Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Well, we won't get any accumulation, but it is so nice to see white flakes on Christmas Eve!

You have to look closely to see the flakes in these photos.

Love,

Snow Buddies

Christmas Eve!

It's beginning to look a lot more like winter!

The tarp has been laid and the hose is filling up the rink!

The boys are ready for some cold weather and getting their skate on!

Merry Christmas Eve!

The ice dudes

Christmas Cookies!

We are in the last preparations for our Christmas week.
Our cousins presents are wrapped - cookies are made - our last trip to Market Basket this morning was successful.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Love,
The Christmas Buddies

Karate Belts!

Today, Nathanael & Adley passed their belt test from the yellow to the orange.

Adley receiving his!

Nathanael receiving his!

There is the team of now yellow and orange belts - while all the other belts do a mega workout before their test.

What a Great Karate Day!

Love,

The Kung Pow Brothers

Fun Friday!

Friday Morning we had our super fun 'regular' Co-Op Christmas Party.  Everyone had a super blast.  Friday night we went to Dave and Busters to celebrate cousin Owen's 11th birthday.  What A BLAST!

Uncle Dan got them some glowy drinks!!

So much plunder was had! (Adley too - he was just a smidge fast for my photo.)

Love,

Party Guys

Wednesday Whaling Museum!

We are reading the book 'Heart of the Samurai' and it is about a whaling ship that picks up stranded Japanese men off an island.  With the description of whaling in it, I figured there was a whaling museum near hear.  We went to New Bedford MA to the Whaling Museum and learned a ton about whales and whaling.  We walked the cobble stone streets.  Even checked out the National Parks Museum on Whaling (historical park).  It was a better connected field trip than I ever could have imagined.  Our fiction book was based on historical fact.  The ship the men in the book road was named the SS John Howland who was a fantastic whaling captain.  Manjiro - the Japanese boy rescued - went to live in America with the sailing captain - and was the first Japanese person to live in America. His American name was John Mung.  There were quotes from him at the museum.  There was a display of an actual log from the SS Howland picking up 5 starving Japanese men.  It was so very cool.

At the Whaling Museum Lobby there was a full size blue whale hear to climb in.

This is the largest ship in the world on display. (inside)

There were 4 sets of adult whale bones (3 here).

Thar she Blows!!  Looking for whale sprays.

A few serious New Bedford Gentleman!

"Drop the Sail!"

Try some knots!

Beautiful Cobblestone Streets!

What a fantastic Day!

The Sailors

Christmas Choir!

What a wonderful big band evening!

Look at these handsome dudes on their way!

This is the best my phone could do  Jeremiah bottom row - red tie, Adley and Nathanael side by side right behind Jeremiah.

Wonderful Band - Great singing of Carols - Great Bible Message.

Merry Christmas!

The Dudes

Party Time

We had a BLAST at our Classical Conversation Homeschool Christmas party Thursday night.

We had a fun pizza party, then we made gingerbread manger scenes. 

Nathanael dipping his wall into the HOT sugar glue.  We had a couple finger burns on this mission. 

Jeremiah checking the yuminess of his Manger sweets.

Adley dipping parts for his creation as well!

The mangers came out so nice.  Jeremiah has the least graham cracker house, Nathanael has an origami Millennium Falcon (made by his buddy Jonah) parked next to the manger, and Adley has the most creative manger architecture center front. 

Love,

The Christmas Dudes

Here Comes Christmas!

On the Eve of December and everything Christmas, we went into Boston to the Museum of Fine Arts.  We took the Subway in with our friends. We created art, and enjoyed checking things out in the museum.  

That night we did the Journey to Bethlehem - the living Nativity.  What a wonderful start to the Christmas season of Advent!

On Saturday December 1st - it's time to set up the ice rink!  The boards are up - now we wait for a super cold spell.

Saturday afternoon we picked our tree!

This is the one!

We like to get our trees from Mahoney's.  

Sunday at church we enjoyed the first Sunday of Advent - lighting the first candle.

Sunday afternoon we decorated our tree!

Dad and Nathanael were on the lights.

Merry Christmas!

Little Tree is still a hit.  (I think I better go shape him a tiny bit!!)  I de-lighted him - he's just for the wonderful handmade ornaments - and the beauties Ma Taunte Andrea and I have enjoyed over the decades. :)

Merry Christmas!

The Buddies