Christmas Tree Hunting

This was an unproductive weekend for the most part. Friday night I went to a Candy Cane Tablerunner class. Everyone in the class, including me, thought it was simple enough to get two made in 3 hours. I made mine candy cane themed while everyone else made theirs fun and bright colored. I got the farthest with two tops done and sandwiched. I just have to sew around, flip and quilt a bit. The one got one made and the other one got both tops done. I went shopping with mom after class and didn't get home until 11.
Sat. morning Paul and I went shopping and then met him mom for lunch. We packed our bags and were on the road to my parents mid afternoon. We had to be there by 3:30 so there would be enough light to cut a Christmas tree.
My brother and dad were at my cousin Tommy's place and his wife Alice needed help branding the colts since he is still laid up from the gun accident. They have registered Appaloosa and quarter horses and they have to be branded to be registered I think she said. She puts the stud colts completely out to do it, but these fillies she had to do without putting them completely out, so she needed a young person to help. My dad and Tom, Tommy's dad are around 60, so they aren't limber enough to help. My brother held the colts while she branded them. Mind you she had only touched most of them once with halter breaking work, so the last few were pretty wild. It was so interesting to watch her work. She studies horse whispering and works with her horses a lot. She's also a vet, so knows how to take care of any ailments too. She was really good about answering questions I had. I learned so much from her. By the time we got 8 done, it was dark. We went home and had supper with my mom and then visited most of the evening.
Sun. morning we got up at 6:30 and went up to the Cheyenne River breaks to cut a cedar Christmas tree. We got three cut and were back home in an hour. Jim and my dad had to go to NE to pick up his wife who had been helping her parents move in CO. Jim, my parents, and Paul and I each got a tree. They smell so good! We went to church and then spent some time on making address labels for my mom's Christmas letter and magnets to include in the Christmas letters. Then we set up my mom's village. She has close to 20 that go around the room. Paul worked on setting up my dad's train set while we were decorating. We brought their tree in and set it up too. My mom had to go to a rosary service in town and pick up my dad, so we left at the same time and were home by 8. We had been planning to get his mom the watch she wanted for Christmas, but her boyfriend bought her a nice one, so now we have to go shopping for her this weekend. We have a couple really good ideas, but I thought she was going to be the easy one! We decided to stay home this weekend, have Christmas Eve at our house for Paul's family and then go to Milesville for Christmas Day with my family. I have added four projects that have to be done to my list, so I'm going to be busy this week getting them done. Tonight i sew!