Christmas 2010

Christmas season has come and gone once again. As always, it was all a fun and memorable season. We have had JC home for a few days and that is sooooooo much fun for his dad and me.


I love everything about the season. I love the hustle and bustle of the shopping, I love watching the crowds, eating out (tradition - Chinese food on Christmas shopping day!), I love buying my family gifts and wrapping. And then giving those pretty papered gifts. I enjoy it all so much.

Our Christmas season starts the day after Thanksgiving when we put up our real tree in the living room. We get up fairly early on Friday morning, go to San Angelo, buy our tree and come home and put it up. We have always done this and it is so much fun, we all look forward to it. Kalyn and BJ and Shepherd were home for Thanksgiving this year so Kalyn wanted to put the tree up. She had not gotten to help us with our tree in four years and she wanted to help this year.



JC and BJ helped.



Abby loves a fresh tree.


Dad gets to be in charge of clean-up.




Of course, my favorite part was taking time outs to take my turn holding Shepherd.


By the end of the day the tree was done.


And the stockings were hung.


A few days later, the dining room tree was decorated.


And every other room in the house had a small tree.


Christmas Eve brought in family. Bill and Paulette.



And Edwin came on Christmas Day.



So Christmas 2010 has come and gone. It was wonderful.


And now, from my family to yours - we wish you a Happy 2011!

Thanksgiving 2010

I am a little late getting this post done. Been resting and cleaning from Thanksgiving week.


Boy, what a week it was. One of the best ever in my life. Everyday of our lives we know how blessed we are, but I tend to "think" on it a little more deeply during the Thanksgiving holiday.


I feel so blessed that I have the husband, son, daughter, son-in-law and now grandson that I have. We are so close and have so much fun together. I am so happy to have the extended family that I have and so many friends that I love. We are so thankful for our good health, our homes, our employment, our vehicles that are all running at the moment! And so much more. There is just no way to list it all.


This Thanksgiving was the first time that Shepherd got to come to Mamm and Pap's house. It is a time I will never forget. We had family and friends in our home that have meant so much to us for a long time. And we had new friends to visit us for the first time in our home. All folks that we hope will visit time and time again. Many new memories for us to treasure.


We had a week of laughter, a few tears, lots of conversing, playing games, exercising, walking. Lots of cooking and eating!! Decorating the Christmas tree together the day after Thanksgiving - just like the "old days". And so much more.


And we had many hours to hold our precious baby, Shepherd. Having Shepherd is teaching me a new kind of love that I did not know. We like to just sit and stare at him, if we are not holding him. I think it is so funny how such a little fella can keep five grown-ups busy! Since I have not had a baby in the house for 25 years, I had forgotten a few things. Like covering "the plumbing" when changing a diaper or you will be washing a lot of bedding! How many diapers AND clothes they go through in one day. How cute a baby is when he pouts and then bellows out. How good they smell. How much they eat. How sweet their smile is, and their sweet little cooing. How good they feel in your arms and nestled in your neck. And so much more.


Oh, sure I remember all this - I had just forgotten the extent of all this wonderfulness. It's all come back, and I am enjoying the memories of my babies and loving making new memories with this precious grandson.


Yes, Thanksgiving 2010, one of the best.