January

The month started out with a trip to the beach to celebrate John's birthday.  (we had a little celebration with the kids before we left.) Mom and Dad joined us at the beach. We had a nice time with dinner out and sitting inside by the fireplace, as it was cold and windy and rainy outside. 

A week later, we should have celebrated Dad's birthday with dinner at Country Kitchen, but the predicted ice and snow appeared.  We all stayed home until the roads were clear again and celebrated a week after that.

We didn't get much snow, mostly ice. It so amazing how each item is completely encased. The worst part is you can't get outside for anything.

I did manage to keep the bird feeders filled.

I was completely surprised with how the ice and snow affected my primrose. I would never have guessed it would bleed out the color like that!

We got to have Lina on a sick day. She made bracelets for me.

Josiah's basketball games started.  It is really good to see him playing and how much he likes it.

We were given awesome news that a great-grandson will be joining the family in May!

The girls found me some special Cheerios.

Arianna is playing league volleyball. Josiah does not want to spend his whole day watching, so instead he stays the day with us every couple of weeks. I took him fishing one of those days. It is such a process for him. I think he likes fixing up his line as much as the actual fishing part.

My amaryllis was out of this world gorgeous! Two stems with 9 blooms all at one time! 

The two year mark for the horrible accident came and went. It isn't a day that any of us want to remember, but we have no choice.  It will be marked in our minds forever. The shock of it all is fading, but the emptiness and disbelief remains. It is so weird how one day you can think of a memory or see a photo and smile, and that same photo or memory will gut you and bring on the tears the next day.

December

The month was full of all the usual Christmas things. 

Along with a 9th birthday for Lina! My youngest grandchild! 

and volleyball for Arianna. She joined a new league and they won their first tournament!

I have posted about the humdinger before, but since the tradition continues, here is the updated photos of the kids ringing it.  Lina is the only one who still can't reach it.  And Josh...well, he kinda looks down on it now.

The Christmas season almost came and went and I was sure that Arianna had forgotten all about the nativity.  But she didn't let me down. Just in time, she rounded them all up so they could all see Baby Jesus.

Christmas gifts and dinners.  

We had Christmas Eve here and then Christmas dinner at Mom and Dad's. The group was pretty small this year. So many have moved away. It was the first holiday dinner Mom and Dad have made since Cyndi and Dan's accident. I know it was super hard for her, but she powered through it. We were happy to have Josh and Alexis up here on leave from the Marines.

 Gabe and Daniel had plenty of concerts in California.  I sure wish we lived closer to be a part of their performances. They are both doing so well!

When we sorted out Jimmy's house a few years ago, I found this sweet nativity set he had made. I asked him how old it was, but he could not remember. I asked him to sign his name on the back. Sure glad he did, since he was no longer with us. It has become one of my favorite decorations. I love their cute little faces and the real leather donkey ear. 

The girls had school Christmas concerts this year, but Josiah has outgrown them. They don't have them in middle school unless they join choir.

Josiah came all decked out for Christmas and put his own twist on the J-O-Y letters.

I love how the widows triple the lights!

Lindy from Colorado

Fall and winter in one frozen shot.

I love hellebores, normally the only flower in my yard that blooms in the winter. 

Remember last month I posted about the daffodils in bloom? Well, that same bunch is still blooming! Even in the springtime they don't stay blooming this long. Very strange.

Winter sunrises are so colorful! I was too lazy to get my camera and go outside for a shot, so this is from the living room window with my cellphone.

My cousin Michele called from Madras and said they wanted to come visit. She and her husband Floyd and her sister (also my cousin), Darla drove on over.  Mom and Dad joined us for lunch. The reason for this unexpected visit was that she had a surprise for me.  A Huge Surprise! She had made me a quilt! I was shocked! Still am! It will be a treasure for always! Thank you so much Chele!!!!  

November rolled in and out already!!! 

It was a gorgeous fall, full of more color than the past few years.  It seemed that the trees all waited and turned color at one time. We had warm sunny skies most of the month. 

Josiah is a teenager now! 13 magic years!

One night when I was gone, two coyotes decided to keep John company.  They wandered the front flowerbed and just sat there looking in at him.

Meeting up with Maria and Alison.

I love the colors. I love the carpet of leaves on the ground. This year, John left them on the ground for me instead of blowing them away each day. By the time they turned brown and ugly, they were all wet and too deep (I thought) to blow, so I spent the day raking them into a huge pile. Then I found out that they blow just fine even if they are wet and packed up. Oh well, the exercise is good, right?

And here it is the end of November and I have daffodils in bloom!

Thanksgiving was a small gathering. It was the first one Mom has done since Cyndi and Dan's plane crash. With Lindy now living in Colorado near David's family and now Matthew's family moving to Mexico, we are getting small. Dennis' family all stayed in California for Thanksgiving this year. 

Mom's 86th

October started out with a new member being added to the family.  Nyssa. She looks like she could be a one of Charlies puppies. Jessi's friend, Julie flew up from Phoenix with little Nyssa and surprised Jessi's kids with her as a gift.

I did the final gardening for the year, pulling up all of my carrots. I was pretty pleased with them! What a variety of sizes. Next year, I have plans to plant them differently, so hopefully they will be more uniform.

I added strawberries and raspberries this fall. Hopefully they will be able to produce a few berries next summer. 

Arianna did fantastic this year in volleyball. What a great server she is now! Its so much fun to watch her play and see how much she has learned.

My two cousins, Janet and Susan came for a visit to my parents, so of course, I joined in.

                             

John and Rachel had different ideas on getting the bed ready for Beau's visit. 

                                   

The robins know just when it is the perfect time to harvest the fruit from the trees planted in my yard. They can clean off a tree or bush in just a day or two.

I planted a tiny poppy last spring. It finally bloomed, a little late, but it sure was special.

When I was growing up, there was a broadleaf maple just outside my bedroom window. It was an upstairs bedroom on the side of the house that didn't get the sun. Every fall, when I would enter my room, before even turning on the light, I would be greeted to the most awesome golden light. Those leaves turning to gold made it look like full sun shining in. It always made me think of the song  "Heavenly Sunshine". A few years later, married, there was a maple right outside our bedroom window of the house we built.  The same thing...it looked like full sun, even on a rainy day. Now here at this house, there is a maple right in front of the house.  I am posting the tree, the golden yellow light entering the glass window on the front door and a yellow leaf heart in the hedge. I find myself humming the tune as I wander the house. 

"Heavenly Sunshine, heavenly sunshine, flooding my soul with glory divine. Heavenly sunshine, heavenly sunshine, halleluiah, Jesus is mine."

The necessary paperwork arrived and I was able to send Jimmy's ashes to the Navy in San Diego. It all seemed so strange to be putting him in the mail. But I am happy that he will be taken out to sea on a Navy ship. I know he would have liked that. 

Once again, Halloween arrived. The kids had a good time dressing up and going trick-or-treating.

The last sunrise for the month.  What a beautiful way to start the day.