Family Games and Fall Food

My 15 year-old daughter won yesterday when we played our family Apples to Apples game. It's seems to be our new winter tradition for Sunday afternoons and evenings. The weather is cooler out and it's nice to sit in front of the wood burning stove to play. The game cards are a bit out of date considering Michael Jackson has passed away. It would be nice for this company to actually sell new card sets every so often, and offer more that are family friendly for kids under 12. Although it's geared toward kids 12 and up, we still play the game together.

We are roasting pumpkin seeds for a snack tonight and I can't wait to eat some. We haven't roasted pumpkin seeds in a few years. It was nice to grow all of our own pumpkins this year and not have to buy them at the store or market.

Christmas Joys ~ Splitting Wood Day

We are already getting excited about the upcoming holidays! Last year we could not find enough blue lights to wrap around our large evergreen tree. Hopefully this year we will. Blue seems to be people's favorite, or maybe the stores are not stocking that color as much. The kids are already asking to put up the artificial tree, but I am standing my ground on that one - no trees until after Thanksgiving. We put the tree up too early one year and it didn't have good results. We actually have 2 trees. I found one at Goodwill for $4.00 during the off season and it's a good size tree.

This year I would like us to visit a tree farm and cut a fresh tree. I'd like to support locally owned businesses and we can mulch our tree after the holidays. I haven't had a "real" tree in a long time. Actually, I have never purchased a real tree since I moved out of my parents and was out on my own. Every year we looked forward to the fragrant evergreen smell coming from our fresh cut tree.

With 2 six month old kittens in the house this holiday, it could be very interesting. I can remember when the kids were very young. I'd have to put my artificial tree into a play pen to keep them out of it. It worked great.

Today, as a family, we are splitting wood in preparation for the up coming cold winter. So far we have not turned on any heat or used the wood stove. It's cold here today too.

We are singing Christmas songs and drawing and writing about the holidays. I am so excited we are planning a traditional holiday, with as much of it as homemade as possible, and keeping the focus on the real meaning.

Jump and sing today! Enjoy your family today!