Guess Who Came to Dinner!!!

We had a great Thanksgiving Day! Below is a picture of my important guest. The meal turned out well (the pumpkin pie was my favorite). We ate too much, but then we got to take a NAP...which we don't usually get to do on Thanksgiving Day. The last few weeks have been so hectic for us that a quiet holiday was just what we needed this year.

Jon and family are in Pocatello, Idaho for the Thanksgiving weekend visiting Kreanna's family. It was a particularly important family time for them and I know how much that means to Kreanna and her Mother. We were thankful they could share this holiday with each other.

Papa's Bread

Jacob and Aleigha came to visit Wednesday while Kreanna had the stitches removed from her dental procedure last week. They were playing quite nicely then Jacob decided he was hungry. I asked him what he wanted and with a big grin he said "Papa's bread with butter on it!" He usually asks for mayonnaise, so the butter was a surprise. Of course, when Aleigha sees Jacob doing something, she must have the same thing. Papa's homemade bread is a hit at any time.

Phil's Project this Week

Here is Phil's "Service Project" this week for a widow who needed a rail on her back porch in order to descend the steps safely. She uses a walker and was concerned the winter weather would cause her to take a fall. It's very sturdy and she was so pleased with the job. Now I want one for my back steps!!!

Amanda

Today would have been Amanda's 16th birthday. I have made it a tradition to go to the cemetary and clean the leaves from her memorial stone every year before her birthday. I go down other times during the year also, but there are certain dates I mark in my mind for special visits. I take a bouquet down that Teresa made for her the November after she passed away. I've had to refurbish that bouquet now and then over the years, and add new names around the bottom of the container as new siblings were added to her family. Adding Joshua's name actually completed the circle around the bottom of the vase.

Looking at the picture, it is the container on the left. The flowers in the middle are mine and the large container holds a living rose bush (and some artificial roses) from a thoughtful Hispanic family who live next door to us.

We miss her and anticipate how wonderful it will be when we are reunited as a family. She is my darling little girl still.

Gotcha, Dad!!

After dinner today, Jacob and Aleigha decided they wanted a ride on their Dad. I grabbed the camera when I saw this. The children were laughing so hard and I love the look on Jon's face. He is a wonderful, loving Dad.

Ballet Costumes

I thought I had until December 6 to complete the four costumes for our winter ballet performance. Then Ms. Laurie reminded me Wednesday evening, November 5th, that they had to be done for Caberet performances at Ephrata High School. Dress rehearsals were to start on Monday, November 10. The fabric is "squirrely" and terrible to work with. I had ONE finished by Saturday evening and the rest finished on Tuesday night by 5:00pm. Rehearsal was at 6:00 that night, so they all had costumes for the Tuesday and Wednesday practices. Whew!!! The girls wear them over their white tutus. It is for the "Chinese" dance from the Nutcracker Ballet. So if you have been wondering why I haven't been online...now you know.

I need to give Phil some credit here also. I wanted some "sticks" for their hair buns and had one pair I borrowed from one of the girls. Phil got some doweling...and I don't know how he did it, but he made 4 pairs which I painted red and gold. Adding a red flower completed the look. He was our hero!!

Kreative Partners

On Saturday afternoon, November 8, I stopped by the Best Western to see what Kre and Shanna were up to. By the time I got there many things were gone, but what I saw was VERY well done and unusual.

Playdoh Party

I took care of Jacob and Aleigha recently while Kreanna had some dental work done. They both like playdoh. Jacob decided to "see stars" and Aleigha just gets SO excited.

Visiting in Spokane

Last Friday, October 31st, Phil and I drove to Spokane to visit my sisters. We arrived in time for Mary and I to have lunch with her daughter, Laurie. We went to a fun place near the school where Laurie is employed and I had half a pita sandwich and small Greek salad. It was SO good...but best of all was seeing my niece and sister again. Meanwhile, Jack and Phil went to Cabella's and also to lunch...just doing their own thing.

We stayed overnight with (Aunt) Mary and Jack. They are so very hospitable and go the extra mile to make us comfortable...and feed us delicious meals!!! Katherine (Aunt Ronnie) came to dinner also and it was wonderful to have time with both my sisters. We visited with Aunt Ronnie for a little while Saturday morning, then went to Costco before driving home. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures so all you get is the written word!!

Nephew and family from Washington coast.

Michael and Christina Harris and sons, Ethan and Evan, stopped to visit with us for awhile Saturday, October 25th, while out on a day trip. We had so much fun! They were hoping to give their sons an "apple picking" experience, but the orchards we knew were closed so they had to settle for a box of apples their Uncle Phil had gleaned earlier. It had been years since we had seen Michael and Christina...and we never had seen their children, so this visit was a special treat. We don't want it to be such a long time between visits ever again!!