New Year's Prep

 Today was my New Year's Day prep day - we aren't usually here for New Year's Eve or Day - we're usually on the road actually.. but this year since we are home, I was trying to think of what we could do differently/special for it.  I decided to try a new black eyed pea soup recipe as well as do up some Polish dishes - I get to entertain my Irish side on St. Patrick's Day but there isn't any particular day for me to do anything Polish so I figured why not.  Yesterday I made some golabki - my first time without Babci helping...  

 Then me and my little helpers tried our hand at paczki... I had one helper for mixing..

 another helper for rolling..

 and another for tasting... not too bad for my first try...

 Our bird watchers were busy today with the dreary nasty rainy weather we had today - the birds were every where and the cats were thoroughly enjoyed..

 and when they weren't busy watching the birds or sleeping, they were busy playing with each other!

 Hope you all have a great New Years night...

Play and Lights

 What a nice day of just hanging out - the girls played so well (of course with only a few days left of their vacataion!) together.. they were so busy all day... so many little adventures.. playing with magnets...

 playing on the ipad...

 making up stores (This is Nora's hair salon that she had set up in her room, Morgan went up to check on her and she was just sitting in her room waiting for "Customers")

 So since the salon was "open" (see the sign?) we all took turns being customers. 

 There were different hair options of piggy tails or a braid (shown on her barbie head)

 so fun!

 Then out to dinner ...

 and a chance to view the lights before they are turned off tomorrow for the new year... hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2012!!

 After our little adventures and then home for bedtimes, I helped Morgan's mom organize a bunch of old papers found in a box they brought up - so neat!  One of the neatest?  A newspaper from 1861 - so cool!  And now I sit trying to catch up on 9 months of scrapbooking!  Really hoping to start the new year off all caught up on everything!!

Snow Fun

 The snow hung around enough for us to have some snow fun this morning.. we headed out first thing, tried to make a little snomwan for Rose - but it was too powdery - not good sticking snow!

 Nora did make a snow angel...

 then it was time to hit the hill..

 The girls went sledding in the 17 degree weather...

 and had a blast - even Rose went up and down the hill until she fell splat one time and that ended her sledding fun for the day..

 We then even got Grammy and Grandaddy to take a turn on the hill...

 Great fun in the snow..

 Then inside to sit by the fire and have some hot chocolate to drink..

 The rest of the day was spent inside, taking down Christmas decorations, a quick trip to Kohls and Target then more cleaning up and playtime at home..

 We did enjoy the kitties, Gabby and the birds outside too... always a busy place when there's snow around..