Thanksmas, The Franklin Institute, and Christmas Parties, Oh My!

This was a busy weekend! To start we celebrated Thanksmas, our special Hahn family tradition started when Sam was gearing up to deploy in 2005. It is a Christmas meal typically held before Thanksgiving as a way to celebrate the Holiday early. This year we celebrated it with our friends Nathan and Laura and their four kids. Then on Saturday we all piled into their Suburban and heading into Philly where we went to the Franklin Institute. We've gone to the museum before, but due to its hands-on nature it is so much more fun with kiddos along. We all had a blast chasing the kids and playing, I mean, helping the kids play with the interactive exhibits! To finish off the flurry of a weekend on Sunday we had two Christmas parties to attend, a neighborhood party, and a church party. All in all we had a wonderful time.

Project 365

In Ravelry, online knitting and crocheting community, there is the Project 365 group. Their goal is to take at least 1 picture a day for a whole year! I am not sure if I am ambitious enough to join, but I thought that I would try it for a month. Here is the best photo I took from this mornings jaunt around the hood. Can you guess what it is?

Birds of a Feather, Shot Together

Sam went hunting for the first time with my Dad and his friend Patrick. Sam was assigned a pointer hunting dog who helped to flush out the birds. They shot two birds each. Next time you see Sam ask him to tell you the whole story, it was awesome! I dare say that a life long love of hunting was hatched over the weekend. (Or as Sam-Paul put it--an instatble blood lust has begun!)

Stash Enhancement!

I finally got a shipment of yarn in after watching its progress as it trekked along all the way from Washington State to Pennsylvania.

It feels like Christmas in September, and in fact it is! The yarn I ordered will be magically transformed in all sorts of Christmas presents for my adoring family. Can you guess which ball is in your future?

Styer Orchard Date: Kind of Fruity

Being that we are both graduate students and therefore monetarily constricted we decided that we had better start being creative about date nights. So I decided that a blind date to the Orchard would be fun. It combines apples (which Sam loves!!!) with together time (something we both love!) and it fits nicely into the grocery corner of our budget (which our future loves)! Score one for the home team! It was a big success and we had a great time harvesting away.

We picked Macones, Jonathans, Macintoshes, and Honey Crisp apples, as well as eggplants and tomatoes and peaches.

I think that the peaches were myfavorites!

Woolly Blessings From Heaven

Several weeks ago was the week of 'woolly blessings'. It all started when I went to a knitting group called "Pins and Needles" in Roxbury, NY. I meet Donna, the group's founder, who let us know that if we ever wanted wool for spinning, she could get us some. And boy did she come through! A week later she gave me 25 pounds of raw Romney wool! In the same week I meet a wonderful, grandmotherly knitter/spinning at the fair who taught me how to spin on her wheel! She spent an hour and a half with me, then later that night gifted me with some wool and a drop spindle! It was an incredible night, the type that made me feel very loved by my Lord and reminded me that I am His daughter.

Last of the Mohicans

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Originally uploaded by jen_meg82

A few weeks ago my little brother came bounding up the drive way shouting and hollering that Mom was letting him and his buddy, Patrick, get a Mohawk. Then, they asked if I could cut their hair! You have to understand that I come from a traditional, straight-laced family. We don’t do Mohawks! After a few moments hesitation, I thought sure, why not. I started with the caveat that if parents disapprove I would buzz it right off. Noreen, Patrick’s mom, took it in stride, but Noreen was eager to see how my Dad would handle it. That evening at the Little League game Noreen called the boys over and had Patrick take off his helmet. My dad chuckled, and then Noreen called over Sam. He sheepishly whipped off his ball cap and my dad made that special smile that he reserves for such occasions, the one that is accompanied by a head shake. Then he let Sam keep it for almost 2 weeks! Sam surely is the baby of the family!

On the Road Again!

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Originally uploaded by jen_meg82

As some of you know my Dad tore his hamstring. We know it was serious because he allowed me to be his driver. ;+) I helped him out doing "road work" (inspections of home for insurance companies) last week. It was a lot of fun and a lot of driving! He took me to the Catholic school he taught and here is a picture of his gym

the sacrifices we make

Sam went to the gas chamber this week as a part of his training. He has now done this not once, but twice. You go into it with your gas mask on, crack the seal, say your name and social, put it back on clear the seal, then walk to the door, take it off, say name and social and class motto with your group and then they let you leave. (and puke). Very effective, practical training. Gas masks are our friends.

Welcome Baby!

My nephew Victor Octavian was born 7-6-08. He weighed in at 7 pounds 6 ounces. I am already smitten!