2008's Annual COOKIE Party

Here are some pictures of my Annual Cookie Party...I love hosting it, and my friends are the best guest EVER!

It's amazing that my home can fit so many wonderful women, but it does!!! (65 ladies this year)(the record was last year w/78 ladies).

It's the same day EVERY year...the Saturday before Thanksgiving...so I hope to see y'all here next year!

We all have a wonderful time of fellowship...laughter...food...cookies (of course) and GREED! Some women come for the cookies, some for the lunch, some for the ornament game we play...stealing is involved...and some come just for the fellowship! For whatever reason they may come, I'm glad they do! This is one of my highlights events every year, notice their are no children....

Here's some highlights!

The real hostess of the party...Anna, Kathy, Georg & Anna...they have been coming forever, and have already RSVP'd for the next 20 years!

Cookie Bags...

BY FAR the highest laugh on the rictor scale that day! See Erica laughing with her head thrown back...she just unwrapped her pick of wrapped ornaments which is a beautifully jeweled hanging frame for a tree, when she notices that Cindy, who brought that ornament, has stuck her high school senior portrait in it...leave it to Cindy!!!!

BTW...some of you were asking if we are doing a white elephant next year (you must have CHRISTmas stuff you want to get rid of)...well at the request of many...it will be an exchange of CHRISTMAS DECOR!...Be careful though...Cindy just might wrap a family portrait for over ones fireplace!

Squanto's Thanksgiving!

OK, I just figured out that the reason I am always behind on my blogging is because, I'M TOO BUSY! Whoever coined the phrase "STAY AT HOME MOM" was being sarcastic! OK with that said...

Our co-op did a Thanksgiving play called Squanto's Thanksgiving. Wyatt played Squanto, and Lukas played Samoset. They performed for all the co-op families at the Platt home in Lancaster. We followed it up with a DELICIOUS traditional Thanksgiving dinner cooked by Michelle Platt from scratch...the only thing she didn't do was slaughter the pig or behead the turkey...or did she??? She is an incredible mom and hostess as well as a wonderful cook. Thanks for your hospitality Platt family...we had a lovely time!

Selling of the Indian slaves!Squanto returning back to his homeland...by longboat...made by Chris, Wyatt & Lukas.

Samoset giving Squanto the bad news that his entire tribe has died...Squanto teaching the pilgrims to farm.The first Thanksgiving table.The kids made a Thankful Tree...Each child wrote the leaves telling us what they are thankful for!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fall Fellowship

Every year our church has an event called the Fall Fellowship. It is where we ladies get together and are edified by God and His Word. We worship together, eat dinner, (good job Gary) and listen to speakers.

This year, we had a panel of speakers who spoke on finding joy through trials. Though there were many tears, we all saw the Light that is our Lord, and how He carries each and everyone of us through anything and everything. Our speakers this year were ladies from our church and they all did a wonderful job. I spent time with some of girl friends and shared in some very special heart felt moments with them! Thank you all for sharing so openly!

Happy Birthday Deborah & Heidi!!!

It was time to celebrate my dear friends Heidi & Deborah. Their birthdays are two days apart so we usually celebrate them together, this year we went to Claim Jumper. Happy birthday ladies. I treasure your friendship!

AWANA

Here are the boys all excited to go to AWANA with their friend, Dylan, from across the street.

He is now enrolled and will be going with them every week...praise the Lord for this outreach program!

Babysitting Ashlyn!

We had the privledge of babysitting Ashlyn and the boys love the idea of a little sister.

They were very helpful with her and kept her smiling.

Happy 40th Birthday Lucy...aka Elena

I went to elementary school, Jr. High and High School with a sweet girl named Lucy.

We lost touch after graduation, as happens with most high school relationships. Then 20 years later, we end up at the same church. She now goes by the name Elena, though I still call her Lucy! She's married, had four wonderful children, and is expection one on the way!

She turned 40 this year and was thrown a party where the theme was "40". Everything she received was either in the quantity of "40" or had $40 amount...what a great theme! We had dinner together and played games! We have not laughed this hard in a long time! Thanks for having a birthday Lucy and thanks for being the wonderful, godly woman you are! We love ya!

Just some of the guests...

Game time...Ladies won!!!

We started out playing Pictionary. The women slaughtered the men, then we played Charades Telephone Line, where everyother person either "acts out" what is said, or guesses. We women played a trick on the men, and were in hysterics by the time they were done with their word!

Harvest Time! Trick or Treat...or Pie Eating Feast!

We had a Harvest Party w/our homeschool ISP group Lighthouse, and then went trick or treating w/the Camp boys...here's a glimpse of what we did!

Pumpkin Patch

Chris and his parents took Wyatt & Lukas to Lombardi's Ranch, as we do every year! I was unable to go due to a previous engagement! It looks like they all had a nice time!

Only Susan...

I have many dear friends, but only Susan would climb the "very dangerous" tree-fort my husband built in our backyard. There are NO railings around the edge of it and it is a drop of over 20 feet into the neighbor's yard if they should fall out...she said she did it to save her daughter from falling but the truth is...she just had to climb it!!!

DINNER FOR 6!

We decided it would be nice to have an adult ONLY dinner party with two other couples from church! (there are 14 children all together...so this was a decision of survival)

Chrisie, Susan & Georg

It was a night of good friends, fellowship, dinner, fun and games, and silliness...thanks to Susan who always keeps it lively!

Kelli, Chris & Chris

The Chef, my wonderful hubby Chris, we made chicken for the main dish and peach cobbler for dessert.
The Lims and Coudsys brought the side dishes...

"It's not so much what's on the table that matters, as what's on the chairs"

Georg & Chris

Chris & Chrisie
(Yes, there were three Chris' there.
Lately just for the fun of it..I call out "Chris" just to see them all turn and face me)



Susan & Kelli

Get a room for pete's sake!

Chrisie & Georg

Georg & Susan

That's right Susan, just act casual!

Heaven forbid we leave Susan out of a photo!

(you are too funny!)

This is just for the picture; there was no gambling going on!

We played Golf, a card game. I have a good card...again!!!

Peek at our school room!

Good little students, working hard!

Wyatt = right-handed & Lukas = left-handed