Vist with Grandma!! (long update)

I am way behind on posts and updates here, but you know....life happens!!

As you all know, a few weeks ago, Brian's mom, aka Grandma, came to stay with us for several days. I went and picked her up on December 18th, which was also the day of the kids postponed Christmas concert. While on my way to Johnstown, I get a calling informing me that the concert was cancelled due to the threat of ice & snow that was coming our way!! Well, needless to say, we didn't get any ice or snow until well after midnight, so there was no need to cancel the concert. But I digress....

I got to Grandma's house...the first time I'd been there since Grandpa had died. It was weird...and sad. It just didn't seem right that he wasn't there. But I guess it will never seem right to me that he's not there. Anyway, we loaded her bags, Christmas presents, baked goodies, gifts/prizes for the Christmas get together planned for the 20th at Pam's house, and finally, we got ourselved loaded up in the truck. We pulled into the driveway, just as Sarah and Andy were beginning to make their trek up to the house. Thursday evening was spent with me making up 21 treat bags for the kid's Christmas party the next day, and the kids and Grandma playing games. I had debated on whether or not to even make the treat bags, as I knew the ice was coming overnight. But with Murphy's Law being what it is, I decided it was best to safe rather than sorry.

At 5:45a.m., Friday morning, the phone rings, Brian's cell phone rings, and then my cell phone alerts me that I have a text message. I love the Honeywell Instant Alert system that we have via the school, but I so DO NOT like being woken up at the butt crack of dawn!! lol We have a 2 hour delay. Whew...the kids can sleep in, and Grandma and I can visit a little, and possibly actually make the kids a decent breakfast. NOPE! Andy gets up at 6:15...says he could smell the coffee in the kitchen. He's a funny kid, my son. When I asked what he'd like for breakfast, he says, "just cereal." "What kind?" I ask. "The kind you eat, mommy, DUH!" he replies with a grin, looking at Grandma, while she tries to stifle her laughter. Well, if anything, I can't deny that he's my son, I mean afterall, he gets his smart-assery from someone!!! lol Sarah didn't grace us with her presence until well after 8a.m., and of course, by then school had been called off for the day!! WOOHOO! Just what they needed....an extra day of vacation! Why do they (the school's) never bother to ask me just how much stuff I have left to do before Santa comes, and that I really count on them being in school so I can get it all done!?!?!? Does anyone know the answer to that!? Again...I digress. Shortly after noon, I call Brian to see if the roads are still bad. IN a nutshell, the main drags are clear, but the side roads (aka dirt/gravel roads here in Morrow county) were still a little dicey. You see I had Christmas cards and pictures still to get ready for mailing. I had taken the pictures, I just hadn't been to get prints made yet. My plan was to do that Friday, while the kids were in school, and then come home to get the cards ready to mail on Saturday morning. Well, that didn't happen...I did make it out to get the prints made, and then pick up a few things at Kroger, but the cards did not get done until Sunday. Anyway, Grandma stayed here with the kids and for whatever reason the kids have no problems whatsoever doing things for or with Grandma. She mentioned doing up the lunch dishes, the kids fought over who would rinse and dry. That never happens when I mention doing the dishes!! I wonder why that is!? lol When I got back home, the kitchen was cleaned up, the table had been completely cleared off and wiped down, the kids stuff had been put away, laundry had been folded and put away, etc. Sarah and Andy were completely different children with their Grandma here! Friday night, I asked her to move in with us!! lol Friday evening, while waiting for Aunt Deb to come up so we could have our Christmas with her and Grandma, the kids helped her wrap the prizes/gifts for the Chinese gift exchange that was planned for when we went to Pam's (Brian's other sister) on Saturday. I made supper while all this was going on; taco salads with all the fixin's!! after Aundt Deb got here, we ate our supper, and then cleaned up the kitchen. Then it was time for presents!! We had a wonderful visit with Aunt Deb while she was here, and it was fun opening presents, and laughing!! (I am kicking myself for not taking any pictures the first 2 nights Grandma was with us)

Saturday morning, Brian and Andy went hunting out back, in our woods. The didn't see that first deer. But Andy was still so stoked when they came back to the house. We made the boys a quick hot lunch, and got things packed up and ready to go to Aunt Pam's house. We got to Pam's around 2pm...she lives in Hilliard, on the far west side of Hilliard I might add, just a mile or 2 from Madison county. It felt like we drove for hours to get there....nope...just about an hour on the nose. We had pizza, salads, veggies & dip, cookies, candies, and drinks (pop mostly, until later in the evening). After we all ate, it was time for the Chinese gift exchange!! It would have been more fun, I think, had people played fair...but some of the people knew what was in some of the gifts, and was steering people away from them or to them. But it was still a blast!! As you can see here:

Debbie's boyfriend, Kent, received some lovely Bath & Body Works products, which I believe ended up getting "stolen" by one of our nieces later, when it was her turn to pick a present. By the way, you can just see Deb's nose, lips, & chin in this pic...the other lady, is Brian's sister Pam.

This is Tom, Pam's husband. He received some lovely Arbonne products for men. Our neice, Mary, is in the background.

Kayla, our neice, got a kite (which somehow Andy ended up with it), while her mom (Pam), got a fruit basket!!

Sarah got a photo album, which I am hoping to get some pictures together for her, to put in it. She was very excited about getting it too!!

What'd ya get? Open it! Open it!

WOW!! I got a Color Wonder coloring set!! As you can see, Sarah is already eyeing her daddy's

gift!! lol

Gee...what did you get, Jerry (Brian's brother)? Hurry up and open it!

COOL!! I got a coloring book and crayons!! Just what I wanted, too!!

I'm not too sure, but I think something was mentioned about Brian and Jerry getting together for a playdate, so they could color!!

After the Chinese gift exchange, most everyone joined in a game of Cranium. It was quite a lot of fun to watch, and honestly, by this time, most of the women had had at least 1, some of us 2, Mimosa's! So the game did get quite interesting!!

Pam (left) reading the directions to the game out loud, as Debbie & Kent listen earnestly! Note the Mimosa in hand...they were good!! Debbie, Grandma, and I had at least 3 before they were all gone!! :o)~

There were many moments of laughter throughout the game, as well as some very serious moments of concentration!! This is why I prefer to take the pictures, instead of playing the games. I get to witness the joy, as well as capture it for prosterity.

I also just HAD to get a shot of Pam & Tom's Christmas tree. It is/was enormous!! Brian is sitting on the floor, in the bottom right corner of this shot. This tree is every bit of 12 feet tall, maybe taller, and at least 8 feet wide. They have cathedral ceilings in their living room, which makes a 12+ foot tree possible! lol

Anyway, on our way home from Pam's that night, we encountered a bit of freezing rain and ice on our drive home. We got as far as just north of the Polaris exit on I-71, and traffic came to a stand still, while crews worked to clear a 3 vehicle wreck. We sat there for about 30 minutes, and didn't get home until almost 1:30 in the morning.

The next morning, Sunday, Grandma and the kids had plans to make and bake cookies most of the day. They did this while I worked on getting my Christmas cards ready for the mail. They made chocolate chip, peanut butter blossoms, snickerdoodles, chocolate sandwich cookies, and Hershey kiss cookies. These are the only photos I took at home, the entire time Grandma was here with us!!

They were making snickerdoodles in these pictures. They had a blast with Grandma, and I'll be honest, I really loved having her here. On Monday, Dec. 22nd, I took her home in the morning. The kids had their 6 month dental check ups and cleanings that day as well. Our visit with here was way too short, and we're all looking forward to her coming back to stay with us again!!

I will post more later, about Christmas with my parents, our Christmas at home, and more. Stay tuned.....