from holiday lights to dry heaving

I love this time of year.  From Thanksgiving right up until the New Year, I like the busyness, the sparkles the school programs.  The days spin along with their own agenda pushing us from one thing to the next. 

We went down the road to cut a Christmas tree, something our younger kids have yet to experience.  We walked about the tree farm until we all ended up in the same corner and decided we found the right tree, somewhat because it was the right size and somewhat because we were tired and the trees all started to look the same.

a ta

That’s Ken and I giving each other the look of love, and Molly setting off on her high speed trek to find the right tree.  She runs everywhere, do you have a child like that?

Thanksgiving came and went.  I spent that morning with my head over the garbage can, something that is all too frequent and I really wish would stop.  But in just the nick of time I managed to get dressed and go to my sister’s house.  My brother was there whom I haven’t seen in 5 years and it made me cry.  Surely he thinks I am a freak with my dry heavy breath and wild look of black mascara tears. 

After that we went to Ken’s side.  We had a full day, in a very good way.  It was a much different Thanksgiving than in past years when we had a table full of airman who were unable to go home for the holiday.

This is my Irish mother in law. She likes to pick on me and I like to pick on her, so it works out nicely.  This would be an example of the face she would make if I asked her if she boozed it up before we arrived.

My oldest came and went.  We tried to fit a lot in while she was here, to include crafting marathons and sushi.  I miss her being close by.  She makes me laugh so much!

(This is where a picture of Hadley should be but after a recent Facebook incident of posting pictures that are unflattering without asking all us girls agreed to only post pictures with permission,though pictures of my mother in law are always okay.)

Henry turned five yesterday and is officially not a baby anymore.  He has hauled around a stuffed cat he named “Mama Kitty” for years.  She used to be vibrant and cute but now well... she smells a little tangy in a not so good way.

So we got him a kitten.  A real one that doesn’t take batteries.  I put her in a gift bag and Henry was pretty surprised.  I think I will remember his face my whole life.

I love the little kitten.  We named her Sally O’Malley, okay I named her Sally O’Malley because if we let Henry name her he would have said something like ChukkahBukkah or CheezyWeezy.  

 

Sally O’Malley and Mama Kitty.  One of these cats smells better than the other.

That’s all I gots for now.  It’s time for dinner- chicken soup with rice.  So I best be getting to the kitchen and doing some cooking while listening to holiday music of the big band swing variety.

Tootles, friends….

PS We saw the Muppet movie and it was good, it was the first movie in a very long time that our whole family could watch together without it being too loud or scary or full of fart jokes.