Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

We went to the Christmas Tree farm this weekend. We each had our own favorite trees, and one of us won.  This was Sydney's favorite.

Sadly, she did not win. Although it is a mighty cute tree with a ton of Charlie Brown Christmas potential, it's just a wee tad on the small side. The tree we did finally choose actually had much of the same Charlie Brown character -- more on that later!  But for now, enjoy this sweet photo, for it is one of the few moments in the field (is it a field? it's not really a forest?) where Sydney was not screaming in protest. More on that later, too!

Just one more reason to love the Muppets

Seriously.



LOVE THEM.

In the words of Miss Piggy...

...Christmas is coming! (and the goose is getting fat!)

And how do I know Christmas is coming? Because Mark endured a 5 hour battle with a crabapple tree. He has scrapes on his hand. Gouges in his head. There is mud on my kitchen chair. The plastic triangle play thingy was tortured by said kitchen chair as said kitchen chair catapulted Mr. Warrior higher up in the tree.

Yes, it was an epic battle.

But in the end, Mark the Christmas Warrior won out. Or did the tree? Or did I? Or did the neighbors?

I think it's fair to call it win-win.  I love our pretty tree. It's a sure sign that Christmas is coming!  Let the baking and visiting and decorating and christmas card writing and caroling and shopping and (sometimes stressing) and praying and celebrating begin.

PS - I've been singing John Denver and the Muppets for a week straight, hence the Miss Piggy reference. Best CD ever. Elisabeth now sings it with me.  What more could a mom who was born in the Muppet era ask for?

A century minus one.

Alternatively titled "Fun With Walkers".

My Grandfather turned 99 this October.

99!

I KNOW!

I can hardly believe it myself. Many of us that are able have been going to Florida for years to help celebrate his birthday, and each year it means even more to us. I remember leaving his 90th party and crying on my Dad's shoulder because I thought I would never see my Grandpa Marvin again. Little did I know he had no plans of slowing down!

He still gets around quite well. He is sharp as a tack. His hearing is going a little, but hey if that's the worst of your problems at a century minus one year old, I think that's pretty darn good. 

This year my brother and his family were able to come celebrate too!

We all went to visit Grandpa in his apartment the day before the party. Helloooo, chaos! That room is NOT meant for 11 people.  2, tops.

 

After we sucked all of the oxygen out of the room, we went for a walk to one of the common areas.

This is Josephine, our niece. Isn't she cute?

Josephine was enamored with Grandpa's walker.

Sydney got in on the action as well.

What is it with walkers and kids?

 

The next day we had a big family party. There were 25 of us that came to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. That's the biggest turnout yet! I wonder what his 100th will be like?

My Great Uncle Bill and Great Aunt Dorothy even came down from Duluth, MN to help celebrate their big brother's birthday. Bill, who hasn't been able to see his brother in 9 years, had been saving a free ticket for Grandpa's funeral someday.

He had just a few people make him rethink that one.

Why not celebrate life while it's still here?

On top of a pretty neat sibling reunion, there was cake at Grandpa's party.

(do you see that smile on my grandpa's face? that's pure happiness.)

There was plenty of visiting.

 

 

 

There was admiration

by 7 great-grandkids.

 

There was random chicken dancing.

There were traditional whiskey Manhattans had by all.
Grandpa's favorite.

There were gifts (A special sand dollar being one of them, given by Elisabeth).

There was a looking glass

There was random picture taking by a certain almost 6 year old

And there were four amazingly blessed generations.

We really are blessed to have such an awesome family. It's a family that I'm honored to be a part of.

Sunny Days...

...Sweeping the clouds away...