How the Grinch Stole Christmas!!!

After leaving Murfreesboro on Friday, we headed over to the Opryland Hotel/Opry Mills area in Nashville. Being the day after Thanksgiving, things were crazy around there, but that didn't stop us! We were on a mission - we were going to the ICE! display!!! It was so cool (cold, actually - 6 degrees, to be exact!!!) There were awesome ice sculptures from the story, 3 ice slides, and lots of pictures to take!!!

Don't you like our blue parkas?? They give you those to wear, and it's a good thing, cause did I mention it was cold in there?!

Here we are on the slides. After several attempts, we were able to get a good picture of each of us. We had to keep our camera close to us and warm or it would freeze - it does that in 6 degree weather, by the way!!! If you've never been to ICE!, you must go - but remember, IT'S COLD IN THERE!!!!

Fun Family Times to remember

After the ICE! display, we rode the shuttle over to the Opryland Hotel to walk around and see all the Christmas lights. It was so pretty. It was very crowded, but that didn't stop us from getting some good pictures to help us remember the trip!!

The kids loved all the decorations and even got to ride a train. They waited for a couple of trips so that they could ride in the engine and ring the bell - I guess you never get too old for that kind of stuff!!!

I think these pictures sum it up!!!! We had a great time, but we were beat when it was over. Glad to be home, but glad to have the memories, too!!! Happy Holidays!!!!

An amazing, exciting, & fun Family Thanksgiving break

This year, our Thanksgiving get-together was at my sister's house in Murfreesboro. While we were there, we had a wonderful time visiting, playing, watching the kids open Christmas presents, and oh yeah, eating!!

The kids had a great time playing with their cousins. They don't get to see eachother THAT much, with school and other activities, but when they do get together, they are able to catch up right where they left off. It is great that they are all within a few months of eachother's ages, and that they get along so well (it didn't used to be that way!) They had fun.

Mark and I actually got up and went "Black Friday" shopping! We had a blast (well, as much of a blast as you can have at 4:45 in the morning!) We ambitiously went to Best Buy to get in on an awesome buy on a GPS, but so did 6,000 other crazy people (some of which actually pitched tents!!) I'm sorry, but NOTHING is that important. Needless to say, we left without the GPS we had gone after, but found another deal on one later in the morning. It was fun trying, though, and we have some good memories to show for it (and a new GPS!)

Oodles of noodles!!!!

Okay, so tell me - anyone else have those "strange" holiday traditions that are unique only to your family and noone else on the planet?? You know, the ones that noone knows where or when it started, everyone does it, and noone asks why. Go ahead - I know you do! Well, we have at least one. It's called "homemade noodles for Thanksgiving!!" And, boy, are they good. I can remember helping my great-grandmother and grandmother make them. Kinlee even got in on the action this year and cracked the eggs for me! I have (somehow) been "knighted" as the official noodle maker for our family gathering that usually consists of me, Mark, & the kids; my sister, her husband, & kids; my brother; and my parents. The only time I can remember that I got out of making them was last year when my grandmother (the ULTIMATE noodle-maker) was here for our get-together. I must say, she put mine to shame. Oh well, she's had a little more practice, I guess. Anyway, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them. The funny thing, too, is that noone in the family ever makes them any other time than Thanksgiving. It's like it's "taboo" or something to do so. So, here are some pictures and a "recipe" if anyone is ever interested. They are YUMM-O!

Ingredients: eggs (we use 11 for our group and plenty of leftovers), flour, salt, broth (canned and from the turkey)

Directions: beat eggs, add salt, begin adding flour to make a dough. Keep adding flour until you can't stir them with a fork, and now is when it gets messy. Use your hands to knead the dough until it is not sticky anymore. Form a ball. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is pretty thin. Keep "flipping" the dough and rubbing it with flour as you roll it out. Roll the dough into a "jelly roll" type form and slice off the noodles (see pic.). Unroll the slices and lay them out for several hours to dry. Put them in a pot with the broth and boil them until tender. Enjoy!!!