Merry Christmas at Grandma's House!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well, the family got together tonight to celebrate Christmas and have dinner at Grandma's house. Dinner consisted of Galumpky's ( stuffed cabbage in tomato sauce), Kielbasa, Italian Sausage, Smoked sausage, sauerkraut, boiled potatoes, corn and green beans and a huge lettuce and tomato salad. My Aunt Sally and Uncle Ed came with my cousin Steve and the gang loved the food. I think Ed had a piece of most of the pies and also a piece of cake.

Amber brought a couple of her music CDs and we had fun beebopping to some of the hits on it. Caroline and I really like the new song by PINK, called "SO WHAT". It has a great beat and we were really bopping to that one. After dinner Amber, Darin, Matthew, Sarah and Amanda (my step granddaughter) were sitting around our stereo playing more of her new music. The kids played checkers on the table in our pool table room and were chatting.


Here is Frank and Caroline after they just come in.

Here is Amber, Sarah, Matthew and Amanda playing checkers. This is our pool table room,/play room, we have a pinball game and a shuffel board also in there.

This is Darin by the Buffet counter with the food on it.

Here is Matthew and Sarah. Aren't they getting big? Sarah will be 12 the end of January and Matthew will be 10 the middle of January. How time flies!

How cute! Amber giving Darin a hug!

Caroline, Amber eating with Cousin Steve and Frank.

My Lovely Aunt Sally with her handsome hubby Ed.

My two girls! Caroline and Wendy.

It was my delight to have the whole family together with me tonight and be one together again. With Caroline's work schedule, working her both day and night each week, we always have to check her schedule before we can plan a day like today. I'm just to happy to have all those that I love so much getting together with me for a day. Makes all the work cooking worth it to me.

I hope however you celebrate the Holidays that everything comes out as great, or greater that what we have had!

Butterfly Award For ME! ?

Well, Caroline nominated me for this award, and I have to nominated her blog also, even if she is my precious daughter, she has amazed me with her wit and humor in portraying to others her life and family in her blog.


I also nominate Mal for this award because he was one of the first to visit and comment on my blog, but he is very interesting in his blog in a Aussie way, lol, and he amazes me with his stories and his children and his band.





I also nominate Momma at Momma's Corner for her humor and wit in portraying her life and times with her family and her animals, she got me beat in her tennacity to get things done. Im amazed with her stories, and she makes me laugh.

I also nominate Naomi the old lady of the hills, for her love of people, nature and her lovely photos of birds, bees, and her lovely flowers.

And Lastly, MISS ZOOT, who I read daily for her humor, her lovely, beautiful kids, and wonderful artistry in producing a great blog read.

Sorry, as of yet, I dont have so many to add, but I'm meeting and hearing from new friends all the time. I reserve the right to nominate others that I find as time goes on.




The rules for this award are:


1. Put the logo on your blog


2. Add a link to the person who awarded you


3. Nominate 10 other blogs for this award


4. Add links to those blogs


5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs


6. Give a reason why you consider their blogs cool.

Happy Holidays!

From Our House to yours Seasons Greetings

Sara's First Band Concert

Sarah has been practicing big time for this concert at school, in her first semester of taking band this year in 6th grade. Grandma and Grandpa has signed to pay the rental cost for her so she can be musical. She's doing a great job so far, based on what we heard her playing at our house for Thanksgiving. The school has a very small stage with over 100 Students in band this year! There was very little seating up close for a huge crowd, so we could not see the kids on stage in the far back rows we were behind some big people in front of us. We could hear the band well, but just couldnt see them. We took these pics after the show where we could get some better shots.

I brought her cousin, Amber and a school friend of Amber's who wanted to come along, and Wendy brought Amanda Sarah's 16 year old half sister as well as Matthew, Sarah's little brother.

Here's Sarah tooting her horn

Amanda, Sarah's big sister

Amber and her school friend (left)

Matthew, Sarah's (BIG) Little Bro.

What a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Well, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving together with my girls, the grandkids, my elderly Aunt Sally and Uncle Ed and my Cousin Steve.

Caroline

Caroline came over on Wednesday with her kids and helped chop the vegies and peel the potatoes for dinner, they they all helped clean my floors and wipe the tables and vacuum my house. (Caroline even cleaned the filters for my vacuum cleaner)

I just had to assemble the stuffing and put the turkeys in the oven and baste them, then put the potatoes on to cook. I had two turkeys again, because traditionally we have the kids over again on Friday to help eat up all the leftovers, so we have actually have two dinners each year. The first small turkey was used up on Thursday, plus half of the second one.

On Thursday Caroline came over earlier and made deviled eggs from the eggs i boiled and help me set up the buffet table with cheese and crackers and set out the vegie tray with Ranch dressing. Only Sarah and Wendy came for dinner as Mark and Matthew were feeling poorly from flu symptoms, and at 1pm my Aunt and Uncle and Cousin came.

My Uncle Ed is now 95 (but you would never believe his age by looking at him) and I believe Sally is now about 87 or 88. They are beautiful people and have been a source of love and support for all my life. Sally has been like a second Mother to me since my Mom died several years ago.

Frank and Darin helped drain and mash the potatoes and set it into the trays for the buffet. Everyone feasted and were raving about how good the food was.

After dinner we brought out the pumpkin pies, the jello, the apple pie, the cherry pie and the banana cream pie, Steve even brought me a plate of mixed fruit. Everyone were wanting a nap after such a great meal.

Wendy then wrapped all the left overs and washed the dishes and pans for me and fixed a couple plates to go home to poor Mark and Matthew to saver the feast.

All cleaned up and waiting now for the CHRISTMAS FEAST TO COME! I cant thank my family enough for all their help before and after to make this feast happen, and without which I dont think this old lady could have pulled it off!

I was so busy that day that I didnt even get out my camera to take pics, so with the help of Caroline and her camera, here is a glimpse into out big day..........

Darin and Grandpa chatting in the family room

Caroline, Frank , Darin and Amber

Sweet Aunty Sally

Uncle Ed and Cousin Steve

Cutie Amber

Wendy - Frank in Background

Sarah

It beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Yay! I got the decorations out front for Christmas just in time before todays first big snowfall. The milder weather earlier last week was a good time to get it started. Red flashing lights are on the pine wrapping around the porch rails and decorate the front window. We got a good inch of snow this afternoon and more is scheduled to later tonight and the next few days. AND I'm still working on getting our Thanksgiving dinner planned and purchased! Well hope your Holidays are beautiful and everything is as wonderful for all of you!

Carousel and Santa - lit trees on porch with a lighted wreath.

A Nice Day for the Cider Mill

Saturday was a great day for going to Yates Cider Mill and Amber was staying over while Darin and Frank went small game hunting and to try out Darin's new gun we got him for Christmas. They didnt get anything, but Darin got a little experience with the gun. Amber is our animal lover and is great with the dogs, so she helped us take the dogs for a walk and ride there.

I was really shocked that the leaves were falling so much at the place, while ours at home havent even turned color yet, much less fall! Yates is only about 15-18 miles North of out house but there was much more color up there. Im NOT looking forward to Winter! Amber took the dogs for a walk along the beautiful river and watched the ducks swimming. The dogs liked walking the trails in the woods and were tuckered out after. Amber even ran into two classmates on the trails in the woods, seems that a lot of people had the same idea for such a beautiful day.

Bunny and Knight were glad to relax in the car after the excitement of seeing other dogs, and so many people walking around. Lots of people stopped to pet the dogs and remark on how cute they are. We agree.

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TO A LOVELY YOUNG LADY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER !

Amber turned 13 this Friday and for her birthday I took her and her brother to another Concert at Warren City Hall, which included carnival rides, and concerts, including the Polish Muslims a comedy band who use Polish names and foods in their very funny act on stage with current songs, and for the final act we saw Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, singing their famous songs like Jenny Jenny and Shake a Tailfeather. The kids just enjoyed the shows and being out with Grandma.

Amber's here waiting for the show to begin. See the stage on the left.

Grandma and Amber, what a great girl she is.

Darin wasn't feeling very good but he said he really did enjoy the shows.

The Polish Muslims band.

Mitch Ryder on stage. on the right.

After the show the city had fireworks for the crowd, but it was late after the show, so we left early.

It was great to spend Amber's Birthday evening with her and her brother. I thank God that the still like to hang with an old lady like me.

A new BABY in our household!

This is our new baby, Knight, on the right with our 15 month old Bunny on the left. Knight is a 6 month old Black Lab mixed puppy who my son-in-law found as a stray at his work last month. Of course, since they already had 3 dogs, he asked my hubby if he wanted him. (hubby hid it from me until the dog arrived) He is very shy, but playful with Bunny. In the last few weeks we got him his first puppy shots and last week had him neutered. (although Bunny was already fixed when we got her from the shelter., but just in case.) Knight is just learning his name now and has only had a couple accidents in the house so far, but we put him in a dog crate during the night for safe keeping, till we are sure we can trust him. Poor Bunny continually catches him playing with all her toys and eventually takes them away from him, and once in a while they get into a fight when Knight gets a little rambunctious with his play biting. Amber caught a few shots of both dogs licking and rolling on the floor together. Let me tell you, they both keep us busy watching out for them, and seperating them when they get too ramuctious with their running around.
We're a two dog family now !

<---This is Knight , I had to chase him down to get this pic. LOL! He's got floppy flippy ears!

Sometimes I think Bunny wonders what do to with this little kid we brought her to play with. ----->

This is the two kids licking and rolling on the floor for our entertainment. Bunny has the pink collar, Knight is in blue. i hope that eventually they will be good friends as they grow up. Time will tell.

Construction is FINALLY Finished!

Finally this summer we had our contractor who beautified our house come and finish our final work on our garage and he built us a nice big shed to add to our storage.

This shed is 12'x14' and we plan to paint it light blue like our house siding with white trim.

We had the contractor cut down the garage to a 1-3/4 size to allow us to get the mower through between the house and the garage, (there used to be only a 2 ft. path between the garage and house),leaving a little carport to drive the riding mower through the carport. He had to use metal poles to support the roof.

The contractor built a nice white gate to keep our dog(s) in the yard. He even used the same blue siding on the front of our garage. Looks nice- dont it? The carport will add to our patio in the back of the yard.

A new gate was also built on the far side of the yard to contain the dog (s) in the side yard. This used to be the only way we could get the mower into the back yard.

Here is a little peek at some of the flowers blooming in my front yard at this moment.........Love them. Daisies--->

<---Snowball bush

<------ My Easter lillies flower bloomed AGAIN!

Some Sedum flowers----->