Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Another Geocaching Day!!!


TODAY we took off to Chattanooga to geocache!! Catherine has been staying with us and wanted to experience caching. With the Queens, it is always an EXPERIENCE!!! No blood was shed and I managed to stay upright, so I consider that a good day.


Our first cache was a multi-cache that involved answering questions about the Civil War. We first had to answer questions about a particular battle, then go to a second location on Missionary Ridge and answer more questions. The final stop required a short (in some people's mind) hike, more questions, and finally the cache!

I completely cheated Hayden out of finding this cache because my 'mom mode' kicked in. He saw a trail going down a hill and I said "you aren't going down there". Well, the cache was straight down that trail sitting in a log. UGH. I promised that I would let him traverse dangerous terrain in the future. William found it after walking parallel towards it.

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The second cache took us to the river front and a small cache. Uneventful except for Catherine jumping a fence.


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The third cache was at the entrance to a confederate cemetery. I love these places; you can just feel the history and the stories. In the second picture you see Sarah, Hayden and Sarah practicing CITO!! (cache in, trash out) They found these two bottles and a hub cap in the cemetery and picked them up!


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Our fourth cache was meant to be a webcam shot, but Hannah (back at home) couldn't get the convention ctr. camera to work, so we had to take our own picture. We also had the hotel bell hop running out thinking we were checking in!! We missed the cam the first time and had to drive around again. By then the girls were dying laughing waiting for the poor guy to run out again.

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The fifth cache was neat. It was a 'official geocache monitoring station'. It was a locked box!!! Note Catherine smiling by said box. We dropped our new travel bug, Abner the Gnome, there and took a travel bug. And fed some birds! I do not know what they were thinking in the last picture!

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Our sixth cache took us behind some businesses and between the buildings. Exciting. It took them awhile to find this cache between having to 'act' casual when muggles walked by and the fact that it was in a tricky location. William finally found it in a loose brick, sneaky...

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The seventh and final cache was in VERY high muggle location. I love the the area, but it is not the best for a cache. Everyone looked and looked, but could not find it. Imagine all of them trying to look inconspicuous while looking at things people normally give NO thought to in a parking lot! ie, light poles, underside of steps, fence, plants, etc. I get tickled every time I think about what must go through people's minds.

We went into store (an organic grocery that I love) to shop and when we came back out a guy was roaming around looking suspiciously like a geocacher. William decided to talk to him and he was caching.

William told him that he couldn't find the cache and suspected that it had been taken. This guy pulled the cache up on his computer, found the last person to find it and called them. They told him where it had been and the cache was replaced right then! SAVED!!!

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Well, another fun filled family day of Geocaching!!! No causalities, all children accounted for, and a few more caches under our belts. Chattanooga is still there also!!


Monday, December 29, 2008

Christmas at the Scoggins!

We went over to our friends Friday for Christmas. We had an awesome time with the kids and DeGina fixed a fabulous dinner of Prime Rib, potatoes and salad. Hannah made some of her wonderful desserts.

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Everyone loved their gifts.


These two are always a hoot! If they are awake, they are laughing!!!

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DeGina loved her bowl that matches a set she has from her Grandma.

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Sarah made Chris a lap quilt. Perfect for the man who falls asleep on the sofa!

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Caroline loved her gifts. She got a tea set and felt food.

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CJ opening his gift. He got games!!

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William had help from Caroline with his gift. He got a treasure hunting 'thingy'.

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Catherine got a gift card and a note pad.

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Hayden opening his Nerf gun.

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Somehow I don't have pictures of Hannah and I. Hannah got a beautiful wood bowl and I got an antique glass bowl.


Hannah's pies! One word, YUM!

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yfd



Sunday, December 28, 2008

My Favorite Gift

I finally have pictures of my favorite gift!


It came in this handmade envelope. The girls made it!!

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And this is what was inside!

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William and the kids all went in together and donated to the Children's Hunger Fund!!!!! Look what their donation bought!

What a blessing!! It tells me that they know me and what would mean the most to me.



Friday, December 26, 2008

"My Husband Rocks" Friday

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas; we did at the Queen household!

Yesterday reminded me again why my husband ROCKS. He encourages each of our children in their pursuits. Each of our children got some gifts related to their particular interests; Hayden drawing, Sarah sewing and Hannah baking. He compliments each as they strive to improve their abilities.

He enjoyed Christmas with us, not as a bystander as I have seen some dads do. What a blessing.

PS I'll have a picture soon of my favorite gift!!





Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas Crime

We confess; we did it. We broke into our bestest friends home the day before Christmas. We couldn't help it, we were driven to it. I mean, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. They deserved it; they had it coming . If they weren't so, so...





so




so




so







so






SWEET!!



See, my hubby built them this entertainment cabinet for Christmas.

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And we wanted to surprise them. See they went to have Christmas with family today and they will be back late tonight. So, it was necessary to enter their home, which is actually always unlocked (should I be telling you that?).

Then we wrapped it once we got it into the house.

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Hannah made the huge gift tag, isn't it adorable.


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We pray it is a blessing to them for they are a blessing to us...

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We had friends over for dinner last night and afterwards I was tired and facing a mound of dishes. Dishes in the sink, on the counters, EVERYWHERE! Bowls to wash, pans to clean, ugh.



I went to the bedroom. came back and Hannah was cleaning the kitchen. EVERYTHING. She cleaned the bowls, pans, counters, etc. What a Blessing!! I didn't have to clean anything. Did I mention that my kids are a blessing?


Sarah spent the afternoon sewing a rag lap quilt for an acquaintance that will be celebrating Christmas on Friday with us and the Scoggins. Hannah picked out an antique cup and saucer and is dipping chocolate spoons to give her. The lady is going to be by herself on Christmas and we all want to make her feel special.


Hayden took time yesterday to bury a bird that our cat brought IN the house. It was still alive, but we couldn't save it. He was so sad that it died, and of course insisted that it have a proper burial. He buried it next to bunny, which is another story for another time.


Merry Christmas!!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Surprise Gift!!


Deluxe Holiday Gift Tower

We just received THIS beautiful tower of goodies in the mail (the mail had already run, but they got some more stuff delivered at our little post office so our post lady brought it to us!) from our bestest friends!! . They know us and still love us enough to send us one of these. And everything in it is delicious because it is from Harry and David's. It has lemon shortbread cookies, apples, assorted Truffles, pears, nuts, Baklava, and cheese!!

I love Harry and David's! And we love the Scoggins
more!!!!


Sunday, December 21, 2008

In A Pickle

NO, I am not in a pickle, silly pickle. It is our new favorite game!! December 08 017The girls found it last week at the Big Box store I hate and had to have it. We LOVE games. I didn't think much of it until we got it out to play. It is loads of fun and moves fast so even kids with short attention spans can enjoy it.



You start with 5 cards each and put 4 in a square in the middle.December 08 019 You try to place on of your cards on top of the existing card by saying " so and so will fit in so and so". ie "ice will fit in a refrigerator", then " refrigerator will fit in a basement" and so on. It has to be logical and/or smaller than the previous card.



Once there are 4 cards in a line you are 'in a pickle' and must play that line of cards only. This can go on a bit depending on each players cards. The game goes on until one player has 3 stacks of cards from the center.

December 08 020 If you can't play a card, then you are out.



If you have a attention grabbing cat, then this happens and you have to start over! Darn cat is going to be in a pickle! Sammmmmmyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tell me what some of your favorite family games are!!!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Ginger Bread House

We decided to make our Ginger Bread House last night and the Royal Icing flew!!! If nothing else this family knows how to dive into something all hands on deck. Hannah, our resident baker, mixed up our royal icing while we assembled all the parts and candy necessary for an AWESOME creation.


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Here we go...


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Snow for the roof...


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Sarah working on the 'lights'...( note the soup can holding up the roof)



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Our Ginger Bread House recycles!!! Hayden did the art work.


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Our back door has a garbage can courtesy of Hayden and a light over the door.


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Hayden had his Ninja guy drop by in his pickup.


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Ninja guy knocked on the door... what do you get a Ninja for Christmas??


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We shoveled the walkway and left the porch light on for you!!


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Piper says Merry Christmas!!!