New Tablet

OK....so I am trying to keep up with Helen.  We went out and bought a new IPad2 Tablet yesterday.  I am heading to Dallas on 1/7/12 to help my friends Diana...she has a horrible brain tumor and they will operate on 1/11/12.  I thought about taking the laptop...but, we thought this might be easier.  So far...I do have Facebook and my email.  I have downloaded a blogger app...but....who knows.  I may be calling Helen for help with the Blog info.  I will keep you all up to date...

Missing you..

It seems impossible that my Mom would be 94 today....always really miss her on her birthday. I know she is so much happier with Dad and her family in Heaven....she certainly would not have wanted to be here on this Earth living the way she had to live the last 5 years...Alzheimer's is a horrible disease. I love to think of her and Daddy when they were a happy young couple living in Florida. This was taken in March of 1939 in front of the home that they rented in Orlando. This is one of her favorite pictures. Love you muches Mom!

Christmas Fun....

As you can see....we were all gathered this morning and had a wonderful Christmas Brunch. Now the house is all quiet and the messes cleaned up. The top picture is our son Paul and his wife Dawn. Next comes our Cindy and then her husband Kris. Then, Paul again and Mike just opened an antique milk bottle...1/2 gal. and it is from the Dairy where Mike's Dad worked forever. The bottom picture is our oldest grandson, Paxton, showing off the sling shot that Uncle Kris made for each of the boys.
Hope you all have had a fantastic day and that you continue to enjoy the blessings that we have been given.

Shhhhh......

Santa has arrived and all is ready. The kids will all be here at 9:30 for Christmas Brunch....can't wait! I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas tomorrow. I love you all and I am so glad you all are in my life :)

Holiday Happenings

Wow...it sure is great to take a breather! We have been so busy entertaining and I have been working more. The top picture is at the Chocolate store where I work. The picture in the middle is with my dare friend Marilyn...they were here for several days and it was kind a like running a Bed and Breakfast. The one at the bottom is all of us taken last evening when everyone got together for Marilyn and her husband Rich being here. I also worked today and drove home in the yucky rain. Delighted to be home for the evening. The kids will be done with school at noon on Wednesday and they are looking forward to a nice break. Hope you all are doing great....love you all!

Home again...

Dr. visit went well...but, he does want to see me in 4 months.  Cindy is home from the conference...she said she left early.  Many did not show up because there were slick roads this morning from the 1 " of snow...she left about 3 hours early so she could drive in daylight.  I was so happy to see her walk in the door.

Off to Dr. this morning....

Vampire work last week and then met with my primary Dr. on Friday to go over the results...all good and markers down.  Today I go to my specialist and very grateful that Mike is driving me.  All that wonderful clean out yesterday and this morning...I'm not worried about seeing the Dr....I will just be glad when it is over.
I have been praying and so concerned about Patsy...my post to her post while she is in the hospital has not gone through.  I so appreciate that you all are keeping me in the loop...I sure will be glad when she is home.
Dusting of snow and really cold here...I sure am not ready for this.  Cindy is attending a conference in Jefferson City today...she made it down there last night.  I sure will be glad when she gets home tonight.

My cousin Helen is looking good...her picture of Benjamin and her by the tree is darling!!!

Here it is...no photoshop here...

I really think Cindy out did herself this year....she really has my Mom's touch, plus Aunt Winnie's artistic eye! Merry Christmas to each and every one of you...I love you!

O Christmas Tree....

Here is my tree...taken this morning with my new coat. Now you need to know that I got this second hand coat at Saver's...how's that for $26.00. I love it.

Family...Thanksgiving

We really had a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving....Towards evening, the older ones thumbed through all the sale adds. They all shopped on line for the big sales and the story of Clayton and Black Friday was mentioned with some great laughter.
Later...Sam tried on his Aunts' big boots and then ask me for a cowboy hat...the next thing you knew...he and Tanner were putting on an impromptu western play which was based on a movie they saw at school. Whatever the basis...we were all just hooting at the performance.
All in all..it was just great fun.

Mostly finished

I don't think I have had too many stops since Thanksgiving....Cindy and I started decorating on Friday after Thanksgiving. I think I will be drawing out all the stops this year (as Cindy says...Mom you haven't felt like doing this for years, and she is right). The tree is up, but no picture yet. I have been working my part time job and we have had Sam over a great deal. I love my new part time job...I'm working at a boutique type Chocolate Shop that sells imported Belgium chocolate. It's kind of a strange job for someone that is working so hard to take off weight. I have lost 58 pounds so far....but it has been really difficult. However, craving chocolate has never been one of my problems.
We will be entertaining quite a bit over the holidays...thus...decorations!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful family....I am very thankful for each and every one of you!  I have made my dressing (Grandma Powell's), my sweet potatoes, have my Watergate Salad made and in a few minutes I will peel my potatoes.  It should be a great day tomorrow....only our immediate family will be here.  I usually have 19 or 20...but, none of us invited extras this year. 
My goal is to take some family pictures tomorrow...

Back in Routine

I have finally gotten back into routine around here.  Now I am going up to Sam's house at 7:30 AM instead of him coming here...he and his Dad were always running late.  I will go again tomorrow morning, but this morning Sam asked if he could come back down to our house in the mornings...I replied that that is up to him...only if  Sam will cooperate and be on time.
Sam is such a sweet kid, but he sure can be a pistol at times.
Monday night when they were out at TacoBell, Sam was playing his DS and without even looking up, he says "Hummmm, I wonder what Grandma and Grandpa were doing on Nov.21, 1971?"   His little math mind had figured out what might have been going on since our Cindy was born in September of 1972.  As Sam says,  that's way too much Adult Information!

Home Again

I got home around 11 this morning.  I'm not sure I will drive to St.Louis again by myself...I started home last night after the services around 4:30 and I thought I could do it.  It was really tough and I just could not see with darkness and heavy rain...so I pulled off and checked into a motel off of I70.  Then I got up at 6:45 and started home.  More than half of the drive I was driving in really thick fog....I'm really, really glad to be home.

RIP Roni

Just way too much loss these last few weeks...our dear friend Roni lost her battle with cancer this morning at 1 AM. Roni is the friend in the center. I presented her with a Prayer Shawl just this last April. All of us were just together for lunch when I went down to see Lisa and meet Reed just two weeks ago...then a week ago Tuesday they took her to the hospital and the cancer had spread to her spine...they had to put her in a semi-coma to control the pain and she never woke up. I am so happy she is not in pain any more.

St. Louis Trip

Top...down LouAnn and Katie, Abby, little Reed a nd Lisa, LouAnn and Barb, and Jimmie. We really had a great time celebrating little Reed's 1st birthday.

The Two of Us Fly Fishing

Bennett

Thank you all so much for the pictures...you all look like you had a fun time. . I wish I could have joined you all. Here is a picture of Skip fishing at Bennett Spring and I thought you all might enjoy... He looks more like Jim every day and his mannerisms are sooo the same.

School of the Ozarks

The last day in Branson was beautiful and we visited S of O and at a wonderful lunch at the Keeting Center. The students are still so friendly and the food was fantastic!

Home Again, Home Again...Jiggitty Jog

Back home from a week in Branson with good girl friends from Jewell.  Tired ...but had a great time!

He played a good game!

We had a wonderful time at Paxton's game on Saturday morning. He really had been hit hard in the back and was standing out for a few minutes. Also, he is very sad that his cousin Patsy is in Electronic Jail....