GINGERBREAD BOYS AND GIRLS, AWARDS AND TAGS

It's time to make gingerbread boys and girls at Grammy's house.

We're getting the hang of it!
The flour is flying now!

It's time to frost, and that means lick your fingers!!


The boys need eyes and buttons; the girls get eyes and a belt.


We're done - time to lick the bowl!


Grammy has done her job - filled them full of sugar! Now it's time to take the kids home to their parents.

I've been tagged by Robyn at There is always thyme for to list the things that reflect my love of Christmas. Along with the tag, came this great Christmas Spirit Award. Thanks, Robyn.

My love of Christmas ----

1. I enjoy my house all decorated with the mementos of past Christmases. They invoke so many memories of when we were first married, of our children when they were small, and all of the friends and family that have visited during the Christmas season.

2. I love my grand children around the house cooking with me in the kitchen, checking out the trees and their goodies, and playing with the Fontanini Nativity set with Baby Jesus and all of the animals. The joy of Christmas through their eyes is wonderful!

3. Christmas is not complete without going to candlelight services at church on Christmas eve. I'm amazed how good and quiet little children are when the candles are the only source of light. Their eyes sparkle like nothing else.

4. I can't forget the food. We experience new tastes with the gifts of food. There are always new recipes to try and old ones to make again. It ALMOST makes me like to cook.

5. I love the cold weather and the snow at Christmas. Unfortunately, we usually don't get that until January; but I can dream.

6. Anytime of the year, I like to shop; but at Christmas it is special shopping for others especially our little ones and those children less fortunate.

7. My kids have never missed coming home to our house at Christmas since they have become adults. I enjoy their company!!!!

8. And the best thing -- my faith in God is always renewed this time of year. I become so aware of my blessings.

Also, Carrie at Oak Rise Cottage has honored me with this award.

It states, "This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs exceedingly are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!" Isn't that beautiful? I have so much to live up to!!!!

I appreciate all of the awards I have received in the few months I have been blogging. But more than the awards, I'm appreciative of your friendships. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Have you noticed how independent most bloggers are? I, too, am not too good at following the rules. So, I have dispensed with them!! If you read my blog or are on my blog roll, please accept one of these awards. I treasure all of you!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNI!!

Our baby girl turns 36 years old in a few days! She spent her first Thanksgiving in a foster-care home because the juvenile court judge was on vacation and couldn't sign the papers for her release to be adopted by us. This picture was taken the day we got to bring her to our home - she was three weeks old. She was so tired when we remembered to take a picture of this momentous day. She would tell you that she had had a rough day! You see I was against pacifiers in those days; so as we left the courthouse after picking her up, I popped that Binky right out of her mouth and threw it in the trash - an act I lived to regret. I thought I knew everything about being a mother as we already had a 4-year old son. We had a very cranky baby for a few days until she found her thumb. And, did she ever find her thumb - she sucked that thumb for years!!
Can you tell she had orthodontia in her future? Look at those teeth and that cross-bite. Poor thing, she had to endure 10 years of braces because her mother thought she knew everything.


She was such a good kid - so easygoing and happy. She loved going to school, even though school work was a struggle for her. After several years in school, a learning disability was finally diagnosed. That didn't make learning any easier; however, it just gave us a definition.


She thought of school as a social occasion and excelled in all of the extra-curricular things. She played drums in the band, was captain of the flag corps, captain of a state championship gymnastic team, and worked really hard at the school work to keep her grades acceptable to participate in the fun stuff.


She was very, very social!! Oh, yes, she also spent a lot of time at the orthodontist.


She finally got those braces off in her Senior year in time to also be a beauty queen!


We couldn't convince her to try college, so she went right to work in retail. With her charm and sociability, she could sell anyone anything.

She fell in love and got married.


She had a baby - our first grandchild - adorable Caitlin!


I told you she was social - she was calling the world to tell them about this bundle of joy.



In a few months, she was pregnant again; but lost the baby in the fifth month. That was a very difficult time for her.

In 2001, she was having an ultrasound to diagnose a painful kidney stone; and in addition to the kidney stone, they found a baby lurking in there! She was finally blessed with another child. Because of the risk to the baby, they couldn't blast the stone. So, she endured that kidney stone for the entire pregnancy, working full time standing on her feet. She said she was glad to have her epidural to relieve that kidney stone pain for a little while during labor!!!

Look what she had - little, cutie Wyatt.


On the phone again to tell the world. And, they were finally able to blast that stone.

Little did she know that her biggest challenge was ahead. She had always suffered from migraine headaches; but in April 2006 she started having a different type of headache. The doctor diagnosed it as a sinus headache, but within a week she was in an ambulance on her way to the big city hospital with a brain tumor the size of a lemon. She started having seizures and went into all-night surgery. It was the worst type of news - a glioblastoma, stage four cancer.

They gave her 14 months to live, but after she could talk she told them that was not acceptable. She had a 4 year old and a 9 year old to raise!

Talk about a bad hair day!

She was in the hospital for 1 month; 2 weeks of that in ICU.
She learned to talk again and walk again; she began 7 weeks of radiation and 7 months of chemo.

Even though the treatments were horrendous for her, she was glad to be home.

So, now she is 29 months out of brain surgery and still going. A year ago, she wanted to drive again as she had been seizure-free for one year, but the doctor said he didn't know - he never had a patient live that long to want to drive again. We had her go out with a policeman friend to check her out, and she also passed that hurtle with flying colors. She will probably never be able to work again because of some short-term memory loss and lack of stamina; but her marriage survived, she is able to take care of her kids, and she is her usual, bubbly, social self.

She just had another MRI and it was clear once again. Let me tell you - this is one courageous, fighting-for-her-life woman!! She is an inspiration to anyone struggling with a life-threatening illness. I'm proud to call her our daughter. Happy Birthday, Jenni - and may you have many more and more and more and ------------.

I will be celebrating my birthday in a few days, too. It is my big 70! How blessed am I! After everything Jenni has been through, we certainly don't question God's plan for us, nor do we forget to pray and offer our thanks for our blessings.

To God be the glory as we begin this Thanksgiving season.

Sally

HALLOWEEN AND BIRTHDAY FUN

The October issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine had some cute ideas for decorating Halloween cupcakes. Our October birthday girl loves Halloween, so I had the grand kids come over to try their hand at decorating cupcakes before her family birthday dinner at our house.

Ours were not necessarily magazine worthy, but we sure had fun!!!

Call the KITCHEN POLICE! Someone is licking their fingers.


Oh no, the KITCHEN POLICE are coming again. We can't find a ponytail holder anywhere to control that hair!!

Grammy is still looking for a ponytail holder, while Caitlin is making a bat from a chocolate cookie.



Thanks goodness, Grammy at least found a barrette. Caitlin is writing on tombstones!!




Ghosts and skeletons.




Witches and gremlins with a couple of candles thrown in for the birthday girl!





Thanks for joining in our fun,





Grammy, Caitlin and Wyatt