Baby love (or why I had my kids when I was 20 years younger!)

It's Friday morning and still quiet here. It won't be for long, however. :o)

We kept Randy's kids overnight, and they've all slept well, but the hours leading up to bedtime were sure busy! The hours leading up to the time they go home promise to be the same!

I'm used to having my evenings to putter around the house, play on the computer, read, and sometimes watch tv. Obviously that didn't happen last night, which is okay, I'm just not used to it.

Grace was the only one not "damaged" over the course of the evening - Wyatt was crawling around in the kitchen and got under my feet, so his fingers got stepped on. Garett was pulling himself up to stand at the dining room table and bonked his head on the table leg when he fell down. His poor forehead has a bruise, but it's not the first.

Wyatt and I had a big fight about sitting at the supper table to eat. He ought to be pretty hungry for breakfast this morning, and I will feed him well - but at the table...

Grace loves buttons and knobs, but when it came to playing with the electronics, even Uncle Greg was heard to say (quite kindly) , "NO Grace!". :o)

Garett didn't really get in trouble besides the bruising incident. He loves to cuddle.

It was fun to watch them all interact with each other. The most fun for them was sitting at the windows looking outside. Grace fell in love with the curtains and had the best time putting them over her face.

This morning we plan to build a tent with the table and some blankets. Won't that be an adventure?

I could not have had them here yesterday and last night and this morning without Jessi's help. I got up once in the night to check on them, and I know Jess was up with them, too. I didn't hear anything, but I'm glad she took care of whatever was needed.

Leslie gets a huge gold star for still being such a great mom!

I confess, Grace went to bed with cereal and prunes on her face - I just didn't get to the kitchen for a washcloth.

Well, it has begun - Garett is sitting on my lap as I type. I'm off to make breakfast - he thinks he's STARVING!

merry&happy&love

I read this quote this morning and it spoke to me:

"Christmas is not for children. It is for those who refuse to give up and grow old, for those to whom life comes newly and with purpose each and every day, for those who can let yesterday go so that life can be full of new possibility always, for those who are agitated with newness whatever their age. Life is for the living, for those in whom Christmas is a feast without finish, a celebration of the constancy of change, a call to being once more the journey to human joy and holy meaning." ( Sister Joan D. Chittister )

We had a nice holiday. Christmas Eve candlelight service has always touched me, ever since the first time we went in 1975. This was the first Christmas after Arlan died and our whole family went to church that year. Greg, the kids, and I go every year, and Greg's whole family is usually there. This year I got to read the Gospel story to the congregation - I felt awe and joy as I read those familiar words out loud.

Supper and gifts with Greg's family followed worship, then a quick phone conversation with Tonita's family.

We had church again at 8:30 this morning. Very small gathering - only 20 people including the organist - but it was lovely with the sun shining in the stained glass windows. I was worship assistant today and ended up hugging almost every person as they left the sanctuary. That was fun. :o)

Home to open gifts, but Santa hadn't come - or had he? Awesome new ice scrapers left for both Lott children. What happened to their iPods? Were they too naughty to get them after all?

They still got lovely gifts - and Jessi got the tennis shoes, not Nick, who really did not want new shoes. Mom (me) got an Mp3 player, why didn't the kids? What's with the long faces? Didn't Nick like his cell phone? Didn't Jessi need a new winter coat?

Okay, Mom (me) couldn't take it any longer and made Santa (Greg) give them the iPods.

Happiness reigns once again in our home!

We enjoyed a scrumptious early lunch so Nick could get to work on time, then Jessi and I had a wonderful nap. I'm thinking about going to see Randy's kids for a little while. I need to learn how to put music on my Mp3 player, too. And I'm re-doing the bathroom. Right now the week looms large with so much time to get things done, but I'm not fooled. It will quickly fill up and then suddenly be gone and we'll all go back to our jobs and school and regular life. Or will we?

Not if we read and remember the quote at the beginning of this post. So many possiblities with each new day...

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Love to all!

Sweet things

What a weekend! I'm finally recovering and it's Wednesday already. (Yeah, I don't party much anymore!)
We had a nice "Regier Christmas" on Saturday night with Alan, Angela, Randy, Leslie, their kids, Greg, me, and our kids here. Too much food, lots of drink, fun presents. We do a grab bag gift exchange and allow stealing. It seems the rules change every year, and every year we say we're going to write down how we did it, but we never do. :o)
Saturday was also Nick's birthday - 22 years old. Oy! Where did the time go? His little sister brought home a birthday cake for him from McDonald's. He wasn't such a fan of the McD's part, but we enjoyed the chocolate cake. So did Wyatt. This photo shows him stealing licks of frosting when no grown-ups were watching. I actually took the picture of Leslie, but happened to catch our frosting thief in the background. He was actually leaning over the back of the chair and stretching to reach the cake in order to get a sweet taste.

On Sunday, Angela played her violin at my church. It was beautiful. She and Alan both said the acoustics in the church were awesome. As I watched and listened to her play, I started to cry. It occured to me how much Mom would have enjoyed hearing her play, and that it is so sad she will never have known Angela on this earth and how happy she and Alan are. (Yep, 44 years old, my hormones are all over the map!)

After church, we ate brunch, then went to visit Grandma Regier at the nursing home. I'd had her quilt cleaned and we hung it on the wall for her. Angela got out her violin and played several Christmas songs for Grandma while we were there. The neighbor lady came over to say "thank you". She used to play the violin and very much enjoyed listening to Ang play. Grandma just smiled and smiled.

The sweetest thing about the weekend, though, was Greg's dad coming home from the hospital. He still has to have labs done frequently, but doesn't go back to Omaha for awhile. We know your prayers have helped, and hope you continue to pray for his recovery.

I attended Aunt Ruth's funeral yesterday morning. It was a small gathering, mostly her children and grandchildren. Aunt Take, Kenny, and I were the only extended relatives from the Gifford side there. Her grandson, Andrew Hergenrader, conducted the service. The most comforting part of his message was that he and Aunt Ruth talked about her funeral before she passed away, and she asked him to tell everyone, "It's okay. I'm in a better place now."

So she is. May she rest in peace.

Photoplay

Just some more photos tonight. Last week when I couldn't sleep, I went through some Photoshop tutorials and played. Enjoy!

Generations

So there was an email from Cousin Joyce yesterday to let the family know that Aunt Ruth passed away. She was the last of Grandma Adams' siblings, and lived to be almost 93.

I hadn't seen Aunt Ruth in a few years. She used to come to the York Senior events at the church where we have our Head Start center, and I made sure to stop and chat as often as I could. We would argue about the thermostat setting - my classroom and her craft room shared one, and she wanted it turned way up in the winter. I tried to explain that I'd bring her a sweater, but the kiddoes in my classroom were about to suffocate and there was no way I could turn it up any more! :o)

She sent me a large packet of family history information one time after I mentioned I was doing some geneaology research online. I guess I shared that interest with her.

I keep thinking that a generation of our family is gone now, but perhaps only physically. We remember them, we tell their stories, and they live on. I believe that about my mom and my dad, and hope that will be true for us all.

Sniff, sniff, achoo!

Ah, the cold and flu season. This one snuck up on me. I tried to deny it. Washed my hands, used antibacterial hand lotion, drank orange juice. It came anyway. Stupid germs.

Christmas decorating has gone so slowly. I will finish tonight. What is done when I go to bed is it. The totes go to the garage in the morning. I don't know why decorating was such a chore this year. I usually really enjoy it, and I love having the Christmas tree up.

I am excited to host my coworkers this year for a holiday party. These ladies step up every day and work so hard that it will be my pleasure to pamper them.

Then my family will gather here the next evening. Again, I love to have them here. The boys (Alan and Randy - they'll always be "the boys" to Tonita and I) will eat anything, so I get to make new and interesting food. This year the goodies will include something with caviar. Jess and I found some when we were shopping at the mall in Omaha last weekend. Yeah, it can't be that great since I could afford it, but we' ve never had it and thought it would be fun.

On Sunday Angela will play her violin at church. I'm looking forward to that, and I know the people at church will enjoy it.

That's it for this week. I'm hoping for a full night's sleep soon. . .

Greg's favorite thing?

With more snow forecast this week, Greg is getting cranky. He prefers those 100 degree days in the middle of summer. Every time he walks in the house the past few days he's muttering, "I HATE winter!" under his breath. I tried to point out the beauty of the frosty tree branches as the sun came up yesterday, but the charm was lost on him. At least we don't live in Northern China where they had 41 consecutive hours of heavy snow this weekend. . .

Playing

Just playing with my photo editing program a little. Thought I'd share...

A Wonderful Day

Yesterday, that is. Today waits to be seen. . .

It started out with the most beautiful snowfall there is. Heavy snow, but no wind. Gorgeous. Filled the air with snowflakes gently floating around, landing softly. LOTs of snowflakes! :o)

The church ladies' brunch still had several attending despite the weather. Our program was about the different "hats" that mothers wear. A fun presentation and so true.

Then Greg and Jessica met me at the brunch, we picked up Nick, and all of us headed for Omaha to visit Greg's parents. We wanted to go, but Bob was so ill through the week, we worried about seeing him. We shouldn't have, though, because while he's very thin and weak, he looked wonderful. Good color and strong hugs. :o) We hadn't planned to bother him for very long - just a short visit, but were able to stay for two hours. Jan said that knowing we were coming helped him perk up. The first thing she said when she met us at the elevator was, "It's so good to see people!" :o)

They will still be in Omaha for a minimum of two more weeks, but hope to be home by Christmas.

When we left Bob and Jan, we headed West to a new mall and shopped for a bit. Jess and I discovered the Cost Plus World Market and had a fun time exploring the international food aisles. We even bought a teeny, tiny jar of caviar to have for Christmas.

On the way home, we stopped in Lincoln for supper at Granite City. Yum.

Now for the wonderfulness - besides seeing Bob doing well, was spending the day together with our kids. They are intelligent and funny and we laughed the entire day. We each "get it" with the other and enjoy these times as a family. The kids are starting to see Greg and I as people and not just "Mom" and "Dad". The things we like in our kids are the same things we like in each other, too. Makes my heart happy to have such fun with the people I love best in this world.