6th Grade Holiday Concert

Jim is in the 6th grade band, playing trombone along with his cousin. I wanted to get a picture of them, but it was a madhouse after the concert & in the hallway switching between the 6th & 7th graders, so here we are in the vestibule.

He got exactly one (1) use out of the clip on tie. 

Amelie had commentary about all of the selections. 

Grover's mom sat up in the balcony & sent me some pictures. 

Sam was sick & couldn't go, so we got frosties from Wendy's and watched the concert again when we got home. I asked Jim what his favorite piece was & I'll just post that one:

VU Bright Lights

Aunt Holly hooked us up with the VIP employee pass to the VU bright lights display, even though she didn’t get to go because she was on a date 😂

I should have asked one of the workers to take our photo in the van! 

AJJ

Sam took James to see AJJ in concert whilst Amelie  had kids over for her birthday sleepover. 

He got a phone (TEMPORARILY) just in case they got separated & because he doesn't have his own account/apple ID, I was getting texts & photos from James & Sam without it being differentiated who was who. 

I think they had a good time!

HHS Homecoming

Kind of at the last minute, Amelie decided to go to Homecoming. She'd missed so much school we had to appeal for her to get a ticket, so we didn't know for sure that she could go until they very last minute. 

Hair!

They had to wait in line to go through the metal detector for half an hour! Yikes! 

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a good long Thanksgiving weekend.

I made 3 recipes out of Grandma Doris's cookbook. It's funny to me that this is called Crystal's Salad (and we all call it that!) - so named just because I like it a lot. 

It's the same reasoning behind Lana's Cornbread Casserole, I think. 

Grandma Lora's Dressing is not the most specific recipe - I comment every year on the "cornbread the size of your hand" direction. Next year, we'll remember it takes quite a bit longer than an hour in the oven. 

We missed out on a group photo! Just us and Mom and Steve & Holly & her boyfriend. Allie couldn't come at the last minute, but we sent her a plate. At some point, Jim stole my phone and took this photograph of his plate - mashed potatoes with a side of sweet potato casserole. 

In fact, this picture of the dog was the only picture I took all day on Thursday. We wore him out.

Amelie had some homework to get caught up on: 

We put up some Christmas decorations. 

This is part of my Grandma Wanda's Christmas village. One of Sam's dad's cousins did the needlework. 

Holly & I had a belated birthday lunch with Nana Jana. Sam and Holly cut down one of the trees in her front yard: 

It looks pretty good for a free tree!

It was good they took care of the tree on Friday, because we got some inches of snow on Saturday - it was cold! Not a ton, but probably the best snow we've had in 2 years. 

Sam took Leah & James over to the park for sledding. Here's all the snow gear drying off: 

Jim bought a new game - You’re a Little Crabby! - and we played it several times.

Here's the link to last year!

New Couch

Our old couch was looking pretty dingy and we got a new one. Spark enjoyed the packaging material (at least he didn't lie down on the couch). 

Aunt Holly came over and we swapped the furniture around. 

Leah got a lot of use out of the box. She recruited Jim to use his pocket knife to make a window - complete with shutter. She dragged it all around (& up to her room & back down). 

In fact, who needs a new couch when you have a new couch BOX?  

Sonic & Dr Eggman

The other day, Leah just barely barely fits into the Sonic costume she wore for Halloween in 2021 - she also wore it to see the Sonic movie at the theater. Jim made himself a Dr. Eggman costume. (It reminded me of this one that he made back in the old house!) Spark just wanted to be included. 

Soccer

Leah played soccer again. We went to a couple of games in the rain.

There's some sun! She was on the gold girls 8 and under team - Brazil! 

Here is some related schoolwork that came home: 

And this one is not related - just funny! Ha!

Twelfth Night

 Jim is in drama club, and they put on Twelfth Night as a readers theater. He played the parts of the sea captain, Valentine, Officer 1, Officer 2, the priest, and the servant. 

Halloween 2024

Nana Jana brought it to my attention that there were no Halloween pictures on the blog. I've been sick basically since Halloween & it slipped through the cracks (though I did think I'd already posted it!) Sam and I went hi-vis again, though I just stayed home and passed out candy. I wore the light-up earrings to work (you can see my library shoes). 

Jim was Betelgeuse, of course. (That's the spelling! He proved it to me! Then he wore this whole ridiculous get up to school all day - including Band & PE.)  

Amelie was Cyn from the webseries Murderbots that she watches. She chopped up part of an old witch costume (2022 post). She didn’t start working on it til after school on Halloween but it all came together. 

Leah was Potato, the black cat from the book Sparks (who our dog Spark is named after.) She carved her pumpkin to be Potato cat as well - and check out the candy bag. 

Group photo!

I didn't count, but we got a whole ton of trick-or-treaters & the kids came back with a whole ton of candy.

Leah got a fair amount of mileage out of her costume both before & after Halloween. She misplaced the collar & then it fell out of the couch when we were moving furniture & she was quite pleased. 

Here's the link to last year. 

Grandma Doris

 I just wanted to out this here to preserve it.

Doris Louise Williams Obituary

Doris Louise Williams (nee Sargent) was born on March 15, 1932, near Kennett, Missouri and died peacefully at home on September 26, 2024, in Columbia, Missouri at 92 years of age.

She is preceded in death by her mother Notria Brown, her husband Leroy Wellington Williams, her sister Jewell Pauline King, her brothers Edward Leon (EL) Jackson and Wayne (Bill) Sargent, her son Kerry Cameron Williams and his wife Cheryl Depew Williams.

She is survived by her daughters Tara Camille Kifer and husband Ken of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Jana Lee Paddock and husband Steve Cochran of Columbia, Missouri, and Lana Marie Shipman and husband Darrin of Milton, Florida; six grandchildren: Bradley Keith Kifer and wife Jess, Kendra Camille Grady and husband James, Crystal Leigh Buffaloe and husband Sam, Holly Leann King, Darri Camille Thompson, and Cameron Scott Shipman; ten great-grandchildren: Bradley Scott Kifer, Layla Paige Kifer, Josie Grace Kifer, Hayes West Kifer, Amelie Jane Buffaloe, James Robert Buffaloe, Leah Rose Buffaloe, Marlee Mae Grady, Laynie Camille Grady and Levi Blake Thompson. She was expecting her first great-great grandchild in January.

Doris grew up in Tally and graduated from Gideon High School in 1950. She was crowned Miss Gideon in 1949. Doris and Leroy were united in marriage on June 26, 1950, in Piggott, Arkansas. In 1952, they moved into their home on Mann Street, where Doris lived for 70 years. They ran several business ventures including a cafe, a bowling alley, and finally S & W Sales, where she would “keep the phone.” Doris was a long-time member of the Bernie Christian Church, where she nurtured many lasting friendships. She was a great fan of new clothes, going out to lunch, her weekly hair appointment, Patsy Cline, sitting outside on the porch swing, talking to friends and relatives, and taking care of her children and grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 am at Bernie Cemetery on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Memorials may be made to Bernie Christian Church, P.O. Box 566, Bernie, MO 63822.

Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie is assisting with arrangements.