Memories of Christmas 2013

Some things I'll remember:

*The pre-Christmas visit with CraZy Cousins in Big City.  I haven't seen a few of them in several years.  Dear Auntie C and Uncle W were there, too.  And they had the chance to meet Baby E and his daddy CB.  So many laughs when that fun family gets together.

Dear Auntie C and Cousin Ess with Baby E

Crazy Cousin Ree, CB & Baby E

*Baby E's new red wagon.  It will be used for toy storage right now and rolled from room to room as needed.

*The Bug's tub of dress up clothes from Nana and Papa:  a leotard and tutu, Princess dress, wings, chef hat, crown, Great Grandma E's purse, ruby red slippers, a fur coat and several other outfits to share when friends come to play.

*The two Big City Girls (step grands) visiting a farm for the first time.
          *"Do they sleep on hay?"
          *Going sledding on a tube behind the 4 wheeler.  (Their first sledding experience had been with the Mr. on Christmas Day.)
          *Throwing rocks in the creek
          *Seeing cows for the first time
          *Oh, and being told there was no Santa Claus.  (I'm not sure what that was all about. Grounding them in reality?)

*Gingerbread house building and frosting sugar cookies.  (I sent most of the cookies home with the two Big City grands--to share with their mom.)

*Giving L, CB, and Baby E new cushions for Grandma E's old glider chair.  (They were supposed to have them before Baby E's arrival.  We were S-L-O-W.)

*Razor push scooters for the Big City Grands, which they were able to try out on a part of the street that had melted after our big snow.  The ten year old was catching on really quickly.  The seven year old was getting there.

*Early mornings (4:30) with L and Baby E.  Lots of time to snuggle that baby and chat with his mama.

*A lot of "Wizard of Oz" time with the obsessed little Buggy.

The Bug dressing up as Glinda the Good Witch.

(Though, from her conversations with her little Oz figures, 

she really likes the Wicked Witch.  Uh oh!)

Yes, we enjoyed our White Christmas: several excited little kids, a baby to snuggle, and time to play and laugh.

L, CB, and Baby E are back in Big City; they had to get the girls back to their mom.  K, CT, and the Bug are out of town, visiting his family.  

I spent today in a quiet house.  I picked up a few things, but mainly I read, slept, and watched some old episodes of Downton Abbey. And that was my gift to myself--no plans and nothing that had to be done. My hope is for a few more days like this in the week ahead.

And a Merry Christmas it was!