Family Day

Well, Christmas eve and Christmas day were wonderful.  We were with family and enjoyed every minute.  As I get older I seem to realize how quickly time passes by.  Like Oprah, I am trying to learn to live in the moment.  Being with family this weekend I tried to do just that.  Sitting there looking at our family as they each opened their gifts was just awesome.  We have been so fortunate to have such a respectful family.  My husband and I just look at each other and we are both thinking, how did we do this?  When you get married people usually don't read books on telling you how to raise good kids.  We have 4 children,  I am not saying that we didn't have our challenges.  Like the time when we were at Penn State for # 1 & #2's graduation, and # 3 was home babysitting # 4 (because he had a playoff game).  # 3 decided to send # 4 to a friends house so he could have his own graduation party.  We received a call from our home town police and said their was a party at our house and what would we like to do.  My husband told the policeman to get everyone out of the house, (of course they were already out of the house due to the fact that one of kid # 3's friend called him and said that he heard on a police scanner that they were directed to our address) and we would handle it when we got home the next day.  Kid # 3 lost his privilege of going to senior week.  So we did have a few problems along the way, and thankfully we all made it through those rough teenage year.  When we are all together and reminiscing about things that happened growing up, that story has been the topic of many a conversations at our dinner table.  We can all laugh about it now.  All I can say is that we have been blessed.
I guess the point of the story is that enjoy every minute with your children and loved ones, because it passes all too quickly.  When we talk about retirement now, we think we should have saved more money when we were younger.  We both look at each other and laugh because who would have ever thought when we were younger that we would grow old, but that is a story for another time.

Christmas Time!

Well, it's almost here, tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  I was in such a good mood up until two days ago, now I feel a little sad.  I can't put my finger on it, I don't know why.  May be it's just that I really can't do anything with this broken ankle, and it has me a little down.  Christmas is my favorite time of year, and right now I am wrapped and ready, so that should make me happy.  Usually I am wrapping on Christmas Eve at 5 pm, right before we all get together to exchange gifts.

They are predicting snow in this area for Sunday/Monday.  It is really just a tease of course.  They are giving us three scenario's of the storm.  I guess they just say that so they can't be wrong no matter what happens.

Since our daughter got married and started having children we have changed our family tradition a little.  We use to all gather at our house on Christmas Eve and we had an Open House for friends and family.  We would open gifts on Christmas day after Santa came.  Since we have downsized to a little community and our daughter has children and the big house we have decided to go there and continue the tradition, except we exchange gifts that night. 

When your children are grown and out of the house it is a little different on Christmas morning now.  So Christmas Eve is our Christmas morning.  Christmas day they can spend with us or their significant other/husband's family.  It works out pretty good.

Well, that is our tradition, what is yours?  It's almost here!  I am wishing you and your family a joyous holiday and good things to happen in 2011!  Enjoy each other and appreciate how lucky we all are.

Tote

Sunday Football

I can't watch any more football!  My team is not doing too well, so I loose confidence and can't watch anymore.  Anyway I have a question.  If my son is dating someone for at least 2 months now,  what should I get her for Christmas?  She is a lovely lady, and I hope things go well for both of them.  I just don't get much information from him, so I don't know how serious things are yet.  Any ideas? 

Have a great day.