Yesterday was Scott's birthday.  We celebrated by going to dinner at Big Daddy's Burger Bar.  After dinner there was cake....

Check out this old picture of me and the birthday boy.  It was taken 1993-1994ish. 

Happy Birthday Scott.  Here's to many more.... 

Snow Day

We almost had a white Christmas here but it was just a few hours too late.  I took A LOT of pictures (especially of the kids) but I'll try not to post too many.  We'll see how it goes...

Scott built a snow buddy...

After throwing snowballs and Scott building a snow friend, we decided to walk next door and see Sophie & the kids...

And as you can see, Nana came out to play too!  The kids absolutely loved the snow and we all had a blast. 

I'm still learning how to use my SLR camera and I'm sure it's pretty obvious that I had it on the wrong setting.  Thanks again to my friend Michael for helping me to salvage my snow pictures.  They were even "blue-er" than they are now! 

Here's hoping that the snow melts VERY soon.  It's back to work tomorrow for Julie. 

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Today we celebrated Jesus' 2010th birthday!  Although it is hard for me, I've decided it's best not to insert any jokes here about Jesus' age.  :-)

Christmas Eve is a special day for my family because it is my parents' anniversary.  As of yesterday, they have been married for 52 years.

Mom prepared Christmas Eve lunch for all of us.  Here are some pictures of the kids....

Daniel was fascinated by Aunt Julie's camera.  Oh yea, Scott & his mom gave me a zoom lens for Christmas!  I'm looking forward to testing it out.  Hopefully I'll know how to use it by next Christmas!  Here's a picture of Laura & Rana.

Daniel got into Nana's drawer and pulled out a pair of her old glasses.  I wish I had my camera when he put them on...but this was a close 2nd.

And here's our princess doing what she always does....smiling. 

Now we move on to Christmas dinner.  This year, Scott wanted to cook Christmas dinner.  Here he is in the kitchen with dad....

It's weird seeing Dad in the kitchen....

While the menfolk were in the kitchen, the girls were playing in the den...

Wait, those are dad's feet in the picture.  Notice that Greta is sitting in her tent.  Here's a picture of Rana & Laura.

And another picture of Laura with Nana.

Daniel is playing with Greta.

I had hoped to get some pictures of everyone opening their presents but Laura kept insisting that we open presents in the dark.  I was able to get one picture before she turned the light off.

And off went the lights....

We were hoping to set up the tripod and take a couple of family photos but sadly we were missing someone very important.  My brother, Kevin, was home sick with the flu.  :-(  We missed you Kevin.  I hope you are feeling better real soon.

We had a wonderful night but soon it was time to go....

I hope that everyone had a wonderful day and that you each took some time to remember that today was really about a birthday.  Tomorrow I go back to eating sensibly....I hope.

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth "

Merry Christmas from Scott, Julie & Greta

 

The Best Day

This is April...

April is Jason's girlfriend.  This is my cousin Jason (in the diaper)...

We were playing "The Price is Right".  Note how Jason is knocking on the glass...he wasn't happy about our game.  OK...here is Jason...

He looks different with pants on.  Saturday, a few of my relatives that live in the area got together to meet April and to spend some time together.  Here are two of my beautiful Aunts...Aunt Faye Sara and Aunt Zell.  Sorry Aunt Sara....I had to put that after all of the fun that Teri and Aunt Zell had with that.  Teri & Aunt Zell were talking about how much my Aunt Sara looked like my Aunt Faye.  Aunt Zell said, "I didn't know I was going to get to see my sister Faye today!"

These are my cousins Teri & Johnny.  When the two of them get together there is never a dull moment.  They spend the whole time giggling and keeping the rest of us in stitches.

And...as you can see, my wonderful mom & my incredibly smart cousin, Daniel were there also. 

It was just the best day!  I love my family so much and I only wish that every one of them could have been there with us.  I can't wait to get together again!!!  (Hopefully soon!)

Christmas Party

Friday night we had our Sunday School Christmas party.  Our hosts, David and Jessica, decided that having 5 kids isn't exciting enough so they invited the entire class and children over for dinner! Even though several families had to cancel at the last minute due to various viruses that are going around....we still managed to fill up their house.  I didn't get pictures of everybody, nor did I go upstairs to photograph the playroom full of children, but I'd like to share just a few....

PS.  This is baby Jay that we were all praying so hard for this summer. 

And here's his future girlfriend, Evangelina...

Sadly, that's the only picture I have of David. 
Below: I wonder what Jessica said to Ronda.  Poor Ronda, she had laryngitis and could only listen to the rest of us.  

 

 And I'm sure you all remember my Christy...

 

I am so fortunate to belong to a class with such a great group of people.  I hope that we do this again real soon.  

Tomorrow I will tell you about the get together I had with some of my family members today.  It was the greatest day!!!!  

A Baby Changes Everything

 

Teenage girl, much too young

Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything

Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

The man she loves she's never touched
How will she keep his trust?
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries!
Ooh, she cries
Ooh, oh

She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can't stay
A baby changes everything

She can feel it's coming soon
There's no place, there's no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries!
And she cries!
Oh, she cries

Shepherds all gather 'round
Up above the star shines down
A baby changes everything

Choir of angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
Everything, everything, everything

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

My whole life has turned around
I was lost but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything

(Nichols, Wiseman & Wiseman)

Little Man

"Gloom, despair and agony on me..." I don't know if you remember that song from HeeHaw but that is how I have felt this week.  After going into the office Monday morning feeling pretty good...Julie was blindsided by the flu and home on the couch with a high fever by noon.  I have been stuck on the couch ever since.  However, I did manage to take a much needed bath today.  I was starting to think that the Exxon Valdez had run aground on my scalp and also, I'm pretty sure that my parents were starting to smell me next door. 

Anyway, I took some pictures of Daniel on Sunday that I wanted to share.  I didn't have my flash on for the first two but I wanted to share them anyway.  While at my parents house, Scott was sitting on the couch reading the paper...as soon as he got up, Daniel said, "Scott" and then he crawled up to where Scott was sitting, picked up the Toys R Us ad and started looking intently at it just like Scott was. 

And finally, I turned the flash on (which got Daniel's attention):

Well, Julie has to go to the doctor tomorrow for her yearly physical.  I tried to reschedule but they asked me not to because they need to check my thyroid/cholesterol/triglycerides.  I have done nothing to lower my cholesterol/triglycerides this year and I think I'm in trouble.  Besides, I've been eating fried chicken and chocolate ice cream for 2 days.  The great news (and also awkward news) is that my doctor is a personal friend of mine.  So...maybe he'll go easy on me.  Maybe he'll give me something for this cough before I start breaking things around my house. 

I'll keep you posted....

Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand

I stole that title from one of Relient K's Christmas albums - which I highly recommend.  Actually, I highly recommend any of Relient K's albums.

Thanks to some good advice from my friend Michael, I've been experimenting with taking pictures of my Christmas tree.  I'm sure this is only the first of several posts that I will have with various pictures of my Christmas tree.  Well, here it is.  Yes, there is one lonesome present under the tree.  That is for my nephew, Daniel. 

Here's a picture of our mantle complete with Sadie & Greta's stockings.  Greta gets 2 stockings...for now.

I'll post the rest of our Christmas decorations soon.  In the meantime, here is one of my very favorite Christmas ornaments...

You guessed it.  It's Charlie Brown.  It wouldn't feel like Christmas without the Peanuts gang!  OK...now I have to run to the first of 3 Christmas programs at our church.  Tonight it's the youth group's turn.