Christmas 2011

We had the full crew here for Christmas this year, as well as an absolutely gorgeous day outside. Two years ago, we had a blizzard; today it was sunny and 50 degrees. My Hawaiian Tropic was calling out for me...

Christmas Tree

Yesterday was the ultimate Christmas Tree setup day. It snowed all day, and it was Saturday. CP really helped out this year and put 90% of the ornaments on the tree. GP decorated the kids' tree in the kitchen.

As usual, the dog slept, and the cat helped.

Snow!

I know I'll be cursing the stuff within a month, but the first snowfall of the year is always exciting. It snowed all day on and off. Big flakes, small flakes, wet flakes, and slushy flakes. We ended up getting about four inches. It's supposed to remain below freezing for the next week, so it will be sticking around for a while.

The dog likes to run around in it, but the cat prefers to stay inside. She had fun watching the giant flakes swirl around on the deck.

Thanksgiving

On the way back to IL, JP texted her bff, MN, that we were just passing thru Des Moines. MN texted back that she was an hour east of us, heading west. Half an hour later, we stopped for gas in Colfax, and 2 minutes after that, the N's pulled in, too! We couldn't have planned it any better.

Our first nite at Nana's house, we ordered "the Titanic" pizza. The pizza shop's sizes are 14", 16", and then 24". We knew a 16" would cut it for the five of us, so we figured we'd try the 24". GP's eyes popped out when he saw the box. Never in his life had he seen such a pizza.

For Black Friday, we hit the shops of Galena and had a nice lunch at one of the pubs. GP got a Brown Cow, and CP got a Black Cow.

CP's Birthday

CP had all his buddies over for his B-Day party.

Packer's Game

I was able to make it to the Packers vs. Vikings game this year. What a blast! It doesn't get any better than tailgating at Lambeau.

CP's Friend

CP finally got to meet Justin Beeber at the mall. He was so excited!

Fall Color

This year we actually had some fall color on our tiny trees. The maples turned bright orange instead of the dull brown that everything else fades to. We had to run the mower to pick up the leaves! It's starting to look like a real yard, finally.

GIE - Expo

This year I went to the Green Industries Expo in Lousiville. Every lawnmower manufacturer on the planet had their products on display, along with every other type of turf management equipment. It was 40° and rainy outside, so some of the areas got a bit muddy over the two days.

Highlight of the trip was seeing Charlie Daniels perform downtown for his 75th birthday.

TMCO Open House

TMCO, a Lincoln fab shop, hosts an open house each October. Of course, the big draw is a beer-pouring robot, but there are also lots of other cool things to see there. This year they showed off their waterjet cutter cutting thru 2"-thick Aluminum.

This portrait was made on their turret punch. Each dot is a different sized hole in a sheet of aluminum that was painted black.

Models

Both boys received model planes for their birthdays. Each had a fun time putting them together.