Care Bears

Years ago...27 to be exact...Cabbage Patch dolls and Care Bears were the hot items for Christmas...neither of which could be found in store and online buying didn't exist!  It was like a treasure hunt just trying to find them to fill the kids Christmas list.  I remember walking into our local fabric store and finding a pattern to make them.  I bought a pattern, some fur and buttons and promised the store owner that I would bring the finished bear in for her to see.  When I brought it in, there were two ladies in the store who wanted me to make them some...and that is how the madness began.  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I made over 100 bears!  I would get up at 7 in the morning and work until midnight or later.  There was fur flying everywhere!!  I delivered my last bear at 8 o'clock Christmas eve and then after my kids went to bed, I finished theirs!  But the madness didn't end on Christmas day.  It continued for a whole year!  I kept a book and listed all the bears I made over the year.  By years end I had made 379 bears!  I couldn't believe it myself!!

A few months ago I got a text from my nephew Steven asking if I still made Care Bears.  His son Stellar wanted one and he was reflecting on how much he loved the bear I gave him that Christmas so many years ago.  So I dug out the old box of fur and patterns and made little Stellar a Tenderheart and a Good Luck bear.  Thanks Steve for letting me re-live a memory from my past.

All Decked Out For Christmas

I have been known in the past for not getting my house all decorated for Christmas until about two weeks before the big day.  If Randy had his way, we would put the tree up Christmas eve and take it down the day after!  He reminds me of Scrooge!!  But this year was different.  The Saturday after Thanksgiving I decided to get everything up so I could enjoy it for a whole month...I even talked Randy into putting the lights up on the front of our house!  There is a stocking hung on the fireplace for every member of our family...a tradition started years ago when we lived in Fairview and only had Brandi, TaNeal and Holly.  Over the years we have added more stockings as we added Amy and Jason, then came Wayne, Aaron, Daniel, Morgan and Krysten and then our 11 grandchildren, Ian, Kenzie, Gavin, Wyatt, Logan, Haylee, Dominic, Damon, Taite, Tailar and Jonas...and we still have room for a few more...hint, hint! And did you notice my Minnie Mouse angel?  Randy hates it but I lovingly place her on the top of the tree every year.  Here's to a whole month of bright lights and holiday music.

Giving Thanks

Holly had the cutiest idea for Thanksgiving this year.  She put a few twigs in a vase and then gave each of us a round piece of paper and asked us to write what we are thankful for.  Then we hung each of the papers on the twigs and used it as our centerpiece.  There were many things to be thankful for this year.  Our family has truly been blessed.  Then she brought over a little craft project for each of the kids to make while we finished getting dinner ready.  I love the look I Gavins face in this picture!!  We spent our day eating a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and then that evening we enjoyed a pie bar with lots of yummy pies to eat.  I think Thanksgiving is my favorite of all the holidays...mainly because it's just about being together as a family...no commercialism...no gifts...just love of family.

Christmas Shopping at Cabela's

Getting Randy to the city doesn't happen very often!  But today he had some errands to run so we headed north with our little traveling buddy, Taite.  Since Wyatt loves to hunt as much as his Grandpa, we usually end up at Cabela's to do his Christmas shopping.  I'm not much into all that hunting gear, but I do love all the fun things there are to see there and let's not forget about their black licorice.  It's AWESOME!!!!!

Lunch With Haylee

Getting to spend time with our grandchildren is always special to us.  Today Haylee came over to help with things around the house and when it came lunch time she looked at me and said "So where are we going for lunch?"  We gave her several options...which is all there are in Mt. Pleasant and she decided on Cavalier Pizza.  Thanks Haylee bug for all your help and for wanting to go out in public with your old Granny and Grandpa.  We love you!!



Happy Birthday Randy



Randy turned 61 this year and since 61 candles burning on a cake are likely to melt the frosting, we decided to forgo the candles.  We tried to get the family all together to take a family picture and celebrate his birthday together, but the weather just would not cooperate!  So we had a family dinner here and made his favorite cake...carrot cake of course!!  Happy Birthday sweetie and here's to another 25 or 30 more!  

Gavin, Aaron, Holly, Logan, Kenzie, Randy, Wayne, TaNeal,

Haylee, Wyatt and Taite...and as usual...I'm taking the picture :-)