The New Year

I've been extremely busy...the  good kind...with family here.  Christmas was the best we've had in decades, because we have not had little ones here to celebrate since ours grew up and left to spread themselves all over the country.

I have lots and lots of holiday pictures with which to make super layouts for this blog. I am just getting back to normal though. The only layout I have now is the one you see above. Christmas layouts will have to wait, because this one is timely.

Beth and Julia were here with their family for Christmas, so hopefully, you will see more of her soon.

But now, I want to wish you a Happy New Year's Eve and a very Happy New Year... Let's continue  to make America great again this year.  God Bless America.

Ornament Exchange

Phyllis invited me to her ladies' group Christmas Dinner at Hartville Kitchen on December 8. I wasn't thinking straight and thought we just took an ornament and hung it on a tree, which they would give to a charity. I ran to the nearest store and bought one of the first things I saw, which was a glittery gold angel...a cheap one. It turned out it was an ornament exchange.  I was the only one to show up with an unwrapped gift ornament.  I was a little embarrassed about that, but Phyllis tried to make me feel better. I played the game along with the rest of the girls and someone ended up having to take my glittery angel home with her. (It would have looked fine on my tree, which is an angel tree with predominantly gold ornaments.)  And  I got the wreath made of 'jingle' bells pictured on this layout.

If Phyllis sees fit to take me along next year, and I hope she does; I will take a nice bauble in a pretty 

package. I promise.

Oh, by the way, the cake was wonderful.

Happy Kids

Three happy kids.  I do not know exactly what was going on here, but I do know they are happy that Santa will be coming soon.   And so am I.

Fun in the Christmas Season

This has been Pat's favorite shirt. I don't know if he'll ever find one that they like better. However, I'd like to try. As you can see, I've censored this one. LOL  Anyone have a suggestion?

I've been totally enjoying making layouts through fall with the gorgeous colors and now the Christmas layouts are keeping me entertained. 

I'm so thankful we have such a large and interesting family most of whom like to take pictures!

It gives me something to do in my old age! 

I feel overwhelmed when I think of housework.  So this pretty much helps me ignore the mess, not entirely though. It is a good thing I know flylady, well not personally, but I know her plans and it really helps me day to day.

So now, I'm not only thanking God for my family, I'm thanking Him for Flylady as well.

If you don't know about Flylady, google her. 

Old Friends

It's good to meet up with old friends. It is sad that it has to be at a funeral. At our age, though,  funerals are frequent. This week marked the passing of two friends.  We are happy to know that both will be in heaven with our Lord forever. Surely our paths will cross up there.

This layout is of Ron and an old friend whom he hadn't seen in decades. It was Don's brother in law who had passed. Don and his wife, Cheryl, had come in from Texas, where they had moved in the 80's. I wish I had gotten my picture with her, but we were really interested in seeing Ron and Don together because many people had thought that they looked a lot a like in those days.

I think it is not so much these days, but it was interesting to see both have that snow white hair and a beard.

Movers

It's a busy schedule now with Christmas approaching quickly. Thankful to have Mark with us. He arrived  in Cleveland about 4:30 PM. Ron picked him up there, then drove by Angie's and brought home a pizza. Mark has had a very long trip, since the snow interfered along the way, but thank the 

Lord, he is here now.

Kim and April drove in today,  so we are very blessed to have 1/2 of our kids home.  

Praying for all those who are traveling over the holidays and for those who have sad memories that

affect them even worse this time of year.

The Winner

This evening, Ron came in to show me his latest score at internet solitaire. We have had a rivalry going for some time. He is generally no where close to the scores I make. But this time, he had a big score, at least compared to what he usually does. So we snapped a shot of his screen to prove he had a score of 9122. At that time, I thought he had beaten my all time high...But, then I checked back and on August 16 of this year, I had scored a 9783. I don't have it in me to tell him...but it is still a big accomplishment!  That is, until we compare our scores with some of the high ones listed. The only thing I can figure is that those are made by computers instead of people...well that is my excuse anyway.

Photos on Gingerbread Houses

On the fourth of December, Chelle was shooting photos for their church Christmas party where many were making really cool gingerbread houses.  Ashley was helping her. But here, she was striking a pose. It's pretty cute, I'd say. Of course, I'm the Gramma, so would you expect anything less from me? 

While they were taking pictures, someone mistook Chelle's gingerbread house for their own and took it. Chelle was disappointed. She really enjoys any artistic endeavor.

Well today, she made another one at home.

Tonight we had our life group dinner and meeting here. We also were in the middle of a snowstorm. There isn't a lot of snow, about 3 inches, but it all started during  the rush hours and, since it was the first snow of the season, many were acting as if they didn't know how to drive on a snowy  road.

I know it is like that any time it snows in the south; but really, if a person doesn't learn the tricks to driving in it in OH, they might as well immediately migrate south, for they are a danger to everyone, especially themselves. Anyway, the result is, it took some three times as long to get here and some normally drive 30 minutes to make it at that time of day.  It was about an equally long trip home afterwards.  So we had a late dinner and cut short our conversation. Hoping things are much better next week. We could use warmer as well. The temperature was in the low teens and we were told it felt like 4.   OK,  I'm ready for spring...Just kidding I love winter, just don't want to be out it in much.

Birthday Picture with Santa

It was a busy birthday for Oliver and his family. It was a fun filled day. On top of all the normal activities of birthdays, like opening presents and having birthday candles, the family added some Christmas. 

Not everyone gets to have his picture on Santa's lap on his birthday. Oliver did! 

This one layout shows a few shots from an evening of checking out the lights and visiting with Santa.

It was fun to see Oliver have such a nice birthday yesterday.  I'll post more birthday pictures later.  

ORU Celebrate the Season

The Christmas season has gotten off to a good start. ORU had dinner together Friday night at Brio,  then drove to Paulette's for a fantastic dessert of cheesecake with toppings and popcorn coated in white chocolate. I can't think how it could have been better. All the ORU members North were in attendance.  After everyone was treated to home baked pumpkin bread by Jane and cute little flower shaped coin purses from Phyllis, we talked and talked and talked and talked some more. We have   been friends for many years and some of us are showing our age, well at least  I am.  But I was not the first to yawn. That first yawn was contagious, however.  We haven't stayed up all night talking for several years now...at least I haven't.

It was a great night. Whoppee! Merry Christmas to you all. 

Hoping all of you have good friends in your life. If you don't, get busy and make some. It isn't too hard, if you can find people with whom you would like to be friends. 

To make a friend, you should be a friend. It works. Give it a try. 

If that confuses you. I'm sorry. If you want to ask questions, go ahead. I will ask the  rest of the girls for the answers... because in this group, someone always knows the answer. All joined together, we become an expert in anything. At least we like to think we are.

Water Colors

Beth is a very good mother. This day, the younger two who are not yet in school are painting with water colors. They have the supplies they need: paints, brushes, art paper, and a good place to work.

I like the pictures taken from overhead. They lend themselves to an artistic layout.

I got off track today and ended up cleaning a closet, or at least a portion of it, instead of decorating more for Christmas. Hoping that tomorrow, I can get more done along those lines.

Please continue to pray for the fire fighters in California.

Advent Calendar

I really wanted to do an Advent Calendar this year, but I am too slow, and have much too much going on to actually get things done on time.  I do have the one for December 1 to post tonight.

Notice the Thanksgiving wreath on the mantel. Perhaps tomorrow, I will do more decorating, but in
the meantime, I'm enjoying the blend of the two holidays.

Havanese Tom Boy

This little Havanese has us trained well. While we have taught her a whole new vocabulary, she has taught us to watch her. We know if she gets our attention and then runs to the door, she needs to go outside... right away. No messing around! If she just wants to go out, she will say two syllables that sound something like wan now.  On occasion, she knows she is not allowed outside, so she does the same thing, but runs to the courtyard instead. Yes, that is outside as well, but it is a confined area where she can go even if we don't have time to watch her. She prefers to be free, but if she has to go badly enough, she will accept that option.

As you probably have heard before, even though I call her my princess movie star dog, she is her Dad's Tom boy.

Above is a picture of her wearing her winter coat. She has been growing it since about August, so she shouldn't get cold this winter, no matter how much snow she helps her dad plow.

The Abominable Snowman at Kohl's

Unlike me, her mother, Chelle has been big fan of Black Friday for many years. She is very good at it as well. This year, she took Ashley along...whether it was for training or just for fun, I don't know.

We have this picture to remember the occasion. Ashley found the Abominable Snowman at Kohls, inside no less and he hadn't yet melted. However, his pose looks as if he were just about the dissolve into  liquid at any minute.  I don't even know how much it would cost to rescue him from the heat.

OtterBox Store

When Annette and Chris were visiting John and family at Thanksgiving, they experienced the new OtterBox store. I'm not sure what this jeep has to do with OtterBox unless it was used to sell their fantastic cooler.

We'll be sure to check out that new store next time we are in Ft Collins.

I'd like to take this chance to thank God for delivering our friend Laura out of a war torn Honduras  today. Thank you, Lord. Now we pray for her friends, church sisters and brothers she had to leave behind.  Please Lord, keep them fed and safe.

Story Time with Santa

This is not just any Santa. This Santa reads stories to the little ones as they sit around him in this special place, called Clothes, Pony and Dandelion. Where did it get its name? Did Santa name it? I really don't know, but I am impressed. Children really enjoy going there, especially if they have a little money in their pockets, so to speak.

Julia, Caleb and Oliver sit riveted to Santa's story exactly one month before Christmas Day, when they will find presents he has left under their tree.

Time is going so fast for me. There is so much to do. While the kids are adding to their advent calendars in anticipation, this grandmother is caught up in days and weeks that are flying by like leaves in a windstorm.  It will be over much too soon for me.

Super Moon

It is a beautiful night here at the lakes. It is 41 degrees, but no wind.  I went out in a sweater to get this picture of the super moon. Because  I was a little cool, I didn't take time to set my phone for a good photo. Instead, I just grabbed a shot. It flashed, which really didn't help at all. The picture is grainy and not at all good quality, but for some reason I like it...enough to make a layout. So here it is online and who knows how really long it will stay there in 'the cloud' for everyone to see what the old fashioned phones of 2017 did. At least in years to come, I hope they know this is the moon. Oh, I forget, I've told them it is the moon. And if they can decipher English by then, they will know.