Did you know that those of us who are born in December have three different birthstones to choose from?  Blue topaz, turquoise, and tanzanite.

I had picked out the blue topaz as my personal choice a few years back.  My parents got me a lovely pair of blue topaz earrings when I turned 50.  Dave got me a blue topaz pendant for our anniversary and this year he got me the last piece, a birthstone ring.  I had to have it resized, but I picked it up today.

It's tear-shaped.  It fits snugly inbetween my fingers so I can't even feel it when I wear it.  Which I plan to do all the time.

Up until now I've only worn my wedding set.  Now I'll wear my birthstone too.

I'm not really into fine jewelry, but this I like.

Finally, the third shot got us all smiling.  Aren't we cute triplets?  I wonder when my daughter and my mom got to be the same height?

Mom and dad took off for Cleveland for a few days.  Nice for them.  They'll be able to visit a few friends while there.  My hubby has spent the entire day sick in bed, poor baby.  This is very unusual for him.  Hopefully he'll snap out of this by tomorrow, otherwise I'll start to worry.

Michelle and her family went to an indoor pool today and had a blast!  Kaden even went down a water slide!  Guess he didn't like that his first time down, but then it was fun.  Skyler just kept smiling!

Ken and I are really enjoying the wii fit.  I'm doing 1/2 hour a day and he's doing an hour.  It's really good exercise!

This will be primary a photo blog.  We had a wonderful day.  Lots of fun and love all around.  It was wonderful to have my parents there, as well as all my kids and grandsons.  Everyone spent the night at our house, so we woke up in the morning ready to go.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Presents around the tree.

Kaden had more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

I raised my kids up right - both are Bears fans.

New work gloves for Sam.

Catnip toy for Barney.

One for Wilma too.  She wouldn't come downstairs, so I had to bring hers up to the bedroom.

Michelle's gift to Ken - she tape all the dollar bills together, rolled them up and placed them in a kleenex box.  Ken was equally clever in his gift to her - he gave he a gift card, but wrapped up butter wrappers in the shape of gift cards and so she had three equally sized tissue wrapped cards to open - only one was the real deal.

Hobby Lobby - one of my favs.

Christmas morning disorganisation.

Our gift to each other - the Wii and the Wii fit.

Michelle please both of us with pretty jackets.

Taking a break for brunch, which was the same breakfast casserole that junglewife shared on her site.

Someone really loved his gift!

Lots of new parts to the Brio train.

Shoulder ride with babop.

Christmas dinner.

Skyler and Uncle Ralph.

Aren't they cute?

We all are bushed.  I hope you had a fun day too.

This just came in my email from my wonderful Aunt Em.  It was too funny to not share with all of you!

Merry Christmas To All the wonderful women in my life




If I were ol' Santa, you know what I'd do?
I'd dump all the silly gifts that are given to you
And deliver some things just inside your front door:
Things you have lost, but treasured before. . .
I'd give you back all of your maidenly vigor,And to go along with it - a cute little figure.Then, restore the old color that once graced your hair,Before rinses and bleaches took residence there.


I'd bring back the shape with which once you were gifted,So things now suspended need not be uplifted.I'd draw in your tummy and smooth down your backSo you'd look like a dream in those tight-fitting slacks.
I'd remove creases and wrinkles and leave only one chin,So you need not spend time rubbing creams on your skin.You'd not have hot flashes or queer dizzy spellsAnd you wouldn't hear noises like ringing of bells.

No more sore, aching feet and no corns on your toes;No searching for spectacles when they're right on your nose. Not a shot would you take in your arm, hip or fannyFrom a doctor who thinks you're just an old granny.

You'd never have a headache, so no pills would you takeAnd no heating pad needed since your muscles won't ache. Yes, if I were Santa, you'd always be hot:You'd be a cute little chick with a fabulous bod.

I'd give a lift to your heart when those wolves start to whistleAnd the joys of your heart would be as light as a thistle. But alas! I'm not Santa. . . I'm simply just me:The matronliest matron you ever did see.



I wish I could tell you all the symptoms I've got,
But I'm due at my doctor's for an estrogen shot.
Even though we've grown older, this wish is sincere; Merry Christmas, dear friend, and a Happy New Year!


Merry Christmas to all my fav xangaites.

The party was a lot of fun last night.  Except I forgot about the deviled eggs until I was putting things away at the end of the night and found them in the fridge.  There was plenty of food without them, but now we're going to be eatting a lot of eggs!  Good thing Sam loves them so much and can handle eating a lot of them!

Michelle's camera has all the group shots, only when they downloaded to my picassa site, they were in a very strange format.  So I can't get them here.  I'll have to ask her when she gets here later today.

Marabeth ( my cousin's wife and junglewife's mom), Skyler and Michelle.

Sam and Michelle with Dave and Fran (other cousin's wife) in the background.

Ken and Peter.  Those of you who've read me for awhile remember when Peter lived with us.

The twins.  My dad and Aunt Em.

I have no idea.  I will identify Skyler here.

Nephew Joe, his new wife Rachel, who Kaden adopted for the entire evening.  Apparently my grandson has a thing for pretty young women.

They were enjoying a quiet time reading "The Little Engine that Could" together.

A good time was had by all.  See, I can't even put the picture of most everyone lined up on the couch and chairs in the basement, watching the freezeball game between the Bears and the Packers.  Good thing the Bears won, after than awful call in the first quarter!

Today will be a quiet day.  I have to get my allergy shots, but nothing else is on the schedule.  Yippee!

I was just tagged by my niece,   junglewife , to play a came called picture tag.  These are the rules.

Here are the rules:
1. Go to the 4th folder in your computer where you store your pictures.
2. Pick the 4th picture in that folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.

Kaden and his babop are playing their version of ping pong.  More like pong.  But they both enjoy it very much.

Now I'm supposed to tag 4 more.  Fight amongst yourselves!

Speaking of junglewife, I'll post family party picturese once they all leave tonight.  They are coming over in 25 minutes for appitizers and cookies.  I have 3 sushi trays, shrimp, crab cakes, deviled eggs, a vegie tray, lobster spread, hummus, crackers, assorted homemade cookies, candies, punch and Christmas tea.  Wanna join us?

 

Mom and dad arrived safe and sound this afternoon.  Dad is currently at the dollar store picking up some cheap items they forgot.  I warned him that it's been taking 15 minutes to drive to 5 minute drive from here to the shops.  Our unicorporated township roads don't get plowed.  So then you end up with two tire tracks that you hope fit your car, otherwise you are driving on ice.  Yup.  Fun times in northern Indiana! 

Mom posted too.  So you can check out her site if you are one of her friends too.

Meanwhile, pictures from my birthday dinner at the Japanese Restaurant.

It was one of those grill tables where the chef cooks in front of you.  Kaden told us he was afraid of fire.

Whee!  Baby lifts.

Kaden has a sip of gee gee's soup.

He picked out these earrings for me.

And a gift card from Hobby Lobby from my mil.

Good things come in small packages - from my parents! 

Don't you love this jacket?  I can wear it with any solid color and it goes.  I took it to Maryland and wore it each time we went out.  I know it's not very subdued, but then, neither am I!

I want to thank everyone for all those lovely birthday greetings.  My mom is great, isn't she?  She and my dad are driving toward this wonderful great-lakes weather (we had a combination of ice and snow last night - I just let Barney out and he's walking on top of the snow/ice, not leaving any footsteps at all.  Oh joy.)  So please say a few prayers for them that they arrive here safe and sound.

I'm moving what I had posted early yesterday morning since most of you didn't get to read it because of the great post my guest put up!

Hugs and thanks.

We're back, cold, but happy.  It was a nice trip.  The folks at the University of Maryland were very nice and, while my hubby was spending the day talking about science, I was at our nations capital, taking in the history and the arts at the National Gallery and a few of the Smithsonians.  We did the drive from Maryland to southern Florida in two days (15 hours) and got to enjoy a nice Monday in the 70's until our plane left at 6:15 p.m.

So now we're home.  I wrapped all the Christmas gifts.  They are all hiding in my closet.  Although everyone in my family knows that but no one is into sneaking peaks anymore.  So they're safe.  Kaden spent Tuesday night with us and all day Wednesday.  WEdnesday night my family took me out to a very nice Japanese restaurant to celebrate my 29th birthday, a day early.  Michelle wanted to know if I was 60 yet, so I had to think about that, then told her I was over 60 in base 8.  65 to be exact.  How many of you remember bases and how to figure them out?  I know the schools don't teach that like they did back in the day, which is really strange considering that all computer programming is based on the binary system, base 2.  As my favorite tee shirt says, there are 10 types of people in this world, those that understand binary and those that don't.

I'm up late, don't know why.  I have a few meetings tomorrow, one for garden club ( I have to meet with the treasurer and figure out the new state requirements for income taxes) and the other for ladies of notre dame.  That one is over lunch.   Michelle will probably stop over.  She says she's bringing me a cake.  Yeah!  I love birthday cakes!

I probably ought to go to bed.  I need my beauty sleep, so I'll continue to look this good during my 110101 year (binary).  Hugs.

 

 

Turn about is fair play..don't you think?

Since Val took over my site on my birthday...I feel it's only fair to return the favor..

This is Val's mom stealing, hijacking  borrowing her website just to let you know that it is her BIRTHDAY.

 I kind of hate to do it since she just wrote a new entry(you can read that later)

Val will be surprised when she finds she has a new profile picture...

We brought her home Christmas Eve.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT WE EVER RECEIVED.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VALERIE

We'll see you in just a few days.

LOVE

MOM

Note: for tons more pictures all about Val's birthday through the years visit josaju

 

 

Just checking in from my hotel room in Elyria, OH.  Dave and I are on a whirlwind trip to the University of Maryland where he is giving a seminar tomorrow (friday), then on Saturday we are driving south to Florida.  We are taking my mil's car to her.  She left our house on Dec 3, so she's been relying on friends and family to get her places.  Then we fly home on Monday, 12/15.  Whew!

The good news is my Christmas letters are written and sent and all my gifts are purchased, if not wrapped, except for my difficult father.  I wish I could give my mom a healed hip, but she's going to have to wait for the new year for a hip replacement.  So, my first thought is what do I have to do to make sure my hip doesn't give out now that both of my parents have failed hips?  Any ideas?

Gotta run.  Or sit, as the case is.  I'm the navigator and this time it's easy since we got a GPS system.  I'll check in as I can.

 

Book recommendation:  People of the Book by Gwendaline Brooks.  We just discussed that in book club.  Interesting.