Christmas 2012

 

What a beautiful Christmas day.  About 80 degrees out and we decided to spend the day on the beach.  After exercise time for Nicky and letting him have Christmas we headed for the beach.  I put stuffing and a turkey breast in the crock pot in the morning so it would be all ready when we got home.

 

Another good book, this one is a fiction book by Randy Alcorn called "Deadline". 

 

Absolutely no traffic getting to the beach today!!

 

 

Nicky with his new bear, pull toy and ball.

 

Santa's drop off for Nicky

 

Last night we attended a lovely candlelight service for Christmas eve.  The young lady who did several harp solos was awesome.

 

 

On December 20th we celebrated Nicky's 8th birthday and one of our neighbors at the park who adores Nicky came by with a gift.

 

We are presently at Rambler's Rest in Venice, Florida.  Just down the road from this campground is a gated community. On. Mon, Weds., and Friday. Nicky and I walk our 5 miles through this community.  The only traffic is the people who live within that community.  It is a gorgeous place with lovely landscaping and because of the lack of traffic I take Nicky off lead and just put his shock collar on so he stays with me.  It is great practice for him. It takes us about an hour and 20 minutes and we both enjoy the walk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't this just an awesome place to walk??

 

We have had another lovely two weeks on the Gulf.  The weather has been good and the only rain has been at night.

This Saturday we will move to Wauchula to the Peace River campground and we will be able to get together with more good friends. I am finding that I miss the children a lot this year.

God has blessed us with a really good church here in the Venice area and lots of good ideas to take back to our home church.

Hope this finds all of you well and wishing you all Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year





We're on the road again!!

 

Auntie Jane, do you recognize me now?  Mom just took 2 bags of fur off me.

 

Jane and I having fun our last day on the beach.

 

 

 

 

Jane heading down to the beach for our last day.

 

If they are sleeping then you know Jane and I must be shopping. This was a great consignment shop in Punta Gorda called Off the Rack. The shop owner directed the boys to these two chairs and then gave them some magazines to keep them busy.

 

 

 

We went to the Fisherman's Pier in Punta Gorda with Jim and Jane and looked around and had a very nice lunch there

 

 

I'd rather sit on his lap!! No offense Santa!

 

 

It doesn't get any better than this--good friends, good weather and good food.

 

 

Santa gave all of us what we wanted--a visit with Jim and Jane.  They have blessed all our lives and we do so all enjoy being with them.  Thank you so much Jim and Jane for coming--we all miss you.

Wouldn't you like to know what they are talking about? They seem so deep in thought.

 

 

Just another jewelry shop that Jane and I whipped right by!!

 

 

Our first two weeks in Florida were in the Royal Coachman in Nokomis,Florida.

 

 

We went with Jim and Jane down to Venice to the parade of boats. There were about 35 boats all done up like Christmas floats. Really beautiful. 

 

 

 

We did get to spend several nice days on the beach with Jim and Jane since that is something they miss so much when they are in England.

 

 

 

The first time I gaze at this sight each year I feel so blessed that we are able to spend time here in the winter.

 

 

As soon as Thanksgiving was over and we were on the road again, Nicky settled right back into the travel mode.

 

This is our youngest son, Brandon, and his girlfriend Jackie.  Over Thanksgiving Brandon and Dad worked together on this table.  It is a Christmas present for Jackie.  They will stain it in the spring. It is made out of poplar wood  from trees on our property and the grain in it is gorgeous.

 

 

Our grandchildren Izzy and Garrrett

 

 

Somebody had too much Thanksgiving. 

 

 

 

My sister, Jill --no we were not drinking--she is like this normally!!

 

 

Brandon and his cousins, Ashley and Brooke being toooooo cute

 

 

Our grandson Steve and his girlfriend Kathy.

 

 

 

My sister, Jill, her two daughters and our daughter, Michelle.

 

 

 

Does everyone always hang in the kitchen at your house too?

 

 

Hopefully I can keep more up to date with this now.  I just get busy having too much fun and too many nice beach days --- are you crying yet?

 

 

Thought for the day

Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late spring 2012

What a busy time it has been since we've been home.  First Lee had his back surgery and we dealt with getting him better. Since then, I've been very busy getting the yard back in shape and planting the garden.  We have had many salads already from my mixed lettuce bed.  Yummmmmy!!

We had 2 more grandchildren graduate from high school this year.  Featured above is Troy--the second son in our eldest daughter's family. He will be going to college just outside of Nashville and playing division 1 soccer.

Being that one of my best friends is English,  I had to watch some of Jubilee days.  It was fun to look at the places we had visited with Jim and Jane.

Featured above is Carissa our other graduate this year. 

She is featured here in her prom dress.  Isn't she gorgeous? 

Above right hand corner is a picture of Carissa and her mom Michelle (our second eldest daughter)

That now makes 4 of the 9 grandchildren high school graduates.  How did that happen???

The picture in the collage of Lee and I  was enlarged from a snapshot and given to me by our daughter, Michell, for my birthday.  You did recognize us. right?  The orchid was given to me by Brandon our youngest and the jewelery I am wearing was given to me by our son, David, and family. The card in the right hand corner was given to me by Jane.  You've got to enlarge it and read it.  It is so Jane.

We had a lovely visit with Dave, Erica, Garrett and Izzy over Memorial Holiday.

Dave and his daughter Isabella and dog Friday

Friday,Nicky, and Isabella having a group hug.

My brother got a new dog, Sherlock.  He is a Golden doddle. He is 4 months old now and he and Nicky are the best of buds.

Above a bee swarm in the tree behind our house.  Our neighbor caught the swarm and put it in a bee box for us and got us started with our own bee hive how. By winter, I should have some honey to bring down to Florida.

Well, I'm seventy now and it takes me longer to get around to getting things done. So therefore, this post is long overdue.  I am also working a couple days a week as a circuit coach at Curves.  Plus I have three cleaning jobs that I do biweekly. 

Lee had planned a beautiful surprise dinner for me with the family.  It was a great day.

We've been busy visiting the children and having them here.  This summer we will have several of the grandchildren staying with us off and on.  So keeping up the yard, the house the garden and the visitation schedule keeps me very busy.

Lee's back continues to heal nicely.  The surgery was a total success.  He is pretty much back to normal except for limited lifting.

I pray all of you are well, happy, and enjoying your summer. 

Thought for the day

If wrinkles must be written upon our brows,

let them not be written upon the heart.

The spirit should not grow old.

James A. Garfield

I think we are heading in the right direction now

This is what I've been up to during the time Lee is re cooperating from surgery. I'm getting the vegetable garden ready for planting.

This is a picture of my brother's new dog Sherlock. He is a Golden doodle.

He and Nicky are already hanging out together.

As you can see from the sun porch spring has sprung. If we needed to come home from Florida early this was the year to do it. The weather has been unusually warm for spring.

After all the children left after Easter, Nicky collapsed. He had not had a serious nap in 5 days. He couldn't find a quiet spot in the house.

This is our youngest, Brandon, and our eldest, Suzanne.

This is Brandon with our youngest daughter, Karen, who was in from California for the Easter holiday.

There was not a lull in the conversation for 5 days.

When our three girls--Karen, Suzanne and Michelle get together, you might as well give up the idea of getting any sleep.

It is such a wonderful thing to experience the love our children all have for one another.

Just before Easter I had gone with my brother to look at dogs at a dog breeder near-by.

I felt like I was in dogie Heaven.

These are standard poodles in this pen and as it got cool in the evening they all piled on top of one another.

These are the Golden doodles.

These are 2 of the standard poodle pups. Isn't the sable colored one with the green eyes gorgeous?

My grand daughter, Hollyn, and the bear I just gave her.

This is Hollyn's dog, Rio.

As you can see, everything is in blossom here and it is beautiful.

This is my new respite room. All ready for Jim and Jane.

My girlfriend, Renee, was selling her curio cabinet and I bought it to display the porcelain dolls that I made over the years.

I rearranged the great room to accommodate our new piece of furniture.

Suzanne and Rio

This was Nicky relaxing on the way home from Florida.

Chris and I just before we left Florida.

God was so good. We got home from Florida and were able to get into the back surgeon within 5 days. The surgery took place on April 11 and all went just as anticipated by the surgeon. Lee had 3 herniated discs and some bone spurs. They were badly pinching the sciatic nerve and that's what caused the excruciating pain and loss of control in his right leg. It is only 4 days since surgery but Lee is already walking around normal again. The pain is now in the incision area but not the leg anymore.

Thank all of you for your support, calls, prayers and cards. We're hoping our lives are heading in a different direction now. One without medical issures for a while. Lee will be on the mend for at least 6 weeks and then slowly return to full activity.

Hopes this finds you all well and healthy.

I DECIDED LONG AGO NEVER TO LOOK AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MENUE OR THE PRICE TAG OF CLOTHES--OTHERWISE I WOULD STARVE NAKED.