Thursday, January 19, 2023

Catching up JUST a little

 Hi all!  I survived Covid. No symptoms but got a lot cleaned and sorted in my bedroom and closets.  That may be the last thing I talked about since the Christmas letter.

So much has happened since.  Ryan and Jen are expecting a baby in July!!!  Here is a photo montage of what I missed posting.  Maybe an explanation now and then.

Thanksgiving reunion! Me and the sisters that were able to come this year.

McThankmas!  They played Apple Schmear off the porch of the hall.  

Leon was really good at it!

Oh yeah, in between those two events, my younger sister, Kristin came over with her daughter and we hung out for the day!  Her daughter Brooke helped put up our tree. yay!



Kristin and Leon watched in awe.

Playing games with the kids when BeReal chimes in.  You've GOT to stop and photograph what you're doing!  It's the law.

I took Margaret to a doctor's appointment and then back in time to the home for lunch.
Another time I had lunch with her. :)
She's wearing the scarf that Maddy knitted for her for Christmas!


Lucille, the new kitten, made the Christmas tree her playground.  She'd climb up inside of it and push off ornaments.  Scamp! but cute.

I watched A Christmas Story with my bestie at the nursing home. Fun!

I gathered up all the wool I could find and made blanket saris for my girls for Christmas. Basically a wool blanket with a big pocket and velcro to close it easily. PERFECT!  Matthew liked Maddy's so much and was calling it a kilt, that he asked me to make one for him for when he took the dogs out.  You bet!  He preferred to call it a "Maxi Kilt".  One that goes down to your feet.  Gotta keep those legs warm!  I still need to make one for me.  It'll happen.

I made a failure of a fudge batch.  I was using my sister Tammy's recipe from the 70s and apparently did something wrong.  I'll figure it out next year.  Dieting now.  I gained 10 pounds over Christmas, 30 total pound gain since Robb died.  yikes!  Comfort food has been great though.
Oh and this is a pan (has matching lid) that Robb and I got for our wedding from my Grandpa. :) It's a favorite pan and used often.

The girls and I had a goodie making weekend at Maddy's in December!  We made a ton of goodies and crafts, thus more reasons why I gained 10 pounds in 1.5 months.   


Ask me how I did it!  
Go ahead!
Two words.
Christmas Crack. and cookies and candies and lots of things that I shouldn't eat all in the same day.
Ok, 19 words.
 
Here one of our crafts!  Maddy's is the one with the Christmas trees.  I accidentally let it roll off the counter and it was smashed into billions of pieces.  SORRY MABS!!!!  So since then, she is always pointing out my cute ornament on the tree and saying, "I wish I had one like that!..." sigh.

Oh and I almost died.  God has his hands full with me!  I ignored a knocking sound that kept getting louder.  You shouldn't do that! The back tire had ALL of the lug nuts sheered off and I could have careened into a ravine or hit another car but I didn't!  I was able to get it to the shoulder and stop before too much damage.  If you don't have AAA, get it!  They towed me to my car guy's place that Sunday morning and showed me what the problem had been.  Super nice guy and I gave him some Christmas cookies.  Instead of costing a fortune, this cost me a mere $130.  Still some change, but it could have been worse.


Our Christmas with just us.  The only pic I took.  It was a lot of fun and I love having everyone together.


I met up in Des Moines with my favorite cousin, Julie!!  We could have talked all afternoon but both had things to do.  It's so great to get together with her!


I spent some time housesitting for Maddy and Matthew when they had an emergency trip to Michigan.
Got a leaky toilet fixed for them.


I got to spoil my poochy girls!


Meri got a surprise gift for her birthday dinner and that's how Ryan and Jen sprang the news on us!
Yay!  Grandma Val hugs are pretty good too.


The "girls" here at my house, watching Witcher with me.  
Yikes that show was steamy.  I'm glad it's over.


Snow time on the piled up heap next to the cemetery. Leon's favorite hangout besides the computer.  I'll take him here any time!  And the sky was pretty beautiful too!


After a blizzard a while back.  Robb's stone was completely drifted over!
Isn't it beautiful?


I canned 35 jars of broth from the Thanksgiving turkey carcasses.  Whew! and YUM!  I've discovered drinking bone broth and it's pretty tasty!


The Christmas puzzle FINALLY got done!  If you buy a puzzle at the dollar store, you get what you paid for.  The entire right side of the puzzle from the green bottom/yellow top boat to the right wasn't pictured on the box at all or if it was, it was a tiny replica on the side of the box and you couldn't tell what was what. Well... I guess I'll be GUESSING where this boat should be...


Leon and I had some good bonding times over Christmastime.


And I finally took the Christmas tree down two days ago.
YES, it was January 17th.
and 
YES, that's the Full Monty on the TV while I pulled it down.


If you can't laugh...


What's the point?

3 comments:

Gill - That British Woman said...

LOVE the Full Monty, makes me laugh so much....but hey I am British born, we have a different sense of humour!!

Kathy said...

Congratulations on the new little one! So exciting!
Thanks for the update and pictures.
What a cute little kitten. I'm glad you were able to get the wheel fixed quickly before an accident.
I agree with the Witcher, not my fav although I'm liking Witcher,Blood origin better.
Hope that 2023 will be a good year for you and your family.

Practical Parsimony said...

I really enjoyed this post. I am sure a new baby will be fun.

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