Recent Highlights....

We have so much catching up to do! First, I thought I would combine a couple of posts and then it started looking like it needed to be a week in review and then two weeks and now highlights of the month seems more appropriate.

Let's go back just over a couple of weeks and pick up there. W found his John Deere overalls that Granny made him nearly two years ago and he put them on with his John Deere boots and added the John Deere pen in his front pocket to complete his ensemble. He played outside with MK and smiled at the thought of how good he looked.

A joined us outside with her guitar on her back and waited for Papaw to pick her up to spend some time together. There was her pinewood derby race car that needed finishing touches and guitars to play. MK was just happy. It was a great day for everyone.

Back to the timeline recap... there was the Pinewood Derby race. A's car turned out to be such a family affair. First there was the design, Papaw cut it out and sanded it, D put on the wheels and took A shopping for the paint colors, she painted it, I drew on some lines for her to fill in and the number she picked out. It needed a little more weight after the first weigh-in so Papaw drilled holes for some weights and they took it to the post office to make sure it weighed enough without going over. It was ready to race! Her car made it to the third round and it was a lot of fun watching the races. She said it was special getting it ready and spending the time with family.

Then we sailed into the week to get ready for Valentine's Day. MK and W had valentines to put together for AWANAs and there were class parties. W had soccer practice following a class party and could not wait to get home and go through his valentines.

Even though A's class no longer exchanges valentines, they made it up to them with a formal Valentine's banquet. She was beside herself with excitement and even said "Just think of how much fun we will have finding my dress!". I was just imagining it right then. I braced myself for the shopping experience but it went well. Luckily, the dresses we found for her size were modest and age appropriate.

W stayed with Papaw that evening and we drove A to the banquet. After taking some pictures, we headed to Luby's with MK. She was so thrilled... they have blue Jell-O. After a trip through Target, it was time to go pick up A. She was just elated and announced this was the best time she has had since camp last summer. Really? I am recalling other special moments since then but she is right it will be something she will always remember. I just hope she has fond memories of our time together finding her fancy dress.

Christmas 2008 ~ Part Three

I finally have been able to put together my last installment for Christmas 2008. We went to the cabin and stayed for few days to celebrate the holiday with family.

Here is W with his Star Trek PEZ collection. He was pretty excited here. He doesn't just throw those smiles around. They truly have to be earned.

MK loved her bathrobe and it had her name monogrammed on it.

A received a pink guitar from Grandfather and she absolutely loved it.

Grandfather had no problem playing the pink guitar.

Here is someone else not afraid to play the pink guitar.

A loves the guitar and has wanted one for a long time. She is still practicing every day.

In the next picture, I did not exactly have a captive audience. Only one child was looking my direction but I thought the moment was sweet with him and W standing together.

After my sister distributed jelly beans they all thought she was fabulous... and they wanted to let her know how much they appreciated her.

Here is my happy little family.

The next picture was taken just before dark but there were ten young cousins scattering outside for a walk by the water.

There was a gingerbread house to build and there was definitely tasting while decorating.

Later, I happened to find MK just watching over the gingerbread house... all by herself.

Granny supervised two granddaughters making pumpkin bread.

W and Aunt R singing into colored pencils is a moment that is just a treasure.

We decided to take family pictures so we obviously collected ourselves for a great pose.

Here we are inside under the stockings my mom has made for each one of us.

There were pictures outside of my sisters and I with my Mom and Dad.

And lastly, a picture taken of my sisters and I.

That is a wrap-up of Christmas 2008 and it was all good.

Christmas 2008 ~ Part Two

At this rate, it will be February 1st before I list all the New Year's resolutions I will not be able to keep. I am all about keeping it in order so I have to go back to Christmas Day!

Here is A with some of her favorites.

MK was so excited Santa brought the things she asked for.

W loved the bicycle he hoped for and why wouldn't he?... it suits him. He will not have the training wheels on this bicycle long.
I have made chocolate-chip pancakes in the past for breakfast but it was a unanimous decision that we have the leftover lemon cake from Christmas Eve. We all had simplicity in mind .... or was it playing with presents. They played with their gifts until lunch and then we went outside for more bike riding.

I noticed the last remaining pecans on the tree. At that point, we had 82.5 POUNDS already but after working so hard to keep the crows and squirrels away I thought we should collect them all and share them with human beings who might enjoy them and not hord them away in a tree or rudely eat them and discard shells all over the driveway and yard. D was willing to reach to the highest branches with a pole and shower the rest of the pecans so we could collect them. There was another five pounds and that should do it.

After we went inside, we all had a much needed Christmas afternoon nap.

Since every store and restaurant were closed for the only day of the year, we decided we needed to go out. Even with groceries at home, the hunt for an open restaurant was pretty exciting. We discovered IHOP was open Christmas Day, along with the other 200 people there. We waited and it went surprisingly quick. We enjoyed a great dinner, which was a bit of a surprise since we marked them off our list several years ago.

After having such a remarkable dinner, and since we were all so rested, we headed off to find the best Christmas lights displays and we had a great time.

To sum it all up, Santa did not disappoint anyone, the pecan harvest of 2008 is over, we rediscovered a pancake place and we were together. We played, laughed and just enjoyed being together for a special Christmas.

Today, Granny and Grandfather (my mom and dad) met us part of the way for lunch and we picked our A up. We are glad she is home and we are all together again! We missed her smiling face.

To Be Continued...

Christmas 2008 ~ Part One

We came back from our holiday at the cabin on Monday and I have been out of sorts ever since. Maybe it is the whole getting ready for the holidays and it being over so fast and onto the 2009 thing or more likely because our A did not come home with us.

She went to spend a grand ole time with family. The three-day church camp thing was her first time away last summer and they asked her to stay a whole week. I miss her terribly but I know she is having a great visit.

Here she is leaving...

I have so much to post and many pics to share I am going to have to have a three-part Christmas walk down memory lane.

I had to include the trip to see Santa picture. Even waiting in line, there were smiles and laughter .... at least that first hour.

We did bring home the "official" over-priced shot the elves took with their camera but I liked this one with ours better.

We spent Christmas Eve with family. We ate, there were presents and it was fun. Christmas Eve excitement is unmatched any other time of the year.

We kept them in present-suspense a little longer for some more photos.

A and cousin E very carefully made a stuffed bear. It obviously took a team effort.

Cousin A is a college student and all but this was extremely cute catching her not skimping one bit from educational opportunities while on Christmas break from school.

W asked Santa for a new bike and getting his safety gear completely gave him hope he would have one Christmas morning. He was so attached to his safety gear he wanted to wear his helmet to bed. When he realized he couldn't lay his head down comfortably he gave in and let us take it off.

Here is a family picture on Christmas Eve 2008. They will totally love the photographic evidence of the moment ... maybe even enough to forgive me for posting it on the blog.

Not to leave MK out of a little feature ... here she is with chocolate on her face. We love her enough to clean her face but it was Christmas Eve and with all the excitement we missed it!

To Be Continued....

Last Week In Review!

I have wanted to post about some of our activities lately but they have kept us too busy and then I came down with a cold or something. I ended up taking sudafed to help me breathe and sleep the last two nights and that leaves me with medicine-head. The upside, I am completely rested even if it was medication induced. So today my head is still clearing and I am behind on all the posts I thought of writing and pictures that needed posting.

About last week, before the plague, we had a lot going on besides the usual. There was a library trip for more references for A's research paper, pajama shopping for Pajama Night for two, some Christmas shopping, hemming Star Wars pajamas that were too long, Christmas parties for two classes, cookie donations for the homeless and the grand finale was taking the children to see The Nutcracker Ballet and Symphony.

I was going to video them telling us their absolutely favorite parts of the Nutcracker but I have not completed training in getting the video from camera to computer (with VOICES heard) and then to the blog. Not to worry, I am not giving up... my tech person said he would work it into his schedule soon.

I still plan to have a Thanksgiving post complete with pictures of that festive holiday so there is something to look forward to!

Fall Leaves.... and memories

The week before Thanksgiving, the tree pictured above was calling to me for a couple of days. I tried to push aside my weakness for the beautiful leaves .... especially since it was not in our yard and belonged to someone else. Since the house is for sale and no one lives there now the timing really was perfect.

For more history, it was a house that I lived in when I was five years old and in the first grade. Just another tidbit, it is in the town where we live now and I see it all the time but it is the first time I have ventured close to it since I lived there last. Okay, back to the leaves!

There was a lot of jumping and reaching. Sweet MK tried even though it was too high! Her big sister brought her plenty to make up for it though.

I had to get a picture of them on the porch. I do have a picture of my sister and I on that very porch when I was W's age.

There happens to be a great magnolia tree there too! Later that day when we were at home, A tied her leaf stems together in a bunch and put them in water and gave it to me. She shares my love for this time of year.

W fascinated with the "baby" leaf, dubbed by A.

After I held a branch down low enough for her to reach, MK picked one for herself.

Here they are posing by a brick fence that I posed by when I was little. I do have pictures of me and those bricks back then but you will just have to imagine for now.

I remember playing in that yard well, catching lightening bugs in a jar and making sure there were holes in the top so they could breathe and watching them until I fell asleep, lying in bed thinking of a name for my soon-to-arrive baby sister with my Daddy, going to the post office to pick up mail, eating peanut butter with graham crackers, playing on the school playground, counting to 100 and reading, going to church, celebrating Christmas and Easter and experiencing the different seasons.

It was a beautiful place and I am grateful I went back... even if I may have been trespassing.

Just in case any other former resident is interested, did I mention the house is FOR SALE?