SNAKES

A move to NC might be a bad idea.

The story from People magazine:

A North Carolina family almost got a new pet for Christmas, and it certainly wasn't one they were expecting.

As her family was putting the final decorations on their tree, which had been stored in their garage, 6-year-old Rachel Baine noticed a piece of tinsel moving, reports NBC-17 in North Carolina. A closer peek revealed that it was a foot-long corn snake taking refuge among the ornaments.

"Daddy, there's a snake on the Christmas tree," she said to her father, Tony.

"I thought Rachel was teasing me," Tony Baine told the local news.

Mom Casey Baine posted a video on YouTube of her husband plucking the snake from the tree's branches later that night.

"Don't let it touch me," she says in the clip, screaming as her braver husband removed the writhing creature.

"He's cool," Tony said, as the snake lay still in his hand. "He's scared."

Rachel and her brother Eli eventually warmed up to the reptile as well, wanting to keep him as a pet and name him Tinsel.

But mom had the final say.

"The snake wasn't poisonous and was probably harmless but it was still uninvited and unwelcome in our home," she told Britain's Daily Mail.

Since then, the snake has been moved to a new home in the woods outside the Baines' home, according to reports.

Spoiled... continued...

One of Lucy's favorite things

in life is her "toasty".

Her "toasty" is a towel (or any article of clothing)

pulled directly from the dryer

and wrapped around her like a cocoon.

Life really can't get much better than this.



Date Night

Last Friday, Matt took me on a date

to see A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie.

He made dinner reservations at

Sanctuary before the show.

Sanctuary was very elegant

and expensive.

It was fun to try the eclectic menu

options but not something we

could afford to do more

than once a year.

I had the dayboat sea scallops,

hanger 1 chipolte vodka eggnog sauce,

shishito peppers, asian pear,

and red tobiko caviar.

Matt tried the pan seared

wild acres duck breast,

belgian waffles, and a

pomegranate reduction with a sweet onion,

galliano coffee liquor marmalade and

ancho chili pesto oil.

See what I mean?  Fancy!

For dessert, we had a sampler

consisting of yucca root coconut cake,

vanilla bean ice cream,

and bread pudding.

Each desert came with a yummy drink.

After dinner, we headed to the Guthrie.

Neither Matt nor I had been there before.

It is a very neat place!  I was glad we

got to see it at night when the new 35W bridge

is completely lit up.

If going, you must check out the Endless Bridge

and the eighth floor yellow glass where

you can see the ground beneath you.

Our seats for the show were great.

We were about 5-10 rows up from the stage!

The play was amazing.  I had never been to a play

with professional grade actors.

We also ran into Matt's coworkers/friends

Paul and Jenna!

It was such a fun time and great idea

for a date night with your significant other.

The True Meaning of Christmas

Question: "What is the true meaning of Christmas?"

Answer: The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love.

The real Christmas story is the story of God's becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Perfect

for a chilly winter morning.

Coffee, Bailey's Irish Cream, whipped cream, and cinnamon stick.

Yummy.

North Pole

After I had dated Matt for a few years

his mom asked me to pick out

a Christmas village series from

Department 56.

All of them are so cute

but the one that caught my eye

was the North Pole series.

It was the one I could imagine

any future children of ours

getting into as well.

Since then, I've received

new additions to my village

each year from Matt's parents.

I am so glad she started

me on them so early.

Here is my 2011 village

displayed on our dining room buffett

(also given to us by Matt's parents).

The pictures really don't

do it any justice.  You can't see

all the little details, moving parts,

and what it looks like lit up.

Watch factory and Karaoke club

Peppermint Pete's

Hot Chocolate tower

Frostbite Tree House Daycare

Cabin and lake (not part of series)

Mayer Crime Report

Man arrested in armed robery at Mayer gas station

December 6, 2011 by Ivan Raconteur  

MAYER, MN – Carver County Sheriff’s Office responded to a robbery at the Mayer Oil Company gas station at 308 Ash Avenue North in Mayer at 8:46 p.m. Saturday, according to Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson.

A masked person entered the business and displayed an object appearing to be a firearm, according to sheriff’s office reports. After taking money from the clerk, the suspect asked for access to the safe. When the employee was not able to provide access to the safe, a violent struggle ensued. The employee sustained injuries that required medical treatment but are not believed to be life threatening. The name of the employee is being withheld pending the outcome of the investigation.

As a result of the incident, Demetrius Charles Edward Derden, 27, (of Blaine) was arrested for aggravated robbery. He is being held in the Carver County Jail pending formal charges by the Carver County Attorney’s office. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone who has information regarding this crime is asked to call the Carver County Sheriff’s Office.

Agencies responding to the scene included deputies from the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, the Mayer Fire Department, and Ridgeview Ambulance.

UPDATE – Tuesday, Dec. 6:
Carver County Attorney Mark Metz announced today that his office has charged Derden with aggravated robbery in the first degree and assault in the second degree – dangerous weapon, both of which are felonies.

Bail was set at $100,000 cash or $1,000,000 bond.
Derden’s next court appearance is set for Friday, Dec. 9 at 8:30 a.m.