Joelle Meets Jesus

Joelle met baby Jesus, so she could experience the true Magic of Christmas.

Merry JOELLE

Two weeks ago on our way to Sunday lunch, Cali told me that she called and left her Christmas list with Santa Claus. Then she told me about "Sparky", her elf on the shelf, that brought Christmas magic to her house. WOW! I wanted to be included in this Christmas magic. So Mindi dialed Santa for me, and I got to leave my Christmas wish on his voicemail. I told Santa that I really would like an elf so that I could experience this magic.
Thursday night I got my Christmas wish - our elf just appeared while we were feeding cows. What a great surprise!

The first thing you have to do is name your elf. I wanted Rick to have some input, but I did not like his suggestion for a name - Manis. The end of both our names - Streetman and Davis. It wasn't girlie or cute enough for this special elf. So I did the normal thing. I started googling elf names. There were many cute names, but none that Rick and I could agree on. He was pretty closed-minded, since I did not like Manis. However, soon as I saw Noel, I knew I had the name -Joelle. Rick's middle name is Joel, so Joelle was perfect; and Rick even liked the idea. I did read that an elf is supposed to have two names. That is where Merry came in (Merry for Marilyn).
I can't wait to see what mischief Joelle will be getting in during this holiday season. She has already taken a ride on the Christmas Musical train.

Left Santa - Scoggins Santa /Right Sanat - Streetman Santa

Snow Days - Four Great days (Make that Six)

Every teacher and student lives to hear the words "snow day". First is the anticipation of whether the bad weather is really going to happen; and then if the roads are going to bad enough to close schools. Thursday, the sleet did come through and the message came that Gunter schools would close on Friday. YEA!!!! Wait a minute. I DON'T WORK.  It doesn't matter.  Well it really did; I was stuck at home. So it was  "snow days" for me.

I love my Christmas Decorations.

Day one - I cooked cherry cheese braid, cinnamon rolls, and cherry crisps. I watched 10 hours of movies - "The Sound of Music" with Carrie Underwood, two Hallmark Christmas chick flicks, and "Thelma and Louise". This is the most tv I have ever watched in one day.

The Bobcat

Day two - I cooked an apple cake with a Carmel frosting. Rick was home so I rode the tractor with him out to the farm to crack ice. The highlight was a rabbit, a bobcat, and her kittens. We watched another movie, "The Bucket List"; and I had a lot of iPad time with Candy Crush and Spider.
Day three - I make two batches of Jalapeno Jelly and sugar cookies. Rick went and got Mindi, Cali, and Cade on the tractor. He pulled them in the pasture on a sled behind the mule. I watched a Hallmark Christmas movie; and then we watched football.

Sledding fun

Day four - Rick went to work. I cleaned all the sock drawers, and threw away at least 50 single socks that the dryer ate the match. The rest of the day I watched Christmas movies, read, and played with my camera.

 I loved my "snow days", even though every day can be a snow day for me. It was special with the white covering and so very Christmasy. Thank you, God, for this Christmas gift. ( I did have to edit this that it ended up being 6 days being iced in.)

My unused toy - Thanksgiving Day

I am still a "wanta-be" photographer. So Thanksgiving Day, I got out my nifty-fifty lens that I have had, but have not used. Abby was my first model. Then we went to Di's for our Thanksgiving meal. Here I found my next models - Justin, Keelie, Jenna, Glory, and Jonah. Even Ferg cooperated and was a good sport while I played with my camera. About fifty percent were good, the others were blurry. Later, I found the focus ring on my new lens.

Abby Rose

Jenna, Jonah, and Glory

Ferg's beautiful family!

Beauty starts with the parents in this family.

Music - The Beat Goes ON

We have been to some great concerts since my March blog about the concerts that we have attended. Rick is concerned that we will not remember all the concerts that we have attended - with good reason. So here is our list:

• Ronnie Milsap
• Merle Haggard
• Kenny Rogers - Sounded better than ever!
• Jersey Boys - Every bit as good as the first time we saw this show.
• Alabama
• John Fogerty - We were up close and personal - right in front of a speaker. 

Thanksgiving 2013 - The Cow Barn

Streetman and Co. decided to use this holiday weekend to build a cow barn out at the farm. Streetman and Co. forgets that I am not as strong as he would like for me to be. So the third day we called in the reserves for Streetman and Co. - Mindi, Cade, and Cali.

Day 1 - The Beginning

Streetman and Co. - CEO and BOSS

Almost Finished

The Reserves - Mindi, Cade, and Cali

Ditzy Dolls - On The Road Again

Early in June we took another girls' trip. On this trip, we visited four more states a - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota and Canada. We saw so many beautiful sites. 

One day we had breakfast in Minnesota, lunch in Wisconsin, and dinner in Michigan. However, the highlight of the day was Chocolate Almond Wine Bread in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Just a few highlights.... I got to have dinner with my son, Greg, and Lisa's mother in Brainerd, Minnesota.

We were at Judy Garland's birthplace on her birthday. We had cupcakes.

We were in Bob Dylan's home town. One day we crashed 4 weddings and fire. 

Wisconsin -- Apostle Island Cruise; saw the sea caves

I couldn't get over how large Lake Superior is; we followed it for miles and miles! 

We did the North Shore Drive along Old Highway Scenic 16

Itasca State Park -- Minnesota's oldest state park

32,000 acres and over 100 lakes.

The beginning of the Mississippi River.

I am now to five states left on my bucket list - Ohio, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska.

(Some of this was copied from my sister's site).