Pooped...Partying, Eating and Love

Good Morning, Friends...Wow...It's been a whirlwind of a week!  There was lots of cleaning (I had been a bit behind on things...) Cooking...a little baking...wrapping presents...hanging more bobbles on the tree...I did most of the decorating and cooking this year.  I didn't want to ask Larry to do much of it.  He has two more treatments and a procedure (scope) to see how things look.  Hopefully things are going great.

We all had a fun time...Sloane was her usual happy self (except when she started slowing down...lol...as witnessed in the photo with mom Samantha, and granny Lolli, Crystal. The video was an unexpected fun gift of Sloane!  Too funny...to us, anyway.  We love her so much.

 

Getting ready to implode...

Implosion...Lol...She'd had enough.

Larry's 98 year old Dad, Gerald.

Larry and SIL, Tim

Sam's hubby, Everett and then Samantha

Sloane's Lolli (Our daughter, Crystal)

Crystal (and Samantha's Mom) helping with some cooking.

SIL Tim helping hold the sofa down...lol...We love him.

Crystal made some Rice pudding.

I made a fruit salad.

I made some apple dumplings.

We all made cookies.

I made Biscuits (not cookies, for my Brit friends...lol) and gravy.

Sloanes plate...she recognized the bear.

I made peanut brittle, crispy...not hard!

Crystal made cookies...

Sloane and Gampa resting earlier in the week when we needed to sit with Sloane.  Notice the sleight of hand...lolol...cheeky girl!

 

Samantha did the AI thing that's going around on the internet.  I think the photos look wonderful.

Crystal gifted me with this sachet from Bridgewater Candle Company.  (6 1/2  x  4 1/2 inches) 

All I can say is OMG!  After we'd all finished unwrapping gifts, I walked over to the tree and put the sachet onto a branch and went about my business.  In about ten minutes I started smelling this wonderful fragrance!  I've had sachets before...nothing worked like this one did!  Filled the whole house!  Later that morning, after all had gone, (we ate at 8am this year so everyone could progress on to the next relative's house.  Sam and Everett left here at 11am and still had two more homes and parties to attend...) :o0  

I think I'll plan on doing our celebration on an earlier weekend...so the kids aren't so stressed.  After all, we're now the "old" ones...and Larry and I are just fine with it.  Large families?  You have to be organized! lol)

Anyway, about the sachet, I got online to the company and ordered six more! lol...Only cost $30.10.  I love it!  Go check them out...

Well, I guess that's about it for me on this Christmas 2023.  I can't say I'll be sorry to see it go...we've had better years.  But I am grateful nothing more sinister happened!  I'm so ready for more laughter and sounds of happiness...

No more crying!  I forbid it! lol

Friends...I pray 2024 will bring us a better world...a peaceful one.  May God Bless you all and keep you from harm.

So, until next year...Thank you for putting up with me!  

See you in 2024!

Christmas...Cookies, Quilts and Kids.

Good Morning, Friends!

Well, Christmas will be here before I do another post so, I just want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!  

These are busy days for most so if you're not done with your shopping, be safe out there!  Look around when getting out of your car...keep your purse or wallet secured while shopping and never turn your back on your buggy!  

I was once in Walmart shopping and had my bag sitting and unzipped... (yes, I was an idiot) and had my back turned towards something on a shelf and when I suddenly turned back to my buggy...there, staring at me, was a young woman reaching for my bag...All I could say was, "I wouldn't if I were you..."  (I was younger and quite capable of defending myself).

We had a "Come to Jesus meeting" in those few seconds of time...and I realized how stupid I had been leaving my bag alone and handy to grab by any self-respecting thief. 

  Totally my fault...but no more.  I'm a quick learner.  She smiled that "busted" kind of smile...turned on her heel and slowly walked away.  I didn't stop shaking until I was safely locked inside my car...

Internet photo...not my bag.  But I never fail to clip my bag to the buggy.  Zipped.  

Those straps aren't just for babies...

Isn't it sad we have to take such precautions?  It might never happen to you but just don't take a chance.  

Never used to be this bad...

What's a post without our sweetie-pie Sloane? lol

Anyway, my shopping is nearly at the finish.  I have another gift I want to get for our son in law.  The kids are coming here for early morning breakfast of biscuits & sausage gravy.  And an egg quiche of some sort...I'll make desserts and candy.  Hot coffee and chocolate, of course...The girls will bring their treats and we'll just enjoy a Christmas morning together.  We had them all for Christmas lunch last year so now it's our turn to let them go to Everett's family celebration lunch.  I remember all the places we had to go to on Christmas Day so long ago...so fun.

I've made a small test batch of these Oatmeal No-Bake cookies.  We really like them!  I'll make more for Christmas. 

Then, I made some Lace cookies I found on Martha Stewart's baking site... Larry liked them, but I don't really care for this batch because I used dark brown sugar and should have used light brown!  Too much molasses!  They never really got crisp. 

I also got busy and sewed two of the four panels of my quilt together.  I was sick this past week and didn't go anywhere so I managed a bit of sewing.  And no... not perfect but I'm continuing on and will complete the thing! lol

I don't throw these clippings away...saving them for the birds and animals who are still here to use in their nest or beds.

I found this old slide of Larry and I that was taken while we were on a Caribbean cruise in 1980.  I managed to put it on my phone and use my limited skills to make it "seeable"...lol...gads, we were infants! Larry was already turning grey at 26.

Speaking of Larry, another treatment done...the next will be on the 22nd.  He is continuing to do well!  Thank you for your prayers and...Thank you, Jesus!

Our Air Force granbabies that won't be with us this year...Sara and Tylar (stationed in Hungary) and....

Alyssa, William and Wesley (Alyssa's service furrbaby)  stationed in Arkansas.

God, how we miss them...

This never fails to make me smile...

Well Friends, until next time, May you all enjoy your Christmas...and may God keep you all wrapped in His loving arms.

Santa...Trees, Remembrance and Love.

Good morning, Friends...

This past week had me busy sitting with a sick Sloane...Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  She's better now.

Then, when I had rested up, I finished decorating for Christmas.  I don't have a lot anymore but my trees and a few what-nots and candles.

The two empty stockings under the tree are for our Air Force grandsons.  Will and girlfriend Alyssa are in Arkansas now at his new posting and Tylar and Sara are in Papa, Hungary.

We're going to miss them...Why can't we ever get all our chicks in one basket? lol

 

I finally said enough with our tree!  You can keep adding and adding...so I just had to back away! lol

This is our granddaughter's tree.  Fits their lifestyle...

Grandma Lolli and grandpa Pops, (our daughter Crystal and hubby Tim), got to keep Sloane last weekend!  They live almost three hours from her so they usually drive up and stay at Sami and Everett's house.  This time, they got to keep her in their home...Tim bought her a shopping cart...Too cute!

They had a wonderful weekend!

Larry at his Friday treatment...four more to go...he's tolerating them with no problems.

I found this on Facebook... It really tugged at my heart!  I know the pain of losing loved ones...you miss them being around...calling, hearing their voices.  You see or hear something, and you are filled with memories, sounds or smells.  Those memories fill your emotional tank...if just for a moment...and you smile.  But we'll never see them again if we don't move forward.  We are not finish here on Earth.  So!  Put on that smile and know how much we loved and were loved!  We'll see them again! 

A new year is coming...another chance to get things done!

I had the idea to buy my daughter, Crystal, an old-style telephone/address book like mine.  She often asks me for numbers, addresses...birthdates, etc.   It was just by chance I found the same style in red, for her!  I'd bought mine back in the early 2000's.  Talk about a sign! lol

I've written addresses and numbers she will need in the years ahead...birthdays and anniversaries written on a piece of paper by my Dad, her favorite grandfather...long past.  I've always said this newfound AI stuff is nice but nothing beats a hard copy!  You never know if one day you may need it.  Hope she likes it.

Playroom/television room tree...

My Mom's handmade tree...she made it back in the 1960's.

A railroad Santa tree I found last year at the Goodwill!  

16" tall...I've tried everything to get it to work but to no avail...:o(

Well sweet friends, I'll stop boring you.  It's just been a slow week for news around here.  So, I'll let you get on with your day.  

Have a sweet and peaceful week and until next time...