Hockey Update

Hockey season is in full swing.  Isaac is playing for the West Virginia Wild PeeWee team again this year.  He like the coach this year a WHOLE lot more than the one from last year.  I sure loves playing, and hanging out with his buddies.

For some reason the drive to take photos of him at each game has fallen to the side.  I guess and near a hundred games that happens.  I still LOVE to watch him play...!!!  I still have to explain nearly every Monday, "No, I'm not sick.  It's hockey season and my son played this weekend."  I tend to yell a lot at the games.  We always like to bring the team spirit.

This is a quick shot of Isaac this weekend at one of his games during the starting face off. Big 'ol Number 75 in there.  It's pretty hard for any of the other PeeWee players to move Isaac on the ice.  He's a big strong kid, with a wicked slap shot.

LET'S GO WILD...!!!

B&W Canvas

I've always liked black and white photos.  You can take a nice color photo and switch it to B&W, I'll like it more.  So I have got this deal going were I have been having canvas prints of pictures made with the idea that I will hang a bunch of them together.  I want more, way more, but for now this is what I have.  I'll keep 'em coming that's for sure.

This is my inspiration photo.

Dryer Repair

The above logo is a do-it-yourself major hook up...  This web site has videos on how household appliances work, how to test them for problems, and how to repair them.  A-freaking-Mazing...!!  They do sell the parts, but with all of the info I got from them for free, you're darn right that I bought the replacement part from them.

Poor Isaac the other day, he brought some laundry upstairs for me to fold and it was damp.  I was like, "Dude, it's not even dry.  Why'd ya bring it up here...?"  Turns out that the dryer was not heating.  So, I figured that I better figure out what was wrong and how to fix it.  I'm not about to buy a new dryer when this one is less than 20 years old. ;)

Sure enough it was the heating element.  It had burned out, the coil broke.  But we did the testing to know before we had to tear the dryer completely apart.  A little multi-meter action on the heat switches and the element let us know that the element was the problem.

Looky there, three test points all in a row.

Sure enough, there is the break in the element, burned right through.

And the new one installed in the heat shield, ready to go back in the dryer.  

Yep, it works...!!  Dried several loads already...  If I could just get the folder fixed that would be even better.

P-Day Hockey

Isaac got some P-Day hockey in with our buddy Elder Maxwell, who played for the WHL team the Lethbridge Hurricanes before his mission.  Big time hockey folks, Eh.  They both / all had a blast...!!

Here is Isaac working on some diggin' backhand shots in the crease.  There's Elder Maxwell coaching him.

 Here are all four Elders that skated with Isaac that day.  The other three had a blast as well.

 Here's that hockey buddies... I hope that they are able to keep in contact for a long, long time.  Elder M is a bunch of fun to have around.

Thank you so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so MUCH Butch for the hook up...!!!

Random Lexy

Here are a few items in the life of Lexy lately.  

She to a new microphone and stand from Isaac for Christmas.  She has had a blast singing karaoke with it.  And look how cute she is in all the new Christmas clothes as well.

 Oh the pain a girl has to endure for beauty.  Lexy wanted to have curly hair, but not too curly for school.  Short of the curlers in her hair she opted of the multiple braids.

 She has allowed me to paint her nails again.  It's hit and miss on whether or not she is in the mood to let me. She wanted polka dots, one hand pink on pink and the other white on pink.  Then we put a sparkle clear coat over it all.  Super cute.

  I got this from a friend via text message, though it fit for Lexy these days.

The little stinker.

Christmas Day (Delayed)

Here are some Christmas 'Day' photos.  

Lexy in one of her new scarfs.

Isaac with his new Pittsburgh Penguin Reebok Zigtech shoes.

Lexy in a new dress that she got for Christmas.

Isaac opening his Kris Letang Fathead. (Thanks Ms Andrea...!!!)

Lexy opened these boots from her Grandpa and said, "YES..!!  Christmas is SAVED..!!"  It was so awesome.  She is into her tall boots these days, she must have 4 pair now.

Here is some iPad Mini action.

Isaac kind of liked it too...

We hit the town one afternoon shortly after Christmas and realized that we were all wearing new shoes from the same person.  Thank you, you know who you are....!!!

Christmas Traditions that HAVE to Stay

I am silly about some of my quirky traditions.  This one is a total keeper.  I wasn't going to let any arrangements of Christmas Day stop us from having our crescents.  I ended up making two batches a few days apart.  SO, SO, SO good.  

 I had tried to make some Christmas Jam, kind of make shift like.  My own recipe instead of Dad's.  It didn't work.  Mostly because I failed to follow the directions of even my version.  "The sugar goes in last...!! CRAP...!!" But, you can't screw up sugar and fruit in the taste area. (Well, some people can, ask Isaac)  So, even though my jam didn't set up, it is fantastic mixed with some cream cheese.  Thus, the traditional crescent dipping 'stuff'.  I took some to a friend's house and their little girl was eating it with a fork.

Then once the house began to fill back up, I got the ham in the oven.  I love me some Christmas Ham.

All in total we ate pretty well for Christmas.

Catch up... Pre-Christmas

I am such a slack blogger...  Just haven't have the heart to do it that last little bit...

Some of you know already but, this was my favorite wrapping paper this year...

 I ordered so much from Amazon.com .  And most of it I had delivered direct.  It worked so well, I was able to get the things that I wanted without braving the stores, AND shipping was much cheaper through that businesses than it would have be on my own.  I so strongly recommend it to anyone in the future.

We held our tradition of having the Missionaries over the help with Christmas treats.  These pictures are from one of the cookie decorating nights.  This is Elder Maxwell, watch for him it future posts...!

 Here is the table full of people frosting cookies, Lexy even had her friend over to help that night.

Here's Elder Dumke enjoying his last Walbeck cookie on this mission.

 And this is a random rack of cookies post frosting.

The kids each got a gift from Grandpa for their Christmas travels.  New books.