And a Happy New Year...

A picture of Roo on her Christmas party day at school. Yes, she is wearing sparkly red shoes.

On Henry's Christmas party, his class sang songs and dressed as characters from the nativity scene. He was a king. Unfortunately, Gavin and I were really sick that day so Mark took Henry to school and took a lot of pictures for me.

Henry is the cutie in red. Red is his favorite color.

Why does he always give me funny faces in pictures?!

Finally! A smile!

After the performance the class had a birthday party for Jesus. I think they even sang "Happy Birthday" for him. That's Henry in the moose sweater.

This year for Christmas we were all alone. Last year my dad came up Christmas Eve and was here for present openings and breakfast. This year he decided to come up on Christmas Day with my brother Peter and his wife. I was under the impression they were all going to stay the night here in order to have some time with us. Peter and Ashley drove up the 23rd and stayed at my brother Matt's house. They came here and brought my dad on Christmas day, but they did not stay the night. I was upset because I felt like we were just an after thought and when I voiced my opinion I got a not very nice text message about being uncaring. After they left our house they went back to my brother's and stayed the night again. Hmmm...yeah.

I was trying to make the best of our holiday with my family. I went to my mom's house and got the Christmas dishes that we used to use. I set my little table with them and I was very pleased and a bit emotional when I was done. Henry made a cute center piece at school and that was in the center of our table.

I set a small table for Henry and Irene to eat at next to the big table. I made sure they had a special table cloth and they had a candle (not lit!) and salt and pepper shakers in the shape of ornaments.

The picture above is of our small tree and the gifts. At first I wasn't going to put a tree. With all the heartache and stress of the last four months I wasn't in the mood. It finally dawned on me that I needed to make this holiday special for my kids so we got a small tree at Wal-mart for a ridiculously low price. We put special ornaments on it and beneath it were holiday items that I got from my mom's.

Christmas morning the kids were so sweet. They were thrilled that Santa had come and were amazed at the amount of gifts. I was amazed too since we were only going to be able to get the each two gifts and one small stocking stuffer. However, right before Thanksgiving, Mrs.Wagner, the children's teacher at school told Mark that her church had decided we were going to be one of their families. Her husband is a pastor at a church in a small town about 20 minutes from our town. Each year the "adopt" several families in the area and try to give them their Christmas wishes. I was speechless. Talk about a loving, kind, generous gesture! I felt bad too though. I felt like there had to be a family that needed it more than we did. I did fill out the sheet though. I filled out two gifts per child plus a pair of pajamas and one gift for them to share. I did not put anything down for Mark or me.

The Monday before Christmas we were given the gifts. Holy cow! There were so many! I was overwhelmed my the generousness of the people of this church. There were even gift cards for us to local grocery stores, gas stations, Kmart. Extremely useful and needed!

Irene holding a prettily wrapped gift. I believe it was jammies :)

Henry getting ready to open a gift.

Gavin checking out his gift. It was a vacuum. He is vacuum obsessed!

Henry and Irene opening one of their joint gifts. They got a Crayola color dome and the glow in the dark color sheet thingy. Those have been fun gifts and we've been having a blast using them!

Daddy helping Gavin open his Little People farm.

More gifts!

Gavin with the vacuum. He loves it! He loves the real vacuum too and tries to use it :-)

It was a beautiful and fun morning. Mark went out and got us donuts for breakfast. Since my dad and brother and sis-in-law were coming up and we were planning a meal with them we didn't want a large breakfast.

Peter, Ashley, and my dad got here around 11am. They brought gifts and brought gifts from my brother Matt too. More opening of gifts and I put Pete to work putting all the toys together. Usually my mom put together the toys but Peter did an excellent job!

In the above picture the gingerbread house is actually made from plastic canvas. My mom made it many moons ago and I brought it over to use as part of our decorations.

Roo playing with the dollhouse she got from Uncle Matt and Aunt Kaye. After putting together toys and playing we had our meal. My dad brought up a spiral cut ham which was delicious. We also had potatoes delight, cranberries, turkey polish sausage (Henry loved it!), corn, and crescent rolls. It was a great meal and a very good visit.

Mark's parents were going to come up the next day but then they asked us to come down. They sent us money for gas and they got us a hotel room to stay in. They wanted Henry and Irene to stay the week at their house so I packed up clothes for them. We drove down and all three kids stayed the night with grandma and grandpa while Mark and I stayed at the hotel alone! We had a nice night and the next day Mark had another appointment at a Lenscrafters in Grand Rapids. The glasses he got in October needed to be adjusted. His eyesight has come back almost 100% since being on diabetes medication. He just needs them for reading. Luckily, the glasses were adjusted for free!

Henry with his cousin Shelby in the basement family room at grandma's and grandpa's.

Opening the mountain of gifts that grandma and grandpa got them.

Pillow Pets! Irene is in love with Pillow Pets!

Grandma Pat holding Gavin while Roo opens another gift. Henry and Irene stayed the week with their grandparents and Mark, Gavin and I came home.

It was a beautiful holiday. I missed my mom but we had some good laughs talking about Christmases past. The kids had a wonderful time which was the most important thing. Through some generous, kind people we were able to have an abundant Christmas. We received a lot of cards and gifts from some super friends. We were, and are, truly blessed!

Santa Train 2010

Santa Train 2010! In the above picture, Mark is standing with Henry and Irene. You can hardly see them! Right now we are getting a ton of snow. It started about 45 minutes before the train made it into town. The weather channel was calling for a blizzard warning from 7pm tonight until 7 Monday. The crowd this year was smaller but I'm sure the snow is what kept a lot of people away. We went with the kids bundled in snow pants and coats. Poor Gavin could not move in all his gear!

The snow was very wet and kept covering the lens of the camera, hence the crazy marks on the pictures. You can barely make out the Marquette name on the train. This company is one of the last train companies that is still majority held by the workers. Each year they do the Santa train. It starts off around 9am and makes it way up from the Grand Rapids area and arrives in our town around 7:45pm. They stop at quite a few towns along the way.

In the car after the engine is a Christmas tree. This picture didn't come out very well because of the snow.

Santa makes sure to talk to each child. Henry asked for a remote controlled monster truck. Irene asked for a flashlight. Santa said he'd try. Mommy would like to get the remote controlled monster truck but doesn't have the money to spend that much on one gift. It is one item he asks for frequently. Santa and I are trying to find an alternative.

Mrs. Claus posed for a picture too. Unfortunately, only Henry's head is in the picture. I didn't take these...Mark did ;-)

In this picture the shiny thing is the flash of the camera shining off a reflector on the caboose. The conductor was reading off names of three families that were being given free Christmas trees. Unfortunately, none of the families were there. They offered them up to anyone that was in need of a tree in the crowd.

The caboose and its shiny reflectors. The train is decorated beautifully.

Poor Gavin! He is wearing several layers and cannot move. Kinda like the kid in The Christmas Story. By the time we left the top of the stroller was covered in snow.

Henry and Irene got free hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie. An insurance agency is right by the tracks and they provide free beverages and cookies.

Elves handed out candy canes. We ended up with six. I think they had planned on having a larger crowd. Even Mark and I got one.

The caboose, an elf, snow, and cold people! As for me, I am going to cover up and try to warm up. I keep getting text messages from the weather channel to inform me of the blizzard warning.

I have lots of knitting to catch up on tomorrow. You can check out my latest finished projects at my knitting blog. Hardly anyone ever takes a look, so I think you should!! Click HERE!!!

Victorian Sleighbell Weekend

Gavin and me at the parade.

This weekend, December 3, 4 & 5, was the Victorian Sleighbell Weekend in our town. Our town started off as a huge logging town with a happy little Victorian history. We have many activities through out the weekend including a Victorian parade. Along the sidewalks of downtown people in Victorian dress roast chestnuts and give out warmed cider. Each entry into the parade is pulled by horses or manpower. Pere Marquette and his Indian guide, Victorian ladies and gentlemen. Children and adults, from our kids' school, dressed as angels and shepards. The parade ends with a huge tree pulled by horses, then Santa, and finally another tree, this one much larger than the first. At the end of the street the trees are displayed for the rest of the holiday season. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera died just as the parade started. Now that I've replaced them I will get a picture of the trees.

Henry and Irene. It was very cold and they were not happy to be sitting for so long.

Mark's mom came up Saturday morning. She brought Mark's nephew, Shelby with her. Once they got here we went to the craft show that was going on at the high school. There were a lot of entries and a lot of very nice things. Some of the crafts made me laugh though. There were several things that I can and have made, like knit shawls, felted bags, etc. Overall, it was a nice craft show. After the show we had lunch and let the kids play. We decided to leave for the parade over an hour early but it was so busy that we ended up parking quite a long way away. We had to sit for so long that the kids got cold and cranky. Once the parade started Henry cheered up but ended up having to potty really badly. We left just as the last tree was coming towards us.

Mark and Gavin

After the parade we had a quick dinner and then went to the hotel. We went swimming which helped to warm us all up. Henry and Irene stayed the night with Grandma and Shelby. Sunday morning brought us snow so Grandma and Shelby left early. We had planned to go to the Festival of Trees which is a lot of trees decorated by area businesses and groups. I had a few other things for us to do but with Michigan snow you never know how much you'll get.

Dog Sled team that went racing down the street. They were fast! In the background you can see some of the crowd.

This is a not very good picture of the crowd.

My dad told me that he saw an advertisement for the Sleighbell Weekend in the Chicago Tribune. I think there were more people for this parade than for the 4th of July parade! I'm suddenly drawing a blank about what else I was going to write. Hmm...If I remember I'll add it later.

These two pictures I just wanted to share because Irene is such a darn cutie!

Road Trip

For Thanksgiving we drove to my older brother's house. We had lunch on the road and got there around 3pm. We had a later then planned start because I woke up not feeling well again. Other than my illness we had an uneventful trip.

On Thanksgiving Day we had around 25 people over. It was a little crowded but the food was good and the company great. We stayed until 3:30 and then we drove to Grand Rapids to Mark's parents' house. They were having a lot of people over for Thanksgiving as well. Still, even with all those people, it was a relaxing time. I was still not feeling that great and was very tired but I enjoyed it. Of course, Henry and Irene ran around with their cousins, Zach and Shelby. Once everyone left and things calmed down a bit Mark and I went to Meijer. We walked around for a while. No kids complaining and asking for things. Instead we marvelled at the lower food prices and grumped about how much more we pay in Northern Michigan. I was thrilled to find PG Tips tea in the international food aisle. I really enjoy that tea and usually if I want it I have to order it online.

That night we didn't sleep very well. The air mattress Gavin and I were sleeping on had a slow leak and we woke up in the middle of the night on the floor. After that it was difficult to get back to sleep since I was sitting upright in the chair holding Gav. Breakfast helped cheer us all up though. Mark's mom made Belgium waffles in her waffle maker.

After lunch, Mark and I went to the Grand Rapids Art Museum. We went to the Princess Diana exhibit. I wish my mother had been with us. She would have loved to be able to go through the exhibit. I enjoyed getting some of the history of the ladies of the Spencer family. Some things I had some mixed feelings about. Seeing the wedding dress was a treat. It was much less puffy on the mannequin than on the wedding day. Overall I enjoyed the exhibit. It was very busy and at times difficult to get through the crowd but I recommend it. You can find out more about the exhibition by clicking here.

We came home Friday night. Saturday and Sunday Irene and I were sick with the stomach bug again but we had a very good Thanksgiving with family we like and love.

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving we are driving to my brother's house. We'll be feasting with around 22 people. Lots of kids, noise, food. After our meal there we are driving an hour to Mark's parents' house. I think we'll be having food again there. Whew! The plan is to stay the night there. We don't have any money so no Black Friday shopping for us, but we may go to the museum for a special exhibit.

Of course, now the weather is turning and snow is predicted for the rest of the week. I hate that first real snow. Everyone forgets how to drive in it. Almost makes me want to stay home. I've been sick, which makes me want to stay home too. Henry is also sick. He has tonsillitis. I have some kind of stomach bug and coming off having a cold with nasty cough it has wiped me out. I'm exhausted. This past weekend our MOPS group had a soup luncheon/fundraiser at the church that hosts us. About fifteen different soups were made along with breads and desserts. I made the blue cheese and cauliflower soup plus a cake and cupcakes. Sunday morning I was getting everything together when I was overcome with nausea and stomach cramps. I never made it out of the house. Thankfully, Mark took the soup and desserts to the church for me. Through messages on Facebook the other MOPS members let me know that they loved my soup (which is way better than it sounds!) and the day was an overall success for the group.

I am feeling better today but still not great. I have to pack us all up and then tomorrow morning we are off. I'm hoping to feel well enough to be able to eat turkey on Thursday!

I also wanted to say Thank You to all of my sweet and supportive friends. Your recent comments have been a huge help. There are many days when I feel such an unending loss and reading your kind words help immensely. Last night I had an amusing dream with my mom and younger brother in it. We knew she was dead and we even made joking comments about it. It had many things in it that just made it so real to me and it was fun! One of the best parts was when I asked her if she needed anything new to read. My mom was an avid reader. We found library books everywhere! And we're donating her immense collection to the library. Anyway, she gave me the name of a new book she wanted to read. The title stuck in my mind for the entire dream but now all I can recall is that the word green was in it. Still, this morning when I thought of the dream I laughed out loud.

Have a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have many things for which to be thankful!

Halloween

Halloween 2010! Henry went as a dragon and Irene as a lady bug. Yes, this is the third year as a lady bug, but this year her costume is new! I think they look so stinkin' cute!

I got their costumes as well as Gavin's monster costume at the Children's Orchard in Traverse City. The Children's Orchard sells gently used children's clothing and some swings, bassinets, strollers, high chairs, etc. For all three costumes I spent a total of $30. Not bad when you consider the dragon and lady bug came from Old Navy. They probably each cost $30 new! I love the Children's Orchard. I get fantastic deals there which really helps.

Gavin was a monster. He looks huge in the pictures but it is all padding from the costume. My little guy only weighs in at 19 pounds which is still the 10th percentile. I'm not too concerned though, he eats a lot and is very active. Even Henry weighs in at only the 15th percentile. Okay, enough about weight...it's about candy and trick-or-treating! We had a great time walking to the houses. Henry and Irene are pros at ringing doorbells and knocking.

Poor Gavin wasn't feeling very well. Out of the blue he threw up that morning. Then he seemed fine. He took a good nap and seemed to be back to his old self. Around 9:30 pm he had just fallen asleep on Mark when he suddenly sat up, coughed and threw up all over Mark. LuLu came over to investigate and Gavin threw up all over her head! I tired to be sympathetic but I've been thrown up on by all three kids before. Been there! Done that! I laughed until I cried and even Mark was able to see the humor in it (eventually).

Like knitting? Check out my knitting blog :-)

A Whole Lotta...

On October 20th Gavin turned one. At the time we didn't really have the funding for a birthday party for him. I was bummed not to have a party with all the family but life was and is a mess.

Gavin now has 6 teeth! My mom used to joke that we were going to have to get baby dentures for him. He finally started getting teeth just after she passed. He is also pulling himself up and trying to stand on his own. He is will walk along the furniture or if someone holds his hands.

My dad came up the day before Gavin's birthday. He brought a birthday cake as well!

We let Gavin have some cake but he wasn't overly impressed. He did like the ice cream though!

The week of Gavin's birthday was a crazy one. Mark got a job with a trucking company in Grand Rapids which is two hours from here. We did not want him to go back out on the road but after applying for an endless amount of jobs here and not even getting an interview he finally took the trucking job.

We had to take him to Grand Rapids the Sunday before Gavin's birthday. I was not happy for a lot of reasons but especially because he would be missing Gavin's first birthday. We went to Mark's parents' house when we got down there. His mom made lasagna for dinner. My kids had fun playing with Mark's sister, Beth's kids. At dinner time Henry came downstairs saying he had a headache. I felt his head and he was burning up! We took his temp and it was 102!!! Thankfully Beth had children's tylenol so Henry got a dose of it. He took a nap in grandma and grandpa's room. Of course, I was worried about driving home two hours with Henry being ill. I'd rather have had mark with me so one of us could concentrate on Hen.

I ended up staying longer in Grand Rapids than planned. When we left it was getting dark and Henry's temp was only down to 101. We made it home without a problem and Henry ended up taking most of the week off from school with a fever that would come and go.

For me it was very difficult to get used to Mark being gone and my mom not being here. Several times on the drive home I tried to call her. It was like getting slapped in the face each time. Monday and Tuesday were hard. I cried a lot. I miss my mom, dammit!

Irene goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thankfully, a knitting/MOPS friend has a daughter in Irene's class. She volunteered to take Irene to school and bring her home. That made the morning a little less of a crazy time. Tuesday afternoon Mark called me. The new company made him do a physical/drug test. Mark just got a two year DOT health card in July but this company wanted him to go through the health screening all over again. Of course, there was sugar in his urine. Now, Mark's dad has diabetes. We have known that there was a good chance that Mark could develop it as well. Well, it seems he may have. The doctor that had to sign off on the physical card would only give Mark a three month card. Unfortunately, this was not good enough for the company. They wanted him to go home and get it taken care of and then they would hire him. So Wednesday morning Mark's mom drove him home. He and my dad actually arrived at the same time.

While Mark's mom was here (and my dad) we went to my mom's house. My dad had a lot of stories to tell about a lot of things there. I enjoyed the stories. He asked to have some things that had special memories. We packed up a couple of boxes for him. Mark's mom took some things as well. We also found a grocery bag full of pictures that came from my dad's grandma's house. He went through them with me and I loved learning all about that side of my family. We always called my grandma Boo-Boo and my dad called his grandma (Boo-Boo's mother) Boosha. I never knew it but both his grandmas (my great-grandmas) were named Mary and my grandpa worked on the big freighters before getting married.

Anyway, Mark called the doctor assigned to him from the insurance company. They were able to get him in within two days. He needed some kind of blood sugar test. Of course, Wednesday we got a series of high winds and storms. The power to the doctor's office was cut off. They rescheduled his appointment but now it is in two weeks. He needs to have this test done and get his blood sugar levels under control before he can go back to work. So right now we are waiting...waiting...waiting. Mark's eyesight has completely changed as well. He used to have 20/20 vision but he has been complaining about not being able to read the computer screen or books. This could very well be a symptom of diabetes. We went to Traverse City on the Friday before Halloween. They have a Lenscrafters up there. The eye doctor thinks that once Mark has his blood sugar under control that his eye sight may come back part way or even all the way. Right now he has glasses and I think he looks really good in them. Of course, glasses were not an expense we could really afford but he desperately needed them. Since we were already in Traverse City we decided to get a hotel room. Most of the places up there had really good winter rates. We stayed at the Grand Beach Resort on the East Bay. I wanted to stay at this place for a weekend during the summer but the rates were way too high for us to afford.
We got a family suite which consisted of a little sitting room and a bedroom with two king-sized beds. Of course, we went swimming!

The hotel is located on the east bay. Beautiful in the winter but stunning in the summer!For lunch we ate at a little Greek restaurant called Opa! We loved it! We tried the hummus sampler and the gyro. The kids colored and had a hot dog. We enjoyed the place so much that we went back for dinner. At dinner we had the Greek kisses and the chicken phyllo. I also had the Greek coffee. Thoroughly enjoyed our meals there.

Mark's new glasses! And yes, they were ready in about an hour ;-) He looks good!

Well, I think I have gone on long enough. There is still so much more to tell but I'll save it for another day.

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