Favorite Photos Friday

Well, I am way behind on blogging! I have so much fun stuff to talk about from our November trip!

So - for favorite photo Friday, I will share a few of my favorite pictures of our niece and nephews on the Harder side! They were so fun to spend time with!

Here is Ava in one of my favorite photos that I took of her! She came into the room while we were getting ready for the Thanksgiving Day service. I asked her if she was allowed to jump on the bed, and she told me, "yes!" So - who am I to ruin her fun? She was really enjoying it, too. (Probably even more when I started taking pictures!) haha. I know I'm a bad influence:

Here is Dakota riding on the 4-wheeler with grandpa....he actually already knows how to start it up! Pretty impressive, as I understand it - this is one of his favorite things to do:

And little Oliver! This little boy was so content with everything we did! He's very sweet and so quiet -- the first thing that Ava told us about her little brother was that, "he has blue eyes." He sure does, and she is so proud of him:

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Well - Tuesday, December 2nd was my mom's birthday!! We won't say how old she is....(but, I'm her baby and I just turned 30 last Monday, sooo...)

You've always been a shining example of strength and determination!! And "nice" - people always say how you are so nice. :) I agree.

As a birthday wish to getting older - I will share something with the rest of the group that you sent to me this week. Apparently, Julie Andrews (Maria - "The Sound of Music") turned 69 recently. Please note - my mom is NOT 69... she is 12 years younger than 69. :) Anyhoo- she performed at the Radio City Music Hall sometime near her birthday, and this is the song she sang for the audience. Please note that it is to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from her movie/musical, "The Sound of Music." Wow -if you've never seen this movie you are missing out!! I think it is my Mom, and Mom Harder's favorite movie! Okay, here you go & enjoy:

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs, cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.

The Apron

The beauty of an apron. Isn't this cute? I was just talking with Mom Harder last week about aprons...nobody seems to wear them anymore!

I found this cute site on etsy, where the apron to the left and many others can be purchased:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=59241

Etsy is an online site where those of you that are crafty can open up your own store and sell things!

What made me think of this? Well my mom sent me this cute forward this week about aprons, here it is:

The History of APRONS
I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. Send this to those who would know, and love, the story about Grandma's aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives. REMEMBER:Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

Just So You Know - - 2,115

2,115

2,115 miles roundtrip Thanksgiving trip!! We certainly have a lot of fun and excitement to share with you all, including pictures..... but, it will have to wait for another day!

We are exhausted tonight... the last leg of our trip was snow-filled! We are now amidst a winter wonderland of snow.

Talk to you soon!