Brush Strokes!

Vicky and I have a tradition...

We go to the local paint studio to celebrate her birthday.

Last year we painted a snow scene with the ever popular 

red pickup truck...

The above photo was NOT painted by either one of us, the artist teaching the class did this.

Ours did not look like this.

After trying to paint the fence

(it was trickier than it seemed)

We declared the snow was so deep, it completely covered the fence.

When I get my Christmas things out of the attic, I'll show you.

This year we decided to go festive and simple.

We had a ball!  

The people around us were so much fun!

We drank  diet tonic water out of festive wine glasses...

And got paint all over ourselves.

We always end our evening by going out for a bowl of soup.

Birthday traditions...

What fun!

Thinking Back

I think it's a well known fact, 

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

I love thinking about Christmas...

Thinking about Christmas...

Planning for Christmas...

And I love looking at pictures of my family at Christmas...

So bear with me while I share a few of my favorites...

Weren't Michael and Vicky cute?

No date on this, I'm thinking about 1973

Hard to believe, Christmas 1988.

I set this up and took the photo while Mark was at work.

Hard to believe, we survived!

Same year, Tony was a little uninspired...

The year Michael got JR a coon skin cap!

I'm sure I have more...

~sigh~

I love Christmas!

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

 

 

 

 

Have it your way pizza!

Where can you get pizza with your choice of toppings:  green peppers, red peppers, hot peppers, cheese, pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, ham, onions, three different sauces and anchovies???

 

Red Sock Mama's Have it Your Way Pizza Parlor,

that's where!

 

Last night's pizza fiasco started with all the counters in our kitchen filled with bowls of toppings, a crew of hungry family members

 

 

 

 

...and of course, the perpetual guest of honor, Locklan!

 

 

 

 There was a contest to see if they could get my bonus grandson, Nick, to eat an anchovy...

 

 

Even with all that money, he said No...

 

So they offered the money to...

 

 

 

She just turned and...

 

 

Everyone some of us wanted our pictures taken

 knowing very well that in our family, if you are there, you will be HERE

 

 

This was the first time Locklan and Noelle met.

I think Tony was nervous....

 

 

They seemed to get along...

 

 

 

for a while, and then I'm not sure what she said to him...

 

 

But he didn't like it one bit!

 

And Tony and Locklan enjoyed hanging out together...

 

 

 

We asked him later what he was telling him...

 

All he would say is...

 

 

But Locklan says if he can't have Mommy...

 

Daddy is his second favorite...

 

 

(he did bring his mommy, but Ashley is having some serious back problems

so we don't torment her with the camera...yet)

 

 

Larissa, my bonus granddaughter, made a friend or two...

 

 

 

All too soon, it was time to go...

 

As everyone said good bye to Mr. K, he seemed sad relieved to see them go...

 

 

~sigh~

 

I love hanging with the family!

 

 

 

I Can't Believe We (I) Missed It!

I feel so bad...

I totally had the wrong date...

I hope it's not too late...

To wish Vicky and Jamie a happy 10th Anniversary!

 

 

January 7, 2005

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

On the other hand, I've got all kinds of crazy things going on today...

I'm trying to remember to take more pictures.

Me...the woman who always had a camera shoved in someone's face...

Guess I'm getting senile?

 

Catch you later!

God bless you,

Jan

I Took a Break

I was busily at work in my sewing room when  I had the urge to stretch my legs a bit...

 

I went downstairs, singing Christmas carols when I realized Mr. K was on a conference call in his office

(and he didn't close the door). 

 I headed for the kitchen, my head spinning with all the things I NEED to do,

all the other things I WOULD LIKE to do..

 

Next thing I knew, I was cleaning the garage...go figure!

 

While my body was busy, my mind wandered...

 

I love Christmas!  I have such wonderful memories...

 

So I came upstairs to find Christmas pictures.

 

Not a bunch, but the few I had on my desk top...

 

Want to see?

 

 

 

 

 

There are tons more...

 

I'll dig them up one of these days...

 

Now, smile at me and tell me to get back to work!