Happy New Year

to all our friends and family far and near. Please don't be toooooooo shocked to see an updated blog. I have been getting it from all sides that we need to get this updated - what better time than to start the New Year off right. We have been doing really good so there hasn't been too much new news but of course there have been a ton of pictures taken over the fall and Holiday season - Tom will get some up in a couple of different entries so please keep coming back. We do promise to keep this more up to date since we have found out that people actually do read it - lol. And a special thanks to our friend Eva who will actually sign in and let us know she has visited. We need more of you to do that :)

Since we have been MIA - we have added to our family. Dawn and Elex were married in August at a very simple ceremony with immediate family present. Welcome to the family Elex :) Celeste and John have both had birthdays - John turned 7 and Celeste entered the 'terrible twos' although that has yet to manifest itself. She is just a delightful little princess and the light of our lives. The grandsons are all in basketball right now - John and Andrew in a Community league and Brad in a middle school league. Doesn't seem possible that he is ready for school sports but he is. They grow up so fast.

Mom has been in fairly good health for her age. She spent the entire late summer and fall right up to the day after Christmas working on over 400 beaded/crystal ornaments (12 different designs) for the entire family right down to great-grand children and for her lady friends at two churches and her missionary families. What a treasure for all of us who received them. She put alot of love in each and every one and will have places of honor on many Christmas trees around the country for years and years to come.

Speaking of Christmas we had a wonderful one with both children and grandkids over for Christmas Day and then two days later my nieces Tracey and her son Zachery and Amy and the latest great grandchild Amaris came down from PA for a couple days visit - much too short but Mom did get a chance to see and hold Amaris which was the highlight of the trip. We got several wonderful pictures of that. We all had a great time including time spent up at Ruths for a delicious dinner and and gift exchange. More memories and more pictures but that is what the holidays is all about - time spent with family.

As usual I did my 'over the top' Christmas decorating in the house and hate to take it down. I will keep it all up for another week or so and just sit back and enjoy it now that it is quiet here at the house. I did notice with all the decorating that I did the most fun and what brought the most smiles was doing Mom's 60's aluminum tree and putting on all the homemade ornaments made by various family members over the years and all the memories it envoked and all the stories she had to go with them. It prompted me to do a tree that was just ornaments that she has made and given to our family over the years and I have it here right by the computer to enjoy. I have several glitzy and sparkely trees in other rooms but these two with the handmade ornaments are the most treasured. Next year I will get back into my crafting and making the homemade ornaments again. I had kinda gotten out of the habit of doing them with all the changes in my life over the past few years but it is time to start that tradition again.

Thank you all who stop by and follow our little story. Tom will get some pictures up soon. Have a very safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR and remember to tell those you love how important they are to you.......

Lynne ~~he who plants a seed - believes in tomorrow~~