Year in Review 2018

Time once again to look back at the happenings during the year and our family.
Our daughters:

Trica and Dick 2018 They are empty nesters except when Paige comes home to visit.  They have a dog named Jade, a cat named Bailey and of course Sigourney Paige’s pig.

Jen and Andy still have a couple of years before they are empty nesters.  They have two Shelties…Miney(13) and Little Elvis(8).

The girls and their spouses all have jobs!

Grands:

Savannah 2018

Savannah is attending Bemidji State University and has two part time jobs.  This year she gained a cat named Simba to join her animal group which includes Chewy and Luna.

Maddie 2018

Maddie took Hey Mikey and moved to Michigan.  She has a job there as a Dental Assistant.  She has two dogs; Deacon and a new pup named Amos.  Sadly her kitty Ziggy died this year.

 

Paige 2018

Paige is attending the University of Minnesota at Duluth.  She still has a pot bellied pig named Sigourney who lives with her parents…cause you cannot take a pig to college.

Noah 2018

Noah attends the University of North Dakota.   He works full time while going to school.

Adam 2018

Adam is a Junior in High School.

Great Grandchild:

Hey Mikey is busy little guy who is 19 months old now.  He makes us smile!

Children make your life important…  Erma Bombeck

Deaths:

Friend Ruby (100),  friend Jim (71), Aunt Delores (82), Aunt Louise (88), Aunt Lila (86), Brother in Law Tim (63), Cousin Tammy (49) and Cousin Marc (50). May they all rest in peace.

Pet Deaths:

Many paw prints were left upon our hearts this year. 

Biggest Changes:  Life without a dog.

Biggest Frustrations: People and places with heavy perfume and after shave.  The Clean Air Act is supposed to protect people from air pollution…that would include any and all perfume/fragrances.  This year I have noticed that peoples clothing stinks from fabric softner/ fabric softner pellets that keep on giving and giving.

Happiest Moment in 2018: For me that was being able to bring Far Guy home from the hospital after three hospital visits.   For Far Guy:  Most likey his 50th Class Reunion.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Snowmen

I added a big snowman to the little snowmen by the front door.  Seems a perfect decoration for this time of year.

 

I could have glitzed it up but I like it simple.

I am pondering on my one word intention for this new year.  I have not decided yet…discover…explore…relax.   I like them all.

11 years

I began blogging on this date in 2007.  Time goes by faster and faster as you get older.  I read someplace or someone told me  …when your brain is all filled up with memories time seems to go faster and faster….when we are young and had fewer memories time went by slowly.

Today I will share with you again the much awaited Japanese Lilac blooms…I waited 17 years for them to bloom so they are worth a mention or two on the blog!

I was thrilled with these long awaited blooms.

The blog will continue, perhaps a bit differently some days.

Thank you for reading.  When I first began this blog it was in a Area Newspaper, sadly those blog posts are no longer available to read…however I was fairly anal back then and made hard copies.

Hand Bag

My Mom sews, she practically has a fabric shop at her house.  She sews just about every day.

She made me this lovely little bag.

It is just perfect for holding crochet projects that I carry around with me.

Sweater and what not

Some sweaters are almost as funny as the expressions on those wearing them.

Andy Christmas 2018

This sweater was embellished on the back…by Jen for the close to Christmas Vex Robotics Tournaments.

Now for the what not to send in a Christmas Card.

Many small foil/glitter pieces that fall out of the card as soon as you open it…might cause someone to say Oh “bad word”

Have you encountered this?

Second hand glitter…some Christmas cards have glitter that comes off on your hands and then what ever you touch is all glittery. 

Christmas 2018

Everyone gathered up north.  Church on Christmas Eve was beautiful. A small county church where we sang Christmas Hymns and had readings from the Bible and a short sermon…and a candle lighting while singing Silent night.

Stockings were hung across from the Christmas tree.

After each arrival more stockings were hung.

Finally everyone was there including one beau, one fiancee and one girlfriend.

My five or “The Five”  tallest to shortest left to right.  This is also their birth order right to left.

Proof of tallness.

We had a lovely brunch with several different kinds of egg bake, some little smokie sausages wrapped in bacon, caramel rolls, fruit and an assortment of cookies.

The tree was beautiful!

It was so pretty that someone had to inspect it many many times.

Hey Mikey!  Tree and Ornament Inspector!

We ended the afternoon with a white elephant gift exchange…I got a sign which I donated to Noah, and Far Guy got a pair of pink slippers that he donated to me.

We are blessed to be able to gather everyone together on Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

2018 Christmas card

2018 Christmas letter

Lights and Shiny Brites

Last night we picked up the elderly folks and went to Wadena to see the Christmas lights.

This place has quite the light show during December.  They have their own radio station and the lights are in tune with the music.   It was the first time my parents had been there.

On the way back home since I had my camera all set up and on the tripod for Christmas lights …we stopped by Main Street.

Nice to have one block of Main Street all to myself.

The Shiny Brite tree didn’t happen this year.  I was way to busy with other things.  However I did put some of the new/old Shiny Brites on my spinning wheel.  I bought two packages of ornaments at a second hand shop for $1.50.

There is a tree up there that hangs there all year…the Angel stayed up all year too…I added the Santa from Maddie to the grouping.  Tis very festive! ( And will be real easy to put away)

Happy Christmas Eve!

December Wedding

Last evening we attended the wedding of my cousin.  He has been a widower a number of years and found himself a gal who has been a widow a long time.  They are both 70 something.  They enjoy each others company and make each other happy.

 

The minister said that they are the most “in love” couple he has ever counseled before marriage.

I was the official photographer….what are cousins for anyways!  The grooms brother was the best man and the grooms aunt was the matron of honor.

It was a lovely ceremony with a wedding supper that followed the ceremony.  Sandwiches, chips, pickles, pasta salads and jello salads….oh and punch, coffee and wedding cake.

I may share a photo of the happy couple someday…but for now the groom and bride have not seen the photos…and they should see them first.

The church was packed, there was standing room only for the ceremony.  This couple has much support from family and the community. (They didn’t send out any invitations.  Invitation was by word of mouth only.) 

Sunset

My other baby brother called me late in the day December 19th…it had been sprinkling some RAIN drops and there was an awesome rainbow.  Well the sun was setting fast…by the time I made it out of the trees and down the road the rainbow was gone.  However I did enjoy a beautiful sunset.

As you can see we have very little snow…but that will probably change in the next few days.

We have been getting many Christmas cards in the mail everyday…such fun to read!   Some surprise packages have been delivered.

A battery operated candle in a beautiful holder.  The glow is from the candle.  It was such a thoughtful gift!  It made me cry. Thank you Doug and Lisa!  Lisa is a long time blog reader from Washington State…she and Far Guy share the dreaded Trigeminal Neuralgia. 

Yesterday was the shortest day of the year…from now on we gain daylight!  Sun rises at 8:03 AM and sets at 4:34 PM with a total of 8 hours and 31 minutes of daylight…less on dreary cloudy days.

All Boxed Up

The last of the gifts have been boxed up.  These are special “from the heart” gifts to be revealed at a later date.

 

I made one last trip to the Post Office…the guy that works there looked at me and sighed as I dumped more packages on his counter.   There was a long line...it was longer when I left.

I have made the list and checked it twice.  Everything will be checked off by the end of the weekend…I hope.  I have gifts to deliver and last minute errands to run.

 

49 years and counting

We were married 49 years ago today.  It was a 2 PM ceremony at the church with a reception afterwards in the church sociial hall… small sandwiches, cookies, mints and cake…oh and coffee and punch. We had a wedding dance the next night (Sunday) at Anglers Tavern in Osage.  It was bitterly cold… –20 F.

We honeymooned for one night in Thief River Falls, Minnesota where it was even colder.

Today we will go out for a late lunch most likely with my parents and then have a quiet evening at home.

I still have the veil…the dress was made into a Baptismal Gown and Hey Mikey wore it.

Happy Anniversary to us!