HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

Happy New Year everyone!

We celebrated New Year's Eve with friends at home this year. What better place to have a good ole' fashioned gathering than with the neighborhood friends!

Arrick and Ian's friends gather to see who will be the economic conqueror in the game of STATE PARKS MONOPOLY!

Zach waves and Ian gives the intergallactic sign of peace

Gabe lines up his beverages. Don't worry mom's and dad's and law enforcement officials, the wine looking substance is sparkling non alcoholic cherry beverage!

Well, they did parttake in beer, rootbeer that is and other snacks that youth favor! Veggies too!

5.....4.....3.....2.....1 Happy New Year!!!!

Ian, Zach, Gabe, Arrick, Anna and Andrew prepare to open the crackers at the mark of midnight!

An English cracker that contains a party hat, words of wisdom/joke and a toy

Okay so next year I'll get something that has some spark and noise!

With their party hats in place...dog piling on Arrick and Ian! It's too bad they are such a shy group!

Zach, Arrick and Anna

What kinds of goodies are in here???

Anna and Arrick

Ian and Zach with Eva. She wants to be in on the action too!
Yes, we all can actually sit on the sofa!!

Calling and checking in....

Arrick feels the need to pick Anna up for a picture...Ian taking the picture...just before departing to their homes.

Now to settle into those New Year's resolutions...more time at the gym, work on the ole' homestead more, read some great novels and broaden the vocabulary, spend MUCH more time with friends, (especially Diana who has been SO patient while I was in grad school, and is always ready with some sunshine to blow in my direction!)finish up some craft projects, begin some new ones, clean out closets, attics, whatever that needs cleaning! Geez, my list has grown but you get the gist of it!

Hope your new year's resolutions are successful and may your year be filled with prosperity and joy!

Norfolk waterfront this holiday season

CHRISTMAS 2008

Christmas in Virginia 2008

After we decorated the exterior of our house and hung the wreath on the door, we began on the inside! We trimmed both trees the larger tree in the familyroom ....

The smaller for the livingroom and dining area....

We attended Ian's Christmas concert and actually won a poinsetta! Good thing I took a picture of this lovely specimen...it was short lived ...long story and the Christmas plant didn't come to live with us. Just as well, the boys didn't smile for the picture!

We began our loving task of baking! Arrick made monkey bread for a gathering we attended! We brought home an empty platter! We baked breads and cookies and dipped pretzels to give to dear friends and neighbors!

Arrick's Monkey Bread

Lemon bread...yummmmy stuff!

We attended some Christmas Parties..one of which was a Tacky Christmas Sweater party. Ian opted for a Horrible Chanukah Sweater and won in his very own category!! Way to go Ian!

Christmas Eve in Williamsburg

Every Christmas Eve we make the trip to Williamsburg for the candlelite Caroling and to take in the traditional colonial deocorations. Each year, I'm amazed at how lovely the decorations are and how clever those colonists were/are in using what they had available to use!

okay so it's a little blury. I think I need to get a better camera...this point and shoot camera sometimes just doesn't cut it!

This year friends of ours wanted to join us on our traditional trip to Williamsburg. The Oman family have been friends of ours since Arrick was in the 3rd grade. Their boys are the same year as ours in school. Additionally, Arrick's friend Anna joined us on our Christmas Eve festivities!

They are a serious group. I had to encourage them to relax and cut loose for a festive picture!!
One of the door frames decorated in Williamsburg.
See, I know this isn't centered...there's a reason. There was this woman having her picture taken and it would have been impolite to ask her to move her butt, it was Christmas Eve! Sure I could have waited...but I was losing light...deal with it.


This wreath was on the windows of the tavern in Williamsburg~ clever how they used the pipes and tabacco!

I hadn't seen a wreath like this one up there before! Newbies to the colonies?


A colonist questioning the boys about their unusual hats! I think he was jealous!

This year there were a few more people in Williamsburg. The weather was warmer and people were out enjoying the quiet, peaceful company of one another. There is no hustle or bustle and everyone is enjoying their hot apple cider and ginger cakes relaxing.

After dark and just before the tale of the first Christmas Tree in Williamsburg and candle light caroling, The Fife and Drum Corp parade up and down the main street with their torch bearers lighting their way!

Enjoying the last moments before we head to our separate cars!!


Each Christmas Eve the boys open one christmas present...usually, you guessed it! Christmas pajamas!! Yup, I know, they are 18 and 15....but they still get pj's!!
Arrick in his guitar Hero pjs....yes, he's addicted to the playstation...we're going to put him into a 12 step program while he's on winter break!

That's Ian under that hair...in his Grinch pjs!







Sleepy from their adventure and walk in the cool air in Williamsburg the boys settle down and wait for Santa!! Viewer disecretion is advised:::::::::

Arrick has a sleep over every night with the dogs!



Ian sleeps like a mummy so the cat, Whiskers, wont nibble on his ears to get more food!

Arrick posing in his new hood....Christmas morning
Eva with her new Christmas toy....She sneaked in and dragged her stocking into the livingroom but wasn't successful in pulling the toy out of the stocking! The cat also dragged his stocking into the kitchen...his stocking had catnip in it. He was stoned most of Christmas!




Ian received a computer game for Christmas he had been drooling over for quite some time!! He was Thrilled...as the picture shows!! lol

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas everyone!!

Christmastime in Virginia

Celebrating Christmas begins right after Thanksgiving for our family!

The boys put the lights on the house this year and did a pretty good job. Of course, it wouldn't be Christmastime without the annual persimmon fight the boys have each year. The persimmons are mostly firm but there are some mushy fruit as well. Perfect for splatting on the other. Ian was perched on the roof while Arrick lobbed an orange fruit up on the roof waiting for a yelp out of his brother! (Ian didn't need assistance getting off the roof this year either!! Good job Ian!) After many pleas to put up the garland and get the lights on the house, they did accomplish their goals....only after part of the house was splattered with persimmon!

Ian gathering "ammo" to pelt his brother.

Splattered persimmons...of course before the lovely garland was hung!

After the war of persimmons, the work to hang the lights begins!

technical errors....

Well, you may have noticed that...things have changed a bit. While trying to make the ole' homestead blog cozy for the holidays, I messed with a bit of Html...and voila....no blog entries! I still have them...you just can't see 'em! So, rather than screw it up more, I created a new blog! A better blog! A cozy, fancy blog! A Blog, I hope I won't screw up!

Soon I shall have the old photos back up and I shall have new posts! In addition, anyone now may comment on my blog...leave interesting remarks, or just say hello, you were here!

Now that school is over with, I have cultivated a few other distractions to take its place. In some cases, much more challenging I must say!

Stay tuned!!
soon there will be photos!!!!

Thanksgiving Traditions!

Jamestown, VA
Every Thanksgiving, John, the boys and I venture on up to Jamestown, VA to get back to our roots! Jamestown is a replica of the English settlement Fort, Powhatan villiage and riverfront discovery center complete with replicas of the ships that carried those first settlers over the Atlantic!In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent settlement.

Ryan (Arrick's school chum) and Arrick try their hand at taking the fur off of an animal hide!
Ian in the Powhatan Village!


A turkey roasting in the Powhatan Village! Meanwhile, our own turkey is on a slow oven and will be ready when we return!
Ian and Ryan check out a bear hide on the wall in one of the Powhatan village huts!

Our tradition began when Arrick and Ian were 4 and 7. We were looking for something to do to fill in the time before heading to friends for Thanksgiving dinner at 5pm. Since we were used to eating our Turkey dinner earlier, we headed to Jamestown to pass the time, enjoy the outdoors and let the brisk weather spark our appetite! We've been every year since

Ryan, making corn meal!

On to the ship replicas on the water front!
Arrick tries out the sleeping quarters!

Ryan says it's a perfect fit! It's time for a nap!

Ian.....being.....Ian!

I thought this was a game of some sort.....well the boys set me straight pretty dang quick! It's a navigation device! Who knew!? Well they did. Their dad is a navigation officer. I guess I should pay better attention!!

Good friends gathered on this Thanksgiving!!

The Jamestown Fort! On site there is a glass house where they craft glass works in the same ways of the first settlers!

Preparing a variety of things in the village. We watched "settlers" prepare sausage, bread, apple sauce, smoke meats and cure fish!

Listening to one of the "settlers" explain the rules of the store house!!

One of the inhabitants!

smoking duck, venison and making applesauce!

Making a canoe!!! Arrick and Ryan want to try this at home!!

Better talk to this guy at length about how to make a canoe guys!