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[PamsPride]

My mom came over this evening and we made her a dozen handstamped Christmas cards. While we were working on that a friend from church called and said they had a deer for us so we spent the entire evening grinding up the deer!! The meat grinder my mom got us has now paid for itself!! It really was a lot more work than I thought it would be to do the whole deer up. I am not sure how much meat we ended up with because DS started taking out to the freezer before we could count bags. I MADE my 14 yo DS help cut up the meat. He was not to pleased at first but he did good! There is no way I would have got the deer all done if my mom had not stayed and helped me!!
We just finished and it is now 12:45AM so I am heading to bed!!

Oh and from everything I have read only elderberries will work.

 

[keljonma]

Elderberry elixir is some pretty awesome stuff! TR and I looked at a house a number of years and one of the best features of the place was two huge elderberry bushes. I drove by it last week and was horrified to see them taking the one in the front yard down to the stump.

Sounds like you are having a terrific harvest season!

I think it is very un-Christian to spread germs at church! What was that woman thinking?! She probably infected everyone she talked to that day.....

Hasn't our weather been terrific? Sunday we had 60 weather - who ever heard of that kind of weather at the end of November in NE OHIO! We are sure enjoying it.

I saw a number of deer hanging in trees this morning as I drove down Rte 46 to take TR to work in Roaming Shores.

 

[delia_peterson]

My mom came over this evening and we made her a dozen handstamped Christmas cards. While we were working on that a friend from church called and said they had a deer for us so we spent the entire evening grinding up the deer!! The meat grinder my mom got us has now paid for itself!! It really was a lot more work than I thought it would be to do the whole deer up. I am not sure how much meat we ended up with because DS started taking out to the freezer before we could count bags. I MADE my 14 yo DS help cut up the meat. He was not to pleased at first but he did good! There is no way I would have got the deer all done if my mom had not stayed and helped me!!
We just finished and it is now 12:45AM so I am heading to bed!!

Oh and from everything I have read only elderberries will work.

Thanks Pam..now I am off to hunt down elderberries in Texas! I really want to make this.

 

[PamsPride]

Another thing that happened yesterday....
Do you remember the neighbor I posted about that gave me potatoes and I gave him some pears and such just recently....Well, when we were there my 7 and 4 yo were playing with his granddaughter, that lives with them, they called yesterday and her youth group would like to bless our family for Christmas! They called and came over while my mom and I were making Christmas cards last night and got all of the kids sizes. The neighbor wanted to know if they could get the kids a Wii...but they already have one. That is a really expensive gift if you ask me! It is so hard to suggest items in a situation like this. I said a cloth diaper for the baby, white turtle necks to go under 4 yo dd's outfits, 7 yo said GeoTrax, and then I said camping/fishing gear for the older three.


The local Victory Christian Center is having a play in Dec. It is free and if you live within a couple hours drive it is totally worth the trip!! I suggest being there an hour early to get a seat though!
http://www.vcccoitsville.com/index....e-gospel-according-to-scrooge&catid=58:events

 

[PamsPride]

Howdy all! Checking in!

I finally talked my DH into getting the stuff to change our own oil...in the van atleast. I still could not talk him into the stuff to change the oil for the car.
It has been a LONG time since I had gone to Valvoline to get it done and WOW is it way more than I remember. The boys and DH help every three months with the oil changing mininsty at the church...so DH finally consented that as long as we bought the oil and filter he would have them change it there!! So now it is costing us $20 an oil change rather than $60!! We got enough to change the oil 4 times! That is a whole year of oil changes now paid for! Is that considered to be prepped?

We went to Toledo and back on Saturday to visit some extended family and the kids got some money for Christmas. They each got $40 plus they gave DH and I $150 so we are going to put it up for a trip to Kalahari...then we will not feel guilty for using bill money to have a small vacation.

Dh has been getting some overtime! Praise the Lord!! He got 12 hours last week

I am at a total loss as to what to do for my MIL for Christmas! Any ideas?? She did get us a fridge and spent a ton on my kids...so I need to get her something nice that does not cost an arm and a leg. She already has a ton of knick knacks and needs /wants for nothing. She is not the least bit into being SS. I am making my BIL and his wife homemade chocolates for Christmas.

 

[Beekissed]

Buy her a girl's day at the local salon or spa.....wash/set/style and mani, or a simple foot massage and pedi. Something to pamper her.....I bet she doesn't pamper herself enough. Most women I know do not...including me!

 

[TanksHill]

I think bee has the right idea. Then I would have the kids make a card or special keepsake box to put it in. Grandma's are a sucker for things the kids make.

Great job on the oil changes. That is being prepared.

Congrats on the overtime. We had rain last week. My DH got sent home 1 day no work at all. We never had this problem on salary. Yuck!!!

Congrats on the Christmas blessings.

Have a great day!! Stay warm!!

gina

 

[Dace]

My mom is like your MIL, very generous, but in need of nothing and NEVER mentions anything that she wants. Last year I got her a gift certificate for a mani & pedi and her hair salon. She seems to like that.

I'd like to hear more about the homemade chocolates! That sounds like a nice gift

 

[PamsPride]

Yes, I do think the mani & pedi gift card is a great idea! She loves to get her nails done when she goes on cruises but she has not been on any cruises lately. Dace, my MIL is just like your mom...NEVER mentions wanting anything!! My mom on the other hand says she wants everything and you can not go through a store without her mentioning at least 20 things she wants.

I picked my MIL up an angel night light yesterday that has liquid with glitter in it that moves around when it is plugged in. I also got her (and myself) an elf. There is a story online somewhere about how the elf creates mischief everynight until Christmas and I think she will enjoy that. We gave her a pickle ornament a few years ago and she liked that. Haha...of course the kids broke it the first year so we had to buy her another one! LOL!

Here is one good elf site:
http://www.elf-magic.com/ideas.htm

The chocolates I am doing for my BIL include chocolate covered s'mores....two graham crackers with marshmallow fluff and chocolate frosting in a sandwhich style and then dip the whole thing in chocolate. They sell for a $1.75 each at Gorants! The oreos dipped in chocolate. Pretzels dipped in chocolate....I am thinking about dipping them in carmel first and then into chocolate. I am also doing ritz crackers with peanut butter, sandwich style, dipped in chocolate! YUMMO!! We have done a couple of test runs already just to make sure we will have it down and tasting good for Christmas! LOL!!

 

[keljonma]

The chocolates I am doing for my BIL include chocolate covered s'mores....two graham crackers with marshmallow fluff and chocolate frosting in a sandwhich style and then dip the whole thing in chocolate. They sell for a $1.75 each at Gorants! The oreos dipped in chocolate. Pretzels dipped in chocolate....I am thinking about dipping them in carmel first and then into chocolate. I am also doing ritz crackers with peanut butter, sandwich style, dipped in chocolate! YUMMO!! We have done a couple of test runs already just to make sure we will have it down and tasting good for Christmas! LOL

The chocolates sound yummy! Where is there a Gorant's anymore? We used to go to the one in Chagrin Falls, but they are under new management and changed their name! They did have wonderful chocolates, but we only bought a few at the holidays; home-made is so much better!