Onto putting up and decorating the tree.




This is the best tree we've ever had - it is only it two pieces, so we don't have to mess with all the individual branches. Plus, it's pre-lit (well, for now), so you just plug it in and away you go.

Clara's fav Christmas book:

Grandma Darlene had handed down this little tree that she had in her basement to Brynn last year, so Brynn got that set up in her room and was the first one to have gifts wrapped under her tree.


I knew Clara would feel left out if she didn't have a tree for her room. Luckily I came across this little one when I was at a thrift store the week of Thanksgiving.


We're hoping to start wrapping gifts and do some holiday baking this weekend.




Comments

theweckerlys said…
Oh my, so much goodness! I loved that black dress, too. And I can't believe Brynn is only two years younger than you were when you wore it! Yum, I love fondue. We should do it for New Years! I'm cracking up that Brynn is eating in her snowpants, haha. Wow, I can't believe Dana's done with the stairs already! That was fast. They look so great! Can't wait to see it in person. Clara, I love that Little Blue Truck Christmas book, too. Their room trees look great!
Anonymous said…
So much awesome is right! Love the prom pic! Happy holidays!

Love,
Amanda : )
Brynn said…
I honestly did not have any intention of wearing my snow pants at dinner; I was just to lazy to take them off after want outside. Haha.

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