Christmas 2012

Bailey

When I was a child, our Christmases always were on Christmas Eve.  We always had a program that all the children in our parochial school participated in, followed by a gift...a grocery bag full of candy, nuts and fruit from the church.  Then we went home and opened all our gifts.  There weren't many but Christmas always seemed more magical at night.  Everything seemed so special.  Christmas tradition stayed the same with my children and we did Christmas Eves too.  When the kids started getting married, I wasn't sad when they wanted to always spend Christmas Day with the in-laws.  Christmas Eve was our special time. And this year was no exception.  

Tim & son, Cooper playing video game

They all came car load by car load and it makes me us happy to have them all here.  The only sad part of the night to me was that the weather got icey and since most had long trips home, decided not to attend church in order to leave a little sooner. Ah, next year!

Mike & daughter Emma    Note:  My twin sons came unknowingly
 dressed alike in blue sweaters! (above/below)

Tim & niece Emma (so pale that light bounces off her! lol) 

Cooper...our energy!

 The kids were all good about eating lunch and waiting for Chelsea & co. to come from another family celebration, but were getting mighty antsy!

Bailey opening first stocking stuffers

Emma opening hers with mom Lori

Then in buzzed Bryden eager to catch up!  This picture is NOT photo edited... it's  just  Bryden~!

The excitement of Bryden and Cooper...

Cooper!

They are such buddies!

and I have mine here.

Santa Cooper!

Paw-Paw Larry has to do the snowplowing this year, so he got a hat and gloves!

Sweet Miss Emma

happiness is....Chelsea & Whitney

Tim reading the Super Hero books

All the kids have figured out how fun Whitney is...and how T.A.L.L!!

~and so it continued.  Fun.

Today was quiet and we hunkered down for the beginning of Winter!
 Scoobie too in his going out coat.  He's feeling better after having been quite sick last week.

Today came the first snow of the year.
They said we were getting 3-4 inches but it was more like 6. 

Good things happen though...my blogging friend Maggie (click on this too see her blog)
sent me this "sweet" Christmas surprise all the way from Texas!!  Thank you Maggie!!!

This is Larry in his new Christmas gear, snowblowing tonight.  I'm making soup.
Happy Holidays to you all and keep warm!!

Through the eyes of a child....

Bryden turned three years old this week.  He was soooo excited for his  birthday!  Chelsea had his party at the WMCA where they had a gym class.

The staff on hand was wonderful with children and put them through their paces.

Cooper (L) came from Columbus and everything he tried...Bryden was right behind!

Chelsea with Bryden,  putting on shoes again to go PARTY!!

Whitney leading the birthday song and Bryden blowing out his candles.

Playing "Pin-the-tail-on-the-Donkey"....my kind of game!

Me...always happy with grandchildren on my lap!!!  (just out of the hospital 1 day...overdoing it?  Yes.  I was sick all night.  Worth it??? YES!!)

 Opening presents!

The weather was just perfect...it felt like fall instead of winter.  It was 64* during the day and no wind.  In the evening was our town's Christmas Parade.  We skipped it the last few years but because it was so nice out and Bryden was at an age that we knew would enjoy it, -decided to go.

He was in awe!!!

He loved all the lights, sounds and commotion!

Many floats threw candy or gum at the kids and he thought that was magnificent!

I wish I could always have the enthusiasm of this little boy's age!  I hope for him that he is able to enjoy life with all it's "firsts" as much as the many times to follow.  Happy Birthday wide-eyed little boy....and many, many more!!!!

Health Update...

Update:...click on this link, Kathy's blog.

Blessings

We were up early to put the turkey and fixins' in the oven.

This is my appetizer....right out of a magazine courtesy of Kathy Starkey. All in all, I think it turned out pretty well!

The kids all came....Chelsea, Whitney & Bryden...

Tim, Joni & Cooper....

Mike, Lori, Bailey and Emma.  The gang was all here and the weather was perfect!  One of the things on my agenda was getting the kids together for a Christmas Card picture....

Emma was not thrilled with my idea!

or my choice of headgear.

Then the boys got silly...

and sillier!

and so it went, but I did manage to get one that I liked later. They make me laugh which is the best!

 After food overload, the dads and I took the little ones for a creek walk.

Some of the many blessings I count.

 A run up and down the drive looked like a cross country race.

 The last activity was stone throwing.  Cooper landed a big one.

Even Miss Emma enjoyed that!