Goodbye 2021

By standards set in truly good and bad years, 2021 was unremarkable, however we like to spend time on New Year’s Eve reflecting.  I don’t like to hate on a year, because I like to think of myself as an optimist.  In the beginning of 2021, I thought we would be ending a pandemic, getting the country back  in a positive place  with a new President, and making real progress with feeling more positive about the overall status of things.   Well, this year proved me wrong.  Not everything is bleak and dismal however!   We are all relatively healthy.  Our older children are successfully navigating adult life without much need for our help.  Our younger crowd is rapidly growing up and proving that they too, are capable of success.  The grandkid is amazing, growing and thriving.  No amount of worldly problems can make us feel less blessed.  

We welcome the new year, and pray that we can find the strength to be a light in times of darkness. Because light always wins.  

The day after

Some of us went out to lunch at Los Vaqueros after mass this morning.   We celebrated Evelyn’s birthday just for fun.  They brought her  fried ice cream and put the sombrero on her head. She was all smiles. And then they started to sing.  She was not really a fan of that,  and hid her face until it was over.  Then she dug in to the ice cream and was all smiles again.  I love the food there. It is so good!   Everyone went home afterward, reminding me of my dad’s old saying “nothing’s over like Christmas!”   

We came home to the usual laundry, housework, cooking and discussions over what stragedies we have to use to cover the activities of the week.  You’re right dad, nothing is over like Christmas.  

Hundreds of dollars worth of new stuff, and yet Saige was begging for my phone so she could go out and take pictures.  In fairness, the girls have spent a lot of time hanging out together today and I am always happy to see them go outside and walk around!  

Colin and Spencer gave Jim a hand held chainsaw.  Jim was very excited to go try it out.  Big boys like new toys too!   

This whole weekend was amazing. Sadly, back to reality tomorrow.  Kids have a list of projects they are tackling.  Back to work for Jim and me. Goals for the new year include the ongoing desire to find joy in every one of our days. 

Merry little Christmas

We were very blessed to have all of our kids home for Christmas today.  We missed Lauren, but we understand why she wasn’t here with us. It was a really amazing day.  Low key, relaxing, gifts, food and Christmas movies.  A perfect, happy day!    

Evie had a lot of fun pulling down the candy canes off of the trees.  She is so funny.  It is awesome to have a little one around for the holidays again!  

We are  exceedingly blessed. 

And since I made a crazy amount of soup for Christmas Eve, we had a ton of leftovers so they all stayed for dinner as well!   It wasn’t the most lively day, but I enjoyed it tremendously!  

After 30 years together, I finally got Jim a gift that he loved.   Not sure how I will ever top it.  

Cameron left mid afternoon to spend the evening with Lauren’s family.  I love this photo of them.  

Happy, healthy, grateful and blessed, Christmas 2021 was a success!  

Christmas Eve with the crazies

 

Today is Evie’s 3rd birthday.  When they stopped by to drop off cinnamon rolls, we let Evie open a gift.  She was pretty excited about her Mickey Mouse camper.  We love this kid so much. She is a true blessing in our lives.  

This evening we attended Christmas Eve mass.  Despite my overall distaste for Christmas, I do love Christmas Eve mass.   And Christmas Eve in general.  Everything is done.  Food is prepped, shopping is done, everything is wrapped, the kids are excited, and we are just relaxing watching a couple of Christmas movies.   Togetherness, relaxation and relief to have the rat race finished.  What’s not to like?   

The simplicity of the first Christmas makes me feel content. 

The kids came home from mass and helped Mallory bake sugar cookies and pies for Christmas lunch tomorrow.  It was an amazing, fun day!  

Random photo drop

Cameron gave a speech at President Myers retirement party.  Cameron really loves this man.  I wish I could have heard the speech.  He and Lauren both seem to have nice things to say about him.   

For years now, we have given the kids some money and sent them into the Dollar Tree and allowed them to buy gifts for each other.  It is a fun, albeit redneck tradition.  I was going to skip it this year, but the kids were pretty sad about that.  So today, we ran to Topeka.  They shopped, we had lunch out, I got my booster shot, and picked up a few groceries that I was unable to find last weekend.   I know that we were warned about supply chain challenges, possible shortages, and an  inability to find certain items long before now, but I am on record with saying the stuff they are out of is just weird.  Jim and I were wanting to get some Christmas candy, the store shelves were wiped out.  Even the “gross” brands were just gone.   We turned a corner, and found Valentine’s Day stuff set out.  I guess the stockings will contain candy hearts and Cupid’s this year. What are ya gonna do?  We also couldn’t find Chex cereal and food coloring….so odd.  I was able to get the chex at Carbondale, and because my husband is tall, he spotted some gel food coloring on a tip-top shelf and was able to reach it (had he not been there we would be having white sugar cookies!).  Is Christmas ruined by this?  Nope. But it is just weird.  For almost 2 years now I have been thinking this odd stuff will resolve itself.  It just hasn’t.  

I decided there would be no more procrastinating the wrapping of the huge pile of boxes today.  I ordered most of the kids gifts online.  I hadn’t even opened the boxes.  I was pleased that almost everything I ordered was delivered and I am almost completely done with the wrapping.   The only wrapping I have left is the things that were in today’s mail.  Tomorrow we clean and start the cooking for the Christmas meal.  I am happy that I had this day off to get so much ready to go!  

I had some other random stuff on my phone.  Evelyn went through a tongs phase for a few days.  She carried these tongs around everywhere.  She used them to pick up toys, tried to use them to eat, and punched us all with them.  It was hilarious.  

Although we shouldn’t, Jim and I eat in town a couple times a week.  Evie loves eating at both TJ’s and at Los Vaqueros.  Whenever we decide to do this, we walk together to the restaurants.  Evelyn loves to watch out the door for Poppy to come out of his office, and then run up the sidewalk to get him!   It’s the sweetest thing ever.  One of the things that I love most is that we both work in town.  Sometimes our evenings are crazy, and we are running separate directions, so it is really important to me to get to spend the lunch hour together.  

Jerry was not happy when we allowed Minot into the family.  As you can see, he has changed his mind about her.  She is a terrible kitty.  I honestly want to choke her half the time. She gets on the counters, has accidents in the dining room, tortures the dog, climbs the Christmas tree,  and refuses to stop climbing our legs when we are eating.  But she is also very sweet and lets Evie do anything to her, she lays in your lap and  purrs and purrs.  We will keep trying to train her I guess. Maybe someday she will be good.  

Candy makin day

The girls and I had a candy making day today.  Interestingly, Quincy was the one who had a list of things she wanted to make, but then ended up saying yes to going into work.  Evie, Saige and Harper spent last night with Mallory. They were all fairly tired this afternoon.  We still managed to have a really fun time making more treats than anyone really needs. I live for days like this.  

This evening, Jim and I attended the township Christmas party.  Jim was super excited about eating steaks.  We also completely finished our Christmas to-do list.   Now for my favorite part of the holiday.  The part where the running, programs, shopping, and craziness are finished and we can just settle in, hang out together and enjoy some stillness.   I am super excited about having a 4 day weekend, hanging with the kids and getting to try the candy we made today!   I am also very glad my girls all love to cook and bake.  I would never have accomplished as much without their help!  

One of them days

We made it to Christmas break!   I have never been more excited to see a break I don’t think.  I’m thankful that this was a 2 day week of school!  Mallory made plans to watch Evie tonight so that Madison and Andrew could finish shopping and wrap gifts.  Mallory had asked if she could bring Evie out to make ornaments with the girls tonight.  It sounded like a lot of fun, but Jim and I were going to the township Christmas party.  The girls decided they would still make ornaments without us!  I’m glad someone got to do something fun today!  

I have a dam at work that has a sink hole.  The hole was caused by a deteriorating pipe.  Today, I had to meet the state engineer on site so he could document the deficiencies.  People, this month has kicked my butt.   As in I am exhausted to the core of my soul.  So I looked out from the road to the dam and thought, nope…I am not walking down that huge hill and back up again!   So I told the engineer to jump in Jim’s truck and we will drive down.  Turns out, that was a huge mistake.  Jim’s truck is not a 4 wheel drive!   The engineer and I could not get back up to the road!   We tried several different ways and several different times.  Failure. I got to walk out despite my desire to avoid it!   The engineer was gracious to give me a ride back to my office.  The problem was that the truck was still in Vinland, and Jim was at work without a vehicle.  The landowner was kind enough to tell me he would meet me out there this evening and tow me up with his tractor.  That meant no township party for me (or for Jim who was looking forward to eating at the steakhouse).  So this evening, we drove back over there.  I drug Jim along, thankful for all the times he has run out of gas and I have had to rescue him- you know so he can’t hold this over my head!   We got to the site a few minutes before the landowner.  Jim jumped in the truck, and drove straight up the hill.  Of course.  Isn’t that the way it always works?  I am happy to report that Jim just smiled, got in the truck and drove it home.  No words at all about it.  Sometimes he is a very smart man! 

The day kept giving too, so many things went wacky, I can’t even list them all.  Suffice it to say I am majorly elated about the break!  Nicely, my fellow township board members moved our party to tomorrow.  I am excited that we didn’t miss it after all!   Now if we can just settle in, finish Christmas preparations and enjoy the holiday!  

Thanks also to Mallory, who gave Saige and Harper a fun evening despite the chaos!   I appreciate it!