Good-Bye 2009

Only a matter of minutes until 2009 is gone and we usher 2010 in.  This past year has been a mixture of happiness and sadness which of course is just part of life. Looking back on this past year I just want to mention a few of the highlights. We have seen many improvements in Brad and Nick’s behavior.   Our oldest son continues to keep making improvements in his life (praise the Lord), and our adopted son, Chris is making some huge improvements in his life…..being  a new daddy is having a good effect on him…he has certainly matured (Praise the Lord).    Our children are all healthy and reasonably happy and it has been wonderful seeing how excited our kids are over the birth of the twins….they all love being Aunties and Uncles.  Nick likes being an Uncle as long as he does not have to change diapers (his words)…LOL I WISH ALL MY BLOG READERS A VERY HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  :o)

I Love Facebook

My kids convinced me a while ago to set up a profile on Facebook.  I wasn’t really very thrilled about it, but they thought it would be a good way to promote my Etsy business.  I can’t really say whether being on Facebook has really been a boost for my business, but I am having a blast reconnecting with friends and family I haven’t  seen in years.  I have been pleased to see that I am not the only person in my graduating class that has aged..LOL  Isn’t it funny how  real life is not as it seems in high school. THANK GOODNESS!!!

Our family had a wonderful Christmas.  It was wonderful being together…I was sad that our oldest son, Steven couldn’t be here with us, but I know that is how life is when your kids grow up and have lives of their own.  Our adopted son Christopher  seems to be adapting to parenthood very well.  Chris, Heather and baby Morgan spent Christmas Eve with all of us and it was so nice having him back in the family fold.  I can not even begin to tell you all how beautiful our little granddaughter is, and what a joy it was to hold her and see how each of her Aunts and Uncles adored her.  We are all anxious for Emma to be able to come home.

Grandma and Morgan

Tomorrow is my step-dad’s 82nd birthday.  Dad has always been very active and it saddens me to see how much pain he is in and how it discourages him.  His joints are really bothering him and have hindered his normal activities.  I hope it is just a passing thing and he will start feeling better soon. 

I just read a wonderful book called “Shades of Blue” by Karen Kingsbury.  It is a beautiful, heart wrenching book on past choices and forgiveness.  I cried through a good share of it, but it was truly beautiful.  If you get a chance to read it, you won’t be sorry.  Just keep the tissues handy.  :o)

Christmas is Fast Approaching

I have a list and I am checking it twice.  Will we ever have everything ready for Christmas??  Actually we accomplished a lot today.  We finished up our shopping, plus I packed a box to ship to Steven.  The box had some Christmas gifts as well as all the different kinds of cookies and candies we have made.  We had his big gift sent to him directly from the store, so he is going to wrap it and put it under his tree.  I also made a set of dog booties that were ordered yesterday along with a an order for pumpkin peanut butter dog treats.  Steve baked up the dog treats as that is his department, while I sewed.  Steve took Steven’s package and this order and shipped them out.  I have one more order to ship tomorrow and I would think that would be it as far as Christmas orders.

Rachel made Scottish shortbread today and Steve, Rachel and I  all made cherry snowballs (Mexican Wedding Cake dough without the nits, wrapped around a maraschino cherry and baked then rolled in confectionary sugar a couple of times).  We also packed up gifts of all of our goodies for our two favorite neighbors and Bradly and Rachel delivered those.  I managed to check quite a few items off our to-do list today…..sure wish the gifts were wrapped…LOL   :o)

Huge Snowstorm

The big snowstorm that was forecast for Thursday hit all around us, but we missed it (and that was after our school system announced the night before that school would be closed due to the weather predictions.  I am sure the powers that be were not pleased when we didn’t even get the storm.  We got hit with it beginning Thursday night and all day Friday.  Of course the school had to be closed again.  We got about 2 feet of snow from Thurs. night through Friday night.  There was some lovely wind from this system also.  The boys loved having two days off from school and had fun outside (until I couldn’t stand the fighting and bickering anymore). 

The Christmas baking has been going well.  We have made 2 kinds of cutout sugar cookies…one with sour cream and one with cream cheese.  Molasses cookies are finished as well as peanut blossoms.  Yesterday I made penuche and peanut butter balls which have been a family favorite since my younger brother was in 2nd or 3rd grade and brought the recipe home from school.  It is easy for kids to make and delicious.  The only ingredients are 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk,  1/4 cup 10x sugar,  1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup mini chocolate chips.  This is mixed together and rolled into small balls and place on waxed paper.  When finished, they go into an air tight container and are stored in the fridge.  I swirl a bit of melted milk chocolate on the top of mine to fancy them up a bit, but that is not part of the original recipe.  Today we are hoping to make Mexican wedding cakes….some with a maraschino cherry in the middle. 

We took the boys to the village park sledding hill yesterday.  They had a great time and we only had one major incident…Nick got mad an bopped Bradly with his saucer.  I was amazed at how many times they went up and down that hill.  Of course today is warmer and it is going to rain so it is a mess outside.  Nick is not happy about not playing out today.  He did go out and played in the snow on the front porch for a little bit….he made a small snow sculpture of his grandma..I was afraid to ask which one it was…LOL

Here is a pic I took at the sledding hill.  Brad is in the blue coat and Nick in the red one.  :o)

Baby Update

Baby Morgan and Heather (mommy) are scheduled to come home Sat.  Emma has to weigh over 4 pounds before she will come home.  We got a picture of Morgan tonight while we were at Brad’s Christmas Chorus concert.  Brad did a great job.

I am so busy keeping up with orders and trying to add new items to the shops that my head is spinning.  Believe me, I am not complaining..I love it.

So here is the pic of Morgan….the girls look so much like their dad.o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris and Heather on Thanksgiving Day.

We Are Grandparents

Steve and I became grandparents to an adorable set of little identical twin girls this afternoon.  They are Emma Marie and Morgan Lynn.  Emma only weighs 2 pounds 13 oz.  Morgan weighs 5 pounds.  Our adopted son Christopher is the proud daddy.  Chris ended up in the E.R. as he fainted in the operating room just after Heather had a c-section.  He thought he was doing fine and that he sat in a chair, but came to on the floor.  Evidently he was trying to walk out the door and passed out cold.  He is a little embarrassed, but hey, it will be a fun story to tell the girls..LOL  We have our first pic which we received via the cell phone.  So far we only have a pic of Emma..the tiny one.  I wouldn’t be a grandma if I didn’t share…LOL :o)