Happy Holidays!

Our time leading up to Christmas Day is always chocked full of fun family events! If you have not already picked up on this, my family--immediate and extended--is quite important to me! We visited with Nanny and Pap; Jeremy, Destiny, Nathan and Savannah; Aunt Mary Ann; Connie and Earl; Paul, Allison and Adella; My parents; Grandma; Uncle Bill, Vida; Sandra, Tammy, Shane and Brittany. It is always such a special time when we get to see all of them!

On Christmas Eve we went to Nanny and Pap's house. Nanny and Pap are Mike's grandparents. When Mike was younger, he lived with Nanny and Pap for a short time. They are very special to him and over the years have become very special to me as well. Ryan, Lydia and Emily LOVE going to Nanny and Pap's!! All rules are omitted from their lives just by walking in the house:). Nanny and Pap had two children, Connie (Mike's birth mother) and Mary Ann. Mike's brother, Jeremy and his family, came to Nanny and Pap's on Christmas Eve with us. In addition, Connie and her husband Earl and Mary Ann were there for a yummy lunch of Nanny's famous Veggie Soup and some wonderful ham and turkey rolls! Unfortunately, Mike was not able to make it to Nanny and Pap's Christmas Eve while we were there. He had to work during the day that day, but visited with Nanny and Pap Friday (today) afternoon.

On Christmas Eve night we met up with Mike at my parents house. We celebrated Christmas with my parents and my brother and his family. Our big gift to my parents was a picture of all four grandchildren. We had a picture of Ryan, Lydia, Emily and Adella taken professionally. Mom and Dad were very surprised and happy! Ryan, Lydia and Emily walked out of the house with more stuff than they know what to do with:). They are in seventh heaven!

Christmas Day was spent at my parents house with my Mom's family. It was a terrific day of family together time! Ryan, Lydia and Emily were so excited about opening presents and attempting to figure out what they could open next:). It was such a great holiday! Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Life is too short and you never know how many more times we will be able to get together like this. We need to get together every time we can." This is what my Uncle Bill said just before saying grace prior to our Thanksgiving feast this afternoon. My Uncle Bill is one of the greatest guys I know. His sense of family is so strong and it tends to rub off on all of us. My immediate and extended family have always been one of the most important things to me. Now that my children share in this family, it is even more important to me that we get together every time we can.

Today was such a great time! My Uncle Bill (my mom's younger brother) and Aunt Vida hosted Thanksgiving at their house this year. My Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins were all in attendance. We spent the afternoon visiting with one another, laughing and joking. It was great! We even made plans for a get together this summer so holidays are not our only time to see each other. Unfortunately we missed Mike, Michelle, Shane and Paul--a police officer, undertaker and an ER tech that were not able to take the day off and Paul who spent this holiday with Allison's family. We missed you all. Hope everyone had a super Thanksgiving!!