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...

 

 

 

 

245 

squeezing my WHAT?

Years ago, when I was teaching my brother how to drive, we racked up many miles in my 

school bus yellow 1975 VW Beetle. 

Many times, he'd be driving between rows of parked cars, or passing huge trucks on the highway and I'd squeeze my bum cheeks together, HARD, as if that would make the car smaller?!?

Once we got through the tight squeeze, I'd always tell him, "I was squeezing my bum cheeks together!"

After a while, when one of us wanted to show support for each other, we'd say, "I'm squeezing my bum cheeks for you!"

Family tradition...

This morning, I booted up the 'ol computer, 

balanced my checking account...

Paid my bills...

Checked my credit report to make sure someone wasn't spending all the money I don't have...

...and...

Squeezed my bum cheeks and...

Did my taxes!

Believe me, because I had some pretty new (to me) things going on this year, I wasn't sure how things would go...

All I can say is all that squeezing worked. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be!

~whew~

How about you?  Did you do your taxes yet?  Need me to squeeze for you?  Let me know!

Back soon.  Dinner tonight with one of Mark's high school friends and his wife.  I'm excited, they make me feel so warm and fuzzy.  

Until then, go out and be a blessing in someone's life.

Love ya,

Jan

Ye ol' swimming hole...

Yesterday I had a rare treat:  A visit to my brother at his house!  Usually they are busy, our schedules don't mesh that often and we see each other at my mom's house more often than in each other's homes.

Visiting Dan and Leslie's house in the summer is always special.  Leslie works in a green house and loves anything green or growing.  All spring and summer, she works on her flowers and  garden, it's always changing.

They also live on a (usually peaceful and quiet) creek...

that has a great swimming hole.  Add to that two big dogs that love to swim and a young lady who is more fish than human and you have an old fashioned summer afternoon!!!

 

 After the dogs wore Katlyn out swimming, they came up on the bank so Dan could play with them.

They have kittens too!

 

What a wonderful visit.  I love my brother and his family...wish we could visit more often!  See ya soon, Dan, Leslie and the Kat!!