Part 2

My parent's diningroom can sit, well, way too many people. And somehow, it usually ends up being the men's side and the other side is the women's side. Not on purpose. But one usually gets in the mix. This year, I sat next to my love and invaded the men's side. :)


Back to the hawk/eagle watch. YES!! We saw some!! It was awesome.

Chloe & I walked back to the car to wait on the boys.

Normally, one just walks to the car and sits to wait.

Not my daughter. She twirls and leaps. lol. Walking, sitting and/or waiting are lost on her.


Hoops swinging on the vines.


John swinging. Yes he is 43. But that never seems to stop the thrill.


We take Shelby-girl whenever we can. She is a great dog for that. :)


So, these past few weeks, whenever we went wedding dress shopping, (and we went quite often) I dropped off Samuel at Joe's. Because who wants to take a 10 year old shopping for that for 2 - 3 hours?? And really, what 10 year old boy WANTS to????

One day, we were stuck with taking him. He asked me for my camera so he could take a picture.

Here he is, taking a picture of himself, as he says,passed out with boredom.


Then he discovered the mirrors!! I have a load of pictures like this. At least he was entertained...

And so were we.




And though we are good Southern Baptist, we still dance.

And play cards during the holidays.


And so next time, I am in here, it will be the new year!!

We wish you all a Blessed New Year. Fill you heart and home with HIS presence.

Week in review!!



Did I mentioned it snowed?

It did. Our puppies love the snow. Except I really think Daisy needs a sweater. I can't stand to see dogs in swearters. It a ridiculous idea thought up by man ( probably woman) that is pathetic at best and obnoxious at worst. Except Daisy loves being out there and is always shivering. I may have to eat my hat and get her one.


Christmas morning. Notice my stocking over flowing. Samuel asked me this year what I get in my stocking. Usually nothing, unless I think of something I want and stick it in there. This year, he made his daddy take him out, and took the job of stuffing quite seriously. :)


Yes he is 10. Yes he still loves Playmobile. And yes, I encourage it as long as I can.


Wesley and Chloe trying to give the Puritan look. They couldn't. They kept cracking up.


All the grandchildren. For real this time. No one was missing. And Josiah.


We went hawk & eagle watching. It was a crazy warm day, so we went out. I think it went up to 50. We decided to take a hike, also, since the trail were calling our name.


Chloe. Always the dancer, always stretching.


Hoops found a hunter's platform. Or whatever that thingy is called.


John & Samuel found a real nice one.


A boy & his dog. Shelby doesn't need a leash, she is a good girl. If we had taken the beagles, they would have been a mess. And if they were unleashed, we would never see them again.

There are so many more pictures. Maybe I will add some later.

We Wish You a Truly Holy and Merry Christmas

May you and your loves ones know the joy, peace and wonder of our Saviour's birth.



And so our infinite GOD stepped into time, so we can understand.

Seek HIM today... so you could understand.

And live.



Have a holy and joy-filled Christmas.

How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

This is totally not Christmasy, but it is fun anyway.

I got this from Marsha, who is a precious woman with a beautiful faith.

How well do I know him?

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Nothing. He hates the tv, and we don't allow video games in our home.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Blue cheese. ( ewwww) He actually loves his salads, and looks forward to them.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Rice. And yet, he married a hispanic.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? Um, well we don't do bars. But he sure loves his Coke with his free refills.

5. Where did he go to high school? Parsippany Hills High

6. What size shoe does he wear? 10

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Board games. He LOVES playing games.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? any one he doesn't have to make. But if he was askin'. he'd ask for a BBT. Bacon-basil & tomatoe.

9. What would he eat every day if he could? Chocolate

10. What is his favorite cereal? granola with berries. Or oatmeal in the winter

11. What would he never wear? Speedos, tight pant, cowboys boots

12. What is his favorite sports team? NY Mets. duh

13. Who did he vote for? He didn't, and we won't go there.....

14. Who is his best friend? me. :) but his other best friend is Mike. Or maybe Antonio.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Lose stuff. I need to organize better.

17. What is his heritage? Irish, with a little bit of irish. : o

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? Ew. chocolate, with chocolate chips and chocolate icing.

19. Did he play sports in high school? soccer & wrestling

20. What could he spend hours doing? sleeping. Other then that, anything outdoors.

21. What's something cool about him? His patience, his work ethic, the love for his family.

Let me know if you end up doing this tag as well.

Dance Concert & NYC Part 2

Chloe is graduating on Thursday. She is thankful she already has a job lined up doing what she has always wanted to do.


She got a job being a dance teacher!!!!


This is her last college performance. It was bitter sweet for all of us. It was sad that it was the last time, but at the same time, it was lovely to see her dance once again. This child has been dancing since before she knew what dance was....

She is the one in the middle. I don;t remember what she was doing, and I couldn't figure out how to make my camera do what I wanted it to do. Cool picture anyway. And she wouldn't stop moving!!


2nd one in.


More NYC pictures....

At the museum, we poked into the Central & South American section. By accident. We were trying to get out of there. But seeing some stuff was just to tempting not to imitate. Josiah & Chloe going at it.




My future son-in-law. While waiting on line. Yup, thats my 30-pounds-worth-of-mom Vera Bradley he is carrying for me. When you go into the city, you can't forget ANYTHING. It just costs too much.



I FOUND HIM SMILING!!!! He was bummed that Heather was sick, so I was happy to get this shot.




And if I don't get a chance before Christmas...

May your Christmas be holy, beautiful and joyous.

Christmas in New York

These pictures show just how untalented I am in keeping order. lol.




We started the day off going to The Museum of Natural history. This is the front, which has a statue of Theodore Roosevelt. He is probably my personal favourite president, ever. What a cool guy. Don't be fooled by Samuel not wearing a jacket. It was about 25 degrees outside. WE GOT A PARKING SPACE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MUSEUM!!! We left the jackets in the car so as not to have to carry them around.




Have you ever seen Night at the Museum? The Dum-Dum!!!




This is in Central Park. Which is right across the street from the museum. There are rocks all over the place. And as the blood running in my family dictates that if there is a rock, you better climb it, there they are. I call this shot " The Album Cover" Now if we only played music.




Josiah and Chloe in front of The Tree. The whole family skated except for me. My joints can't take being on top of ice. They can't take the cold either, but HEY, but don't make it worse with ice. So I found myself a nice couple from Texas to talk with, while their child skated. They were visiting the city for the weekend. They have always dreamed of Christmas in New York. Reminded me AGAIN, how much I take being here, for granted. Let me tell you, though, I picked their brain clean in getting all sorts of info on TX. :)




Waiting on line to skate. Too bad Heather was sick, it would have made a lovely & complete picture.




Museum picture again. The theme for the Christmas tree this year was " The museum in origami" They have everything in the museum on the tree, just made out of paper. It was sooo cool!! We loved going around the tree picking out familiar things. My boys (men)....




Whats wrong with this picture?? We were in the rock/gem room. Samuel was bugging his brother. So he lost his shoe. Don't ask. I didn't.


Final highlights,The Tree this year was BEAUTIFUL. It is probably the best tree in about 10 years. It was huge & full and have more lights them I remember. It took forever to get parking in midtown, I wanted to take the subway down, but John wanted to drive. Well, we won't go there. We went inside St Patrick's Catheral, again. There is no need to be a catholic to appreciate it. You just can't walk by it and not go in to see the amazingness of it all. Is that a real word? We didn't get home until past 11:30pm. But it was lovely and I am once again thankful for the opportunity.

And can you believe I am still not done with my shopping?????

Preparing

What a week!

Thanksgiving was nice, Black Friday was great, and the Love of my Life turned 43.

First news, Chloe picked out her wedding dress. And the vineyard for the reception is a go! Which means I can relax about the wedding until after Christmas.

In theory.

And now, Advent has already begun. Lord, prepare Your people's heart to rejoice in the Gift of your Son. Let us not forget the only real point of Christmas.

Both my future in laws are sick. I mean dog sick. Like, just shoot me sick. Bless their hearts.

And don't forget. TOMORROW IS THE LIGHTING OF THE TREE!!!! I am going to miss it. But I will have Samuel watch it for me. I am going to watch Chloe's dance show. She is a dance major, and there is always a show, every semester, for her final. I usually go Wednesday by myself, and then the whole family goes on Thursday.

I just can't imagine no one in the family not going to see her. But I also can't imagine making the whole family sit through 2 hours, twice. lol. All that testosterone couldn't take it. lol.

And Friday, Lord willing, is our Christmas in NYC day. And I can't wait. Except I am SO cold all the time. And I AM INSIDE!!!!

Yeah.

And Saturday we go to Christmas on the farm, and them to cut down our tree. Its going to be a busy COLD weekend.

But I won't complain. (too much). Because God is gracious, and truly, all these activaties are precious to my heart.

May you all be blessed with a holy grateful, beautiful Thanksgiving.

And remember WHO you are thanking. For HE is worthy.



"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
— Epictet

Life moves on

Life just chases you down the street doesn't it??

And the faster you run, the harder it chases. lol.


We had our family birthday party for Samuel on his birthday. Which means we only had 13 people over to the house because my sister & her family couldn't make it.

As I look at this picture of Samuel & John, I can't believe how tall Samuel is getting. :::sigh:::


And of course, there is the whole, we have got to get a place for the wedding, thing!! My daughter & her fiance decided to get married on the 4th of July, 2009. Which the more I think about it, the more we discuss it, the more I wish I woulda thought of it way back when I was getting married.

I believe we finally found our location. This picture was taken in the front of the vineyard. It was lovely.


Funny though. No one in our family drinks. At all. But it was lovely.

And our son is getting married 3 months later on the 3rd of October. As I research for Chloe's wedding, I am passing along information for them.


All this while trying to stay on budget. I am loving ideas to save, and am amazed at how much penny-pinching information there is out there!! We have a notebook full of ideas we will use.

So now, I have to put the breaks on, because in 2 days is my favorite holiday of the year. I absolutely LOVE Thanksgiving. This year, we didn't do the indepth study we usually do, we just did the requirements of regular school sprinkled with Thanksgiving here & there.

Kind of makes me sad, but there are other things going on that are joy-filled, and so maybe I should give thanks for that, this year.

Yup, thats what I'll do.

And lets not forget Black Friday. Chloe & I have made BF an art form. Yes, I am one those maniacs out the door at the crack of dawn. Without apology. I love that too. I love talking to the people on line, trying to brighten up the exhausted cashier, getting bargains, coming home wiped, but having saved my love loads of money. And of course, Christmas season's official first day.

Yes, life moves on.

Don't miss it. :)

Thankfulness

I just popped over to Becky's blog and stole this.

She gave permission, so maybe its not stealing, but .......I don't know what the word is for this. Sharing??

Anyway, it looks like thankful fun, so here it goes....


1. Where is your cell phone? In my purse. Dead. As usual. But I am thankful that when I lost it this week, and I found it under my truck in the driveway, I hadn't run over it. Like I did my last phone.

2. Where is your significant other? Work. I am so very thankful he is still working. The construction business has slowed down to a crawl. Everyday he leaves for work, I thank God.

3. Your hair color? Almost black with sprinkles of gray. I am thankful I don't have to color all the time yet.

4. Your mother? My mom(parents) lives 7 minutes from my house. VERY thankful for that. She is, at this moment, in PA though, visiting with my sister for a few days.

5. Your father? At work. He retired years ago. But sitting around just didn't work for the 2 of them, so he got himself another job. I'm thankful he is still active.

6. Your favorite thing? Dreams. Dreams give you hope, even if/when they don't come true, keep on dreaming. And sitting on my front porch on summer nights, watching the family activity going on in the front yard.

7. Your dream last night? I don't rightly remember. I am thankful it wasn't a nightmare that would have woken me up in terror.

8. Your dream/goal? To be there for the broken hearted. To be able to be available.

9. The room you're in? Dining room. It is the heart of our home. Its in the center, and everything happens here. I am thankful for the talks and teaching that have happened around the table.

10. Your hobby? Reading, history, sewing, coaching, capturing life on "film" (do we say memory stick now?) football, board games...

11. Your fear? Heights, speed and loud noises. I am thankful that the only times these 3 are usually together are in roller coasters. I am not a roller coaster fan.

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? (warning, this is a DREAM): Texas. With granchildren around, my new daughter delighting in life, and my going-to-be-a-high-schooler-in-6-years son living life still excited about the next thing, the love of my life finding peace.

13. Where were you last night? Watching the Georgia Tech/U Miami game in the basement.

14. What you're not? Thin. Hopefully one day.

15. One of your wish-list items? A bigger kitchen. But I am thankful for a home.

16. Where you grew up? Central Jersey. Still here, all of 7 minutes from where I grew up. I am thankful for the familiarity and the ability to afford this place. So far.

17. The last thing you did? Encouraged son to not make hasty decisions, but to continue to trust Jesus. I am thankful he has matured enough to ask.

18. What are you wearing?Pajama pants and a sweat shirt from waking up. I am thankful that, if need be, I don't have to fancy up to start school. ( Though I am usually dressed before we start, personal pet peeve)

19. Your TV? In the furthest corner of the basement. Usually only on for football games.

20. Your pet? 2 beagles, a leonberger, and 2 cats. I am thankful for my dogs. They really bring alot of joy to our home.

21. Your computer? A new Apple. We just converted from PCs, and I am thankful for the change.

22. Your mood? A little anxious about the Mock Trial scrimmage this afternoon. I coach the team. Thankful that it is a learning competition, not the real thing, yet.

23. Missing someone? My daughter. Even though she is upstairs sleeping, I don't really get to see her or speak to her all that often anymore. But I am thankful for the moments we do get together.

24. Your car? Suburban. I love my car. And I am thankful that gas prices went down.

25. Something you're not wearing? My sheep's wool slippers. I lost them. When I find them, I will be thankful for their warmth.

26. Favorite store? Target & Costco. My motto: If Target or Costco don't have it, I probably don't need it. I may want it, but I don't need it. My favorite store that I don't need anything from: Talbot's. I am thankful for good bargains!!

27. Your summer? Busy. I always look forward to rest, but I have yet to find it. I am thankful for the ability to be busy. For good health & busy hands.

28. Love someone? Jesus. That says it all.

29. Your favorite color? Green. All except for vomit green. I am thankful that alot of things in this world are green, and they make me happy.

30. When is the last time you laughed? Last night. I was going through files, and I found the photobooth files. Samuel made a movie, and I laughed so hard, I thought I was going to have to run to the powder room, and I was afraid I was not going to make it. My tummy hurt afterwards, but it was worth it. I am thankful I have such a funny kid.

31. Last time you cried? I am a pathetic crier. It doesn't take much, and I ususally tell people to ignore my tears. Last time I cried was last week, when my daughter got engaged. That time it was for real. I am thankful for my emotions. I am not ruled by them, but at least I am not cold-hearted.

Steal away!!

I am thankful for so much, and I need to reflect on that so much more then I do.

I am thankful for my Lord Jesus above all. To Him be all Glory and Honor. And every bit of my thankfulness. .

MY BABY IS 10!!!!!

I think I am in a constant state of denial in all sorts of thing in my home, during the last few weeks.


My baby is 10 today.



There is a 10 year difference between him and the next child. We prayed so long and hard for this child, we named him Samuel, for God indeed answered our prayers.



And he is a whirlwind.


We didn't expect that part.



Not that we are complaining. lol.




Sometimes, its just best not to ask.......


He cleans up pretty okay. Though it takes about 2.3 minutes to have the shirt hanging out, the dirt somewhere in the body, the tie all crooked, the hair as though it hasn't seen a comb. Ever. And thats all just on the way down the stairs from his room. Makes one wonder, where on earth did he find the dirt, wind, other person to wrestle with on the stairs???


We are not the only people who get to enjoy his "antics". He doesn't really mind other people listening, watching or even participating in his creative life. Kind of lets everyone enjoy a good chuckle. And sometimes right out belly laugh. People always look at us since we are his parents, and give us that look as if to say, " Is he for real?" He is. And we like him that way.


He was showing me, and then showed the waiter how he is like a tv. yeah. lol.



He never sleeps. It was horrible for the first few years. But we are thankful for him. God knows what He is doing.

We pray for him everyday, that he serves our Lord everyday of his life. And we are trying to raise him for His Glory.


Happy Birthday precious boy. I am loving days spent with you.

What a week.

I can't begin to say what's been done, but I have been busy doing it.

I need to pull my daughter down from where she is floating on the ceiling sometimes, but I believe thats a good thing. We went to check out the first possibility for the reception. It was cute-ish.

Samuel had two of his good friends over for a sleepover. It was to celebrate his 10th birthday!!

10th BIRTHDAY!!! Okay so his birthday isn't until this wednesday, but.....

Here is Samuel & Joe. They were wearing matching t-shirts. From Gettysburg. Irish Brigade t-shirts.

Funny how Joe looks like the crazy irishman. Looks are deceiving.




It is SO COLD OUTSIDE. I can't stand it. My mom doesn't even say "Hi!" when she calls. I answer the phone and hear, " Are you in pain?"

But its all good.

Because God is great.

And there are exciting things going on in life.

And Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

I love Thanksgiving. :)

Ummm......

I'm not really sure how to say this and make it sound new again.

After just 2 1/2 weeks.


But then it IS new.


But not.


I would like you to meet my future son-in-law. He asked my daughter to marry him last night.



And she said "YES!!"


Yes, thats right, both my adult children got engaged in the matter of 2+ weeks.


Both my future-in-laws are a blessing from God.


My brain is not quite able to comprehend this situation just yet. Its trying to rejoice; on 3 hours of sleep.


Since they are getting married in the summer, we have hit the ground running.


So....... 2 weddings and a trip to China to get our baby girl in the future.

My God is good.

DEC 5th, Lord willing!!

I think I am a brat.

I assume everyone has access to the same places that I do, and therefore don't appreciate what is around me.

Our annual family-going-to-nyc-for-the-holidays is in 3 1/2 weeks.

The Tree gets lit on Dec. 3rd!!

I have seen this tree, probably every year of my American life, so ... for the last 34 years. I never really thought about it. Its just something that we do, something we have always done. My parents took us to NYC, ALOT. They had friends there so it was either visiting, shows or exploring.

I don't think I will ever appreciate the fact that we live so close, therefore its not really a big deal.

I do remember one time though, I was in 5th grade, and I went to a friend's house. I mentioned that we were going into the city the next day, again. ( Maybe the mentioning was more complaining) Well, her eyes got all dreamy and she told me she had never been because her father hated the city, so the family never went. I think my eyes just about popped out of my head. We live all but 45 minutes!! How can you not go??!!??!

It was a bit of a reality check for me. At 10 years old. I keep getting those reality checks from friends in TN, CA, CO and such. Yet, I wish I lived somewhere else but here.

I think I am a brat.

How did this happen???????

Today, I am going to share with you a dilemma I deal with every fall.

It has to do with my youngest son.

And my 3rd favourite thing in the whole wide world.



After Jesus.


And my family, duh.



Its about football.


To my frustration, dismay, and overall failure in this area concerning this boy, Samuel is an Eagles fan.






He got this done at Fallfest this year, that is spite of the fact that its an Eagles symbol, its pretty cool.




Onetime when my mom dropped by, (she drops by all the time) he talked her into wearing one of his jerseys. Being the grandma that she is, she did. All I could do is shake my head in shame. PS, she went to the mall afterwards, and as she was walking out the door, I gently reminded her by saying " MA! YOU CAN'T GO OUT IN PUBLIC LOOKING LIKE THAT!! At least wear my Steelers jersey!!!!" She laughed and went back to her normal clothing.


How did this happen? Its all Stephen's fault. If I didn't love the kid with all my heart, I may have had to duke it out with him. He is an Eagles fan, and I suppose it makes sense seeing as how he is from PA. Samuel cherishes him above all in the family, henceforth, the choice.


I suppose I should take comfort that he is not a Dallas fan.


I may have had to disown him for that.

Wordless Wednesday

Let everything that has breath, praise the LORD

...And so, the ObamaNation Era has Begun....

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to emplore His protection and favor." ~ George Washington.


It is now time for us pray for our nation, for our president-elect, for our future.......

....no matter who you voted for........