HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

 

I just wanted to wish my one and only a very happy birthday!

I'm glad we got a bit of time to celebrate, it has been quite a ride for quite awhile.

The Lord has been so good to us and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your birthday and a blessed year to come. 

REMEMBERING

 

On September 18, my maternal grandmother passed away.

She suffered from dementia and diabetes for several years and was in a memory care home in PA along with my grandfather for a few years.  And her time came.  Even through her health trials she always had a smile for us when we came to visit.  She may not have known our names, but she knew us.

My siblings and I spent a lot of time with her as kids and even into our adult years.

Our holiday gatherings were always at their house, they attended every event they could--not just for us but for our children as well.  I am thankful that I had 40+ years with her and most of my children have fond memories of her and know who she was in their own way.  Many people cannot say that of their grandparents.

February 22 was her birthday and today we especially miss you, Nena.

I have a bunch of pictures I will have to find and post at some point. 

HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

 

In her post-high school year, Bean has been busy!  Working extra shifts, teaching dance, and of course auditioning for every performance she can find.  She has had several auditions, placements and call backs, but has not been able to accept everything due to other commitments.  She did however play multiple parts in The Hunchback of Notre Dame put on by Calvary Episcopal Church in Summit, NJ. 

Quite a commitment!  It was about an hour away, with rehearsals a couple of times a week for a few hours at night and that went on for several months... and then tech week!!  

She loved every second of it and the performance was amazing!

The cast was very small--14 people in total, I believe, but they did such a good job using the space and making the transitions.  The church itself was pretty cool, as you can see from some of the pictures below.  

She had a lot of lines and several solo singing parts.

It was also wonderful to see some family and friends make there way down there to support her.

MJ was able to record the final performance, which we can't wait to see.

Congrats, Beanie!

CURRENTLY

 

We have had water issues for a long time..and over time it has gotten worse and worse.

This past summer and fall were just the final straw.

We tried replacing the pump, going deeper..etc..and now the time has arrived where we are in the process of having a new well drilled.

Our yard is a mucky disaster..but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and Lord willing, we NEVER have to do this again.

We've been rationing water for such a long time..

I'm thankful for all the snow we've had, we've been filling buckets for flushing.

Utilizing the laundromat on several occasions and showering in various places.

It has definitely been a headache, but we've managed and there is so much we are thankful for through this whole debacle. I won't deny--I cannot wait for this to be complete!!!

Please, pray that everything goes smoothly as we hope to hook it all up soon.

SO MUCH SNOW

We have had so. much. snow.

We haven't had this much snow in years.

The one storm a few weeks ago left us with well over a foot and then there were a couple more dumpings on top of that.  It is pretty, but also there has been a lot of shoveling.

I'm thankful to have a houseful of able-bodied young people to help out!!

Dog loves it, kids love it.

It was a bit of a struggle for this guy to walk around, but he got out there too.

But as we are nearing the end of February, we're all ready for spring!!

 

HOLIDAY SEASON 25

Just a few pictures from our New Year's Eve Celebration 2025

We definitely make it one of the top events of the year.

Games, food, laughs, prizes, games, and more games, gifts, secret sibling etc.

It is an all night event that begins around 2pm on New Year's Eve usually and runs until New Year's Day at some point.

I try to find new games every year, but some of them are so popular, they stick around.

I didn't really take a ton of pictures..

MJ has a virtual reality set that everyone takes a turn on.

Last year, I gave the kids all a character that they had to dress up as and everyone had to guess who they were.  They voted to do this again.  Can you guess this one?

I'm sure the one below is not too tough..

Happy New Year!!

Everyone made it to midnight (and beyond).  

What do you do for New Year's Eve?

DRIBBLE

 

I guess I just have to admit that I cannot keep up with my own life.

There are past things I would love to post about, but I don't know that I will actually get to it.  Time marches on.  

Basketball season is in full swing!  

We had a rocky start due to a boatload of snow..but games have been regular for the past couple of weeks.

We have two players again this year and it is both aggravating and wonderful that they have practice on the same night.  Great because, well--they're both on the same night.  Less travel.  However, their practices run from 6-7 and then 8-9pm.  We sit there for 3 hours, plus travel time so it makes for a long, late night.

Both boys are enjoying themselves and we see improvement every game, so I guess that is what matters.