Mickey Gnome Rain Gauge Collage

Tonight we have more snow.  Yesterday's melted by evening, but now we already have the same if not more.  I decided to take some more photos. I took one of the Mickey rain gauge yesterday morning and when taking another tonight I was reminded of the frozen one I took of it back on Thanksgiving.  I thought it made an interesting collage combining those with one of just rain I took of it the first week we had it last March.  Kind of a look back at how precipitation has gone from something we didn't see much when we lived in AZ just over a year ago and the abundance of it we get now in AL to the point I have been totally over it (the rain, the snow is still a novelty!).

One Year Later & Snow

Today marks one year since our stuff was delivered to our new home in Alabama.  I thought it would be interesting to compare my room now to the panorama I took of it the night our stuff was moved in.  My room certainly has changed a lot and actually for the most part is new clutter.

I wish I had one of Dad's office to compare one year later because it's more still in boxes than unpacked.  I guess the MAY part of my prediction last April was a NOT going to be unpacked after a year in the house, but actually we did sort out the attic or at least we do know what's up there and it all makes sense to be there.

Today also marks the first time we have a decent covering of snow.  I thought it was funny to see our Kokopelli yard ornament reminders of Arizona covered in snow.

Here's to hoping that in one more year we'll have everything unpacked/sorted out as any longer than that than maybe it doesn't need to be unpacked. This has never been what we would consider a long term home.  It certainly has been the right place for the past year, but after seriously thinking that on the river in Alabama could be our long term home we've come back around to DC is where at least Mik and I will always want to be and we're saving and planning for 2016.

Judging our neighborhood's Christmas lights

This evening Mom and I decided to drive around our neighborhood to see if anyone else decorated.  1st Place - There were not many lights and we really thought we would end up being confirmed as the best.  However, the last possible street we could check out revealed the above as the best decorated.  They even had a Santa and some penguins on the porch.

2nd Place - Our house with icicle lights, red & green lightbulbs, and my Penguin Army.

3rd Place - Right next door to first place, this house placed with its reindeer and driveway lighting.

Honorable Mention - This house did not have any holiday lights, but it was funny with Santa splatted on it and saying Peace on Earth.

Honorable Mention - With a lighted dog in the front yard, this house gets an honorable mention since it was the only other house besides above with decorations beyond just the porch and on the house or bushes.

Christmas Eve 2013

Christmas Eve 2013 started with Mom & I heading grocery shopping around 8 a.m.  We then stopped at the storage unit to load up one of the tables we wanted to take to the lake house. Back at the house we loaded up the rest of the stuff for taking to the lake house (mainly my round red).  The truck certainly has come in handy for situations like this, especially with the lift gate that actually is a powered lift.

Mom & I then headed to the lake.  We gave Mik the option to come then or when Dad came after work.  First thing he said was why do I have to go to the lake?  Apparently, he thought we did the presents on Christmas, so he did not think he had to be there until Christmas Day.  I guess we have not done actual Christmas Eve on Christmas Eve for so many years that he did not realize that our family tradition has always been opening them on Christmas Eve.  Once he knew there were presents he was good with going to the lake house, just not any earlier than necessary, so he choose to come with Dad.

Mom & I had to go up by noon, though, as we had scheduled for the internet to be installed.  The install guy was actually there at the beginning of the install window.  Unfortunately, he quickly discovered the house was too far from the relay point and they have to have a survey team and construction team come out to upgrade to the current requirements, so no internet for at least another couple weeks.

We spent the early afternoon putting away the random stuff we had brought up to the lake house.  We also "wrapped" the last of the presents and filled the stockings.  We meant to bring the whole wrapping paper container, but ended up forgetting it.  We had to get creative with wrapping and used an organizer box, a drawstring bag, and a Santa hat.

By 4 p.m., we expected Dad & Mik to at least be on the way to the lake house and we were totally out of things to do to get ready.  Not only did we have the cheese tray and stuffed mushrooms ready, but we even baked the pie that needed hours to cool.

At 4:30 p.m. when we realized they still had not even left Huntsville, Mom & I decided to go for a drive.  We called it The Grant Expedition because Mom wanted to see the "town" of Grant.  There really is not anything there, but they do in fact have an Ace, which we love because we used to go there all the time for things in Tucson and miss not having one in Huntsville.  After also driving out towards Scottsboro, we stopped at the boat house on the way back so I could take a late sunset picture of the lake.

To warm up when we got back I made some Viking Coffee.  We could not get the Bailey's open, so I ended up substituting some Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer.  We also did not have any sugar or Truvia at the lake house, but we had all the baking decoration stuff and used some green sprinkles instead.

Mik & Dad were still not there, so we started playing Scrabble on the iPad.  I was watching out the window for cars coming across the bridge while Mom was taking her turns.  The last time she told me it was my turn I said wait I am going to watch this car come across the bridge first.  Halfway across the car put its turn signal on and at that point I was pretty sure it was them because there is a decent amount of traffic on the bridge, but very little coming onto our road.  It ended up being them and after unloading Billy, Mik, and the stuff they brought up to the lake house we were finally able to celebrate Christmas Eve around 7 p.m.  Of course, as usual as getting unload and putting some stuff away, it was Mom that was the most impatient to get to the present opening with Mik a close second.

Mik's first present was a stack of Reese's candy.  He quickly held it tight to hide it because he did not want anyone to even know to steal it from him.  He then had it hidden hopefully safely in his room, which turned into his lake house candy stash after he got his stocking on Christmas morning.

He was also pretty excited about the Tom Clancy audiobooks Mom & Dad got him.  He had been hoping for some iTunes cards to get some, but this was better, although the next day he realized not quite so as some ended up being abridged versions and he sent us a group text to us saying in the future make sure you only get unabridged.

We made Dad open wait until everyone opened all their presents to open his last present because it was the ultimate present, which sort of a present for all of us since we all wanted it.  Dad was just the one person that did not know about it.  For years Mik has been wanting to get all the JAG seasons and we already own some of them, but until I saw the JAG Complete Collection on Amazon as a lightning deal last week I did not realize they had a collector's set.  I quickly texted Mik and asked if we could split the cost to give it to Dad as a gift, since we had not got him anything, yet.  Mik said yes and recruited Mom to be in on it.

Billy finds the stocking stuffers

Today I left for Tucson and am coming home right before Christmas Eve, so yesterday Mom and I finished getting our stocking stuffers at Dollar Tree.  I know when I left for the airport at 4am, I closed the door between the kitchen and my room. However, someone (Mom!) opened it at some point and didn't close it when they left, so Dad came home tonight to find the bag of stuff by the dog door and wrappers in the yard.

I totally thought Billy might try to get into the stocking stuffers, but thought they would be safe in my room.  I never like to spend money on dog treats, so Dad always buys them with his money. I thought it would be funny to put a bag of dog treats in Dad's stocking because it is something he likes to try for Billy.  Now that Billy found the stocking stuffers early, I am even less inclined to ever give him a stocking stuffer.  Dad said it seems he mostly are the sweets, although Mik's beef jerky might have also attracted him.

Mom's Interpretation of Being there with Bells On

Yesterday somehow we got to talking about what either Mik or she should wear to Kirsten's wedding next weekend.  I asked if she RSVP'd as coming with bells on or not. She said she hadn't even seen the RSVP note. Dad must have just mailed it without showing her.

Mom said she is most definitely going with bells on.  How that ends up will be G rated and festive, as she also plans to have lights on.  However, she had some inappropriate ideas first.  Mainly, she said I should photoshop her wearing three very carefully placed ornaments (think bikini) and send it to Kirsten as a warning as to how my mom planned to take the attire recommendations very literally and attend the wedding with bells on.  I said I wouldn't even go that far with her crazy idea, but I'd put it on the blog in words.  I don't think anyone wants to see anymore of a visual of her idea than this.

Mik's North Pole Village 2013 Version

Today I managed to put out all of Mik's North Pole Village on the counter in the dining room.  I originally thought we would have to put some on the upper cupboard or over on the piano, but I managed to get them all to barely smoosh in on the counter. Of course, that doesn't take into account that Mik hasn't picked out his building this year.

This morning he found a Coke one he wanted on Amazon with a warning it wouldn't arrive before Christmas. Now that it won't fit with this year's set up, it seems worth getting and just incorporating it next year.  We did add a little Cars accessory that Dad and I bought him when we were at Disney World earlier this year, so at least there is something new this year.

Mik has now added having an area that can be used to display his village to the requirements for our dream house on the lake that we are saving up for.  This is especially important as his village keeps growing and he also said next year he is going to save money to buy himself a building and thus get two next year with one being the one from Mom & Dad (I always get him an accessory).