Warm Friends, Hot Cider, and Cookie Decorating

December 18, 2015 - A few photos from what was officially a "Cookie Decorating Party."

Luminaries - southwestern decorations you rarely see in the Midwest

Up on the housetop...

Is that a star from the East?

Or Josiah holding a flashlight?

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

...but the fire is so delightful.

It was impossible to feel cold with hot cider, warm friends, a roaring fire, and heated card games of "Bluff" and "Nertz."

Isaiah 40:3

We all sang some carols around the piano.

Because the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing aloud for all to hear.

Decorated cookies

The extent of my decorating consisted of spreading the icing like butter on the cookie and immediately eating it. #minimalistdesign

Operator!

"10 circles in a picture" (behind)

"chestnuts roasting over an open fire"

"what light through yonder window breaks" 

- turned into 'something' and "about a thousand toothpicks"

As the fire was slowly dying

my dears were still goodbying...

...and planking...

...and sharing stories and 'random facts.'

Thanks for having us all over!

Ashley's 1950s Birthday Party

August 28, 2015 - This evening finds us at an awesome 1950s themed birthday bash!

Before we get started, a quick shoutout of thanks for most of these photos to Micaiah (- and anyone else who randomly grabbed my camera and took photos :P). 

Well, let's get this posted started off right with some photos of the birthday girl, Ashley:

Everything was decked out for this 1950s ice cream social Birthday party.

Everyone looked so great in their Classy clothes.  

Thankfully I don't think I saw any pink shoelaces, but blue suede shoes would've been a nice touch.

Oh, and I loved that we were able to play some 50s Doo-Wop music.

Want to feel like you're down "at the hop?"  Try out my Spotify playlist from the party:

Features some of my favs from Bobby Darin, Elvis Presley, The Chordettes, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke and a few odd ends from other decades.

Yes, same photo.  Different angle.

Forming into a circle for English Country Dancing

Food!  Cupcakes, popcorn..and ICE CREAM with tons of toppings. 

 Why take a selfie by yourself...

...when you can get a selfie with a friend?

Why take a selfie with a friend if you can...

...get a selfie with two Good Friends?

Hugs

We watched a couple episodes of I Love Lucy:

Haha, the iconic Lucy and the Chocolate Factory episode. :)

I'm hearing "Glow Little Glow Worm"

Uh, Ricky tried to make dinner, which ended in disaster.  However, it did inspire me to try my hand at making dinner the following night, though I only cook once in a blue moon. I made fettuccine alfredo and chicken parmesano - without making a mess in the process may I add - and it actually tasted fantastic. But, no, I didn't wear an apron. ;) 

Jiving to the "shim sham" as we were twistin' the night away

Oh, great, "Glow little glowworm" is still stuck in my head.  I need to think about some other songs...

Well, I wish that I could stay just a little bit longer but we can't rock around the clock, in the still of the night, and you can't come go with me.  So, it's time you send me home on Route 66 and for me to say goodnight sweetheart, goodnight.  We certainly had fun, fun, fun! 

Nope.  Glow-little-glow-worm is still in my head.  I guess I can't help myself!  

Mama said there'd be days like this...

Oh, and kudos to those who noticed that the bold words were placed alphabetically as a guide to how I would sort and post the photos.

A Birthday and a Treasure Hunt

February 14, 2015 - This afternoon was the long-anticipated birthday party for Benjamin!  Kate has been scheming around here for weeks and has been up to some very dubious and clandestine activities for the past few weeks.  So, let's try to figure out what she's been up to, shall we?

Oh, and a special thanks to Matthew and my Mom who commandeered my camera throughout the day and contributed to the photos in this post!

Hmm..some adventure related decor.

No, we don't normally keep a powder horn hanging on our mantle - as awesome as that would be!

Flashlight, magnifying glass, journal, compass, and...wine?  - I don't think that was supposed to be in the shot.  Either way..."hurrah for Reformed Baptists!"

Ah, a crossword puzzle, methinks that we have a treasure hunt on our hands.

All the folks "mingling" - as Mycroft would put it

Out of focus

In focus

Trying to solve the crossword puzzle.  

I love that all of the firstborns are up here trying to figure out the puzzle. :)

Don't we look so official with our notepads?

706.209.1109.604.714.412.112.1317.803.504

(Oh, and as a sidenote...this is the first and the last time you see me attend a party in a hoodie.)

Hmm..."skip code?"

Okay, so the clue was the book of Three?

Volume #3 in the speeches of Patrick Henry?

The Trinity Hymnal
The excitement of finding one of the clues!

After a major amount of math - even for an Asian ;)  - we discovered some nearby GPS coordinates.

Bundling up

The obligatory "gang" sign

So the clue isn't in the tree stand...

..or in this tree. (Which would have been terribly inconvenient.)

Looks like Ben found something in the woods.

A bottle with another riddle.

Time for a group shot!

Melanie reading the next clue...what did the riddle say about "shots?"

Time for some target practice!

Team #1

We were laughing now, but this was before we lost the relay shooting match.

A few more photos taken by Matthew:

Benjamin instructing us on proper BB gun safety and the gun range rules.

Man, he looks like a natural.

And the first shooters are off in the relay...

There's a story behind Kate's hat.

Just thought you should know.

Alright, well that was a little humiliating - well, at least we popped a couple of balloons on our target.

Seriously though, the BBs kept bouncing off of the balloons and the wind was affecting our shots.

Anyway, the humiliation was just starting because it was time to play "Telephone Pictionary"

How to play Telephone Pictionary >

This game was absolutely hilarious...and lead to quite a workout for my abs.

The calm before the storm

Laughing over one of the drawings

Oh no...Micaiah found my drawing of a "Valentine's Day bear" that appeared to have a closer affinity for Halloween than St. Valentine's.

Yeah, that was pretty creepy, but nothing compared to...

...the "constipated dragon" that I was supposed to draw...

...yeah, I mean, how would YOU draw a constipated dragon?

Alright, the treasure hunt lead us outside where we came across a very long string which we followed-

-to a small treasure chest!

What's in it?  I can't see!

Ah, another clue - and...gold coins?

The gift will be found at "the end of the bed."

So, after we all rushed inside and invaded the confines of Benjamin's bedroom, we then realized the clue was referencing the bed of his truck:

And, of course, a party that was such a blast had to conclude with some ammunition.