We Are So Grateful for...

Family.

We were able to travel to Ohio and Indiana to celebrate Thanksgiving with both families.  Knowing that we possibly weren't going to be there for Christmas made the time even more dear.

Thanksgiving day was spent in Ohio with the Kileys at Kevin and Laurie's Loveland home 2.0! They have been through a trying year (and more) of renovations.  They could have been on Renovation Realities quite honestly.  But they forged through and we got to reap the rewards of spending quality family time in their lovely home.

The weather was warm enough for Gramma Cece to take a spin on the scooter...


Uncle Scott showed off his new guns...


Aunt Shannon and the girls took the flatcoats for a walk...or did the dogs walk them?

The boys stood still long enough to get a picture...


And the girl cousins got their craft on with Aunt E-E...


Kevin, once again, out did himself in the gorgeous new kitchen!


While Erin outdid herself with the cranberry sauce.  Although I have to note she made a wicked apple kuchen that we all loved.


Dinner was served...


And thanks was given...


Laurie had dish duty in her beautiful kitchen...


And a football game was watched...


And then we went over the river and through the woods to Indiana for the Gallagher Thanksgiving.
Cousining ensued.  Raphael, we discovered, has become quite the pastry chef and brought us his meringues to sample.  I dare say they were better than Gaga Debbi's!

After dinner, cookies from Linne's bakery were brought out for dessert for the kids.


Do you think they were disappointed with the dessert?


I got to snuggle with my youngest nephew, Phillip...


While Aunt Cindy gave Anna a crochet lesson...


While our resident photog, also brother, father, uncle and son, was caught giving out photography advice...

 

An attempt was made to get all the cousins together to get a picture.  First we got this one...

Then this gaggle of Gallagher cousins decided to do this...

One last photo with Gaga and Papa and their new puppy, Maggie before we headed back (sniff, sniff)

How grateful we are to be surrounded by the people we love. 

It makes us want to jump for joy!

It's Fall...you know what that means, right?

It's time to decorate for Halloween and head to the pumpkin patch for some over priced pumpkins!

First we've gotta dig the graves...


Then the graveyard inspectors must determine the gravestones are installed properly

Then the witch gets on her broom and flies away!

The graveyard is ready to be spooked!


Now for the inside of the house...
Every spooky house needs some blackbirds perched on a old jar of arsenic.


And a mantle dedicated to skulls and general creepiness.


I think the spirits here were musically talented.


Once the house had been creepified it was onto the pumpkin patch.

I'd like to say the experience matches the pics you see here.  But basically it was a lot of yelling and complaining.  So we may for go the pumpkin patch experience next fall.  There oughta be an age limit for that kinda of thing.  Instead of charging you for how much the pumpkins weigh they should charge you for how much your kid weighs.  Would eliminate a lot of pumpkin patch grief in my family, I tell you.

So here they are all jack-o-laterned up...lovingly cleaned and carved by moi...once again an overrated childhood experience.  Both kids totally grossed out by the cleaning.  And even though they chose what we all thought were simple designs, they both shut down and begged me to finish it.

But we are ready now to spook and be spooked.

Auld Lang Syne 2011

I've been a bad blogger in 2011.
Very Spotty.
If I may be frank, dear readers (those of you who have stuck around), I do not multi-task very well. I'd like to think that I do. Heavy sigh. But I don't. What I do well is hyper-focus. Let's give a shout out to Attention Deficit Disorder!

So here I am trying to give you a Reader's Digest version of the past year or so. And with my homage to RD it will also be sanitized to avoid dwelling on those parts of 2011 where I or others were not performing at our best. Ugly bits will be left out on purpose. Whining is not an attractive quality. So fasten your seat belts.

Here we go...

In August Gavin entered 5th grade and Anna became a first grader. They both are having a stellar academic year.


Gavin-10 years old
First Day of 5th Grade


Anna Mae-6 years old
First Day of 1st Grade

In September our artist in residence created a treasured birthday card. She truly gives my heart wings.



In October the holiday season commenced with our annual Halloween Party. It kinda surprised me...



But we managed to throw a good "pre-kicker" to Trick or Treating.




Because if you have enough vampire teeth, any party can be a success. Just ask these adorable party goers...


Love, love, love, the owl in perched on her hat.


Gavin and his crew made quite the statement


Anna and her bff, Rachel.

For one Halloween party, Anna went dressed as a Mexican Sugar Skull. Did I mention I love Halloween?



In November we adopted a geriatric dachshund. He's somewhere between the age of 6 and 10 according to the vet. The kids are in love. He's growing on the adults. Anna and Gavin named him Mr. Ollie Wienerkins but to friends and family he's just Ollie.



We traveled to Indiana to be with family on Thanksgiving. This is what traveling in the car for nine hours will do to you.




Thanksgiving day we were with the Kileys. And this pretty much sums up what we did all Thanksgiving Holiday. If only someone were to feed me...and I looked so cute doing it. But currently, sweet Miren has the corner on cuteness.


The Kiley clan's Thanksgiving Feast


Aunt Shannon gave early Christmas gifts to the girls. But the best gift from her was the day before...


I tell you, there was no happier girl in the state of Indiana that day.


The cousins stood still just long enough for me to prove they were all together

Mostly this is what they looked like...


Then it was on to the Gallagher's for Feast #2.

Shenanigans ensued...


And bites of dessert were sneaked...



Great Aunt Libby told the best "knock knock" jokes.


And handsome Phillip and his momma, Aunt Cindy (along with all the other kids) laughed at 'em all.

It was a beautiful autumn full of family, laughter, and life.


Then Christmas sneaked up on us...

There was a Clinton Elementary PTO Winter Wonderland Dance. Pulled off fabulously by fantastic volunteers! Think "controlled chaos". Then the next weekend I had the pleasure of flying to the Windy City to celebrate Christmas with dear old friends from college. Much drinking and inappropriate behavior occurred...and laughter, lots and lots of laughter. So good for the soul, old friends laughing together about the same things they have laughed about for 24 years.

Because nothing says Christmas like anti-diarrheal medicine.

Then came the annual Clinton Christmas Parade...

I'm not sure what they were going for here. Marie Antoinette would be horrified.

And we made what I think will be Gavin's final visit to Santa.

If he's a good big brother it won't be Anna's last.

Christmas arrived.

Santa didn't disappoint.

And we had ourselves a 21st Century Christmas Morning. No eyes were shot out this year. Well, there's always next year.

Then the kids and I packed up and headed to Indiana.


We were given a white Christmas. Sweet gift, Mother Nature. Thank you, dear.

And here we are, 15 days into the new year.
Once again playing catch up with myself. But I wish you all great and wonderful things for 2012.
May you find joy in small things and laugh often.