Josh

Josh drove down to see his mom for Christmas. We were lucky enough to spend the 26th with him. We went down to the Gateway shopping, had dinner, then met B&B for the movie Avatar. (That was such a COOL movie! We loved it!)

Josh is looking very good. He has his own apartment and making great money with opportunity for advancement in the near future. We had a great time with him and cannot wait to see him again! Love you & miss you, Josh! Thanks for spending the day with us!

Christmas Spoilage

Christmas Morning Lineup

Santa Claus

Santa Claus came to our house last night - boy we must have been good this year. He left us a picture of him in front of our tree. Garet pretty much does not believe in Santa and asked him for a picutre to prove he is real. This is what we got... (Jeff scanned the photo in and it didn't transfer correctly - but you get the "picture".)

Thank you, Santa, for the wonderful Christmas! We love you!

Merry Christmas Eve!

What a wonderful Christmas Eve. Gway, Pa, Paul, Annie, Aiden, and B&B were all with us. We had nummy ham and green beans & ham hocks. B made Mom's fruit salad and brought Great Harvest rolls. Gway Stokes' smashed potatoes & pretzel jello salad were delicious as usual. And, Paul & Annie brought nummy ice cream pies for desert. A divine gluttenous time was had by all!

We all got to open a few presents on Christmas Eve this year. B&B weren't staying over night, and they wanted to see the kids (and Aiden) open the presents they gave them. Yippee! They always win for the most awesomest presents. Thank you, B&B. We love you!

Luminaries

Our Christams Eve tradition was actually started by our neighbors, Mike and Lara. About 20 years ago they lost a baby to SIDS and in rememberance of her that Christmas, they lit luminaries and placed them in front of their home.

Well, we are still lighting luminaries and it has grown to over 1000 luminaries we place throughout the neighborhood on Christmas Eve night. It is fun to gather as friends, family, and neighbors to light the luminaries, albeit extremely frost-bite-ish (10 degrees). We do it selfishly for the beauty it brings to our neighborhood as well as to remember the ones we have lost.

Thank you, Mike & Lara for sharing your tradition with us all these years - we love you!

Paul & Annie weathered the cold too!

Karlee & Garet excited about doing luminaries.

My First Christmas In Heaven

A good friend of mine emailed me this poem, thinking of me and my family this first Christmas season without Mom.

My First Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below

With tiny lights like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear

For I am spending my first Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

. . .

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear.

But the sound of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you the joy their voices bring

For it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.

. . .

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart

But I am not so far away, we really aren't far apart.

So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear

And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

. . .

I sent you each a special gift from my heavenly home above

I sent you each a memory of my undying love.

After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold

It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

. . .

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do

For I can't count the blessings of love he has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away the tear

Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

Jewelry Christmas Trees

Mom was a fashionable lady - we all know that - and through her lifetime she collected costume jewelry as well as inherited some from her mother and grandmother. But, what do you do with a lifetime collection of fancy costume jewelry with no real value other than sentimental? You make Jewelry Christmas Trees! That is exactly what B & I did.

I copied the idea from a dear friend of mine who did the same thing many years ago. Once a week for the last month or so, B & I have worked on our christmas trees together. It has been fun sharing the jewelry and helping each other decide where things should be placed in our trees. They are both unique. B shaped her tree more skinny - fitting, she is the one who has lost the weight. My tree is more plumply shaped - again fitting, as I am the gordita of mi familia.

Regardless of the shape, the jewelry trees are both beautiful, and a more fitting way to enjoy the jewelry than to keep it in a drawer or give it away. Thanks, Mom for the amazing jewelry. We love you and miss you and will think of you always - especially when we look at our sparkley jewelry trees.

Working hard - or hardly working?

B's jewelry tree.

Cari's jewelry tree.

Millenial Choir

Last spring, Karlee auditioned and made the girl's High School Millenial Choir for the 2009-2010 school year. Right before Thanksgiving, we attended a fantastic multi High School choir concert. The concert included each High School's girl's choir and mixed choir as well. It is amamzing how beautiful those kids can sing - coming from a non-singing Mom.

Can you see Karlee?

Oh . . . here she is . . . texting, of course!

Oh Dear!

Just off of our back deck were two hungry deer today. I took these pictures from my bedroom window just before Jeff went out to shoo them away. They are very beautiful, but also very destructive. Of course, their favorite treat is the new shrubbery we planted this fall.

A few years ago, we were wondering why all of a sudden we had so many deer in the neighborhood. It didn't take us long to realize that one of our neighbors was feeding them. They come back every year.

Grandma's day at the aquarium

Here are just a few more shots of our time at the aquarium on our annual Grandma Day with Gway Stokes. We always spend the day after Thanksgiving with Gway doing something extra fun. This year we had a great time at the aquarium. Thank you, Gway for the fun memories. We love you!

Aiden

Aiden did not want to pet the sting rays. He wasn't even too sure if he wanted to see them, but his Aunt Cari wouldn't let him off her lap.

Motley Crue

Spencer once again acting his age.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving dinner was perfect yet again down at Gway & Pa Stokes'. How come we eat so much food? Because it all tastes so darn good!

The festivities and eating actually started with our first annual Cook-Stokes gathering at our home on Wednesday night. It was so much fun getting together with the Cooks. Some of which we hadn't seen in quite a while. Definately a must-do for next year!

Gway had her "Grandma Day" down at the aquarium on Friday. Everyone had a great time. Although, Aiden was not too impressed with the Sting Ray exhibit.

New Moon Premier

Karlee and I, with a group of 25 other "women", (if you can call us such a mature term) enjoyed true pleasure during the New Moon premier last night...or should I say this morning. The movie started at midnight and it was just before 3:00 a.m. before we were headed home. And yes, Karlee had drill and school the next day. She only got 2 hours of sleep, but it was totally worth it!

The movie was so good! Now we are left with such a dilema . . . we are thoroughly confused as to which "monster" we want. Edward the vampire or Jacob the werewolf.

First there was Edward. . . aaawww. . .

Then there was Jacob . . . ooohhh . . .

How to choose? . . .