Early Christmas Presents!!
I celebrated Christmas with my family this weekend since it was more convenient for everyone to get together then rather on the 25th. On Saturday my parents and I headed up to Klemme, IA where Aunt Sue and Uncle Terry were hosting Christmas for my mom's side of the family. There were 23 people there so it was a pretty good crowd. We had a lunch of ham and turkey (which I thought was pork) and lots of side dishes, then we opened presents. The majority of the presents went to the little kids: Gracie, Evan, Owen, and Leah. Gracie and Leah are the same age and they got a lot of the same toys and outfits. I got a pair of fingerless green knit gloves. They're fashionable, but not very functional in this cold midwestern weather.
Later that afternoon I was going to ride back with Bill and Kelly to Stillwater, Minnesota where we were going to have Christmas with the family the next day. Mom and Dad were going to stay at Sue and Ter's overnight, but since there was a weather report of snow, Mom and Dad decided to go that night so I just went with them. We left about an hour and a half after Bill and Kelly did and chatted with Sue, Terry, and Jane. Mom made me go downstairs so she could tell her sisters about the surprise gift she got for me. (Meaning it wasn't on my list). When they gave me the all clear to come up, I said to my mom, "I can't believe you got me that!" but Mom said she knew I was only joking because she said she whispered what she got me. Dad and Terry said they didn't even hear what she said!
We left at 6 and it was really dark when we left! It was a three hour ride and since I couldn't read, I listened to my iPod. It was a little after nine by the time we reached Bill and Kelly's and Kelly had just gotten back from Wal-Mart because she had bought a new coffee craft for their coffee maker because their other one had broken. It turned out she got one that was too big for it, so Mom volunteered herself and me to go get one at Target. We went to Target, but they didn't even have the brand (Krups) that we needed. I had Dad's phone and Mom told me to call Bill, but I couldn't remember the four-number pass code I needed to get in. I thought it was 6806 or 6808, then thought maybe it was 8608 or 8606. Whatever it was, I was positive it had those numbers in it and that the zero was in the third spot. (I was right about the first one, but the zero was in the second spot as I later found out that night when I asked Dad what his pass code was. Whoops). We drove by a nearby Ace's hardware store, but they were already closed since by this time it was almost ten. I spotted a Kohl's that was open for 24 hours until Christmas Eve. They had Krups, but you had to buy the entire coffee set; you couldn't just buy the glass craft. We called Bill on Mom's track phone and told him we were having no luck and he said it was okay. He and Dad bought a whole new coffee maker the next day.
Mom, Dad, Bill, and I went into downtown Stillwater the next day while Kelly and Gracie took their afternoon naps. I bought a mousepad with a lion on it that also serves as a notepad, and Dad, Bill, and I went to a turtle store where Dad and Bill bought a chocolate turtle to split and a white chocolate one for Mom and me to split. At a kitchen store, Mom bought some hot chocolate on a stick. You warm up milk, then add the stick and stir in the chocolate until it melts.
When we got back, Mom, Bill, Kelly, and me took Gracie for a sleigh ride in her little sled around the block. It snowed both days we were in Minnesota and there was already snow on the ground when we got there. It was COLD! We were only out for about ten minutes and that was enough for me. It was about zero degrees. When we got back, we opened presents. Gracie loved her baby doll and stroller and her Cookie Monster that ate cookies. And I loved my presents as well! I got:
-GPS system - It's easy to use, but the only problem is that I don't know how to hook it up in my car so it's in a location that is convenient for me to look at when I need to.
-Black journal and pens
-Silver-sequined ballet flat slippers called "Snoozies"
-Earrings with three small green stones on a wire
-Earplugs for my iPod
-2014 calendar of movie posters
-Eiffel Tower pendant necklace from Aunt Jane
-85 Years of the Oscars - This is a coffee table/reference book that my mom got for me because I love movies and the Oscars. I had never heard of this book, but she read about it somewhere and decided it would be the perfect book for me. Apparently the author, Robert Osbourne, updates it every 5 years and this one goes up to the 2013 Oscars for the 2012 movie season. It's a big, hardback book with glossy photos and for each year it gives a little history of that year's Oscars, the winners, and all the nominations. It's very cool and I'm sure I'll get some great ideas for my Netflix queue. I'm assuming the number in the name changes every time it's republished!
-In one bag I got all the following kitchen supplies: lettuce crisper, green cutting board, Fast Slow Cooker Cookbook, and disposable liners for my slow cooker (which I got last year). I love the cookbook; I've already made ham and scalloped potatoes and pot-roasted steak.
-From Bill and Kelly, I received a rubber cooking spoon and a note saying I would receive my gift on Friday because they had ordered it from Target.com. I asked to know what it was and I'm glad I did or otherwise I may have been a little confused. Bill said they had gotten me a cookbook called The Smitten Kitchen because he thought that it had been on my list, but I had no idea what he was talking about. For some reason, I have no idea how, he had confused that cookbook with a non-fiction book I had wanted called Cat Sense, which is about cats and how they behave. (Which I later bought with some Christmas money). He said when he saw the cookbook that I had good taste and he was really impressed, lol! I received the book today and it's really nice. So nice, that I am afraid to use it in fear it might get messed up like most both my cookbooks tend to do when I use them for a recipe. Right now I am more interested in reading it than trying anything out at the moment. Some of the recipes look a little intimidating. I'm more used to trying recipes with names like "Oven-fried chicken" or "Stuffed chicken breasts", and not fancy names like "leek fritters with garlic and lemon" or "broccoli rabe panini with mozzarella". I do like that the author, Deb Perelman, writes personal stories about each recipe and tips and suggestions, so I am looking forward to reading it at least! I will let you know when I attempt to try one of her recipes!
We later had pizza for dinner and I got sauce all over my white sweater. We left the next morning.
Later that afternoon I was going to ride back with Bill and Kelly to Stillwater, Minnesota where we were going to have Christmas with the family the next day. Mom and Dad were going to stay at Sue and Ter's overnight, but since there was a weather report of snow, Mom and Dad decided to go that night so I just went with them. We left about an hour and a half after Bill and Kelly did and chatted with Sue, Terry, and Jane. Mom made me go downstairs so she could tell her sisters about the surprise gift she got for me. (Meaning it wasn't on my list). When they gave me the all clear to come up, I said to my mom, "I can't believe you got me that!" but Mom said she knew I was only joking because she said she whispered what she got me. Dad and Terry said they didn't even hear what she said!
We left at 6 and it was really dark when we left! It was a three hour ride and since I couldn't read, I listened to my iPod. It was a little after nine by the time we reached Bill and Kelly's and Kelly had just gotten back from Wal-Mart because she had bought a new coffee craft for their coffee maker because their other one had broken. It turned out she got one that was too big for it, so Mom volunteered herself and me to go get one at Target. We went to Target, but they didn't even have the brand (Krups) that we needed. I had Dad's phone and Mom told me to call Bill, but I couldn't remember the four-number pass code I needed to get in. I thought it was 6806 or 6808, then thought maybe it was 8608 or 8606. Whatever it was, I was positive it had those numbers in it and that the zero was in the third spot. (I was right about the first one, but the zero was in the second spot as I later found out that night when I asked Dad what his pass code was. Whoops). We drove by a nearby Ace's hardware store, but they were already closed since by this time it was almost ten. I spotted a Kohl's that was open for 24 hours until Christmas Eve. They had Krups, but you had to buy the entire coffee set; you couldn't just buy the glass craft. We called Bill on Mom's track phone and told him we were having no luck and he said it was okay. He and Dad bought a whole new coffee maker the next day.
Mom, Dad, Bill, and I went into downtown Stillwater the next day while Kelly and Gracie took their afternoon naps. I bought a mousepad with a lion on it that also serves as a notepad, and Dad, Bill, and I went to a turtle store where Dad and Bill bought a chocolate turtle to split and a white chocolate one for Mom and me to split. At a kitchen store, Mom bought some hot chocolate on a stick. You warm up milk, then add the stick and stir in the chocolate until it melts.
When we got back, Mom, Bill, Kelly, and me took Gracie for a sleigh ride in her little sled around the block. It snowed both days we were in Minnesota and there was already snow on the ground when we got there. It was COLD! We were only out for about ten minutes and that was enough for me. It was about zero degrees. When we got back, we opened presents. Gracie loved her baby doll and stroller and her Cookie Monster that ate cookies. And I loved my presents as well! I got:
-GPS system - It's easy to use, but the only problem is that I don't know how to hook it up in my car so it's in a location that is convenient for me to look at when I need to.
-Black journal and pens
-Silver-sequined ballet flat slippers called "Snoozies"
-Earrings with three small green stones on a wire
-Earplugs for my iPod
-2014 calendar of movie posters
-Eiffel Tower pendant necklace from Aunt Jane
-85 Years of the Oscars - This is a coffee table/reference book that my mom got for me because I love movies and the Oscars. I had never heard of this book, but she read about it somewhere and decided it would be the perfect book for me. Apparently the author, Robert Osbourne, updates it every 5 years and this one goes up to the 2013 Oscars for the 2012 movie season. It's a big, hardback book with glossy photos and for each year it gives a little history of that year's Oscars, the winners, and all the nominations. It's very cool and I'm sure I'll get some great ideas for my Netflix queue. I'm assuming the number in the name changes every time it's republished!
-In one bag I got all the following kitchen supplies: lettuce crisper, green cutting board, Fast Slow Cooker Cookbook, and disposable liners for my slow cooker (which I got last year). I love the cookbook; I've already made ham and scalloped potatoes and pot-roasted steak.
-From Bill and Kelly, I received a rubber cooking spoon and a note saying I would receive my gift on Friday because they had ordered it from Target.com. I asked to know what it was and I'm glad I did or otherwise I may have been a little confused. Bill said they had gotten me a cookbook called The Smitten Kitchen because he thought that it had been on my list, but I had no idea what he was talking about. For some reason, I have no idea how, he had confused that cookbook with a non-fiction book I had wanted called Cat Sense, which is about cats and how they behave. (Which I later bought with some Christmas money). He said when he saw the cookbook that I had good taste and he was really impressed, lol! I received the book today and it's really nice. So nice, that I am afraid to use it in fear it might get messed up like most both my cookbooks tend to do when I use them for a recipe. Right now I am more interested in reading it than trying anything out at the moment. Some of the recipes look a little intimidating. I'm more used to trying recipes with names like "Oven-fried chicken" or "Stuffed chicken breasts", and not fancy names like "leek fritters with garlic and lemon" or "broccoli rabe panini with mozzarella". I do like that the author, Deb Perelman, writes personal stories about each recipe and tips and suggestions, so I am looking forward to reading it at least! I will let you know when I attempt to try one of her recipes!
We later had pizza for dinner and I got sauce all over my white sweater. We left the next morning.