christmas tree hunting

I'm just not going to talk about the other kind of hunting (deer)  - except to say that Dirk and Anika have spent quite a few hours in the Hills -- but have not been able to fill her tag this year.  They are having a good time, and have seen some deer, it just isn't working out.

However, CHRISTMAS TREE hunting was a HUGE success for this family!!  We decided to try Bethlehem Road this year, being a little closer to the house that our usual Northern Hills tree-hunting-grounds.  Dirk thought just maybe we would find something in the spruce persuasion.  We tracked our milage on the way home and found that we found our tree about 12 miles from the house.  :)  Not too bad for an afternoon adventure!

I packed a winter-picnic lunch of chips, oreos, sliced cheese and hot cocoa - thinking we might be gone for many hours.  We headed out and found gravel and bumpy road quite quickly!  The kids thought the off-road (it really was a road) was pretty fun... and a little slippery with the new snow.  We saw LOTS of ponderosa pine but not too many spruce.  At one point there was a very tall spruce (40 ft?) off to our right -- and I suggested we stop to walk around the area just in case there was a smaller tree somewhere around it - behind it - that we couldn't see from the road.  A few yards walk, and sure enough -- there was a picture perfect tree another 50 ft from the big tree.

 Dirk did his best to eye-ball the height... Thor helped him hold while he sawed... and the tree was loaded up!

It didn't take long once we were home, and the tree was ready for decorating.  Liv had the box of lights and decorations ready before Dirk had the tree fastened in the stand!  I guess she was READY!    As you can see the tree fills our living room quite well!?!?!  We did have to trim the very top about 8-10 inches... it's one of the biggest (around) trees we have ever had.  AND one of the most perfect - even compared to the purchased trees.  Best $10 we ever spent!  :)

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

For the first time in many years we hosted Thanksgiving Day Dinner at OUR house.  :)  It was fun to dig out all our fall decor (borrow some from my mom) and put together the house for 14! 

 This was waiting for our guests as they arrived at the front door... and little drink and appetizer station.

 Anika made a "pumpkin" (shaped) cheeseball  - salsa & cheddar cheese - with crackers and veggies.

 The beverage was simple apple cider and ginger ale with apple & orange slices, pomegranate seeds, cranberries and cinnamon sticks floating.

 Downstairs (usual our living room) was our extra table set for 7 adults.

 And the upstairs table set for 7 kids (well -- if you ask Thor; 6 kids and him).  wink wink

 I almost forgot I had these fall napkins stored way back in my cupboard....

And the cute pilgrims... gotta have pilgrims.

Dinner was the usual: Turkey, two kinds of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, home frozen sweet corn, green bean casserole, braised red cabbage with apples, onions and bacon, cranberry relish, and two kinds of bread.  I didn't make everything -- everyone brought.  Holli & girls were in charge of dessert!!  It was amazing!  Pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie (warm just out of the oven); chocolate chip cookies w/oreos inside; lemon bars, cherry bars and homemade whipped cream.  Oh yeah, almost forgot the fudge.  

Thanks family for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day at home.  :) 

Lille Norge Fest ....

Usually this week we have loaded up the trust Suburban and headed north for a week-long celebration of family, hunting and relaxation!  To make a long explanation short -- we decided to stay home this year (hockey, no deer tags, etc).  The up-side to not going, was being home for the annual Sons of Norway Lille Norge Fest.  (perhaps if we went every year we wouldn't be so excited to go?) But the kids were SUPER excited!  My brother Layne planned to spend the weekend with my mom & dad (since wife Betsy had commitments in Pierre, it was a short drive further west to see all of us).  

Like good little scandinavians, the kids couldn't wait to leave for the "fest" (or "vest" as Lars called it)... so they bundled up in snow gear to "sled" in the backyard for the hour before it was time to go.  We left rosie-cheeked,  and was not disappointed by the crowded Viking Hall -- loud polka music, Scandinavian art & craft booths, woodcarvers  & knife makers, bake sale & lunch line.  It was a hoot to watch the kids with their trays walking along the 50 ft food line picking up every Norwegian treat imaginable (except the fruit soup)... pies, lefse, rice pudding, rommegrot, krumkakke, rosettes... and of course coffee.  

Lars picked a Rosette as big as his head! We finally talked him into sharing a few small corners... :)  Liv & I talked to a few ladies asking them to tell us about their dresses (bunad) and jewelry (silja).  They were all beautiful -- one lady we talked to had Hardanger embroidery around her collar, cuffs and a large panel along the bottom of her apron!  Beautiful!  We hit the bake sale last and left with some plates of flatbread & spritz cookies to take home for my mom & dad.  

That afternoon Ted & Jan, Holli, Abby, Anna & Theo joined us for pizza, pop & ice cream lunch thanks to Uncle Layne!  (super popular uncle now!!).  We had a lovely time visiting and catching up on the family news.  Final verdict is we all want to see Chris Fletchers movie.... still waiting patiently.  Theo told us Uncle Layne is basically "The main character" and "the most important guy in the movie" -- to which Layne laughed and laughed... because in reality he said Theo had WAY more scenes than anyone else.  :)  (well maybe we are all al little biased!).  For those of you who are not Moeller Family -- this is a movie project by my niece Bethany's husband (and friends) ... that was filmed this past summer in our home area (re: farm).  We can't wait to see some trailers and the final product!  

Have a BLESSED Thanksgiving Day!!  

it's almost Thanksgiving??

It's been a "normal" couple of weeks I guess... can't exactly say what our "normal" is -- except we were all doing our usual things  - school, work, hockey, drama club... and no special events or company.  Anika and I did break away at the last minute Friday night to go to Central High School's performance of The Great Gatsby...   

Lars has an interesting fascination with anything and everything mechanical, robotic ... the only "living" things he loves to contemplate are dinosaurs -- thus the "quotes" since there really aren't any "living" dinosaurs...??  This picture is from a recent building project with Thor.  I can't remember the name of the project -- but the "guy" is "Master Chief" from the video game Halo.  Lars has no idea what Halo is  -- but he LOVES his master chief.  It was a 10x-more-complicated-than-legos project... but quite fun.  I got to help a little too getting the final "MC" finished.  (can you see the detailed picture directions in the background?)

Last week I got a sweet text from friends of ours at church... I saved the screenshot so I wouldn't forget... Heather said her kids love to play "SuperKids" - which is the name of the children's ministry at our church... Aspen is in 1st grade, and AJ is 4 yrs old... I can just see it!  Pretty cute.

  

This week I'm starting to plan ahead for our Thanksgiving gathering here at the Morrison home.  Found the cute mini-cake-stand at Target - bargin price of $3.  I thought it would be just the thing for our Thanksgiving table decor.  

halloween and more

Halloween night Liv and Lars were WAY excited to get out trick-or-treating (Thanks to big bro Thor) - and began the pre-outing dressing about an hour before supper!  Liv had lots of help with her beautiful "do" from cousin Kelly and sister Anika.  She loves her Cinderella dress!!  

Lars has been "in-like" with Iron Man since right before his birthday and was also very excited to walk the neighborhood.  We had to practice how to walk up to doors, knock and say "trick or treat" -- so I think he actually did a pretty good job!  

The grownups and big kids (except Thor of course) all went to the SD All State Chorus and Orchestra concert where Jacob participated in the chorus.  Beautiful music... fun night... even if Jamie almost fell asleep.  The choir director had a GREAT quote -- telling us parents to pay attention to our children's passions -- "You are only as happy as your least happy child."

We ended the evening with a late night supper at Que Pasa.  

I get to pick Lars up from preschool sometime around lunch each day, and a little later on Mondays when I volunteer in the lunch room.  When I came in this week, he was playing with dough with his friend Bria.  I showed him how to use dough balls to make eyes, nose and mouth.  So this was his handiwork on his yellow gingerbread man. :) Working on those find-motor skills!!