NOW ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS PAY YHE BILLS

Well, the turkey bones are in the soup pot, and there is a slow cooker brewing up a stroganoff for supper to give us all a break from all the traditional fare we've been consuming for the past three days. We are also down to only three people in the house this afternoon, which is very restful after twenty-two people for supper on Christmas Eve, and six plus a two year old for the rest of the time. Our nephew, Cole, kept everyone on their toes but he and his mommy left early this morning. They had a long drive ahead of them and Cole had decided that sitting in a car seat for that long on the way down was way too long for his liking.

I took Christmas Eve day off as I was holding the family feast here so I've had almost a whole week away from work. I seem to be a loose ends this afternoon - does that mean I'm ready to go back now? Or is it a case of just wanting things to get back to normal? I should probably go out for a very long walk to shed some of the calories I've taken in over the past week.

I'm going to figure out how to post a photo on this blog today. The kids and I gave Glen a yard sign for Christmas this year. Quite some time ago he and Jesse decided that the farm should be called "Skull Ranch". I don't know how serious they were at the time, but because I didn't care for it at all, they made a big fuss about how much they just loved it. It became a standing joke and over time they have worn me down. A couple years ago Glen even had T-shirts made up with his personal logo (really personal, it's his tattoo) so I decided that the time had come to put it on the yard sign too. We installed it over another sign that Jesse painted years ago to welcome our Australian in-laws to Canada. I think all the neighbours had finally all figured that one out (it was painted up-side-down because they were from the "land down under"). They "got it" right away, but I think it took the local Canadians much longer. I wonder what they'll think of this new sign? I think it's our job to keep everyone entertained.

We still haven't got our calves weaned. I was feeling like we were really falling behind this year, but brother-in-law Maurice told us the other night that he had just managed to get his done the week before. Glen says that we're doing it this week for sure. I think he has that job scheduled for tomorrow with both Sandy and Jesse here to help, and maybe Mitchell if he doesn't have to work. That means we'd better enjoy our night's sleep tonight because it sure can get noisy for a couple of days - and nights - until they are all used to the idea that the mamas and calves can still see each other, but there is no more milk. As the cows are well along into their next pregnancy, it's time that last year's calves were on their own.

This time last year, we were getting ready for our trip to sunny Mexico but this year it's just a case of back to the grindstone. 2008 will shape up as a bit of a different year as we plan for Jesse and Andrew's wedding this fall.