Super Sunday!

My family got together yesterday for our 'not quite' holiday dinner.

 

When my kids became adults and adopted other families,

 we began celebrating on off weeks for most holidays

 (other than Christmas Eve, which is mandatory). 

 This was our 'not quite' Easter dinner in more ways than one...

there wasn't an egg in sight!

 

Noelle, Winnie and Tony came motoring up first...

 

 

They were out enjoying the wonderful weather...

 

They hit up the park for a doggie walk...

 

 

 

With a stop at the batting cages for good measure...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By time they got to the house, Winnie was pooped

but Tony and Noelle had energy to spare...

 

And tossed a football around

 

 

 

 

They even tried to get Michael and Catherine to join in...

 

 

Catherine said no...

and NO PICTURES and hid behind the bushes!

 

So they kept on playing...

 

 

No...Mr.K was not joining in the game, he was picking up twigs, lol!

 

 

 

 

I think they burned off enough energy to eat all of these...

 

 

And of course, Catherine's famous apple pie.

Seriously, even if they didn't want to show up,

if I promise her apple pie, they would come!

 

 

 

 

For our 'not quite' Easter dinner, I don't set a formal table, but we eat buffet style.

 

Tony and Noelle said that when you go to a sporting banquet, this is how you save your seats...

 

 

 

I give up...

 

We did manage to sit down and enjoy our dinner together. 

 

 

I love it when we get together!

 

Of course,

 

the guest of honor was...

 

 

who brought his parents, Andy and  (a very camera shy)  Ashley...

 

 

 

Locklan wasn't even impressed with all the attention he got from Michael and Vicky...

 

 

 

 

Or his great grandmother...

 

 

No, he's not picking his nose!

 

In fact, he didn't even seem impressed with the chair I just couldn't pass up on Saturday...

 

 

Won't this be great for the river?

 

Jamie was here too...I know 'cause Mr. K conned him into

helping take the boat out of the garage...

 

 

 

Cause you know...I complained that I had nowhere to park my car...

So they moved it to the driveway?!?

 

~HELLO!~

~sigh~

 

Now I can relax a bit...

I'm working on dish cloths again...

 

 

It's mindless knitting so that I can be productive while sitting here...

 

 

enjoying the sun...

 

AND planning my next adventure!

 

Stay tuned!

Jan

 

 

 

 

You're a card?

A few weeks ago, we invited ourselves to my mom's house for a round of card playing...

 

Michael and Catherine, Tony and Noelle, me and the mister

 as well as Mom and her friend from high school

gathered around Mom's dining room table to play, but first...

 

My mother usually has a puzzle going on the card table in the family room. 

My parents did that when I was a kid. 

 I HATE puzzles and can barely resist throwing a few pieces in my pocket to take home...

 

I didn't realize that Catherine is a puzzilist too.

 

 

Tony and Noelle tried to help!

 

 

I think they did manage to place a few pieces...

 

 

But I came to play cards! 

 

My mom, on the right, and Frannie on the left taught us to play a game called 9-hole.

 

 

 

 

 Of course, these innocent looking ladies play for money...

 

 

 

Michael acted as our waiter...

 

 

How did we do?

 

I think it was a conspiracy!

 

I lost $1.10!

 

Noelle...well, let's just say she went home with more than she had when she came in the door....

 

 

 I'd still rather play cards than put those darn puzzles together...

 

Family time...yes!

 

 

Locklan, meet your family!

Finally, after a month of interruptions, sickness and bad weather,

Locklan David finally got to meet his great grandmother and the rest of the family...

 

I apologize for the poor quality of the first photo.  I tried to run and snap it at the same time.

It's the occasion that matters,

My mom (83) and her sister, Helen, who is 88, admiring him for the first time!

 

 

They fussed and cuddled and cooed, I think it was love at first sight...

 

I know it was for my mom!

 

 

It's been a long time since we had a baby in the family.

 

Michael and Catherine held him next...

 

 

And then Michael stole him and started singing him silly songs while

Aunt Helen kept an eye on them...

 

 

 Catherine joined in...

 

 

 After everyone had their turn holding him,

Michael grabbed him back for some guy talk...

 

 

I don't know what he said, but it looks like Locklan wasn't buying any of it!

 

Everyone says he looks like Andy when he was a baby...

 

And we all agree...

 

He's a keeper!

 

It was a busy weekend, but it's late, I'm tired.  I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

 

Sweet dreams and God bless,

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday, Catherine!

It's Catherine's birthday!  

Happy birthday, 

with tons of love and good wishes!

Christmas Eve!

Christmas eve  started with dinner and family time at my mom's...as usual! 

 

 

 

with food...food!  more food,

Of course, the traditional ham...

this year we had ham sandwiches!

 

 

 

And a little wine...

 

 

And a few traditional decorations

(the ones my mom can't reach)!

 

 

 

It was wonderful to have family together...

Like Andy and Ashley....

Look at Ashley's lap!  A fleece Penguins blanket!

That's what I was working on...

One for each member of my family,

one for my brother and one for

Lachlan, my Grandson, due in February!

 

 

And of course, my mom!

 

 

 

Ron and Vicky

(doing Yoga or telling about the one that got away?)

 

 

Catherine, my brother, Dan,  and Aunt Helen

 

 

We can't forget Tony and Noelle.

There's Jamie in the background!

 

My niece, Katlyn was there...

isn't she pretty?

 

 

Michael and Vicky sword fighting with the traditional Pepperoni sticks.

All the guys get one every year...

 

 

And of course, there were presents!

 

Those aren't bags of trash, they are the fleece blankets...

I am a terrible wrapper, so it just seemed like the best way to hide them!

 

 

This year, we bought my mother a keyboard.  She got rid of her organ and really missed playing...

 

It came with a stand that was supposed to look like the picture on the box...

 

 

There were no instructions.  They decided to wing it and put it together.

 

They tried...

 

 And they tried...

 

And tried...

 

And tried...

 

 

And Mom got tired of waiting and put it on the dining room table...

 

 

 

I'm happy to say that they did get it together (thanks to Catherine) but by then, the batteries in my camera died.  You'll just have to take my word for it.

 

All too soon, it was time to head home to get ready for Christmas day. 

 

 The kids came to my house.  Come back tomorrow to see them.  I got some pretty amazing stuff!

 

There is Christmas day, Noelle's birthday, so much to show you, but it's early in the morning,  I'm sleepy and going back to bed, but its nice to share...I'm awfully glad you're here...

 

 

 

 

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