Congratulations...

to all my favorite girls...

Daughter, Tina, engaged December 25, 2010:

 

Daughter, Crystal...married December 29, 2010:

And, Daughter, Chrissy, engaged December 31, 2010:

I love you three girls more than you can ever know, and want nothing more than you to be happy forever! 

Memories...

Hope you all had a good Christmas.   It seems like it flies by after all your planning and preparation!  But, we had a wonderful holiday.  We were blessed to have all four children at home ... it doesn't happen often to have all 4 at once!

That is one thing that makes a mama's heart happy!

Merry Christmas!

God Bless You, my dear friends and family...Merry Christmas!

Traditions

We have gathered as a family nearly every year of my life.  This year, I won't have two of my sisters nor my parents with me.   I am lucky to have one sister, her boys, and all four of my children coming, and my two grandchildren.   So, traditions change, but they continue on.   I have tried to continue many of the traditions I grew up with, and yet create a few of our own.   I hope that you enjoy your Christmas traditions and share them with your loved ones....enjoy!

And, happy birthday to Grandpa Shorty Shafer up in heaven watching over us...we miss you and love you!!! 

Special Day!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday.  As you know, in the past I repeated my post I had written about her each year.   I didn't do that this year, but you can find it here:  Mom

Yesterday we made a surprise "day" trip and took her, dad and my sis out to lunch.  It was so great being able to spend the day with my mom on her birthday.   I am so glad we got to do that!   It was a special day, and we even sang some Christmas carols while she played the piano...what treasured memories continue on for me!   I love my mom!!!

My sister, Jolyn, me and my mama....

Just a couple good thoughts to share...

In the midst of our hurrying and trying to make a "perfect" holiday....

I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day.  We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year.  As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year.  And thus I drift along into the holidays - let them overtake me unexpectedly - waking up some find morning and suddenly saying to myself:  "Why, this is Christmas Day!"  ~David Grayson



Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.  ~Janice Maeditere

Good Times...

Our grandson has been here since right after Thanksgiving.  Since he has year round school, he is "off track" right now.   We are enjoying every second.  The bad part is we still have to work  :-(  I have taken a couple days off or partly off, and so has Grandpa.  Auntie Crystal is also helping out with some marble games to spend some time!    But, our big boy has been so good and had so much fun.  

A few nights ago, he helped me and my coworker ring the bell for salvation army.

Then, he held this sign up for a while:

 

Do you think he got any takers?   Ha ha.

The sign was actually for earlier in the evening, when a couple of other coworkers had brought a dog from the local pound to try to get him adopted!!!  

Merry Christmas 2010

Here is my annual Christmas letter.   This year, Sammy did not write it.   And, it is shorter then most.   But, Merry Christmas.  The link is also under my links on my blog here. 

Christmas Thoughts...

"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."
-- Oren Arnold

Trees, trees...

Every year our town has a a Christmas tree auction, where there are trees and wreaths and you can bid via silent auction.  (Various people and groups decorate and donate them).   It is a fund raiser.  This year there were 100 trees/wreaths.   Such beautiful ones, and many so unique!!   I took Brooklyn to see them at our museum.   He liked the actual museum better than the Christmas show....ha!  But, that's great, too!   Here is a sampling: 

Rambled Thoughts...

This is how my mind works when I am in the car alone for five hours.

I'm off on an adventure.  I feel bad leaving.  I have a lot to do.  Brooklyn was sad.  Crystal is with him today and John will be home with him all day tomorrow.  He's fine.  He'll have fun.   I feel bad.  I think "Z" will like the way we can set up his APL blog.     I'm hungry. I'll eat my peanut butter sandwich. I need to make sure all the staff are members of that page  and that other page.  My lifewater is not very cold.  I need to tell "Z" how to do this.  Miss Tomi Tomi doesn't like my route. I am excited that my trial blog for "Z"  worked and I got the comments from people to work.  Remember when Brooklyn wondered what would happen if the lady inside the tom tom went to sleep and we could hear her snore? I hope people will start using and liking the website more.  I should put an alternate route to Kearney in the tom tom.  I wonder what I can do to make the website better? I wish I hadn't ate that sandwich. Miss Droid is reading to me.  She has a lot of expression ... that is really funny.  There's no good radio stations around here.   Miss Droid is spelling out a whole message instead of reading it?  WTH? Peanut butter is making me feel sick. Why does my husband want this song at his funeral? Why does my mom insist on not having a funeral? Now why am I thinking about funerals.   Oh, Miss Droid is telling me  all the kids that are nonverified at high school. I wonder who all will be at the conference. Miss TomiTomi still doesn't like my route.   I should turn her off.   I wish I were a better friend.  I wonder why my friendship to someone is not very good lately.  What can I do?  I should just email her and talk to her.   Where's the volume on that darned tom tom?   When is it that that Yogi Bear movie is coming out?  It looks cute.   I am fat.  Miss Droid is so funny with her expression.  I should never eat again.  I miss my kids.  I'm kinda hungry.   I'm sad that my parents and sisters may not be with me for Christmas.   I'm fat.  I'm glad my kids will be. I should never eat again.  I'm excited to be with Choe and Brooklyn.   I'm kinda hungry. We need to train the elementary teachers on PowerSchool.  Miss Tomi Tomi gave up on me.  I think we should just start with third and fourth grade, because that is all set up.  I need to catch up on my blogs.  Miss Droid has been really busy.  I'm fat.  I wonder if people are getting the reply that says their message was read aloud?   I should never eat again.  Oh, good, I'm about half way there....I'm kinda hungry

Ok, that was half way down on Tuesday...and that is only a taste of my mixed up brain! 

On the Road again...

I went to another conference on Wednesday in Kearney, which involved five hours in the car Tuesday to go and five more on Wednesday to return.   I loved the workshop...it was awesome.

I was in the car alone.   Alone, except for Miss Tomi-Tomi (my tom-tom) and my phone, which was set to read my texts and emails to me via drivesafe.ly.com!    So, of course, Miss Tomi-Tomi every once in a while would tell me I was going in the wrong direction (I should shut her off, because I know the way...but it's a security blanket) and my phone, shall we name her Miss Droid, would read all my emails and texts.   One of the times, though, little Miss Droid was spelling out the whole email to me.  Good grief!  What was up with that? 

But in between all that, I had plenty of time to think, self-evaluate, self-contemplate and all that jazz.  That can be a bit oppressing.   But that was intertwined with thoughts of setting up a project on the website for our principal on the drive down.   On the return trip, I was thinking of all the ways to use the new ideas I learned and how to set up things.  That, immersed with my thinking of self improvement and Misses Tomi and Droid, the drive went fine.   

More tomorrow.

Time Flies! (Yet Again!)

I looked at my Google Reader and I have over 160 posts to read.   I haven't blogged or read my beloved blogs at all lately.   Why?  I don't know.  I love reading my blogging buddies' posts.   I am way out of my routine.  Way out of synch!  

I can't blame in on the Christmas rush.  I haven't done much.  It took me over a week to just get my decorations up.   And, just when I wondered was it worth it?  ... my 21 year old daughter came over and said...Mom, I love it here...you have Christmas in every room. 

So, maybe it is.  (worth it)  

I hope that others feel that Christmas love and warmth when they are in our home.   And, for my grandkids to know it is Christmas at Grammys!  

I have posting ideas...so I must get my butt  self in gear and get some postings done.

Miss you, blogging friends...I'll catch up! 

Elsie

And, today would be my Grandma's (Elsie) birthday.  I miss you and love you Grandma!!!

Happy Birthday Son!

He's my baby. 
My first born.  
He's what? 
33? 
NO way!