Thursday, December 10, 2015

MELODY'S VISIT AND OUR EARLY CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION!

Well it's mid afternoon on Thursday, Dec 10th and I can hardly believe it....there has been soo much activity packed into the last week that I am not sure I can even properly catch you up, lol.  And since I am pretty sure you would all live right on without the catch up, I am tempted to just not even try. But as I have said a million times, this blog is supposed to be a journal of my life for my kids and grandkids to enjoy some day so I will just make a stab at it.  Maybe I will break it into a couple of posts, which I am sure would be easier to read, but then I would just feel like I have something left to do that's just hanging there, so I am going to try my best to wrap it up with one, lol.

I did my VERY best to have everything completed BEFORE they arrived, but I did not quite pull it off.  They pulled into our driveway about 5 am last Thursday morning having driven all night.  The kids slept the WHOLE way practically and my daughter got in some sleep too, so they were excited and ready for their day.  Mike toppled into bed though to get at least a few hours of sleep and the rest of us began our day.  I am just going to hit the highlights of each day so as to not turn this into an unreadable marathon, so let me see....That day probably the best highlight was hubby and I took Sam and Luke into downtown Brea to have lunch at Farrell's ice cream parlor, and to see the Christmas decorations that line the street.  Melody and Mike stayed at home with baby Claire hoping to grab some more sleep.  Can't tell you how much we both enjoyed the boys on this trip.  They are just sooo sweet, and really behaved amazingly well for us as well.  I've got a couple of cute pics from this outing.

SOO CUTE

LUKE FINISHED HIS WHOLE ICE CREAM TREAT!  LOL  PRETTY BIG BITE THERE LUKEY

SAM CAME CLOSE TO FINISHING TOO!

SINCE SANTA IS ONLY THERE ON THE WEEK-ENDS, THE BOYS SAT IN HIS EMPTY CHAIR...DON'T THINK EITHER ONE HAD A A CLUE AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON AS SANTA HAS NOT BEEN PUSHED MUCH AT THEIR HOUSE, BUT IT WAS FUN NONETHELESS

THEY LOVED THIS!
LOVE THIS REINDEER! LOL
Friday night we attempted to see some Christmas light displays right here in Brea but it did not go as well as we hoped, lol.  Little Claire was just not feeling it and broke into a bawling jag in the car [think she was sick of the car much after their long drive? lol] but we did get in some houses and some Christmas carols in the car before she flipped out, and it was fun.  Then Sat was our big Christmas gathering day.  Honestly I PLANNED on getting lots of pics.  Of us and the grandkids, presents, dinner, etc. etc., but ended up getting very few.  It was a wonderful WONDERFUL day however.  In the morning a couple of my sisters and a couple of my nieces stopped by for a couple of hours to see the kids and visit some with Mel and Mike BEFORE my whole family showed up, so trust me it was a long, long day.  They took a couple of pics of that [which I stole from instagram] so I can show you those...

CLAIRE WAS WEARING HER NEW CHRISTMAS OUTFIT [WHICH I DID FINISH UP!] AND WAS READY FOR VISITORS!

NIECE TABI AND CLAIRE [AND A PRETTY LOOK AT OUR TREE TOO!]

NIECE KATIE AND CLAIRE

ME AND CLAIRE AND SAM...LUKE WAS STILL NAPPING
My sons and their families began showing up around 2 and for the rest of our day we were sooo busy that it went WAY faster then I would have liked.  It is just SO rare for us to all be together under one roof anymore, but everyone sure enjoys themselves soo much when we do.  The only one who was missing was our oldest grandson who was working.  Really not bad when you consider how many there are of us.  We were 22 altogether that day.  We snacked through the day on stuffed mushrooms, various yummy cheeses and crackers, chips, candies, cookies and 3 different kinds of pie.  Then for dinner we had ham, potato salad, baked beans, rolls, and veggie and fruit trays. ALL of the women helped out bringing food, and setting it up, and cleaning it up and I was very grateful! Goodness there was plenty of food left over too, and we all ate WAY too much besides.  We played games, enjoyed lively conversations, opened presents and watched the grandkids enjoy each other.  We are a little crowded in our house when we are all here, but we all made the most of it.   The kids exchanged presents with each other, and everyone of course gave their gifts to Mel and her family, but the rest of us will wait until Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to exchange ours.  Hubby and I will travel down to my youngest son's house for Christmas Eve dinner and service and they will open theirs then, and then on Christmas Day hubby and I will go to my oldest son's house for Christmas dinner and will exchange with them and my middle son then.  This way all the families with kids can just stay at home and let hubby and I travel around...much easier for everyone!  I have a couple of pics to share from that day, but honestly I just didn't get many.  Hubby I think got more, but I haven't checked his phone yet, lol, so I will just go with mine for now.  If he has anything good, I will add those later...

MY KIDS....[from left to right]  JOHN, MELODY, JAMES, AND JOE

WHEN THEY FIRST LINED UP FOR A PIC THEY STOOD LIKE THE PIC ABOVE AND I SAID TO THEM, "CAN'T YOU EVER POSE DIFFERENTLY?"  APPARENTLY THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FUNNY WITH THIS ONE, LOL

MY OLDEST TWO GRAND DAUGHTERS WITH CLAIRE....ANNABEL AND LINDSEY.  ANNABEL IS SIXTEEN WEEKS PREGNANT WITH OUR VERY FIRST GREAT GRAND DAUGHTER, BUT MORE ON THAT EXCITING SUBJECT LATER!  PRETTY SURE HUBBY GOT A PIC OF HER AND HER FIANCE, BUT I DIDN'T GET ONE

SAM SURE LOVED GRANDPA'S SINGING HAT!

SWEET SWEET CLAIRE TOOK MOST OF HER NAPS JUST LIKE THIS....IN GRANDMA'S ARMS!
It was one of those days that will go down in the memory books as a really good one and I was grateful for every minute.  The last of them left close to midnight and Mel and Mike and hubby and I sat up talking for another hour.  When I finally tumbled into bed I was really tired let me tell you, but it was a good tired.  Sun they headed out to do the whole thing again with Mike's family.  Hubby and I put the house back together and spent the rest of the day on the couch watching Christmas movies and relaxing....and did we ever need it, lol! 

Monday morning we headed out bright and early for Disneyland.  That was another full, fun, BUSY and somewhat exhausting day.  I rent a scooter to get around in or it would be completely out of the question for me.  I walked WAY over a mile from the parking lot to the scooter rental place [and back again when we left!] and trust me that was hard enough.  Some friends of Mike and Mel, and my youngest son and his oldest daughter joined us on the day.  We spent the first part of the day with Mike and Mel, and the second half with James and Capri.  James took Capri to Disneyland for her 11th birthday and to thoroughly enjoy the one on one time he got with her that day.  They were just soo sweet together. James is a good daddy, and all of his children are very blessed to have him.  But this grandma REALLY appreciated seeing the special relationship they share in such a close up way. I did ride a few rides [including my favorite, the roller coaster the Matterhorn] but I spent most of my day enjoying the grandkids have fun and just watching people.  The place was packed....and I mean packed!  I do enjoy Disneyland at Christmas time, but it has been a long time since we have. I have a few pics I can share...

WAITING IN SOME LINE....SILLY LUKEY!

LUKE STARTED OUT NOT LIKING THIS RIDE...LOL....BUT HE WORKED IN!



GRANDPA AND I AND CLAIRE SAT MOST OF THESE RIDES OUT,LOL. SHE WAS SOOO GOOD!

SAM PASSED OUT FOR A NAP FOR A WHILE, LOL

JAMES AND CAPRI

IN FRONT OF US ON THUNDER MOUNTAIN!

GRANDMA LOVING UP ON CLAIRE!


THIS WAS THE SCENE I TRAVELED BEHIND FOR SEVERAL HOURS OF THE DAY AND I COULDN'T RESIST SNAPPING A PIC.  THEY ALMOST MADE MY WHOLE DAY!  MAYBE BECAUSE MY OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH MY FATHER WAS SUCH A POOR ONE, THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT OUR GRANDKIDS ARE ALL SOOO BLESSED BY THEIRS!

Tuesday hubby headed into work, and Mike and Mel went to see friends and then back to his sisters house for the rest of the day and evening, and I spent it laying exhausted in a chair, lol.  Good thing I had these break days in between my busy days or not sure I could have kept up, lol.  Oh to be young again...

Wednesday morning hubby went to work and Mel and Mike met my niece Jessie at the Santa Ana zoo for the morning and then for lunch, and I again spent most of it relaxing, though I did work on my Bible study and began organizing some of these pics.  They were home in time enough though to nap the kids and when they woke up Mel and I headed to the Mall.  Again, not something with these knees I do much anymore, but I actually did pretty good.  We took them to see Santa and shopped around a little bit before heading back home. They all did great with Santa which at their ages may not have been the case, but it didn't even occur to them to be scared.  Their kids are ALL very extroverted and out going and very, very social, so it does make some things easy.  Let me show you the pics from the zoo and Santa



SANTA ANA ZOO

SAM AND LUKE WITH LITTLE WESTON THEIR COUSIN. I JUST ADORE THIS PIC OF THEM!

MEL AND MY NIECE JESSICA. [the one who does my hair!]  THESE GIRLS ARE 11 WEEKS APART AND HAVE BEEN INSEPARABLE SINCE THEY WERE BABIES....I AM SOO GLAD THEY GOT TO SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER WITH THEIR KIDS

SAM LOVED THE MONKEYS!

SMALL ZOO AND LOTS OF PETTING OPPORTUNITIES...NEVER DID HEAR WHAT THEY ARE PETTING HERE THOUGH, LOL
RODE THE MERRY GO ROUND....LUKE WAS STILL A LITTLE UNSURE OF THIS KIND OF RIDE, BUT HE DID HANG IN THERE THIS TIME, LOL
WE THOUGHT CLAIRE MIGHT CRY WHEN SHE TURNED AROUND AND GOT A LOOK AT WHO WAS HOLDING HER, BUT SHE JUST WENT WITH IT, LOL



Wed night my middle son John and his new wife joined us for their last dinner and evening here and it was another super good time.  We all got to bed pretty early though, and they loaded up this morning and took off around nine am.  I will tell you truthfully I do feel sorry for them over that LONG drive home with those 3 little ones though, but then they are still in their twenties and I am sure they "hang" much better then I do with those drives.  I am SOOO grateful for this LONG visit and all the time I got to love on and spend with each one of those little ones.  The sweet things they said and did were too many to count up.  My cup truly runneth over.  I will have to spend a couple of day [at least] adjusting to them begin gone again and no little ones knocking on my door in the morning to see if I am up yet, lol.  I did somehow manage to put my house completely back together today [it does take a little re-arranging etc.] and gave everything a good vacuum and wipe down and I am finishing up the laundry as I type this, so it is almost as if they were never here.  Melody texted me a while ago and said that Sam has said to her, "I think grandma was a little sad we were leaving mom, [he wasn't ready to go home!] do you think maybe she is missing me already?"  And the answer to that would be a big YES Sam!  Tomorrow I will get back to a little bit of sewing I still need to finish up, and I have a few presents to still buy and wrap, but for the most part plan on taking it pretty easy until the new year.  I am hoping to get around to visit and catch up with all of you in the next couple of days as well.  Blessings to you all!

PRETTY TUCKERED OUT FROM THEIR TRIP!  HOW I LOVE THEM!



9 comments:

  1. Wowzer! You did it! And I am pretty sure that I read every word. Ahhhh...the joys of a family that continues to grow! The children are all so cute. Hope that you get a chance to write down all those funny things that the kids say before they're lost. What a busy week you had. I think you're pretty amazing to get everything back under control so quickly. The memories you've made are such sweet ones, even Claire "flipping out!" =D

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  2. I read every word and felt like I was having Christmas at your house. What I wouldn't give to have all my family together for even a day, but it just never seems to work out. The pics of the children were delightful and I absolutely love what Sam said to his mommy. If he only knew how empty our house and heart is when they leave! Thanks for sharing and I hope the rest of your Christmas celebration will be as sweet as the first part.

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  3. Merry Christmas, Debbie, to you and your beautiful family.

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  4. I can feel the joy of having all of your family under one roof!! (We had that at Thanksgiving and it was a delight!) Oh, what wonderful times you had...all together, in smaller groups, and I'll bet you and your hubby enjoyed your quiet times in the midst of the busyness, especially knowing that everyone was near! Merry Christmas to all of you as you continue to celebrate His coming!!

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  5. Wow I wondered what you had been doing. How nice though to have everyone together before Christmas. It looks like you had perfect weather and having all of your kids together has to be the best. Congrats on being a great grandmother too.
    I loved seeing each and every picture. You just have beautiful grand kids and kids. It looks like such a blast. I bet you are resting now. :) Thanks for sharing Debbie.

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  6. Awesome! awesome! read, Deb, what an awesome family you have, Just keep journaling, I do enjoy reading about memories being made by close loving families! This brought back so many wonderful memories for me, if you could see me smiling at those photos!
    The statement Sam made was priceless, Kids know when they are loved and cared for, we try not to let them know how sad we are when they leave but they see our hearts!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Love from me to you!
    Sue

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  7. I thoroughly enjoyed this post. So many sweet pictures and it sounds like you had such a great time with your family. There is nothing much better than spending time with family.

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  8. Oh, Debbie, that was a busy, busy few days and I'd be tuckered out too. But, how wonderful that you had this time with your kids and Grans. And, I can't even imagine traveling with 3 little ones that far. My goodness, young or not, that's got to be tough. Hoping you are feeling rested now. Happy week!

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  9. I am exhausted!! You always amaze me and inspire me. I just had all mine for a couple of hours!! Rest!!! Great pictures, Merry Christmas

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I am so glad that you would take the time to comment on my thoughts and feelings, it is such a blessing to me!