Hello everyone. We're glad to be home!

First for the bad news: I have a head cold. I'm stuffy, runny and fevery all at the same time. What joy. (This was the gift I got from my 14 month old nephew, Brennan.)

Other then that the trip was pretty enjoyable. (Although I think if we stay that long again with that many people in the tiny house, we may get a hotel room.)

Friday night we got up and went out to eat at the Honey Bear. They have the best fish fry I have every had, and I have had a lot since Friday night fish fries is the thing to do in Wisconsin. No trip is complete to Eagle River unless you go to the Honey Bear. Even the 3 hour or more waits in the summer is worth it, and I really am not patient when it comes to waiting to eat!

When we got back, we unloaded the van and then went outside (in the snot freezing instantly to your face) weather, to get some beautiful pictures of the bridge, water, and lights.

Saturday saw us running to Pamida (Wal-Mart, Shopko, Target like store) to get a couple last minute gifts. Then we went to the grocery store we're my father was playing Santa.

When we got back to the house, everyone else had arrived. We chatted, ate and opened about half of the presents. Sunday saw us chatting, eating, and opening up the rest of the gifts.

Then Monday while my father was in surgery for 4 hours to get 3 of his 4 shoulder muscles reattached, Spyros and I went up to Bond Falls in Michigan to get even more beautiful pictures of the water falls and surrounding land. We had a picnic lunch in our van and then headed back to Eagle River.

When we got back my Dad was out of surgery and everything had gone well. He was nicely drugged up too! We rented a couple movies (Old School and the Italian Job), ate more and drifted off to sleep.

Tuesday we ate some more and then left around Noon to head back to Madison. We got back about 4pm and promptly had to spend time with our cats. Spyros went to bed around 5pm because he had to work last night. I did laundry, picked up the house and watched some TV.

All in all an enjoyable time. And we got some wonderful presents too!

Now for some of the things we received. If you don't feel like reading my materialistic rambles here, please scroll down....

Spyros got some Thinsulate gloves, a gift card to Gander Mountain (Hunt, Fish, Kill; I swear they say Kill and not Camp), Pasta Pots with the latching lid (I'm excited about these since my old pot is well, getting old and I really like the lids), Soap on a Rope (one can never have too many of these, especially since he usually drops the soap in the shower), a Mystical Fridge Poetry set, Cordless Drill and Drill Bit Set, and a couple other things.

I got a Water Fountain that plays 6 different sounds and the water looks like it's streaming down a wall, Stones that you heat up and put on your back, (or any other place that needs attention), Homemade Bath Salts, Candle Snuffer, Picture Frames (that will match our bedroom once it's done the way I want), Fragrant Lightbulb Ring

When we went to Pamida I found some Fall/Pumpkin things that I liked, so my Darling Husband picked up 8 beautiful cloth napkins and 3 pumpkin kitchen towels. They were on sale at wonderful prices.

DH will be off soon to finish his shopping for me. I told him he was nuts and should wait until after Christmas, but he wants to have our first Christmas (after 5 years of marriage) all by ourselves tomorrow. Since normally we're at some family members house.

So while he's shopping I'll be home lying on the couch trying to get rid of this cold....

Frugal/Simple Thought of the Day: When we ask for gifts we try to ask for things that we need, but will still enjoy. This helps to cut down on clutter. If I were ever to receive a pack of toilet paper, I would be more happy then getting a gift I would be donating to Goodwill within a year!