A long Winter's night or rather a long Christmas post!

Christmas Prep
This was my motto this year but don't know how successful I was in accomplishing it.

By the time Christmas Eve came around I had...

Finished lighting up the porch.

Hung some stockings....

Procured the sparking beverages...

& enlisted helpers in the kitchen...


Christmas EVE!

Some of our elves look like they've been up to something!

We had a group of friends here for a Christmas Eve service.

Lyssa and Courtney dressed up fancy.

We had the grandkids open their traditional pjs while people were still here.

Wyatt took care of some last minute details. Then everyone was off to bed.


Christmas Morning!

Everyone congregated in the dining room so we could enter the living room together.

Stockings are always first on the agenda.
My camera lens fogged up because it is about 45 degrees in my bedroom (where the camera was in my bag) and quite a bit warmer in the main house.

Harlan and I got a book for each of the grandkids and a stuffed animal that went along with the story.
Wyatt got "If You Give a Moose a Muffin".

Rowan opening his presents. The sock monkey was made by Aunty Joylynn. I wish Harlan's mom was able to make sock monkeys for all of our kids. Rylan, Cherise, Krystle and Courtney are the only ones that got them.

Pretty pretty princesses in their tent with their "hip-hop scotch" rug.

Alyssa is about 3 1/2 months further along in her pregnancy than Joylynn is.
We look forward to a couple more grandkids to showcase in this blog next year!

The members of the 2 year old club. We missed Simon.

Alyssa, Jess and Joylynn did get to eat their own meals after making sure their kids were taken care of. Such good mommies and daddies these kids have!

This is probably going to be the final post of this year. Aside from little sober-sides (Wyatt) this is a pretty good picture of some pretty great kids.


Enjoy the rest of 2009!
May we all be found enjoying good health and peace in the New Year!

Cup of Joy

Christmas Tea

I got a lovely Christmas teapot for my birthday.
I wish I could sit and have a cup of tea with each and every one of you!
My cup truly overflows with blessings!!

Christmas Travels

Does Henry look a little apprehensive?
He is heading off on an adventure with his parents.

Union Station on a rainy Sunday.

Kiel, Cherise and Henry ready to head into the lounge to wait until boarding.
Cherise took a very similar trip with us back in 1990.
They are taking the train from Portland to Milwaukee and then renting a car to drive six hours or so north to spend Christmas in the Winter Wonderland of my childhood.
I'm just a wee bit envious.

Birthday Celebration

I wanted to go out for dessert for my birthday so decided on Shari's pie.

Rowan was great! He busied himself with drawing, playing with a pocket mirror and finally taking pictures with his mother's digital camera. He loves to do that!

I took a few pictures with my own camera. Goofy girls.

Tyler, Krystle and her friend Amanda.

Our "little" kids aren't so little anymore.

Not the best photo of me but a great one of Har. He took me shopping!
Was a perfect day.

Time to focus on the Celebration of the Light of the World!

Sights, sounds and scents.... may they all remind us of CHRIST-mas!

Grandsons and a Bella Birthday

Henry is in the House

He is getting ready to celebrate his 1st Christmas in Michigan with his Muumuu.

Rowan is practicing being a "big brother" He loves his Baby Henry cousin!


Moms at the Mall

Today is Bella's birthday so she brought her Grandma and Mom to the Mall.
Three of my girls and I joined them.

Cherise and Alyssa have some one on one time with their boys.
I should have brought a stroller for Courtney since she was not a mom we figured she was one of the "babies".
I guess technically she is my "baby girl".

Bella and Rowan were enjoying the freedom from their strollers for a bit. They took many trips up and down the escalators and liked looking at the pretty decorations.

Did I mention it was
BELLA'S BIRTHDAY!

The princess way and the boy way to wear a tiara.

Her Great-aunt Mary made the cake. Dora and her friends on a yellow cake per Bella's request.

Grampa and Gramma spent time with WYATT!

I have been able to pick Wyatt up from school a couple of times since he started Kindergarten but Harlan has never been able to.... today we both went to get him. It is the start of his Christmas Break so we took him to McDonald's for an after school snack.

He has always liked to make faces and have me take pictures.
What a silly 5 year old.

It was great to have just Wyatt with us. Special times.

Winter welcome

Welcome to December!

I missed updating my blog last week. I wasn't taking many pictures and didn't think a whole lot interesting was going on.

We are all busy with school, shopping and other secret projects.

Three of the quilts I worked on recently.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Thanksgiving weekend got away from us and so did the first weekend in December so I was determined to get a tree this week.

Going out and cutting one at a tree farm was out of the question so the boys and I picked Courtney up from school on Thursday and started checking out local tree lots.

We found 2 trees that will work out perfectly. They both are noble firs. The big one is going to be the family tree and the small one my dining room angel tree.

Hayden was there for me in the muscle department.

and the knot un-tieing department.

Danika supervised Grampa with getting it in the stand and made sure it was perfect.

Rowan helped Aunty Courtney put some ornaments on.

He was responsible for all the icicles on the lower branches.

I really like my slimline dining room tree this year. About 2/3rds of my ornaments are still in the bin and that is fine.

I like it just the way it is!

Christmas at the Mall

Alyssa, Rowan and I hooked up with Kim and Bella at the mall for coffee.

Rowan was getting antsy to get a move on so he spent some time exploring under the table.

Isabella is going to be 3 years old next Friday. Isn't she a dolly!

Speaking of dollies... the main reason for meeting when we did was to hear Molly Z sing at Nordstoms with her middle school choir.

She is such a lovely young woman. Sweet as she is pretty.

I had Lyssa snap a picture of Kim and me too. She didn't let me know that she was going to be sporting her Santa hat. I'd have worn mine too.

Quick trip up North

Harlan & I took a whirlwind run up to Lacey to help Lys and Logan with a bit of winterizing. With the cold snap we have been having we were concerned about the possibility of frozen pipes at their house.

On the way up we stopped at a rest stop and found a little bit of snow. The roads showed no sign of the white stuff.

After checking things out and finding that the pipes and water were fine we ran over to Home Depot and picked up some insulation.

Har measured and cut small pieces to seal off the vents to the crawl space under the house.

It was a bit nippy outside there but we are glad we went and are pretty sure that things are in good shape for the rest of the winter.

I had to take a picture of their patio table. It was so pretty covered in frost.

We got back late last night. Sometimes impromptu trips are most enjoyable.

Perhaps it was the company. I like doing stuff with my "hub".