How to (and How not to) dye your hair with Koolaid

First, get a buddy who is as crazy as you. One who is crazier is better. Getting some Koolaid, hairnets, newspaper and tinfoil is handy too, but the buddy is essential.

Make sure you wear shirts that can be stained. Koolaid never comes out. Make sure the cute audience gets in the picture, so he can be blogged as well.

Note 1. Be aware that the ensuing process may result in odd looks and sounds from any persons in the immediate area.

Rub the gooey stuff into your buddy's hair. Warning, it looks nasty. Really nasty.

If you are attempting a streak, (which, by the way, does not work) be sure to impersonate either Yul Brynner from The Ten Commandments or the little boy from Ping. Note 2. Sleeping on tinfoil is not pleasant.

Note 3. There are, however, advantages to having tinfoil stuck to your head. Increased ability to amuse one's self being one of the said advantages.

Take two. After the initial streaks did not work, attempting the whole head of your crazier-than-you buddy is a good next step.

Note 4. Have I mentioned how nasty this stuff can look? Just want to make sure you are duly warned.

There is something really cool about the exposure in this shot. I had to put it in.

A whole head treatment of black cherry actually can create red highlights. A lovely subject enhances the aesthetic appeal of the results.

As previously mentioned, streaks to not appear to work, at least not on brunettes. While I was able to achieve an incredible blue and equally vibrant purple, they lasted only until the water hit them. Alas, my lovely color all went down the drain. Donations towards a real dyed streak are accepted any time. Any time after my clinical experiences in the school are completed that is...

Random Christmas

We did not really use the camera much on Christmas. One of the kids mentioned we should take pictures of us opening presents, but I thought "Who would want to look at lots of pictures of us and wrapping paper?" Unfortunately, that ended up equaling not very many pictures of Christmas at all, so here are the few I did take.

John and Rosie received several coloring books and lots of crayons between the two of them. There was a mass coloring party directly afterwards.

We drew names for gift giving this year, and Timo got Rosie. I think this gift was a total winner.

We made Jesus a birthday cake, the one candle signifying another year since he came and one more year he has been in our hearts. That and we did not have 2,010 candles...

Thirteen years ago, a dear friend made, yes made, this manger scene for us. It has been a special part of many Christmases, and it was a total joy to introduce the younger kids to it this year. This picture was taken before Christmas, when baby Jesus was under the tree still.

I know I am a few days late, but Merry Christmas again!!

Things that made me smile yesterday

These are things that made me smile yesterday. I hope they make you smile at least once or twice as you read through them.

This itty bitty boot. It made us think of a sweet little miss in Texas we miss a lot...

The very first band picture. Someday autographed copies of this are going to be worth millions...

Our driveway, one year ago yesterday. *Note: technically this picture makes me cold, it is the next picture that makes me smile compared to this one.

Our driveway yesterday. This is really the one that makes me smile. God has answered my prayers for a milder winter. :D

John's predictions of my future. Please note "Emily", "Mr. Emily" (since we did not know his name) and our children. I think they look a tad like ghouls because they don't have eyeballs, but I am sure in real life I will adore them. I appreciate that even though "Mr. Emily" seems shocked at the sight of me, he is still holding my hand...

The Night Before Christmas

Every morning for almost 2 weeks, John has woken me up around 6 to tell me 'the count', how many days until Christmas.

There is something really special about childlike anticipation. It looks forward, not with fear of what might happen, but in total faith that it is going to be even more awesome and wonderful than it was last year.

May your Christmas be full of joy, and anticipation for what God will do in the new year to come. We know if He is the One doing it, it is going to be even more awesome and wonderful than it was last year. Merry Christmas!!

Pretzels

Trina had an idea. Well, maybe it was more of a craving, but it became an idea, which became a project, which became a chance for Becca to take pictures. Now it is becoming a blog post, so you all can see Becca's amazing job with the camera, and of course, the idea.

It was a yummy idea...

John was beside himself about the sprinkles. He saved the leftovers for ice cream...

They made quite a team, and had way to much fun. I had way to many pretzels...

Vanilla and chocolate. I think it was one of those ideas that just took hold and grew and grew.

Like I said, Becca is getting to be an amazing photographer.

I can't wait until Christmas to eat them!! I will try to have more restraint this time around...

How to set up a Christmas Tree

We finally got the Christmas tree last week and set it up. After realizing we did not have a stand anymore, we discussed how to make one. Finally, we settled on Dad's brilliant idea to keep the tree up and watered at the same time.

First, send Timo to the basement to fetch some dirt (having an unfinished basement really comes in handy sometimes) and a bucket. Then, with Leah making sure we don't 'plant' it crookedly, fill in the dirt around the trunk.

Then, water the tree. This serves two purposes. One, it helps keep the tree green, as you all know. Two, it makes the clay from the basement harden, so the tree really is not going anywhere.

Next, move the now 'planted' tree across the house into the office where it can be displayed. This is a two person job.

On the way, leave the tree in the middle of the living room, while the final preparations for the tree are made to the office. If you are a little person, this is a great time to take the opportunity to jump over the couch, since the normal route is obviously blocked. :D

Finally, put lights and an entire family's history of ornaments on the tree, the presents you have already wrapped (or basketed in this case) underneath and enjoy!!

When it is too cold to play outside...

There are always useful and fun ways to amuse oneself indoors.

Take baking 5 dozen cookies for example. It really makes you popular with the siblings and removes the need for Emily to make supper, especially if you are generous with the dough.

You can also play your guitar for the little children while Emily is doing school. This creates a racket (so she will know you are all staying, at least for the most part, out of mischief) while containing the party to the kitchen so she can study. Very helpful. Also very popular with the siblings.

Finally, you could pull your turtle neck over your head and dance to the music played by the guitarist. This is helpful because it burns all the calories you consumed in the form of cookie dough without causing any damage while amuses your older sisters to death.

Note: This form of entertainment is not recommended for persons unaccustomed to falling repeatedly, as the turtle neck can impede vision and may potentially cause falls.

Life With Rosie...

It doesn't get much better than this!! :D Thanks Becca for all the great pictures!

Soleus

Don't let those innocent eyes fool you, this is one sharp little boy...

Dad has been studying kinesiology (the study of muscles) in massage school and we have been learning along with him. Often at the supper table he explains different muscles to us and then quizzes us on previous ones. Starting with the systems of the body back in June we have learned a great deal of human anatomy at the supper table this year. On the day Dad taught P.E. he also taught us the two muscles in our triceps surae, aka your calf. There is the double bellied gastrocnemius and the soleus. Last night, while we were digesting our stir-fry and rice, Dad asked who could remember the name of the one long muscle in the triceps surae, not the double bellied one, the other one. Before anyone could say anything John yelled out from his end of the table, "The Soleus!!" Geez, and I thought he wasn't listening....

Clearing the Driveway

This post

To: All our winter loving friends

From: The Hipps

On The Occasion: The first substantial snow fall

With: Love (to you all, not the weather)

On Saturday we had a real live blizzard, whiteout almost all day. Dad had to drive through the stuff home from Omaha, but that is another story. Sunday the driveway was drifted up, not badly but enough to keep us confined. After Bible study we suited up to clear it out.

For the first time in years I suited up to go help. They told me I looked really funny in my eclectic winter wear. I mostly went along to take pictures because I thought this would be an adventure worth blogging about. Little did I know...

This is Max. If you want to know more about him, ask Trina. No, he is not Trina's, but she wishes he was!

This was supposed to be the only picture of the tractor before it was running. Dad and Benjamin got the snow cleaned off of it and tried to start it. Nothing.

Maybe it is cold. After all, it was only about 1 degree outside. So, the faithful Nipco to the rescue.

In the meantime, we started on the driveway with shovels. After last winter's 8 foot drifts, these little 2 footers seemed hardly a challenge.

Bad news. The tractor was not just cold. After a summer of use it decided to chose Sunday to collapse from flywheel complications. It would need to be pull started if it was going to be pushing any snow.

Meanwhile, John and Rosie bundled up and came out to play. They have been waiting for snow since September. The sledding was not ideal because the drifts left some spots rather bare and others rather lumpy, with not enough room to get going in between. I came around the corner just in time to watch John drag his sled to this position, flop his overstuffed with outside clothes self on top of it and slide all of, I kid you not, 2 feet. I felt sorry for him until he jumped up as excited as if he had just skied down Everest.

Back to the driveway. There was not much room to pull start the tractor with, so Trina and I cleared out a path.

Early pull starting attempts. We tried using the Blazer first because the 656 does not like to start in the cold. There was just not enough room to get it going.

By now it was lunch time, so after getting the Nipco set where it could warm up the 70, we went in to eat and warm ourselves up.

After lunch the guys went back out and tried to get the 656 to start so it could pull start the 70. This took several hours because it decided Sunday was the perfect day to insist on being worked on too. Next time, both tractors decide they need to be worked on at once, I hope they pick a day where it gets warmer than 5 degrees.

Finally, they got it running, and after a few attempts got the 70 pull started. We all literally jumped up and down hugging each other. It had been about 6 hours coming at this point. I got this picture just seconds before what happened in the next picture.

The cable going to the blade broke and the tractor died at the same instant. It was low on gas, but I am not sure why it ran so poorly. Another setback that cost 30 minutes or so.

Timothy expressing how we all felt at this point. Next-to-frozen fingers and toes kind of aggravate one's view of the situation anyway...

But finally, after 7 hours of work, the lane was cleared. The tractor died one more time, but this time it did not take that long to pull start it and right about dusk Dad piled up the last bit of snow out of the way. Morals of the story: 1. If at first, or twentieth, you don't succeed, keep trying. 2. God does answer prayers, but not always as fast as we would like him to. 3.Never take an open driveway for granted, ever.