Did everyone survive???

The Hustle & Bustle of Christmas that is?
While we have some time honored traditions we have had to adjust a few things this year due to having a DIL as well as a Grandson added to the festivities.
Christmas Eve we traditionally opened our Ornaments, I buy the kids one or two each year for their trees. I also get an item of clothing that is the same for everyone. In the past it was matching sweaters from Lands End, Union Suits from the Sock Company, one year I sewed matching boxer style shorts from an amazing vintage looking flannel. Then we try to get a group photo of everyone wearing their gifts. This year Tim & Britt had a Christmas Party to attend with her parents while we babysat Gavin & Jessica was heading to Gabes so the Long John photo didn't happen. Maybe next year!

Now my kids have usually let us sleep in past 7 at least however this year Harley woke me up before 7 after feeding & medicating all the pets Sahara woke up and wanted to open gifts well I couldn't say no so after only 5 hrs sleep we started Christmas.
Thankfully Jess & Gabe bought me a Starbucks Gift assortment so I had plenty of coffee to keep me going.

Gavin & Aunt Jessica









Tyler with his ornie

Sahara with her Ornie


Grandpa home with the Sushi & Sashimi making Gavin laugh


Brittany & Gavin Christmas Morning before she left for work



Great-Grandpa Art Rasmussen, Grandpa Larry Rasmussen, Gavin, Dad Tim


However you may celebrate, whichever traditions you hold dear I pray you had a BLESSED Christmas!

Blessings 2 U Friends

Who ME COOK? ROTFLMBO

Anyone who knows me...knows I only cook a full meal when it's Thanksgiving.
Start to finish, on Thanksgiving, no one enters the kitchen for the week leading up to the BIG FEAST!

Now I do cook a dish here & there...roasted veggies is my favorite meal
13 Bean Chili is another favorite and occasionally Vegetable Lasagna.

My husband is an excellent cook so why step on the toes of the expert!?!
Personally I can find some fruit/veggies Almond butter & Starbucks Coffee a COMPLETELY filling meal.

I guess that is why GOD put us together to be each other's helpmate to fill in where the other is not adept...right?!

Well Friday I decided to make a couple pans of Veggie Lasagna for the new parents but of course didn't have all the ingredients and got a call from the new Dad wanting someone to bring him a lunch, he forgot one.
Tyler made him a DAGWOOD sandwich and we dropped it off before going shopping.
While at the store we couldn't find the grocery list and the kids kept disappearing so I found I forgot a few KEY ingredients...like
Ricotta Cheese & Mozzarella Cheese.
After getting home I sent Tyler back up on his bike to get them while I sauteed all the veggies & got the noodles cooking.
Larry grabbed the kids & took off to piano lessons while I finished making the Lasagna, Salad & Garlic Bread then picked me up so we could see Gavin & give Barb a much needed break.

Here are some of the latest pictures.



I love his little hand under his face....




Uncle Tyler with Baby Gavin


I have to get a lot caught up around here and a few photos of last weeks Dinner With Friends & trip to Busch Garden yesterday for C.F. Industries Employee Appreciation Day.

Until then....

Blessings 2 U Friends

Weighing in at 8lbs.....

Boy was Brittnay a trouper! After going home Friday Night & returning Sunday Night the doctors finally hooked her back up to Pitocin around 11pm since nothing had progressed.
I drove up to the hospital at the same time Tim returned with food for he & his MIL, I stayed until 5:30am when the Dr. said she would be back in an hour to rupture the bag of water.
I dashed home to get new contacts, as the set I had was irritating my eye, and took an hour nap.

After feeding & pilling the critters I called and she still hadn't returned, okay I can get a few more things done around the house.
Called again after an hour still no doctor....one hour later she finally had arrived & broke the bag.
We had pulled out of Starbucks and were almost at the hospital, I knew at my age I was not going to be able to run on adrenaline for the next 24hours.
Sure enough nothing had really progress and finally around 12:45 Barbara & I headed down with the kids to grab a bite to eat & MORE STARBUCKS.
When we returned it was decided enough was enough and it was time to do a C-Section as still nothing had progressed.
So approx. 3pm today he arrived

Thank you nurse Brenda for taking this photo for me...it was all I could do to not run in there & scoop him up away from the nurse who was not empathetic to his screams!

Thank you to everyone who prayed for all of us...
Brittnay is in her room recouperating poor Dad has to go back to work tomorrow, MIL Barbara is staying with Brittnay another night while we all came home to feed the critters & catch another hour nap before dinner and will return tomorrow to hold this little fellow!

Blessings 2 U Friend

Happy Birthday - Blessings

Well as much as I hate getting older, and my Birthdays in the past usually involved my gifts being 'combined' with my Christmas Gifts (which doesn't mean bigger or bettter).
Today was nearly the perfect birthday!

We we were going to also go to the Henry B. Plant museum to see the Victorian Christmas Stroll.
Sparky didn't remember going 10 years ago (he was only 5) and obviously neither did Mini Martha, since she was only 10 months old

I got to sleep an extra 45 minutes, after the 7am text message from my oldest daughter (THANK YOU JESSICA) wait until your 23rd Birthday!!!!

After waking up with a horrible headache (I watched Pictures of Hollis Woods, the Hallmark movie and cried the entire show) I grabbed some acetaminophen and aspirin with a cup of coffee crawled back in bed for the Traditional Birthday Breakfast in Bed. Wheat Free Blueberry Pancakes with REAL Maple Syrup, Sliced Bananas with Almond Butter (peanut butter with almonds not peanuts). I had 3 gifts to open with Breakfast ...a small Ironstone style pitcher

a copper heart mold

and a lovely handmade ornament from Mini Martha
I also received a Birthday Card with my favorite Characters from Jessica"

A Belgian Birthday wish from my long lost Braski and his wife
"le jour de gloire
happy 36th missy
us from over that big body of water"

I also received Birthday wishes from the PRHG this morning

Even THE QUEEN stopped to post a note


So it started out to be a PERFECT DAY. Right before we were heading out the door I see a small brown and white dog bolting down the back hill through our bushes, realizing Sparky forgot to let Otis in 15 minutes ago. Don't know if the dog was in the busy road behind our house or not but he wasn't injured!
After loading the car up and hitting the bank for cash it was off to Tampa

I got to see photos of the Smokey Mountains (via a National Geographic Sparky brought along) I got to hook on the way, listen to Newsboys/U2/and Pirates Of the Caribbean/Louis Armstrong then we saw Johnny Depp as Jack full size Statue

We ate Soft Shell Crab and ate a Sushi place, stopped at BALLARD Design where realized some of the things they have I can now purchase direct through the wholesale company they use woo hoo!

I bought two balsam cedar sachets for Hubby at Caswell and Massey, purchased a large measuring spoon to match the one I won from CM a few years back at William and Sonoma

saw the mirrors and butterfly decorations at Neiman Marcus again
Had a Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Iced Coffee and Chocolate Mint Brownie do you see the small piece left, I shared it with my dear hubby



So do you notice what is missing?

Look closely


That's right my iphone, apparently you must use a credit card and we only brought cash and checks.....LOVELY do you think they could warn you on the commercials? Or maybe the online Apple Store?, or maybe when you go to the actual stores link to get DIRECTIONS they might tell you that you can only purchase an iphone with a CREDIT CARD?????

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I did get the new OS Leopard for my mac and iwork , so now I can work on our brochures and the CM database for the area group
Oh and I got a $40 dollar boob job
Yes after nursing 4 children they are back where they belong
thanks to my new Victoria's Secret Bra.

The kids were too funny as neither one would come into the store (remember we are talking one is a 15 yr old boy) Mini Martha kept beeping her father from the entry telling him "Stay out of the lingerie store" each time he would go out & the minute he came back to check on my total she would beep him again.

We didn't end up going to the Museum either. All in all an almost perfect day.
Just received another e-card of my favorite Characters from my downline and dear friend Cheryl