2023-12-31

It’s fun that Johnny and Savannah enjoy cooking like Julie does

Savannah's sister Maddie plans to attend culinary school, so she enjoyed the trip too!  It was fun to listen to them exchanging tips, ideas, and also selecting their ingredients.  Here the five of them were pouring over the garlic & shallot selections. 

One way we celebrate Julie is a trip to Jungle Jim’s

We took Johnny & Savannah along with Savannah's sister and sister's boyfriend.  It was fun to see Johnny pointing out the monkey to "the kids".  Much is the same, but so much has changed over the more than twenty years we've been heading down there a couple times a year. 

I like it that Julie’s birthday is around Christmas

It means I am off work, have time to enjoy celebrating her birthday week with her, and can take the time to buy and wrap a few things to express my love❣️I try to make sure she gets special treatment in spite of all the other holiday happenings around us.

She's decided she likes it too.

I like this birthday paper I found for Julie’s presents :)

New gears and diff locker setup for my Jeep

I got to see the differential carrier while it was being set up.  
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2023-12-30

Enjoying the shooting range with my nephew and his college roommate.

It's fun to show people from other countries a good time!  Gabriel really seemed to enjoy learning and the variety of hardware and calibers we tried.

I enjoyed out Christmas Eve service

Remember, that the real reason for the Christmas celebration is the arrival of our savior! I'm so thankful for the forgiveness and hope for the future he provides.  If you don't have that in your life, ask me!

I really like the look of this graphic to go along with our singing during the service.  It is a good reminder of the real reason for the season. 

Andy and I are practicing for our competition at the end of January

I'm actually honing in on most of these tricks.  Other than Juggles and Whirlwind, I can get most of these.  I never dreamed I'd be able to when I first started playing around with Kendama wiht the boys.  I really like the kendama I won in Detroit this past year.  It's just the right balance of cool looking and plays well.  It's fun that Andy can watch me doing (or rather failing) a trick and give me a little tweak to help me nail it.  He fixed my inward earth turns and one turn lighthouses right up!  It will be fun to hang with him for the weekend in a few weeks too.

I managed to visit my Jeep and upgrade my winch line setup

Since I learned how to splice, repair, and craft synthetic line, I was able to remove the old brummel and replace it and the fairlead with this setup.  Now, the rope is fully protected from hit damage, my approach angle is a little better, AND I can run my winch line through the center of my snatch rings for complex 3:1, 4:1 and even 5:1 setups.  It should be fun.  

In other news, all the engine compartment work is done.  The front gearing, axle and diff-locker upgrades are almost finished.  I'm just waiting on the final parts arrivals for the rear differential.  Maybe sometime next week she'll be ready again?

A new, affordable ham radio for me

And a glowy one at that. ;)

Julie got me a couple of these low price radios for Christmas since I'd dedicated my previous models to ATV & Jeep comms.  It's crazy the functions they can cram into a $30 unit these days.  It works on Family radio and other bands as well (FRS, GMRS, etc.).  Plus is came with all the needed accessories.  It's been fun to listen to some repeater chatter again over the holiday break (much to Julie's dismay, hahahaha!).

It has an emergency flashlight on the bottom and it made for a cool glowy picture when I set it on my white glass top desk in my office to program it.

2023-12-29

What a special gift from my mom!

My dad's pocket knife she gave him for their first Christmas!  I remember fondly it always being in his picket.  It removed many splinters, sharpened many pencils, opened many boxes and whatever else needed done.  He also taught me to sharpen knives with it. She also gave me my Grandma Morey's pocket knife.  I will cherish both!

Julie saw this and knew my mom would love some bees :)

We bought some earrings and a necklace which were crafted and sold to support honey bee hives.  As part of that, you got to adopt and name a colony.  

Some of the Grammy Christmas crew

It's hard to fit us all in these days.  Most of us were able to make it and enjoyed our normal food, stocking and gift exchange traditions.  

Mom’s house is always so warm and inviting❣️

Andy added a new skill at Christmas dinner this year

He and I carved the ham together.  He did all the work, I just moved the pieces to the serving tray :)

2023-12-28

2023-12-27

We had Christmas Eve dinner at Cravy’s house

Stefanie always has her place so cute and pretty for Christmas.  Just the right amount.  She even had a "fire" going for us when we arrived.  

Laura and Julie fixed me up for tea!

Laura brought some of this on our Michigan trip earlier in the year.  She was kind enough to share with mom and me.  It is sooooooo good!  For Christmas, Julie got me a bag of regular and a bag of decaf.  I'll share if you want to try it.  But be warned, you'll be placing an order.  Even my family members who don't like tea are asking for a cup since it smells so good.  

Zoe LOVES Savannah❣️

Zoe loves everybody, but she has a special place in her heart for all the kids, but ESPECIALLY Savannah.  I'm not sure who is first, Savannah or me? Hahahaha.  It depends on if I've been around enough.  If so, it's probably Savannah she'd rather see!  Fortunately, Savannah enjoys putting up with all the attention. :)

TDI and Ka-Bar released a new version of their folder knife

 Julie got me one for Christmas. It’s really well thought out! It folds itself fully shut so allows complete one-handed operation, safely. It has multiple options for clip placement and opening too.  



Melon not likin’ what she be smellin!

Just another silly instagram account we follow.  If you haven't seen it, search up the cilantro post.  

Julie got Andy this shirt for Christmas. Zoe wasn't impressed.

2023-12-26

We had the kids over for our traditional non-traditional gift exchange

Here John and Savannah have opened their presents from Andy.  

Do you really want to get rid of the time change?

The lights and presents made for a nice pic on Christmas Eve morning.  This was a 7a.  If we didn't fall back, that would make it 8a.  It was still basically fully dark outside.  Not sure I would like starting work in the dark?  But I do love this picture I got!

We awoke to a foggy Christmas Eve morning

Andy had the idea for us to go bowling this past weekend

We had a BLAST.  We all agreed it was the most fun bowling adventure we'd had.  Savannah captured John mid-celebration of his turkey!  He had the high score of the night at 159.  I managed a 137 I was happy with.

I’ve been having fun making soft shackles and stuff for presents and myself

My fancy knitting needle with the finger trap makes it easy.  The hardest parts are getting the length of rope right and where to start to keep the too free ends even. 

2023-12-25

Silver themed presents I wrapped for Julie ❤️

Her collection of paper makes for nice variety under the tree :)

“My car!”

I got my oil changed and they gave Zoe a Christmas present!

 The Subaru dealer gave her a stuffed outback which she quickly loved!  It kind of reminds me of the T-Rex scene from Jurassic Park, hahahaha.



I’m enjoying playing with rope.

This fancy knitting needle with the "ringer trap" style basket makes it easy!

Christmas is better with a box of chocolates!

2023-12-24

John and I are trying different ideas for a ruler

Andy is trying to add a scale to the edge of his triangle for his plumbing layouts.

My latest entry in the meme challenge

It was panned by the judges… :(

First I had to figure out how to work a splice out.

This little tool is going to make it easy.  Savannah calls it my fancy knitting needle.  She's right!  You can see on the right that I've managed to work out the splice, the locking stitch and free the line from the brummel.  

I had to get brave and cut the cord!

In theory, I know how to put my winch line backs together.  I'm upgrading some things, but the brummel has to go… So, now I'll be learning/practicing new line splicing skills. :)

“But Daaaaaaaaaad!”

2023-12-23

John and I had an early breakfast yesterday at B&B

He discovered a new favorite soda in the process. :) He's the early bird in the family now.  We hit the road at 7a which is later for him than normal.  Pretty funny that he's the one getting ME out of bad these days!

Our cute little Christmas ceramics Stef made us❣️

These two enjoyed their annual stocking stuffer trip!

A couple years back, I had the idea to send these two out with some cash to stuff each other's stockings.  We were tied up with Janice's final days so had other priorities that year.  They've grown to have a lot of fun with it.  Here John and Andy pose with the haul stuffed into each other's stockings.  The same ones my mom made them each for their first Christmas.

Speaking of broken Jeeps…

I started carting home the spare parts left over from my engine swap and regear/axle upgrades.  I got to hear the new engine running in my Jeep.  Sounds quite a bit better!

Andy challenged Julie and me to a meme contest…

This was one both Andy and Johnny agreed was perfect and won. Hahahahaha!

2023-12-22

Julie always does such a pretty job with her paper and the presents!

I never thought about the instructions for eating a caramel apple

It made it way less messy and even more yummy actually.  Each bite had the right amount of chocolate and caramel.  Even better, it didn't crumble all over the place while trying to eat it off the stick either.

This is also a good example of my little buddy Zoe… She’s ALWAY right at my feet, ready to play, snuggle, ride, or be petted.  She dogs my every step.  So cute.  

I let myself have an extra treat for Christmas.

These had been calling my name at Kroger since just after Halloween… Technically, it's only half the max carbs I'm allowed, but for the WHOLE DAY.  It was worth a yearly splurge though. A good way to kick off my vacation: ice cream and caramel apples.  Now I'm done, back on the wagon.  

THIS was big news in our family this week…!

Congratulations Emily and Colin

Andy and I were shopping for Julie this week

My monthly ice cream night seemed like as good a time as any. ;)

2023-12-21

Nostalgia

I remember the years of Lego being a big focus with the boys and Julie.  I saw this magazine in the store and decided to buy it and peruse the articles for old time's sake.  Legos are STILL the coolest!

Proud of Andy and his credential process

He’s working on his journeyman’s license.  Once he has five years, he can then take the test for a master’s license.  He's an apprentice currently and been working for a total of just over three years (in five different years so far).  He should have his  journeyman early next year.