Another Christmas Celebration!

Merry Christmas III

Angie, Ben and the kids got here on Sunday so we celebrated Christmas with their family on Sunday afternoon.
Jeff, Sonya and the girls were here to help celebrate, and the girls helped Riley and Brenden open their stockings. Riley really loved her very own flashlight that was in her stocking!

Angie spotted her Mickey Mouse bag right away when she was sitting on the couch!

Dad helping Brenden open one of his gifts.

Riley looking at the Great Michigan Snow she was expecting to get to play in at Nana and Papa's house! Before they got here the temperature set a record high of 65 degrees, and guess where all that snow went?!

Oh well, I can stomp in this I guess!

Brenden thought he'd try it out too for awhile!
Then she decided the scooter was a better thing to play with since there was no snow to "Stomp" in!

August and Uncle Joe even tried a little soccer out in the back yard for awhile, it was pretty cold so they didn't play long, but they had fun.

If you look close enough you can get a peak at the puppy in August's lap. The black puppy wrapped up in a black blanket makes it hard to distinquish where one starts or ends!!!

August and Jackson hamming it up for the camera.
We have been having for the last few years a Christmas Day Breakfast for the family. That gives them time to have their Christmas at home, and still come over for while to visit Nana and Papa.

Joe helping fix the kids some things for breakfast.

August fixing the pancakes, she wanted to stir the batter, then she wanted to actually put it in the pan so she ended up making the rest of the pancakes for everyone. They were very good, August. And thanks for the help too.

We had a very good time and enjoyed a good breakfast too.

Christmas, Continued

Don's mom enjoyed her gift from us too, a solar porch light. She thought it was very cute.

We had another member of the family join us this year, a 4 week old puppy that Jeff, my son, got for his birthday on the 21st, from his wife and kids. Her name is Kia, and she is just the cutest thing, and so soft and fluffy. But she will grow into quite a large dog, it's a Lab!

August was part caretaker of Kia while they were here today. She loves her animals.

The three youngest Gabby, Jackson, and August, who were here today, pose for a picture just before opening one of their gifts today.

Savannah checking out her books from Aunt Gigi, she liked them alot.

Christmas Day

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

The tree is all decorated and our "Beautiful, gaudy, gold glittery boots have made their way back up to the center stage of our tree this year! This is the first decoration that Don and I bought 37 years ago to put on our first Christmas tree! The kids gave us fits about them for years, but they always managed to be on the tree anyway, in the back out of sight! But they are making a comeback to the front!

The table was set with the sweets for everyone.

The stockings were hung to be filled with lots of fun!

And the biggest surprise for me this year, was in the bottom of my stocking! Since my surgery 18 months ago I haven't been able to wear my wedding band. I really felt naked without it. I tried a lot of different rings to wear but they just didn't feel right. Don got me a beautiful ring to wear so I could "feel married" again. Thank you, it is gorgeous. And thanks to Angie for helping Dad out there a little bit too!

Celebration for Brock's Christmas

On Saturday we had a little Christmas party for Brock, who will not be able to be here on Christmas day. So Uncle Jeff, Sonya, Amy, Joe, Jen and of course Jackson were here to help Brock clebrate at Nana and Papa's house.

We had a lite lunch and then he got to open his presents. By the way Kristi, that Pumpkin Dump Cake was a real hit with the family! Thanks for the recipe.
Jackson got to open a present too, he loved his monster truck car collection. Brock wearing his hat from his stocking too.

Jen, Joe and Jeff waiting for Brock to open his gifts.

Jackson is waiting for brother to open his package and I think he was doing it too slow for Jackson- Hurry up already, Brock!!!

He loved his Michigan shirt from Sonya and Jeff.

Brock doing what most teens do best, texting his friends! and wearing two hats on his head!!!!

He's tooting his own horn! A small trumpet for on his tree was in his stocking, so he was trying it out.

Opening his packages, I think he didn't like to be the center of attention all of sudden!

Jackson watching Brock opening his packages. Brock's hair "style" was the big issure with everyone! Get a hair cut kid! But that is OK you have to try different things sometimes. I even got him a comb to help with the straightening!! Oh well.

MERRY CHRISTMAS BROCK

WE LOVE YOU

NANA and PAPA

The Girls Visiting Nana and Papa

You would think with them living so close we would see them more often! But with the busy schedules of work and school it is really hard to spend time with the grandkids! But I love the time we do get to spend together! August and Gabby came to stay while Dad and Sonya went to a Christmas party for his work place. And I about choked them to death with all the hugging! Sorry Girls!!!

August was in her "Staging Mode" and was setting the scene to take her own pictures. She had Gabby take this one of her after fixing her backdrop!
She was taking Gabby's picture in front of the fridge and decided she needed a better background for her picture!

Dad had his fun when he picked the girls up. We have this golf ball in a globe with water in it and you have to try to put the golf ball on the tee. He tried for some time to get it on and then......

SUCCESS!
He was very proud that he got it back up on the tee, and the girls had a ball watching him try to get it up there. He has quite the array of facial expressions and motions to go along with his efforts on getting something done!

Thanksgiving Con't

The best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers!

Angie dipping into the pot of Hot Turkey Sandwiches, a tradition of the day after Thanksgiving after a long morning of shopping for bargains.

Angie getting caught getting her hot turkey sandwich, she's waited for two years to be able to do this at her house. She had turkey a couple of years ago, but no turkey left over to make the sandwiches. This year she made sure she bought a BIG turkey so she could have the sandwiches, and she is really enjoying them.

I had time to just go out and watch the kids play in the back yard for awhile. The basketball hoop was a big hit, even though it was a little chilly, definately not short weather this year in the south!

Riley wanted to play in the sand box, but it was bit too cool to do that, so she was happy to just sit on top and pose for Nana, notice her fancy shoes she has on, the all new fashion for Sand Box Play!
She was giving Brenden a ride around the yard so they could go faster. She loves to drive that jeep.

Thanksgiving in Tenn.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thank you Angie and Ben for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, and weekend. And welcome home to Ben, so glad you were home in time to enjoy the turkey dinner with your family.

Brenden greeting us as we got to their house very early on Thurs. morning!

The kids got busy doing a puzzle with Aunt Meme on the living room floor.

Ben sharing some of the pictures that he brought back from his longgggg tour in Iraq.

Angie contemplating the process for the turkey dinner she is about to prepare. Which was absolutely wonderful. The turkey was picture perfect! And all the fixin's were great, if anyone left the table hungry it was not the fault of the cook!Brenden waiting to do clean-up duty, with his apron ready to go!

After clean up, the next step is the TV watching (or video), and the kids are learning that well.

Towards evening, Riley decided it was time to dance. So she got her fancy party dress on and was dancing the daddy.

She even has the dipping down, (she watches Dances with the Stars), and she was teaching Daddy how to do this just right!

Now Brenden needed a turn to dance too, so he and daddy got a dance in too.