More Prepping

It's looking very much like Christmas around here now. And it's also looking great downstairs where a lot of rearranging is going on to accommodate a couple more Compound Dwellers.

These game boards can easily be taken down to play.

A cozy nook for most any activity for one,

The chinchillas are now in a more public spot.
Can you spot one?

How clean and organized is that!?
The chinchillas used to be under the wall shelves on the right.

Flying Horse Ranch is in the spirit, too!

More Christmas

It's looking a lot more like Christmas...

Red=girls, Green=boys, Red/White=foster kids

Looking a Lot Like Christmas

Christmas decorating began in earnest today!

Thanksgiving in Kansas City

Janice, Matt D., Nathan, Sam, Griffen, and Remy joined all the rest of the Compound Dwellers for an adventure to Kansas City for Thanksgiving. It was a 3-car caravan. The biggy, of course, was the Plaza Lighting Ceremony Thanksgiving Night. It had been close to 50 years since Jamie and Lynn witnessed the event, and that was probably while working sound for it with David Beatty Stereo. Of course, there were tons of other fun stuff including outings with the Siscos, Children's Science Museum (at Union Station!), Crown Center's Sea Life and Lego Land, Fritz's Railroad Restaurant, Plaza shopping, visits to Panache and Andre's, and the Deana Rose Farmstead (where Laurie works). And pushing 40 of us at Laurie and Andy's for Thanksgiving dinner! All the photos are here.

Oh Fudge

Janice and Matt arrived from California just in time to attend the Kreb memorial service today. Janice and Matt just happened to have been here for Thanksgiving Dinner 2019 when the Kreb family also attended, so they knew the Kreb family, too. Lynn and Jamie, however, were in New York City at the time singing in a Mark Hayes concert at Carnegie Hall. The other big activity of today was a Fudge Tasting event. The fudge came from Colorado Fudge Maker which, as it turns out, is a cottage home food service operated by the Mom of a friend of Matteo's at ECA school. Look for the OHFUDGE license plate. Once the ballots were tabulated (6 adults, 1 teen, and 1 kid), these were the winning flavors: Ande’s Mint Fudge, Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge, Peppermint Patty Cake, Christmas Fudge, Ellen’s Choice Coffee Fudge, Fireball Fudge, and Milk Chocolate Fudge. Runners up were: Almond Joy Fudge (Jamie's fave), Dark Chocolate Fudge, Jack’s Lemon Bar Fudge, Caramel Fudge, Chocolate Explosion, and Dark Amaretto Fudge. We'll be getting a large supply of the winning fudge flavors to take to Kansas City for a big Thanksgiving Dinner with about 35 people.

Flowers for Tracy from Jeanette

Fudge tasting

Tracy's system for keeping track

Blade and Bow around the fire for the boys

Fudge Ballots

TECO Train Show

Papa and the two older boys did a little train outing after church. First, to the Big Train Family Restaurant for lunch, then on to the TECO Train Show at Chapel Hills Mall. Like any event properly prepared for younger visitors, this train show had a scavenger hunt (for any age!). And AJ soaked it up. And for his troubles, he got a baseball cap! And a free, framed, steam locomotive photo from the RMRHS table.

Tables at Big Train Family Restaurant

Working the scavenger hunt

Fabulous German Village layout in N scale.

Rocky Mountain Railroad Heritage Society table