Christmas lights in Des Moines last week

The previous picture was published almost magically by one of the 'orphans', Patrick, who was racing Ron somewhere, and apparently thought across my computer was a shortcut!

This is just a picture I took of a house on the street behind my mom's. (This is the street I used to deliver around 100 Des Moines Tribune newspapers in the afternoons and 75 Register's on Sunday mornings for a year and a half while in junior high.)

Enjoying

Maybe next year he'll give me a list!

Our college-nephew, Will, got two cats to keep him company in his Chicago apartment and they came to Grandma Walker's in Sac City for Christmas. I got the cats those squares that fold out and Velcro together because our furry crowd has a ball with them. His cats are siblings, Max and Amy, and only about 2 minutes after he opened the squares, Max got in and sat down. He seemed to know it was for him.

Above in the picture (from left) are Claire (our niece, and Ann and Don's daughter), Kathy and Ann, John's sisters from MN.

Below in the picture is Mick, John's sister's hubby, showing off one of the dumb presents I bought for people because they didn't give me a 'list'. It's so easy to shop from a list, and next year maybe he'll remember this and make one! I think boys are just harder to buy for at Christmas anyway (including my dad, my son, my uncle, etc.....).

At least Mick will be able to see what he's doing when he grills in the dark from now on!