Friday I left to go on a girls weekend with my daughters.  We drove 5 hours away and met my other daughter who lives in Minnesota, she only had to drive 3 hours.  As usual when ever I go anywhere without Jim, this is what I have to drive through.

The roads were awful.  We saw lots and lots of cars and semi-trucks in the ditch.  There had to be in the upwards of 20+ vehicles, some were flipped on their sides or tops.  The last truck we saw on it's side in the ditch before we got to our destination, still had the head lights on, so we figured it must have just happened.  I said a silent prayer that we made it there okay.

Note: I was not driving when I took this picture, my daughter Elaine was.  The time I took this picture the weather was okay, it got worse than this.

After driving through that, we opened the door to the Hotel room to find these "sweet" gifts waiting for us, from my thoughtful and creative daughter Carri, who had gotten there before we did.  Luckily her drive wasn't as bad as ours, since she was driving alone.

Here we all are, smiling for the camera.  We were all hungry, so off to the restaurant we went.

It was a fun weekend,  We played games, went shopping, talked, had delicious coffees that Carri made for us.  Elaine brought her Karaoke machine, and since we all love music, we had lots of fun with that.  We ate good without leaving the room.  We went and bought food to make in the room, and just chilled all Saturday Evening.

a side note: THANKS Bill!!!!!!!

I can't believe it is New Years Eve.  Where did the year go.  I really don't have any New Years resolutions.  I just plan to do what I have been doing, trying to eat healthy, exercise more, and enjoy my family.

You all have a wonderful and blessed New Year.

Welcome to "Show & Tell Friday!" hosted by Kelli over at "There Is No Place Like Home".   To see more Show & Tells click on Kelli's name.

Today I am showing plates that our children made us.  When we moved in to the house we live in now, our 3rd child was starting kindergarten.  Our oldest 2 were in 1st and 2nd grade.  Every year the kindergarten classes made plates for their parents for Christmas.  Our first 2 never made a plate for us, and I never felt right about using or displaying the plates the other children made, because there were 2 plates missing. 

So, when our 2 oldest were in college, our daughter Carri contacted one of the kindergarten teachers to find out how her and Peter could make one for us.  The teacher was kind enough to give her all the information, so that Christmas in 1999 we received a plate from both of them.  Now I could display them.  They now sit on a plate rail that Jim made especially for these plates, and it runs just above my cupboards for all to see.  As you scroll down you will see that each plate is different, they may seem similar, but they are as different as the "artist" who drew them.  Each one unique in it's own way.

The two college kids plates.  Pete used his left hand I believe to make it appear that someone much younger made the plate.  Carri was her creative self in her plate.

Some of the plates didn't show any signs of Christmas or winter scenes, but scenes of rainbows and flowers.

Where some just had nothing but people, festive trees, and snowmen.

Add a turkey too...

with a bit of sunshine to go around.

Nothing but Christmas trees and gifts in the last three.

I cried when I opened those 2 plates in 1999.  It was one of the best Christmas presents I ever received.  It meant now I could put all the plates up to enjoy all the time.  Some of them are changing color, my guess it's from the sun, but those plates will stay up on that shelf forever.  I no longer get plates for Christmas.  I remember I couldn't wait to get them to see what our kindergartner made, it was always a special gift.

Again I hope you enjoyed my Show & Tell for the week.  Thanks for stopping by.

We played a game on Christmas Eve.  I don't think it really has a name, but the gist of the game is to roll the dice until doubles are rolled.  If you roll a double you have to put on the hat, thick mittens, goggles and socks, once all the items are on you have to open the gift one layer at a time, until someone else rolls a double.  When that happens the person who rolled the double gets to put on all the items and them open the gift.  As the person is putting on the items and opening the gift, everyone keeps rolling the dice.  The one who opens the last layer before the next double is rolled gets to keep the gift.

The dice are being rolled as Jim is trying to open the gift with thick mittens on, believe me it looks easier than it was.

Here I am trying to put the items on as the dice are being rolled.

Note: Big kid standing on the couch to get a better look.

More of us trying to open and put the items on.

This was really a fun game for all the adults to play.  This was a wonderful end to a wonderful night.

Here are the projects that I made for Christmas presents this year.

This is what Jim made for the married sons and son-in-laws.  (Sorry Bill if we spoiled the surprise)

The boys suited up and went to their former home rink where they played High School Hockey.  The annual Alumni Hockey game, where it was Alumni-vs-Alumni.  When the boys were on the High School team it was the Alumni-vs-Varsity, which was a lot of fun to watch.  The only one missing was Jake, since joining the Army he has only been able to make 1 Alumni game.  It was a lot of fun to watch the boys play again.  The first 2 goals of the game were scored by Phil, assisted by his brothers Josh and Dan, but that wasn't to be their only goals and assists of the game.

Phil, Josh, Dan at the 2007 Alumni Game. 

Facing off on the same line.  This is the first time that Josh has ever played with Dan in a competitive hockey game.  Josh has played with Jake and Phil, and Dan has played with Jake and Phil.  Josh at the top being the older of the 4 brothers and Dan at the bottom being the youngest of the 4 brothers that played.

This was by far the best Alumni game that we watched.  Dan got hurt not too far into the game.  His old coach was hooking him pretty good and when he went down his leg hyper extended.  After being helped off the ice and into the locker room, a former teammate, now an EMT checked him out, but after finding out that he could stand up and move his foot around, Dan couldn't get his skate back on fast enough, he wanted back out there (Stubborn Finn).  By the end of the game, he and his brothers managed to show the rest of the Alumni team that they still had it in them (hurt or not).   Needless to say Jim and Dan sat in the Acute Care on Christmas Eve, to see if his leg was broken or just sprained, the verdict was just a bad sprain and possibly a slight fracture but the treatment would be just stay off it for a few days and ice it.  Yesterday, tough guy was out playing boot hockey.  Don't cry to me if it won't heal.  Like I said before STUBBORN FINN!!!!!!

I have been wanting to make this Challah Bread that I found over at Niki's blog.  It is a lot like the Nisu I make but not as sweet.  Niki it is wonderful.  My dear Husband ate 4 slices with butter on it, while it was still warm.  I know I will be making this bread again.  I didn't have sesame seeds so I couldn't add them and I didn't do the egg wash, but it still turned out great.

Elaine and her family came by for sauna.  Of course we always have juice and snack afterward.  Kiirsti told me when she came up from the sauna "Grandma, your bread smells soooo good".

She enjoyed 3 slices of bread.

The grand kids all came up rosy cheeked from sauna, and after having something to eat, they had fun playing.

Today is Erin's last day of her school "career".  She is graduating early.  After going back and forth a few times, should I, shouldn't I, should I, shouldn't I...the should I won.  So we will only have 1 child in school for the second time.  The first time was when our oldest started kindergarten, oh so many years ago.  How did our life get to this point?  It seems like only yesterday that we had all eleven of them in school, from College to Pre-School.

Not much going on today, some office work, and get to the store to get some more drinking glasses.  We have broken so many of them, they have been breaking in the dishwasher.  I have to get one more small gift, and the gift I ordered on-line should be delivered today.  I tracked it on-line at UPS.  I was wanting that gift for Christmas Day for Phil, he didn't mind if he didn't have it, but I minded.  I hope all your Christmas preparations are going well.  Have to run now.

You all have a great day today.

Today is Show & Tell over at Kelli's blog There Is No Place Like Home.  Click on her name to see more.

I want to share with you a recipe that my mother clipped out of the newspaper back in 1959.  This was from the Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine dated December 6, 1959.  This was really an advertisement for Butter, and there are 8 flavor-rich Butter Cookie recipes featured that you can make with butter.  I make the Butter Crispies, but we have always called them Christmas Butter Cookies.  I guess because we only make them at Christmas time.  My mother gave me the original recipe that she kept folded up in a plastic cover in her recipe box a few years ago.  I decided that it was being wasted just sitting in a recipe box.  So I looked for the right picture frame to put it in.  I wanted something "old" looking, as the recipe was "old".  It took me a bit, but I found the one I wanted.  The frame is from Target and has an aged look to it.  It now hangs in my kitchen, which I thought was a fitting place for a recipe to hang.  When I make these cookies they don't stay in the house for very long. 

I have also added the recipe for those of you who would like to try my Christmas Butter cookie.  This is a favorite in our home, maybe it will become a favorite in yours too.

Christmas Butter Cookies

1 cup Butter (2 sticks)

1 1/2 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

2 1/2 cup Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Cream of Tartar

1/4 tsp Salt

Cream Butter, add Sugar gradually, cream until fluffy.  Add beaten Egg & Vanilla, beat well.  Sift together the dry ingredients.  Blend into creamed mixture.

Chill Dough for at least an hour.

Roll onto floured board about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut out with cookie cutters.

Place on unbuttered cookie sheet.

Bake about 6 minutes @ 400° (I use a 350° oven)

Note:  If cookies are rolled too thin they may burn.  Also when rolling the dough, if it is too sticky, don't be afraid to use flour as you roll.  By adding more flour to help with the rolling you won't hurt the dough.  It seems like the more you add the better it rolls and the better the cookie.  Use your scraps too, I use every bit of my dough scraps, I hardly throw any dough away.

When they are all cooled you can either frost them or just leave them plain.  Either way they are delicious.

I hope that you enjoyed my 3rd show & tell.  Thank you for stopping by. 

I found these nifty gift tags to make, over at Angry chicken, go and check them out.  She has a PDF link to be able to print them out.

I finally feel like I can breathe again.  I am sure everyone is busy, busy, busy with their Christmas preparations.  Enjoy the link I thought it was cute.