I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. We celebrated at our house with Jeff and Judy, and we stayed up until almost 10:00! We are quite the partyers:-)
This year is starting off quite cold. We are trying to decide if we want to brave the cold and get out today. Yesterday we did not leave the warmth of the house at all. (In fact, Jeff and I did not even shower.)
Happy New Year!
Yesterday was the 4th of July, and although it was a very rainy day, we had a good day. John and I and Ryan and family went to John’s cousin’s house for a Howerter family reunion. It was a lot of fun. It rained the entire time that we were there, but they had a big pole barn, so we were able to stay dry inside. Zeke and his brother and 2 sisters were there with many of their kids and grandkids. Sara got to meet these folks for the first time, and the grandkids got to play with some of their cousins. The resident cat had kittens, so Josiah and Elijah were very excited to get to hold them. The kids were all very good, but they were dirty when we left. They had climbed all over the equipment that was in the barn. They had a great day, and so did I.
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and I had a wonderful day. We went to church, and Lily layed on my shoulder for about a half hour. She was just hanging on to me. It was wonderful. We all went to Xochimillco for lunch after church, and my Fajita burrito was fantastic. John and I then went home and had a nice Mother’s Day nap. Jay and Katherine had us all over for dinner that evening. We had a great dinner, and we enjoyed hanging out and talking. The kids were good, and Uncle Jay let them watch Star Wars. Thanks Jay and Katherine for having us all over.
I hope everyone had a nice Easter holiday. Ryan, Sara, Elijah, Josiah and Lily came to our house for dinner. Jay and Katherine were supposed to come too, but they both had flu symptoms during the night. They were feeling better later in the day, but they did not want to pass it on to any of us. We had ham, mac and cheese and fresh green beans. I made an apple pie, and Sara made a lemonade pie. The kids found their eggs as soon as they got there, and they liked their Easter basket goodies. After dinner, we all went for a walk around the pond. We saw all kinds of spring flowers and lots of deer tracks. Sara then took the kids and Annie for a walk out to the mailbox. As John, Ryan and I watched them, we laughed because they were all spread out as they walked. Josiah was out in front; Sara and Lily in the middle and Elijah in the back. They were separated by about 100 yards. So much for a walk together:-) When we came in, the boys and Sara watched Space Buddies, I played with Lily and John and Ryan sat out on the patio. It was a nice day.
Well, 2009 has begun. I am praying that it will be a good year for us all.
We had a wonderful Christmas. We were able to spend time with all my cousins and their families at the Barton Family Christmas party. We have this every year on the Saturday before Christmas. It is great getting to see all of them. We then had our Christmas with Mom, Bart, Laurie, Brad and Donny afterwards at Bart and Laurie’s house. It was lots of fun. The grandkids were very good and enjoyed their new toys. Elijah spent most of his time playing video games up in Donny’s room. Thanks Donny for being so understanding.
We had Christmas morning at our house, and all the kids were able to be there. Mom came up late that morning and was able to have brunch with us. All of us went over to Quincy on Saturday to hang out with Zeke and Carol for the day. It was a good day, and we enjoyed ourselves.
Now everyone is back at work and school, and our normal routine is back in place. There is something comforting in getting back to a routine after the holidays. I always think I would love to be on vacation all the time, but I realize that it would not be vacation if that is all I ever did. Pretty deep, huh?
Anyway, happy new year!
I imagine that many of you are busy today preparing for your big dinner tomorrow. If so, take time to relax for a minute. If you are like me and are lucky enough to be eating at someone else’s house tomorrow, be sure to thank them for all their work. Please travel safe and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!