Some Say It's New Yrs Eve...To Me, It's Happy Birthday!

To my firstborn baby boy!

He's cute.  He's kind.  He's loyal. He's 35!!

He's a husband.  He's a dad.

He's my SON.  And I'm over the moon with joy because of that!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHAD!!

And shhhhhhhhhh.....his new bebe girl just "might" be born on his birthday!!!  She's ready to make her debut.  Wouldn't it be cute for daddy and daughter to have birthday dates together??!!!

MAGIC...

We began our celebration with a wonderful gathering of my family around the dinner table a few nights before Christmas.

We had whole tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, seafood dressing, roasted brussel sprouts and asparagas followed by delicious chocolate pie and caramel cheesecake squares!

Lilli said the prayer for us (pic is fuzzy because you're not supposed to take a pic with my big ol' honkin' camera during prayer but I just had to get this!)

And when everyone closed their eyes, just look at KatieJane on the left! She is only a yr and a half..but she was closing her eyes to pray!!!!  May be my most fave pic yet!!!!

family gathered round the dinner table....best xmas gift ever!

Next up was time for ...yep, you guessed it....presents for the kids!!

See how innocently they stand by tree..patiently waiting...

Lilli telling me how to do my job!!

Dad anxious to play with Case's toys!

It was a lovely evening but oh....how we missed the rest of our group. Austin's mom is about to pop with his little sister so they couldn't make the trip to us.  So, I just went to them!

Austin opening all his gifts from his cousins!

I make all the kids yearly calendars with everyone's special days on it.  Austin loves to look at it and this was his and his dad's time to see the new one!

As a special treat for the new mom, Austin's dad gave us the night off!  We went to see Into the Woods...

and spent the night at a swanky hotel!  She got to relax and enjoy a wee bit of room service and sleep until 8:15 the next morning!

  May be a looooooong time before we get to do that again....Good Times! 

OUR CHRISTMAS WAS MAGICAL!!

On this Christmas Eve......2014

I sit here with such love in my heart.
2/3 of my family was here 2 nights ago for our Christmas exchange and a lovely dinner.
  (tonight they are with their other families)
The other 1/3 of my family I will see tomorrow when I drive to their home 3 hrs away.  I have cooked a meal to take to them and have everything packed and ready to go.  Our Josey is due any time now.

So.....as I sit here in reflection, I thank our sweet Lord for everything in my life.  I am more in love with my sons as each yr goes by.  I could not be more proud or happy for the men they have grown into.  Each independent. Each a loving husband.  Each a father who is guiding and teaching their children just as we hoped they would.  They are living proof that the circle of life, does indeed, go on!  3 precious daughter in laws that make me so happy because of the love I see in their eyes for my boys.  4...and soon to be 5 of the most adorable and loving grandchildren I could have ever hoped for.
And as I think of all of our family, I am reminded that they are a part of my life.....

         ALL BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE!!

Yep.....I had no idea when I fell in love with my husband, that we would make such a wonderful family. And they would enrich our lives so completely.  But they do. I feel so blessed and feeling it deep in my soul on this night before Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND MAY YOU FEEL THE LOVE OF FAMILY AND       FRIENDS IN YOUR HEARTS!!

Ducks for Santa?!

The little, er.....I mean big boys are having a whole lotta fun this duck season!  You'd think they were still just tykes when you see how happy days like this make them.  We've got plenty in the freezer....maybe Santa Clause would like to have some for his late night treat!!

What NOT to do in the days before Santa's visit!

When you have alot of cooking and wrapping and hugging grandbabies during the holiday season, it is not a good idea to use big butcher knives on things other than food!!  Heheheh!

Thankfully, it happened last week and is healing nicely.  Our family celebration will go on as planned tomorrow night!!!!!  Cannot wait!!

OUCH!!!

Preparing....

While everyone is anticipating Christmas, we are also getting ready to welcome baby Josey into our family, our 5th grandchild!!!!  In 5 yrs!  Our kids are quick like a fox!!!
And because its a 3 1/2 hr drive to them, I've kinda been getting some stuff together in case we get a call in the middle of the night.  (YaYa's must always be prepared)  And I thought of something...
The night before my second son was born, I was a basket case...not fear, not anticipation..but worry.  Worry that there was NO WAY I could love another baby as much as I loved my first one. So during that long night, I composed a letter to my first born expressing those feelings to him and reassuring him that I would always love him even when there was a new baby.  I remember the exact chair I was sitting in and the actual writing but do not remember exact words.  Sealed it and put it into his baby book.  That was 33 yrs ago.

Fast forward to today as we await my first born son's  2nd child.  I have a feeling they might be experiencing the same thoughts and feelings I was all those many nights ago too.  So look what I'm taking for them to open and read as they ready themselves to welcome another bundle into their family!

7-19-1981

2nd son was born on 7-20-1981

still sealed after all these yrs!

I'm probably more excited to read it than they will be...but it should be entertaining! 

Babes in "Pre-School" Land

Ms. Sweetcheeks had her pre-school Christmas event yesterday and, of course, she shone in all her glory!  It actually was only the classes standing at the front of the church singing their songs in all of their cuteness!  With all the moms and dads looking on with pride...(not to mention a few grandmas!!)

Makes me a little ~verclempt~ because it was a mere 30 yrs ago that ms Lilli's daddy stood on this exact same church altar, singing these exact same songs at the same pre-school center.  Where did THAT time go??

But the real fun came when it was over and it was cupcake time in their classrooms....with lil sis, KatieJane, digging in right beside her!

Christmas is a comin' ..... And the lights are on the tree!!!!

Sigh......Christmas at Home!

I do love HOME but especially during the holiday season....just always reminded of yrs gone by when my little boys were such a huge part of everyday being a happy holiday.

One thing that really means holidays to them is this.....!

Lots and lots of chocolate covered peanut butter balls!!!  I made enough this yr for them all to have a stash!

And last night my two granddaughters were here.  KatieJane was infatuated with my old plastic Santa that stands in their bathroom.  You know the one.....back from the 60's (mine's date is 1968) that plugs in with the oldest wires ever and the paint has started to wear off??

Failed at getting her face full on but she was so precious

Yep!!!  I do love my home at Christmas time!!

Sugar and Santa Spice??!

We've definitely got the spice part down pat.....see that lil look in ms Lilli's eyes when she was telling Santa HER WHOLE LIST!!....which is verah verah long!

and the look on KatieJane's face??  Lotsa spice!!  all the rest were looking at photographer but she was looking at me with pleading in her eyes for me to get her away from HIM!!

But then the sugar just oozes out of Lilli as she poses like a porcelain Christmas doll!!

and with all the sweetness in her being, katiejane said NO SANTA....BYE BYE!!!

So much fun doing our annual Santa visit followed by our annual lunch at Picadilly where the blue jello flows like a stream around Santa's house!!

We've got some very excited chillins around here filled with sugarplums in their heads!

Turkey Week Antics.....funny family fun!

We began our Thanksgiving holiday with a family photo shoot.  My daughter in laws arranged for a one hour no- gripe- about- it session, wearing what I wanted them to wear....for my Christmas present!
(I take alot of pics and my family sometimes get very tired of it..heheheh. I say too bad. One day they'll be happy to have the pictures!!)  So, we gathered everyone around on a beautiful fall afternoon for stuff like this...

Our precious grandchildren!

All of my precious boys!!

Oh......and photographing toddlers??? A HOOT!!!

An assistant is a MUST!

notice the boy pulling little girl's ear...that was about in 10 shots!

one tongue stuck out, one picture perfect, one yawning and one really wanting to get away!!!!!

On Thursday we had fried turkey and roasted turkey and all the trimmings.

tandem turkey carving!

At the table I read to them the Thankful Book that I made for this day.  A list of all the  things that our family has worked for and been afforded in the past 10 yrs.  Our list is long!  And our family has GROWN!!

Also made a page for each granchild's baby book....to be looked at when they're older.  Daughter in laws have promised to add to it every 5 years!

Next, it was time for the chocolate turkeys!  Hailey always made these for us, so this yr she turned it into an activity for the kids.  THEY LOVED IT!!

notice the lil one on the end....one hand in the candy bag at all times!

BUSTED!!!! 

and this one listening so intently to directions....

just look at that furrowed brow!!!!

this one? ate every piece of chocolate that flew across that table.  So fun!

And whaddaya do when the turkey has settled and after the tryptophan has been taken care of??

CHRISTMAS TREE TIME!!

Cap'n and the hunters found a perfect tree for the deer camp!  We don't do much decorating there but it is nice to see a tree when we go up before Christmas....

Going up...

um....kinda big and has to be hung from ceiling!!

lil katiejane hanging ornaments.....that tree had to look HUGE to her!!

Ahhhhh....another great Thanksgiving had by all!!

And soon after Christmas, we will be hugging lil Josey on the outside instead of the inside!