Snapshots of our weekend ...

It's been a nonstop 48 hours in my life, but I need to chronicle it while it is fresh so that I do not forget it! I picked the grandchildren up after work Friday evening and ... away we went! We enjoyed dinner together, and then Christopher got to FINALLY assemble his 10th birthday LEGO Star Wars model.

While I was shopping around this week for various items, I ran into a great deal at Schuler Books ... 1000 sheets of beautiful Origami paper all in one packet at a very reasonable price! Matthew was so pleased and got right to work on making me all kinds of cool animals. Some of them turned out so beautiful, we were able to hang them on my Christmas tree. I should have photographed them to show you, but ... I didn't! You will just have to take my word for it. 

Emma had asked me to teach her how to play CHESS, so I was able to pick up a Chess game this week as well. It's called "The No Stress Chess Game" and comes with instructional cards that teach the various moves of all your players. Emma and I got started right away. It turns out, however, that Emma has played Chess several times on her mama's computer and she was quite familiar with all of the moves!

All of the children enjoyed playing Chess this weekend. We're NOT very good players, however, and have a lot to learn about this very interesting game. 

Matthew really enjoyed my nativity set. Now I realize this set isn't anything special ... but what is so nice about it is that ... it isn't fragile ... it can't possibly be harmed in any way! So the children play and play with it. I wondered if these kiddos would be a little too old to play with this set because it's really more geared toward toddlers. But I think what's so great about it is that it allows the children to interact and really get into the story of Jesus being born.

Christopher is a very good LEGO
builder ... he never needs assistance,
follows the instructions carefully ... and LOVES it!

Here is Christopher's completed Star Wars LEGO model ... I think it's called Homing Spider Droid (yuck!). He was so pleased with it!

Our evening Bible story was about HOPE and waiting, a theme of Advent. We read the story of Simeon and Anna and how they longed for seeing the Messiah, and how God was so kind to them and allowed them to see baby Jesus. We read the story by candlelight, a three-pronged candle, and we talked about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as we watched the three flames grow into one. 

We got all ready for bed after our Bible story and tonight's Friday movie was: "The Secret Garden." I wasn't sure if the kiddos would like the story or not ... but they DID! Me too. I love it!

 It's gotten quite cold here in Michigan, so we ruled out doing a Saturday afternoon excursion and settled for more games and other things of interest. We read so many books together, most of them Christmas-themed. Some of them were silly like: "Merry Un-Christmas" about a town called Christmas city in the state of Texmas where it is Christmas 364 days a year ... and only ONE day isn't! Everyone who lives there looks forward to the ONE DAY that they get to go to school, get their mail, and do something other than open presents! We also laughed a lot at "Scaredy Squirrel prepares for Christmas" about a little Squirrel who has a list of safety rules for EVERYTHING. It was actually quite well written and we really enjoyed it. But I think our favorite might have been, "Mortimer's Christmas Manger" about a wee mouse who steals baby Jesus's manger and uses it for his own bed but then repents of his actions when he finds out who Jesus really is!

Emma enjoyed arranging my Advent
calendar ... just so!

Emma and I were looking for a craft to do, so we googled "cutting out paper snowflakes" and ended up watching a video on Youtube about how to make a 3-D snowflake. It was SUCH fun to make this! And Emma was wonderful at understanding how to put it all together. I'm not sure I could have done it without her!

Look at Emma's happy smile!
This is our 7-pointed star snowflake!
Emma made another one for herself so that she could
take it home and show it to her mama and grandma too.

 I got to see Kaity-girl for just a few minutes this weekend. She is a such a little sweetie!

These are NOT good pictures of her! But she is really on the move now, and it's hard to get a good shot of her! 

Twenty-Two months today!

Little Fellow is 22 months today! I saw him for just a little bit this evening because I had a quick errand to run right to his house! I got to eat dinner with Brendan and his daddy. Kelly was getting her hair cut, but then she came home and we all ate dessert together. 

Two more months and then Brendan will be TWO. Time has gone by way too fast with this little cutie. He has been such a gift from the very beginning of his life! 

Christopher's FUN party!

Jesse and Diana threw a 10th birthday celebration for Christopher over at Jester's Court (Walker) this evening. Four of Chris's classmates came, as well as many family and friends. We had so much FUN!

Christopher is sitting in the inflatable Jester's chair in the GREEN party room where the cake and presents were set up. I love the look on his face!

This is a few of the kiddos being
WILD & CRAZY at the party ...

 Baby Kaitlynn joined in on the fun ... she's getting a little more used to me (whew!) but still doesn't know me very well. She's walking very fast now, although she walks as much on her KNEES (fast!) as she does on her feet! I've never seen a child do this before!

Matthew absolutely loves indoor playgrounds like this ~ he just went crazy with the fun! 

 Chris received a lot of nice presents ... I couldn't believe how MANY footballs he got!

These are the two Star Wars LEGO sets
from Me! 

 Emma loves to climb and so she was right at home here ... she is quite a monkey!

 Dylan, Kelly, baby Brendan and Grandpa Jim came to the party too ... not all of them are pictured, but I did want to note it here in the narrative anyway ...

Baby B totally contented to hang out with
his sweet mama ...

Brendan was not too crazy about this chair ...
to keep it inflated, it had a rather LOUD
fan or something blowing into it ...

Jesse and Kaity-girl having a hug

 This photo of Matthew and Kaity hugging is the sweetest picture I took all night ... I love it.

 Baby Brendan enjoyed himself hugely at the party ... but he was very sleepy and a little tuckered out tonight!

 Matthew felt it was his DUTY to get me on every single inflatable inside Jester's Court. We had races (!) ... which I naturally LOST ... we climbed and slid and cracked up together!

Emma and Christopher challenged me to many races down the slides and had me crawling around in spaces that I'm not sure were appropriate for a grandma ... but the laughter and the memories we made together sure were precious tonight!

Christopher is TEN!

It was Chris's 10th birthday yesterday. It's hard to sum Chris up in just a few words ... because he's a complicated kiddo!

He can be very serious (as above) and thoughtful ... pensive at times too. I like this picture of him very much. 

Chris is very athletic. He's a fast runner, he is quite coordinated, he has a great arm for football, he's quite good at basketball ... he just enjoys being PHYSICAL! 

Chris says he would very much like to be a professional football player someday. I told him that not many people get to do that actually, but he says he is going to try for it anway! 

Chris is very gentle with animals, as well as with his baby sister Kaity ... he's not so gentle with Matthew or Emma (!!), but they are bigger and more his age. He is very smart, quick to catch on to new concepts, a good reader, and fun to be with. I love being his grandma.

More than anything, Christopher, I pray that you will know the great and awesome God who made you for a purpose ... who planned out your days, who constantly watches over you, the One who loves you with a never-ending love. I want you to know and love Him and be everything He wants you to be! I won't stop praying this for you, dear grandson, because I love you very much. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

A very HAPPY Thanksgiving ...

This is the first Thanksgiving since 2006 that I've been able to celebrate with Jesse and his family, so to say that I had a HAPPY day is quite an understatement. I was SO thrilled! We decided on a potluck dinner to be held at Dylan and Kelly's house. I brought the turkey, which turned out really moist and delicious ~ I carved it and put it in my beautiful new crock pot so that it would be hot and juicy for our dinner. 

Little Fellow was all set to party ... 

The cousins had a lot of fun together today. Brendan enjoys having company, and these kids play so well together. 

Brendan and Dylan ...
I love these guys so much!

 A very nice picture of Kaity-girl and her folks!

You are a Cutie, Kaity!

 Christopher is unbelievably good with babies ... he's used to playing with Kaitlynn. Brendan is almost 5 months older than Kaity, but she is at least four inches taller than him. He has her outweighed, though, by more than 10 pounds.

Dylan James ... I love seeing you this happy. This is Dylan and Kelly's first Thanksgiving in their own home. 

Part of the feast ... most of it was still in the kitchen
when I took this picture ...

Jesse and his dad ...

Kelly and Diana ... two daughters-in-law, very short girls, who married two very TALL sons of mine!  

Emma and Kaity

By the time we began taking some family pictures, everyone was too stuffed with turkey and too tuckered out to smile very much. My pictures of the whole family are not worth keeping ... they are actually terrible of everyone! So I did some cropping and salvaged these of the kiddos ... And Shane was with us too, but he is not in any of these pictures because that's what he prefers ~ but it sure was nice to have everyone together today.

 See what I mean about the height difference in these couples? I bet there is 16 inches between Jesse and Diana, and probably 14 between Dylan and Kelly!

Me and my sweet Emma Joy. My heart was happy to be with family today ... so thankful!