Christmas Eve

Opening presents was great fun with Beckett leading the way.  Things kept bogging down as Beckett always wanted to play with what he just opened...imagine that.  The adults kept him going though and a good time was had by all.

The next morning Santa had filled our stockings, and apparently we were all good, as there were no lumps of coal.  Santa did not leave Beckett a sweet potato like last year though.

Holiday Fun

The whole family was here for four days of fun leading up to Christmas Day, needless to say Beckett was the main focus, and he didn't disappoint, he has become quite an entertainer.

Grandma and he had a blast.

Beckett enjoyed giving "tours" of the tree, here he is with Great Grandma.

One afternoon we did Wii Bowling.  Beckett was fascinated by it...he and Grandma competed as a team.  Later Beckett showed us his approach to bowling.

After bath time we danced with Frosty.

We played outside quite a bit, going on several hikes.  Sledding was a mixed bag.  Beckett was ok with it until Frank and I each dumped him once...then his enthusiasm waned.  Macy tried using a stuffed critter as bait, but that didn't work either.







3DHDTV

The new TV in the great room is 3-D.  Direct TV has 4 3-D channels, including ESPN, so there is some content to watch already.  Sports in particular are very different in 3-D.  Heather thinks wearing the glasses promotes anti-social behavior...they also have bought a 3-D TV.  In case you're wondering, we were watching The Nutcracker.  This version was terrible, with no dancing if you can imagine that.  In fact, consensus was it is high on the list of worst movies ever.  We watched it though...it was in 3-D!

Outdoor Lights

I was semi-ambitious this year with outdoor lighting for the holidays.  The tree off the deck was a challenge, it's getting very tall.  Still need to get out on the lake to see how the lights show in the distance.

First Snow and Blow

Our first snow fall this year was about 5 inches and was very pretty.  I'm sure the awe will wane as it piles up.  Ski's are ready.

We had one of our neighbors over for dinner, Sharon, who has a Stihl leaf blower just like mine.  Over dinner she told me she uses it for snow blowing as well.  I couldn't wait and it worked great.  I especially like it for use on the deck as I've always been concerned about wood damage when using a snow shovel or pusher.

Visitors

Beckett, Heather and Great Grandma braved the mid state snow storms Wednesday and came Up North.  Rhinelander got 8" of snow, we got none.  Frank came up Friday evening and a good time was had by all.  Beckett and our new home occupied all our time.

Beckett showed us all the latest dance moves and we got plenty of exercise.

The weather was nice and we took several "hikes" down to the lake.  Beckett and the Gator were love at first sight.

Sunday morning we had pancakes then out for another hike.  Beckett got a new snow suit which his mom and dad couldn't wait to get him into. Wasn't that cold, but he's ready when it is.  Maybe we can film our own version of Christmas Story.  We know what part Beckett will plan.



I'll take this greeting at the door every time.

New Dining Table & Chairs

Everything we possess is now home.  The last few possessions and both vehicles came home on Wednesday.  We had sold our old dining room set that we've had since Crystal Lake, so we bought a new dining table and chairs, and Saturday the new set was delivered.  It expands to seat eight and there's a bench for one side that doesn't show in the pics.

Air Power

We are blessed with an unlimited supply of firewood and fall leaves.  Unfortunately each requires effort to manage.  The leaves are thick and everywhere, and if you don't get them off the lawn right away they compact and begin to decompose making them very hard to move.  Raking leaves is number 2 on my home project dislike list, right after painting.  I have an electric leaf blower, but it doesn't have enough power for this many leaves, plus the extension cord management is a pain.  I decided on a gas powered two cycle backpack blower.  They create a huge blast of air.  After much shopping I followed Doug's advice and went with Stihl.  For starters their ergonomics are great.  The backpack looks like something a Starwars Storm Trooper should be packing.  The machine performed really well.

I cleared the entire property in about 3 hours. 

I would guess this machine would propel a croquet ball really well.  Hmmm

Moving Daze

We're officially moved, except for an air mattress, an old TV and a few work clothes, everything we own is now officially Up North.  Mr. Mover loaded us up on Thursday, and then they drove up and stayed in Minocqua.  First thing Friday morning they began to unload.  It's a bit overwhelming at the moment as we unpack and try to merge the contents of two households.  Scott was here to help and we stayed busy.

First off is Mr. Mover at the Germantown condo we rented for 8 months.  When they were done loading we were at max for the one truck.  Fortunately they knew what they were doing.

While 4 guys did the packing, only 2 traveled Up North and did the unload.  Regardless the move in went very fast. They were able to pull right up to the door so it really sped things up and kept the sand at bay.  Nonetheless we have boxes everywhere, most with labels that made lots of sense 8 months ago but little sense now.

At the end of day Macy had organized some sanity into the chaos and we were able to relax.  The view remains the same.  Blink Bonnie's and some sizzling steaks awaited.