Merry Christmas from The Mingolla Kingdom

12 Days of Christmas...Mingolla style ;)

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the forth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

5 cherry stuedels.......

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

6 snowballs throwing,

5 cherry strudels.......

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

7 belly sliders,

6 snowballs throwing,

5 cherry struedels.....

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

8 shiney hineys,

7 belly sliders,

6 snowballs throwing,

5 cherry struedels.....

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

9 Christmas cards,

8 shiney hineys,

7 belly sliders,

6 snowballs throwing,

5 cherry struedels.....

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

10 whoopie cushions,

9 Christmas cards,

8 shiney hineys,

7 belly sliders,

6 snowballs throwing,

5 cherry struedels.....

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

11 children skating,

10 woopie cushions,

9 Christmas cards,

8 shiney hineys,

7 belly sliders,

6 snowballs throwing,

5 cherry struedels.....

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelvth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

12 gooey kisses,

11 children skating,

10 woopie cushions,

8 shiney hineys,

7 belly sliders,

6 snowballs throwing,

5 cherry struedels.....

4 chocolate raisins,

3 rusty pennies,

2 black eyes and

a p-a-r-t-r-i-d-g-e in a pearrrrr treeeeeeeeeeeee-eeeeeeeee!!!!

Thank ya, thank ya very much!!!

** written by Steve, Susan and Izabella Mingolla**

Merry Christmas!!

'tis the season...

This was this last week of school before Christmas break. Izabella's class had their party on Thursday and I wasn't able to go, but Steve was home and it's the first time he's gotten to go to her class this year. Izabella got Mrs. Hankinson a little nutcracker from the holiday shop at school, then we also found her a cute little fleece Christmas blanket. Izabella also wanted to get her new puppy some chew toys so we did. It looks like they had loads of fun.

A few weeks ago, all the kids were over playing. It was a nice day, for once, so they had been outside for a bit. I went to check on them and see what kind of trouble they were into and found them with Mr. Lovell. He's a wonderful man who lives across the street from Ms. Sandra. His wife passed away a few years ago and he keeps to himself for the most part, but he's such and interesting man. He loves to work in his garden and he's given us many of the flowers in our flower beds over the years. He took up making clay pots, etc a few years ago and he's gotten really good at it. At the last festival at the park, he got a a vendor tent and sold his work. I hear he donated all the proceeds to charity and doesn't keep a penny. That sounds just like him. :) Back to the girls...when I found them with Mr. Lovell, he's given all 4 of them a hunk on clay and they were each making something a little different. Alex made a cute little plate for her teacher's present. Reagan made herself a little plate with a curly little R right in the middle. Izabella and Christina both made cookie plates for Santa and his Reindeer. They are both very different and oh so cute. Mr. Lovell told them to come back a few weeks later and he's have them ready. Well, here's the final result, I think they turned out awesome and will definitely be in the family for a long time to come. So precious!

Decking the halls & Christmas parade FUN!

We spent the Saturday after Thanksgiving decking the halls in the Mingolla Kingdom. I had 2 lovely helpers as you'll see. One of my favorite times of year!

The city also had their 5th Annual Christmas Parade and Izabella and I went. We met up with the Brown's. It was the first one I've been to and it was really a lot of fun. Thank goodness the weather held out and didn't rain on us. It was cold enough without that!

We are thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What Izabella is thankful for in the following order ;) :
food
home
trees
water
technology
friends
school
animals
moon
clothes
money
vehicles
family *whew...I was begining to feel left out ;)*
not blind
health
smart
U.S.A.
languages
strength
toys
carpet ??
ceiling ?? *I think she was trying to say her home or shelter?!*
color

I am thankful for my entire family, I wouldn't have made it through this last year without each of you. I am thankful for Izabella, she's my heart walking outside my body and I don't remember life without her. I am thankful for Taylor because of the woman she is becoming but GAWD help me is turning 18 soon.

I am thankful for Steve, my greatest love and biggest pain in my ass that I can't imagine living without. I am thankful for our health. I am thankful for our friends *freaks* and how much we've been able to help each other out over this last year, couldn't have done it without you! You're family now, like it or not! I am thankful to have a job when so many others do not. I am thankful for life! I am thankful for each day and I am thankful for driveway drinking :)...just saying!

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's to another turkey day, GOBBLE, GOBBLE!

The other 1/2 of the family...

There's Soxy, of course...she's camera shy...

Then there's Goldie...she was a "goodie bag" gift from Alex & Max's first birthday...so cute, but we should have named her Miss Piggy. If you stick your finger in the water she will suck on your finger like it's food. She's almost 4 inches long... This is our newest edition, Miss Emily. She was a birthday present from the Brown's. She's a yellow belly slider. They went to Florida over the summer and brought this hatchling back for her. They can't be purchased in GA but you can own them. We had named her Emmitt before we found out she was a girl. She got a terrible eye infection right after we got her and we thought we'd lost it but one day I was feeding her and noticed that I could see her eyeball again. It had swollen shut and trippled in size basically so when I saw that I knew she was better, but it took a long time for it to heal and we were giving her eye drops twice a day for almost 2 months I think, maybe longer...

She is also a piggy. The Brown's also got one for themselves but they got a boy. It's still about 1.5 inches in lenght while Emily is about 3 almost 3.5 inches long. We got her some live goldfish the other day to see if she was ready to eat them. We gave her 5 of them, they were each about an inch long. She chased them all around it was so cool to watch. It took her about an hour to chase them all down and eat them. She's in a 10 gallon tank with about 4-5 inches of water with a heat lamp and a UV light on her. She eats shrimp, blood worms and turtle stix which have the nutrients that hatchlings need. The shrimp, blood worms and live gold fish are more treats right now. Eventually we should be able to have a deeper tank and just have the fish living in there with her and she'll self feed. so cool!

This is Fred #2. We had another beta for about 2 years and he had to go swim with Nemo in the ocean if you know what I mean :) So we got another one and Izabella wanted to name it Fred again so we did...why not? He's funny...one day Izabella and I were eating at the table and he just jumped right out of his bowl in front of Izabella's plate and we scrambled to get him back in, all while laughing so hard we had tears streaming down our faces. I just LOVE it when I hear Izabella laugh like that. So funny!

Halloween recap...

I am a little behind but at least it's getting done. We had a WET Halloween here in the peach state, we thought we had gotten by without it but right as we're walking out the door it started raining. We waited for a bit and then me and the 2 dads (James & Tim) walked around with the kids while Sandra and Kerry hung back at our house, handed out candy and prepared dinner. We had mummy dogs and french fries. They were delicious! We didn't have many trick or treators at all so we were left with a kettle FULL of candy. We poured it out on the floor and divided it up between all 4 kiddos - my god, they'll have candy till they are 18! Then we sorted through all of it and made our usual trades. Reagan and Alex both have peanut allergies so they make trades to get rid of it all.

Remember, back in our day, when we had haunted houses that made you feel things with your hands, like eyeballs, brains and fingers?! Well we did what we could and made the brains and eyeballs. Silly me wanted to video that but was just too involed in grossing the girls out. We blind folded all of them and made them feel everything. Lots of giggles and screaming. I think we had the Nightmare before Christmas on at some point, but a good time was had by all....

p.s. the next day we found out that poor Reagan, Alex AND Aidan all had strep, RVP and signs of pneumonia. We were on lock down on the block for a week until everyone got better. Sheesh!