Happy 4th, y'all!

Have a FUN and SAFE celebration, y'all! 

But OF COURSE there will be a summer memories post related to the 4th, but not until tomorrow! Or the next day..LOL

Christmas Day 2012

We got up early on Christmas Day and I cooked. Again. Breezy really wanted breakfast casserole and, even when they're all grown up, when my kids want something, I give it or do it for them.

Tucker was first- he loves his stocking every year! DoodleBug always helps him out---

 He really gets 'into' the whole stocking thing---

He got a cute little Christmas bandana and loads of treats!

Birdie shares a Christmas moment with cardboard Evwardo--

DoodleBug gets in on the Christmas hugs---

Pretty sure this one will be a fabulous kindergarten teacher---

BestSonInLawEVER got a few mustaches in his stocking. Here's one---

I told y'all the lovelies were a bit Harry Potter obsessed---yep, that's a Harry Potter snuggie. WHAT?!

In the afternoon, we went to Dad's house- that's my brother, David pretending to fall in front of the tree. He's a NUT. :)
 

That's Deanie, DoodleBug and Birdie with David's two girlies!

David and Tucker---

We got so carried away visiting with Dad and my stepmom that I didn't take many pictures. We wanted to visit Dad on Christmas particularly since he just finished his radiation treatments the week before. He looks great and he feels great too! I'm so glad!

We also spent time looking at photos of their trip to Europe in October- what a great time they had! I would share some of their stories, but then y'all would know just how crazy our family really is. :)

I can't begin to tell you how blessed we were with family fun and togetherness this Christmas. I hope y'all had the same with your families!

Here We Come A Baking

I love baking during the holiday season. And I come by it honestly. My grandmother was the absolute, hands down, without a doubt BEST BAKER IN THE WORLD. Everything she made was from scratch and I loved spending time with her in the kitchen any time she was baking any of her many deliciously delectable delights.

She made homemade biscuits every single day of her life. Biscuits that she learned how to make from my great grandmother. They were TO DIE FOR. And I'm not exaggerating. And she made cakes throughout the year for people. As well as her yeast rolls. But, during the holidays, the baking was taken to a whole new level.

At Thanksgiving, she served up a feast of turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, rice, gravy, homemade yeast rolls, broccoli casserole, cranberry sauce, and homemade pies and cakes. How in the world I was a thin youngster I will never know.

At Christmas the dining room table was filled with homemade cakes with no less than 4 to 6 layers- coconut, pineapple, chocolate. The house would fill up with the sweetest, warmest baking aromas and there was always just enough left in the bowl for licking. There were cookies, fudge, and other candies- all homemade. A ham with cloves, pineapple slices and cherries all over the surface covered with a sweet honey and mustard glaze sliced to perfection.

It's no wonder that I enjoy baking so much. There are so many wonderful memories associated with every part of holiday baking. And so, every year, I look forward to this season of my favorite holidays and all the baking that I do. Most of the recipes are the old, reliable ones of my childhood. I do try a few new ones every couple of years, but they're rarely good enough to win a spot on our holiday table.

The lovelies look forward to the holiday baking as well. They started helping out as soon as they were old enough to stand on a chair to reach the kitchen counter. Now, as each one comes home for the holidays, they pitch in with the baking. As a matter of fact, they insist that I save some things for them to do instead of having it all done for them when they arrive.

We have such fun during this time. Our dining area was the place for many things throughout the years besides family meals- creating school projects, studying, reading, playing telephone, board games, card games, jigsaw puzzles, girl talk, heated discussions, words of encouragement, silly-girl-giggly-tales with friends...and sisters.

But the best times of all were, and continue to be, the cherished moments baking those holiday goodies. When we come together and catch each other up on what's going on in our lives since everyone got so grown up so quickly. No matter that we talk daily, it's still better up close and in person. And no one ever minds hearing it again. And again. Because it's the holiday season. There's baking to be done. Memories to recall. Stories to tell.

And, best of all, we're all here. Together.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

The weather outside is frightful! It's in the upper 60s and will be going into the 70s for the next few days. This is NOT holiday weather.

Regardless, the holiday decorating has commenced! Last weekend, one tree was put up and decorated along with some garland and the stockings. This weekend, the second tree was put up and a good bit of the 'other' decorating was completed-you know, putting out all the Christmas related music boxes, snow globes, figurines, etc.

Thankfully, decorating the house for the holidays is not at all like work because the lovelies were here to help. Well, last weekend 3 of them were here and this weekend 2. But no worries. We saved all of Deanie's Christmas ornaments and other paraphernalia for her to put out when she arrives for Christmas later this month.

It's gotten to the point that I will-even if only for a brief moment- consider not going all out with the decorating. But it does pass and it's not even really a true, real consideration. I'm too much a creature of habit. And tradition.

Plus, we can't have all those people over here for a Christmas oyster roast without putting up the decorations now can we?!

I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out how to deal with my pictures on this temporary computer. But here are a few from the first round of decorating--somehow Breezy didn't make it into these pix and DoodleBug had to leave to babysit for her coach's kids...HEY! The husband didn't make in the pix either. Geez, where was my head?

Here's BestSonInLawEVER helping out---

Birdie and BestSonInLawEVER digging in the ornament boxes.

Evwardo was helping too! That's him in his Clemson shirt---the Clemson/Carolina game was on. Sorry Clemson.

Of course there was more watching of the football game than decorating. But that's ok with me!

Breezy came up with the idea that we would decorate glass ornaments for the new baby for his first Christmas. She wrote bible verses on them and we all decorated at least one for him. 

It was so much fun doing this---even though we all kept getting glitter ALL OVER THE PLACE and that includes forgetting that there was wet glitter on the ornaments and picking them up.

I didn't even attempt to edit the pix this time because it's annoying on this computer. As soon as I figure out this temporary piece of technology, I'll get more pictures posted. This thing is driving me NUTS but I am trying to just be grateful that I have something to use at this point.

So, the question today is: How's the decorating going at your house?

Anticipation

The lovelies with Santa in 1991

When I was a little girl, the anticipation of the coming holidays seemed nearly unbearable. Looking back, however, I think the sheer anticipation of the coming events was the very best part of the holiday season.

Just thinking of all the things that are made available only during this time of year gets me all excited. I enjoy every second of it all from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas!

There's never a dull moment with so much to do and see--

• Holiday movies (not just Christmas but Halloween and Thanksgiving too)
• The music (ok, this one is all about Christmas for me)
• The planning (meals, gifts, decorating--Halloween, Thanksgiving and Chistmas)
• The decorating
• The baking
• The shopping
• The giving of your time to others
• The school plays
• The church programs
• The festival of lights
• The whispered secrets
• The preholiday parties
• Bailey's Irish Cream---ok, available year 'round but particularly tasty during the holidays!
• A fire in the fireplace---to go with the Bailey's, of course.
• The way the lights on the Christmas tree sparkle after drinking the Bailey's. 
• The phone calls between family members
• Buying plane tickets for grown up children to fly home
• Knowing that the whole family will be together
• Happy (somewhat bittersweet) memories of holidays past
• The feelings of happiness, joy, excitement, hope...

I can't think of anything negative about the anticipation that accompanies the holiday season. It brings a warmth that spreads all through my heart and soul and brings me a joy so deep and pure I have no words for it. I love it! I live for it! I thoroughly enjoy every second of every minute! I wake up with a smile and go to bed with a smile.

It doesn't hurt that the lovelies are coming home! AND, there's all that time off from school! AND we are planning a celebration of the arrival of the newest family member!

It's going to be the best holiday season EVER! And it all begins tomorrow after school!

Do you enjoy the anticipation of the holiday season?  

Much Ado About...Oysters?

One of the things I love most to do is entertain.  In the good 'ol days--the days before our nest became empty--we hosted many gatherings in our cozy little house, from occasion related parties to casual cookouts just to have fun with neighbors, friends, and family.  The cookouts were just like the ones you've seen in movies and even commercials.  A gathering of adults and children- the grill smoking with burgers and hot dogs; sprinkler blasting water in all directions as the kids run, laughing and screaming, through the jetted streams, pulling each other in the wagon, swinging and hanging upside down on the swing set; adults with drinks in their hands, talking and laughing, cooking and getting all the necessary items out on the picnic tables for the Norman Rockwellish summer feast--buns, condiments, watermelon, baked beans, homemade french fries, cups, plates and napkins decorated with a summer theme of beach umbrellas and flip flops.  No special occasion needed--just spending time with each other.  There were the occasion supported gatherings, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, bridal and baby showers (the most recent one is in the picture above), etc.  And then there were the holiday gatherings from dinner parties where we all actually dressed up and prepared fancy five course meals (where our next door neighbor, at the time, would make her homemade French Onion soup--DELICIOUS!) to parties for the purpose of collecting toys for children of the local migrant workers and creating Christmas crafts.  Ah, yes.  Those were, indeed, the days my friend.  But then--and is almost seems suddenly, now--the children got older, some of the adults grew apart and divorced, and others moved to new neighborhoods, towns, or even states.  This, coupled with a now empty nest, led me to the realization that we had better come up with some holiday plans that would accommodate everyone being able to attend.  Thus, our FIRST ANNUAL EMPTY NEST CHRISTMAS OYSTER ROAST is in the works.

My thoughts are that we have this gathering the weekend before Christmas and include friends and family.   That way, should anyone not be able to make it the actual day of Christmas, we will still be together during the season.  I know this kind of thing happens with an empty nest, especially when one daughter is married and another one lives nine hours away and has a job.  I am also aware that the preparations won't be as much fun as they used to be when our girls were little.  When I roll up the cheese and olive balls and the sausage balls, for example, they will all be uniform in size and I won't have to say something like, "We're not rolling up basketballs here girls." (and very few to none will be dropped on the floor.).  No one will be here to get covered in icing while decorating the Christmas cookies (see how cute they were making the cookies?).  No one will be here to lick the mixing bowl of cake batter and icing.  No one will be here to lick the cooled pot that was used to cook the homemade fudge.  No one will be here to ask if I would please just go ahead and cook a few things right now just for a taste.  No one will be here to help decorate the house or the trees.  No one will be here to shake every single present under the tree to try and guess the contents (and YES they STILL do this.).  HOWEVER, they will be here to enjoy it!  Plus, it's an OYSTER ROAST!  Who doesn't love an oyster roast?!  There will be oysters outside and Christmas goodies inside (because, although I love to throw the party, I HATE oysters) and the warmth will be provided by the gathering of friends and family.  Right.  There's only ONE problem with that wonderful picture---

Married daughter and BestSonInLawEver (both soon to be known as TheTwoWhoDidNotCometotheOysterRoast) won't be able to come because of a wedding they justhavetogotomom.  AND the one who wanted to experience living in a big city (soon to be known as TheOtherOneWhoDidNotCometotheOysterRoast) so she moved NINE hours away won't be here either --she took off December 22-26 so she could be here ON Christmas.  Oh well, the best laid plans--as they say.  At least our two college babies will be here for everything!  And there will be plenty of friends and family around to help spread the proverbial Holiday Cheer.    

I knew that, at some point, we would be faced with this situation where one or two of the girls wouldn't be able to make it home for one thing or another.  But I am STILL NOT READY to join the ranks of those who celebrate the holidays without every family member being present.  I'm not bitter.  I won't be trying to make their lives miserable when they cannot make it to whatever event it is (I'm not that kind of mom and Hubs is not that kind of dad).  I'm just NOT DIGGING it!  At all!  Not one little bit!  It's CHRISTMAS for goodness sakes!  And then, I realized something else!  The ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S EVE OYSTER ROAST!  We started that one last year and it was big fun!  Two might be missing the December roast and TheTwoWhoDidNotCometotheOysterRoast might be missing Christmas Eve and Day (because they're spending it up there with his family but I'm thinking if they get you year round WE should get holidays...just saying) BUT we do have New Year's Eve!  Wait.  Oh CRAP.  TheOtherOneWhoDidNotCometotheOysterRoast will be back in DC and NOT here for that one either.  Our family is going to be split up for the FIRST TIME EVER!  This is muy UNCOOL!

Yes, there's a first time for everything.  And I'm sure we'll survive this just fine.  But no one asked me if I was ready for this.  No one told me how to prepare for this.  But, carry on we will.  And there will be decorations, and yummy Christmas goodies, and those nasty oysters that everyone else LOVES, and friends and family and HOLIDAY CHEER (the bottled kind) and gifts...

WAIT! (a bright light bulb just popped up on top of my head because this idea is fantastic!)-- If I tell them 'No showing up = no presents' do you think their plans will change?