FLOWERS FOR ME!

December 8, 2015

I am the luckiest Grandma ever! I came into my office to find a beautiful red and white (Christmas colors) bouquet of FLOWERS FOR ME! Boston and Waylon brought me FLOWERS to thank me for all of the fun stuff I do for them and with them. That just made me the happiest Grandma ever!

I felt bad I had missed them. I was shopping for prizes for our Christmas Luncheon at work.

ZACH AND KELL GO TO VEGAS

December 4-6, 2015

Zach, Mikell, and the kids were able to go to VEGAS for a weekend to visit Bill. It just so happened to be over the same weekend as Bella's 8th Birthday. Boston was super excited to play with Zander and Bella. He had so much fun! They played hard every day and everyone had a wonderful time!

                                                      Waylon, Bella and Papa Billy

                                             This slide was a blast! it was super long!

                                            Boston-4 yrs old, Uncle Zander-6 years old

 This is a kids wonderland. They have tons of toys and they played hard!

                                      They loved played swords and boppin' Papa Billy

 Bella's party was at a little gymnastics place. Boston loved playing on the rings.

 Waylon was a little scared of Papa Billy, but loved it when he took him out to see the big teddy bear.

These two sure love each other and they were so happy they made the trip down.

FELT TREE FOR DECORATING

December 2015

I saw a cute idea on Pinterest that I wanted to do for my Grandkids. It's a FELT CHRISTMAS TREE that has ornaments, lights, mittens, candy canes, presents, etc... that they can use to DECORATE, and RE-DECORATE as any times as they'd like because it's all theirs. They stick to a regular wall, but since my walls are textured, Boston and Waylon just play with it on the floor, over and over again! It didn't come with a pattern so I had to make my own ORNAMENTS and they aren't the greatest but geez! It took me 5 hours to made two sets! One for The Wright's and one for The Bastian's. I have to cut out a new tree because mine is a little bit too WHIMSY! But they still had fun decorating it! Ha! Ha!

 This is one tree that they can put the lights and ornaments up any way they want to!

Anyone who knows me, know I DO NOT SEW! So this was all put together with Hot Glue!

ADVENT CALENDARS

December 2015

I love ADVENT CALENDARS! My favorite one growing up was made by my Aunt Joyce. My kids loved that calendar too until it burned in our house fire in 1997. I haven't found one like it after looking on the internet and every Christmas store imaginable. This year I found one almost like it but not quite as cute. I just had to get one for each of my kids, hoping they would be super excited! I even had their family names put on it. I hope it brings back lots of fun childhood memories for them!

This one is for The Wright's and of course Ashley's says The Bastian's.

Before I found these ADVENT CALENDARS, I made each family one that could be filled with fun things they could do with me during the holiday season like make fudge, cut out cookies, read Christmas books, watch Christmas movies, etc...I have had the best time doing fun things with the kids. I love that they are learning and loving all of the fun CHRISTMAS CAROLS that I LOVE! I love spending time with the Grandkids instilling in them the fun CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS I used to do with my kids! I JUST LOVE IT!!

I made cute strips of paper telling them what fun activity we would be doing together, and some had things like open a new CHRISTMAS BOOK, MOVIE OR CD. Of course all of the pockets have candy in them too.

This ADVENT CALENDAR is one I bought for both families last year. It's a Christ Centered Calendar. Boston loves putting this Nativity calendar up.

This ADVENT CALENDAR is one that Boston keeps on our fridge. They add a new cotton ball each day to make sure Santa has a full beard by Christmas Eve.

 Boston made this ADVENT CALENDAR in Preschool. Each day he gets to put a sticker on it counting down the days til Christmas!

And doesn't this ADVENT CALENDAR just bring back the best childhood memories? Who didn't love trying to find the number hidden throughout the picture, opening it to find a piece of CHOCOLATE! Of course each kids needs his own. 

Sure, we have lots of ADVENT CALENDARS but it is so EXCITING to open them up each day! I just love it! The kids are having a ball opening something each day!

TRIMMING THE TREE

November 2015

It is always so exciting to pull out the CHRISTMAS DECOR each year. I look forward to getting out my NATIVITY SET, my CHRISTMAS BOOKS and ADVENT CALENDARS. I have always been particularly picky about decorating the TREE. I was surprised that this year I really didn't care. Boston was SO EXCITED to decorate the TREE that I let him! ( My kids know I usually don't let anyone touch the tree!) I didn't use the ORNAMENTS I usually do with the bows and stuff, so this TREE looks different than in past years and I got more JOY out of watching Boston decorate than I would had I had done it myself.

 His fake camera smile cracks me up! He was just beaming inside though I tell ya! He was so happy and proud of himself!

 Boston did a great job. There were only a few bulbs I had to move around when he wasn't looking like that top one on  the left hanging out there. Whats wrong with me that I can't just leave it alone? Notice the black Santa Claus ornament? That's the one that Zach sent home from his mission in Detroit. Boston wanted it right dab in the middle! ;) the little angel is leaning a bit so we'll get Zach to fix that. I just love Christmas and the warm feeling it brings to our home and hearts!

Ashley and Lytton started decorating their tree and it was so wonderful to get pics of Remington admiring the tree. He caught on quick how to hang the ornaments and Ashley let him decorate too!

                            I love this pic...the magic of Christmas in a little ones eyes!

 He has been good to not play with the tree this year but man, he loved decorating it!

DINNER WITH TANNER

November 2015

Ashley was looking forward to Tanner coming in town during the Thanksgiving break. They still talk on the phone for hours at a time, and have a great friendship that will last a lifetime. I felt bad that I wasn't able to join them this time but they sure had a nice time together. Tanner is pregnant with a little boy that will be here the end of March and we are thrilled for her!

Tanner's family joined them for dinner. Brooke got to finally meet little Paisley!

                                                               Lytton and Remington.

THE THANKFUL TREE

November 30, 2015

I wanted to make a new TRADITION for my Grandkids this year. I went and cut off some branches off of my tree and stuck them in a jar filled with rice to help it stand up. I cut out lots of LEAVES and added jute to hang them on the tree. Each day I would ask Boston what he was THANKFUL for. It was so cute to hear the things he was really THANKFUL for!  I'm pretty sure it helped him to notice how BLESSED we are with even the simplest of things such as "Fruit Snacks" which was the first thing he wrote on his LEAF!

I am so THANKFUL for my FAMILY, FRIENDS, MY TESTIMONY, MY JOB, HOME, CAR but after some long talks with Zach I have been obsessed with being THANKFUL for ELECTRICITY! I don't EVER want to have to live without it! I hope to really look around and take note of all the BLESSINGS in my life and to appreciate the not so obvious things that we naturally take for granted.