Into the Christmas Season

Back in the day, I used to do a lot of baking at Christmas.  It wasn't bad, I really do like to cook and the holidays are the best time to go all out and make goodies galore.  Over the years after I started on Weight Watchers and even when I wasn't following the plan, I just quit creating a lot of treats at Christmas. 
This year, while I haven't been overboard, I have baked more than I have in years.  It is all because of the grand kids.  It just seems right to make cookies with them.  I admit to having this fantasy of them telling their kids and grand kids over icing and dough how they made cookies with us when they were kids.  You can't have memories unless you make them and so I guess that is what we are doing.
I also am making cookie trees with Wyatt and Andrea's help.  I know for a fact, that they are not perfect, but the second one was a lot better than the first.  I think I will make one more.  The short first one for us.  The second one in the picture for Nicole's family and another one for Andrew and Theresa.  I am looking forward to seeing if the skills required improve with my next effort.
The non baking picture of Andrea with the reindeer is just commemorate the fact that she now can sing all the words to Grandma got run over by a reindeer, just from listening to the deer on the rocker.  Who says kids aren't listening.

Long Time Friend (Ray says I can't call them old friends)

Just before Thanksgiving, one of our friends from when we were stationed in Turkey called and told us he would be passing through Wichita.  He was invited to spend the night and we had a great time catching up on the last thirty (yes, thirty) years.
Dave Morse and his wife were in the communication squadron at Karamursel Turkey.  We had a great time together, we traveled places, and we kept in touch over the years.  Dave and his wife divorced, but we still are in touch with both of them. 
It is just so great to be able to still visit with friends from over forty years ago.  I consider it a real blessing.

Christmas Decorations

There is always this teeny tiny window right after Thanksgiving where the weather is good enough for Ray to put up the Christmas decorations.  Yesterday and today is that window.  He spent a good part of yesterday getting the inflatables up.  This isn't just at our house, but at Nick and Nicole's and Andrew and Theresa's house as well.  He grumbles about it, but I know he really does enjoy it.  The response from the Grand kids is enough to make it all worth while anyway.

Thanksgiving 2013

We all celebrated Thanksgiving at our house again this year.  Ray's brother Leroy and his wife Jackie joined us.  I roasted the turkey, Nick did the ham, and everyone else brought goodies to eat.  One of the fund things for me is that I get to use all my good dishes.  Our friends, the Lipps, sent us a beautiful bouquet, so I even decorated the table more than I usually do.  The day must have been a success, everyone stayed till late.  We ended the evening by watching The Christmas Story.  The end to one holiday season and the start of another.

Belize

Belize is beautiful as well.  There weren't the mountains, but it is all green jungle.  We did an nature tour up the River Wallace.  The guide showed us crocodiles, manatees, dolphins, monkeys and the biggest iguanas I have every seen.  We also went to Altun Ha, Mayan ruins.  The ruins were not large, but I found them fascinating because not all of them are excavated.  Many are still covered in vegetation and  you understand how the archaeologists feel when they come on these places in the wild. 

Isla Roatan, Honduras

Our first stop on the cruise was Isla Roatan in Honduras.  The location was beautiful.  I would love to go back and spend more time, but it is my understanding that Honduras in general is dangerous.  This is too bad because I think I would love it here.  It was hot but not so humid that you would be miserable.  There are mountains and great sunsets. 

Soccer games

This is the first year Wyatt and Andrea played soccer.  I had not been able to attend any games before this one on Saturday which was their last game.  The four and five year  olds are coached by my daughter.  The kids didn't know what they were doing and neither did Nicole.  She was lucky that the other coach know something about the game.  Sometimes it looked like total chaos on the field, but everyone seemed to have fun.  Wyatt is on a team with older children who have played before, so he has some catching up to do.  Now he needs to work on focusing on his surroundings.

Wyatt's Eighth Birthday

We celebrated Wyatt's eighth birthday last Friday.  We decided to serve him his favorite dish, meat loaf and mashed potatoes.  His mother brought a Haunted House cake and Wyatt blew out the candles, and there were more than eight, without any problems.  He is growing so fast, ten years and he will be out of high school.  At the rate he is going it will pass like an instant.

Cruise ship photos

Some people find the photographers on cruise ships to be a major annoyance.  I don't,  you can roam from photographer to photographer and have different poses done by different people.  You have no obligation to buy anything and if you do, while it isn't cheap, it is less expensive than having a studio shoot at home.  My goal this year was to get a good family photo for the wall and for Christmas.  The first night we didn't have children.  It is a lot easier to get a good picture without coaxing children to smile.  Then we did the second night with the children.  OK, but not perfect, the third night I was satisfied.  Every one else was so happy that we weren't going to spend another evening after dinner trying for the perfect photo.