Merry Christmas, Happy Everything

We celebrate Christmas today here at the Ramsay house. Ashley and Uriah came tonight, we wrapped up wrapping and I'm looking forward to opening presents and eating breakfast. Landon put his reindeer food out, we'll see if it's still there in the morning.

Spring Vacation

It's school vacation week! We made no plans to go away anywhere, just do some random projects at home like... make stuff, paint stuff, spread mulch, play Xbox, get the boys ready to go to Canada for the weekend. We made a list of things we'd like to do.

Top of the list was: Panera for lunch, 5 Guys for lunch, Chipotle for lunch. Whose kids are these anyway?! We did go to Panera for lunch, but out for lunch everyday- fuhggedaboutit!!! Ham and cheese at home kids! Actually sandwich making at 7 am is one of the things I love missing when the kids are on vacation. I make 3 different sandwiches (with love, mind you) and I don't mind it terribly but I love not having to do it. Here is what they take- no variation except bananas instead of freezer jam for Dave, occasionally.



Maura made this in Girl Scouts and I just love it. She has a great eye for design and unknowingly used the Rule of Thirds here, it always makes a design or photograph more interesting. Also, the fennel seeds remind me of picking Caraway seeds with my Grandma when I was a little pest.



Venom: He is one of Spiderman's archenemies so that makes him bad. He seems quiet and unassuming but the things I read about him are indicting and reprehensible. I can't believe it. One day as Landon was heading off to the school bus with Daddy, I kissed him goodbye and the just to be silly I also kissed Venom, who was being carried in Landon's fist. Then I heard a squeaky voice, "Aw, just what I always wanted, a family of my very own." Here he is, Venom, found in almost every seat you try to sit in.



Also on the list:


Not to be confused with the raw eggs.....






Finished products:




It can be hard to get the tip of the nose and the tip of the ears in the same picture.







After picking up apples with groceries, I tried to be strategic about how I stored them. I have a two tier stand that I thought would be perfect. The Macintosh can go on the bottom shelf so that a certain short person who eats apples indiscriminately, with careless abandon and foolhardiness will default to reaching for them on the bottom. (They are the smaller, cheaper apples). The Jazz apples go on the top where you would think he wouldn't see them or even notice that there is a top shelf. They are delicious, meant to be savored and appreciated. I'll be going back to the strategy drawing board because I found these labels he made and attached to each tray. Never underestimate the palate of a six year old.

The Macs:



The Jazz:



Yummy fresh pineapple:


Today we are going to visit Gordo at work. Before we leave the boys are helping Grandpa with some yardwork and I looked out the window to see Adam driving the Ranger with some stones in it. The stones in the bed of the Ranger, perfectly lined up is so 'Adam', he is very particular about aesthetics like that.



Before we take off.....
I've been enjoying this piece by Selah called "Beautiful, Terrible Cross"

Visitors from PEI

It was March 19th that they rolled in their mini-van. Little blue eyed people warily assessed the large barking dogs and cousins weary with waiting. It didn't take long before they warmed up and settled in. We had them here almost a week and it went by much too fast.

Notably:
Landon, Jonah and Nate had a great time together.
Us old folks aren't so great at staying up late anymore, much to our disappointment.
Mark is funnier than ever.
Leah is perfect. If she really isn't, don't tell me the difference.
Finding little tiny baby socks and onesies in the laundry is soul-food. A burst of babydreneline maybe?
I may have initiated conversations with Nate just to hear him speak in his own adorable diction. (Asking for poxles (popsicles) and saying he doesn't like aunties, just uncles. )
Quinn smiles all the time.
Quinn reminds me of Heidi as a baby.
It was an extra bonus to have Ashley here as well, three of us together in one spot is a feat at this point.

I didn't take many pictures, but here is what I have:

Mark's arrow went through the target..

Catching up

We've been enjoying the last few weeks of summer weather here. I love that fall is keeping its distance. We went on a hike up one of the bigger mountains here. It is similar in terrain to the mountain behind our house in Blues Mills. The steepest part here is at the beginning when you climb the end of the ridge and then it is mostly flat for the rest of the hike. The ground is mostly crushed gravel now rather than the pounded hard ground and roots that it used to be. It makes the climb a little harder.


Landon, taking a break.

Maya, taking a break.

Maura climbing the rocks.

Adam, a rare photo these days...

Can you spot David up there on the rocks?

Back home for some BBQ and relaxing, I just remembered this was Labor Day we did this.

A neighbor's cat went missing so she stopped by to see if we had seen the cat, ironically named "Lucky". This news disturbed Landon and he sat up on the backyard watching as Lexi walked up and down the runway yelling for "Lucky". Doesn't he look sad?

Picture day for Maura and Dave:

She wore this special necklace that she received from Marilu.

Photobomber alert:

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