Blogging During the Packer Game - Allegra's Birthday Party!

Sitting here tonight watching the Packer / Falcon game (winning!)  and thought I should start catching up on some blog posts.  I have about 5 or 6 things to write about, so I will work on them this week and do one subject per post.

We had a chance to get tickets to go to the Packer Game tonight.  But we passed on them and decided to stay inside and stay warm.  We are finally both at the end of our cold/flu bugs and starting to feel normal.  No sense chilling ourselves at an outdoor game for hours on end and getting sick all over again. 

Oh a quick shout-out to our RVing friends Mel and Paula. They are leaving tomorrow morning to head south after a few unexpected delays.  They have a Safari motorhome like ours, and we often camp together.  We hope to run into them somehwhere this winter while on vacation, either in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, who knows?  But I wanted to wish a "Safe Travels" blessing to them as they get ready to head on out.

I am sitting here all comfy and warm as the snow is falling outside.  We have a fire going in fireplace, and I think it is really helping our heat bill this year having it going.  It's a gas log insert we added this past spring, in place of the faux electric pretend one that was there in the tiled facade and hearth. It sure feels nice and comfortable.  Plus we don't have to keep hauling in logs to stoke it, or haul out the ashes in the morning.  Nice!

The flash kinda blinds out the flickering flames behind it...

This past weekend had a lot of events going on.  The first and foremost was the FIVE YEAR OLD birthday party for our granddaughter Allegra!  Wow.. hard to believe she is five years old. I know everyone says that.  But for some reason I keep thinking of the day she came into the world, and waiting at the hospital while I was knitting pair after pair of baby booties! 

I like doing homemade gifts for the kids if I can.  This year I am making each child a quilt and matching sheet set for their twin beds.  For Jameson's birthday in July I did the Minecraft theme.  For Allegra I chose a sheet set of the Frozen theme from Disney, which all the little kids seem to love right now.  I remove the flat sheet from the set, add a thick batting and backing fabric---- and made it into a tied quilt!  

Most kids don't ever sleep with a top sheet, so by making the top sheet into a comfy quilt, they can get all snuggly at night, but one good flick of it and their bed is made in the morning!  Easy Peasy!!!

We drove on up to her party at noon in their home in Green Bay.  All of the family was gathered around as we ate "Macaroni and Trees" (mac n cheese with broccoli)  and all the trimmings for a birthday lunch.  I brought a crockpot of little sausage links in grape jelly/BBQ sauce to add to the meal.  The kids just love the "Little Weiners"   haha. 

I love it when all the little grandkids can get together. We were missing Jameson, as he was at his other grandma's house for his daddy's birthday.  But we will see him in a few weeks for Christmas!

It's so cute to see them huddling and playing and making up their own games.  They sure can get creative! It was nice to see them include the two 2-year-old little brothers.  I was eavesdropping on them from time to time to make sure they were playing good and fair.  And they were, making sure to include the little guys in their antics and pretend world.  Soooo sweet.

I also let Chelsea and Allegra take turns walking around with my camera and had them taking pics for me.  Oh boy some of the shots they took were sooooo silly.  Like---- a picture of the refrigerator?  The lamp?  The cabinet doors?  Not to mention the camera shots of each adult at the party, aiming right up their noses and including open mouths while eating or laughing.  Soooo I won't publish any of those.

It was present opening time, and Allegra had a whole stack of lovely wrapped gifts to open.  She plowed her way through the pile, gift after gift to rip open and squeal about.  After opening each one, she politely thanked the giver and delivered a special hug to each and every one as she said "thank you"...  her parents are teaching her right!

She opened a few other smaller presents from us, and then the BIG BOX.... Here she is whipping open the quilt and tossing it up in the air!  WHEEEEEEE!!!!

Her little brother had an eagle eye on that box!  He promptly climbed in and commandeered it for himself! Give a kid a box and they are happy for hours!

Soon it was time for the Happy Birthday serenade over the ice cream cake! 

What a pretty looking girl, surrounded by her family and friends on her special day. 

I happened to make a little video clip of the song too! 

The grandkids got all sugared up on the ice cream cake, and soon were bouncing off the walls!  While the grownups tried to talk and visit, the kids were zooming around and having a wonderful gleeful screechingly good time.

I THINK MASON'S SHIRT

SAYS IT ALL!!!