Snow Buddies

Cool Santa!

Isn't this just the coolest looking Santa? And the kids are pretty cute too! Brandi and I took Cash to RC and got his photo with Santa and then when Damion's family came through they stopped to see the jolly old elf too. I was impressed, he looks like the real deal........maybe he WAS!!

        Lucas and Santa!

Cash and Santa!

Santa came for supper!

Only Santa would be out on a day like today so we just invited him for Christmas supper! I don't know how much snow we have but the wind is at gale force at times so Jeff and I decided to stay put in our snug little house and enjoy our Christmas together. I don't have all the talent I see on these wonderful blogs I follow but I tried to make it a little special for us. We had Chicken Parmesan, Midwestern corn; flaky butter rolls and pecan pie.



My little kitchen nook dining area just doesn't hold very many people but it was just the right size for Jeff and myself. It was nice to sit and visit about the days happenings and reminisce about old Christmas' past.



Snowflakes, snowflakes everywhere. My plates were a special gift from my daughter and I love that I can keep them up until Valentine's Day, because where I live it will still be snowing. I loved these $1 wine goblets I found at the Dollar Store in Sheridan. We had a little whine......I mean wine with our meal. It actually was sparkling grape juice but it was delish! Really we aren't whining because we are home alone, just 35 years of marriage, 4 children, 7 grandchildren and it is sad not to be with them on Christmas day. However everyone is warm and safe and that is the important thing.


Just a little different angle.



See, Santa left his hat on the table so I just had to pop in the silverware......


What is a quaint little meal without a little candle lite? Jeff complains because he can't see his food but I think it's kind of romantic. And Santa loved it!!!



Here is jolly ole St. Nick himself. I painted him many years ago, probably 30 or so. At the time it was the 'thing' to do by not putting paint on very thick. Hard to part with things you have had forever.


As you can see Santa is all over my little kitchen nook. His hat is on the trees and holds the cutlery. His colors of red and white are sprinkled everywhere and OH there is that wonderful print of him on the wall. His books adorn my grand children's library and even his mittens are on the tree.



So the evening draws near and Christmas comes to a close. We pray that everyone stayed safe and warm and had a wonderful day. Our hearts go out to those who could not be with the ones they loved and to those who have recently lost loved ones. May God's blessing be with you all.

1 month old!

Lucas Jeffrey celebrated his one month birthday with us. He is getting to be a big boy!

No time to post!

Gosh it has been busy around here and I have missed reading everyone's post and also posting. Here are a few fun pictures of my last few days. Hopefully on Christmas I will get caught up.

























Gosh it has been busy around here and I have missed reading everyone's post and also posting. Here are a few fun pictures of my last few days. Hopefully on Christmas I will get caught up.

Sooooo Handsome

Last night grandpa and I went to Jaxon's first school Christmas program. We were so excited that I must have erased the photos I took of him before the program as they were poof....gone from my camera this morning. But here are the couple that I did get. Jaxon looked so handsome in his vest, tie, white shirt, black pants and shoes. So much so that the principal, when announcing the program, made a remark about how nice it was to see ties and vests on the young gentlemen. We were very proud of Jaxon, he did everything he was suppose to and he looked so grown up that it just brought tears to our eyes. Jax - we are PROUD of you!

Our Christmas Pup!

Pokey Dots, whose real name is Pokey Rowdy Bandit, came to live with us 16 years ago yesterday. Yesterday was also the day that Pokey joined all good dogs in Heaven. He was a Christmas present to my husband and I can still remember the day we went to get him. It had to be the coldest, snowiest day of the year and we had to travel some 100 plus miles to get him. My son Jeremy and his best friend Brent were to follow in the pickup as they were to take him with them to college and 'store' him until Christmas Day when he would become a present under the tree. I took along with me, my daughter Brandi and her friend Misty. Much to my dismay, after battling very slick roads with almost no visibility, the people I bought the dog from didn't show up. I had come to get a puppy and I wasn't leaving without him. He was the last puppy of the 10 plus puppies and I did NOT want to lose out on the dog.We went to Cabella's at Sidney and I started asking people if they knew of a dog breeder who raised Dalmatians. To make a long, cold story short....we found who they were called them and they brought him to us.
You can imagine my surprise and well disappointment when they handed him to me and he really didn't have a lot of spots. But none the less we fell in love with the pup the minute we laid eyes on him. Off we took for the 3 plus hours home. We knew he was going to be a spunky little thing from the very beginning when he growled at Misty and well peed on her too. Jeremy, whose pickup gave out on him early on in our travels finally had it up and going and off they took with him to college. He couldn't stay at the dorm so he then went to stay with some of their friends. Several mishaps later including replacing a telephone, door and a few other minor things Pokey had to find a new hideout. At this time we should have realized he was not the ordinary pup, a little over the top with energy, very noisy and well he chewed on everything. I mean EVERYTHING! He would eat a pop can if left in his path of destruction. So off he went to stay with Brent's parents, a couple of animal loving people who said "not a problem, we will shelter him for the next week until Christmas". However that only lasted a short time when we finally decided Jeff would just have to have an early present.



We were so excited to give him this dog, all of our children and I don't know how many of their friends were sitting around the tree just waiting for Jeff to arrive to see his new dog. Pokey was all decked out with a bright red bow around his neck and placed on a package just waiting for his new master. It took Jeff awhile to see him because he was trying to figure out why the living room was packed with people and they were all starring at him with this anticipation of what, he didn't know.
However when Jeff laid eyes on his little dog it was love at first sight. They became the best of friends that night and that friendship was the strongest bond I think I have every seen between a man and his dog. Pokey loved him as much as anything too and reminded a faithful, loyal friend right to the end.
We had many, many ups and downs with this dog, from ruining everything that wasn't tied down in my house to developing a disease called Addisons in his later life that required monthly trips to the vet at $100 a pop to keep him alive. I think you could almost say he was a Mi$$ion in one dog.
When I gave the dog to Jeff he had the official name as he was a papered Dalmatian but of course he needed a regular name. There were just two stipulations with this gift. 1. He could NOT name him Spot - so he didn't he named him Pokey Dots and 2. He could not sleep on the bed, and he never - he slept IN the bed, right between Jeff and I, as you can see in one of these photos.
So now we lay Pokey to rest. He will be cremated, his urn is a Dalmatian Jar that was given to us by a very dear 'little' friend. Alisha gave Jeff (papa as she called him) this present as a Christmas gift when Pokey was one year old. There is a picture of them in the photo below. Jeff's wishes will to someday be cremated and put in the jar with Pokey. So Rest in Peace Pokey - you were a wonderful gift to us and now you are in God's inviting hands. We love you.

Santa fills my kitchen

When I first started decorating my kitchen the colors I had in there were perfect for my red, white, Santa theme I had going on. I really hadn't planned on a theme however you all know how something starts and just builds. When I recently changed my kitchen to the tuscany colors I love so much I thought I should change my holiday kitchen decor to match. BUT I just couldn't. My wonderful daughter bought me these plates a few years back when we shared a a business together and I treasure them so much so, I now have a tuscany, red, white, Santa theme going on. Take a look, it isn't so bad.

The plates are from my daughter. The pictures that you really can't see well are three of my 7 grannies and the shiny Santa at the top was a gift from my talented and wonderful cousin Brenda.

Maybe it is because I am a Swede but I love the Scandinavian felted ornaments, they adorn every available spot on my tree. The cross stich was made by my good friend Kay Buecker, she is very talented and I have several of  her pieces and love each and every one.

A closer look at that cross stitch. Isn't it grand?

Aagh there is that great Santa purchase I made a couple weeks ago. Still haven't got Jeff to help me hang it but I will.........

I love the look at night. I can sit in the dark except for the Christmas lights and just inhale Christmas.

Oops, didn't finish my decorating before this was taken but I like to turn the flash off and just use over head light.

One of my lamps got kicked out of the living room due to lack of space and I hated to just stick it in the cupboard so I put it on the counter. I think that it will stay there even after the Christmas decorations are put away.

Just a closer look at the ornaments on the kitchen tree.

Oh there is another Scandinavian ornament.........and HO HO HO to all of  you!

Brandi and the boys invited me to Hemingford today to attend the craft bazaar, visit with Santa and eat at the Firehall. We had a great time, bought to much, ate some really good food and laughed as the boys visited with Santa. Poor Jaxon was a little worried, he couldn't remember what he REALLY wanted from Santa and now is worried that he won't bring him the Optimus Prime that has been on his list for a month. We told him not to worry and that he can come to Grandpa's firehall to see him again. Cash just laughed about Santa but I missed the shot. I think Brandi got a really good one and so didn't the gal that takes the photos.