It's how cold outside???

I forgot about our experiment. You may have seen weathermen do this on TV, but we decided to try it at home, since it was cold enough. In January we saw temperatures ... well ... let's just say that after a week or so we were excited to see "0". When the temps get cold enough you can take boiling water and throw it in the air and it will instantly evaporate, completely skipping the frozen ice stage. Xander and Judd ended up with the best videos for us to share. (I couldn't get them turned, so you'll have to watch them sideways - tilt your head to the left!)

No Holds Barred...Brace Yourself...

I will never get caught up if I don't just lay it out there. So I have decided to give all of you the quick version of the last few months and get it done with. (If you want more details, you'll have to call me!)

Thanksgiving: My parents, brother and his girlfriend came to our house this year. Of course we all ate too much, but enjoyed the company immensely. The kids helped me decorate the name cards for the table. I didn't get a pic of the final product, but if you use your imagination for a minute - they are painting the feathers of a turkey and we glued the body over it and wrote the names on the body.

Xander decided that he wanted his birthday at McDonald's this year. I decided that having someone else do all the work was O.K. this year, too. He and his buds had a great time playing in the tubes - and burning off just a little energy. Of course, when you throw in a couple of sisters and someone else showing up for another birthday party, the decibel level was way up there. Overall, fun was had by everyone.

Christmas was an extra special one because we were able to go to both sides this year. We went up to my parents' place over Christmas. My brother and his girlfriend and my sister and her husband were both able to make it. We also got to see Great Grandma Angie and a couple of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Three of Judd's sisters and their families and one of Carol's sons and his family came up the week of New Years. We missed Lisa and her family, but hope we can see them soon. One of the favorites this year was Webkinz. We added 8 new pets this year. I even got a chicken! Thanks, Billy!

Hanna's music class had an assignment to build a keyboard this year. They could use anything they wanted with only a few requirements as to the size and amount of keys. The assignment was given before the Christmas break. When did Hanna finally decide what she was going to use? The day before it was due. After hemming and haahing over paper, food, and a variety of other ideas, she settled on wood. The next drawback - she had to wait until Judd got home from work, which was around 7 p.m. So, like the great dad that he is, Judd put her to work and helped her do a great job. For the most part she did the whole thing herself - the measuring, the cutting, the gluing, the clamping, and the writing.

Well, there you have it. A history of the Risdal's last few months. We'll work on February in, oh let's say, a few months... ; )