Stuff that happened during December

So  I already told you about the crazy ward party and the "why-o-why's" of making my December nuts. Let me just tell you all that's happened in the last month.  I will call it:

"Stuff that happened during December"

1.We found out that Kit is preggo!  Alrighty then!  Another "sweet" to kiss on!  So I flew home for awhile to help the barfing mother-to-be. De-lightful! (except the barfing part...that was not delightful, but spending time with the sweets was really, really delightful.)  

2. and speaking of Delight....Levi pulled out all the stops right before Christmas, and proposed to Nina!  I KNOW, RIGHT!!!?  He took her out for dinner and then after drove her to look at the lights....well,here...the pictures tell it all...

3.  Then Christmas.  Christmas was crazy....we went to church on Christmas morning...(I was leading the choir.  They were totally AWESOME!)  But holy overload...the party AND the choir? Seriously.  (okay...WORTH IT!) Then we took off and drove to the airport right after!  I think I need a nap.

 Congrats kids.  Love is in the air!

Party Time!

Back in the Spring, they asked the DPR and I to be in charge of our ward Christmas Party.  At the time it seemed like the right thing was to say "sure"....come the 1st of December, we were saying....."why-o-why"....but it came off without a hitch and ended up being so great! I didn't take any pictures that night to prove the greatness..(busily doing too many other things that night) but thank goodness someone else thought of taking pics to prove the greatness!

Suffice it to say that many hands came together to make a wonderful night...Elvis showed up, (rrr...I mean ALL the Elvis' showed up)  -  along with Santa, Angels, and Mary and Joseph.  Feel the love.

 

Giving Thanks for time together.

One thing about the the DPR's family is they like to congregate.  Bring your kids, bring your dogs, bring your soon to be ex-girlfriends...it's all good.  These days all those wee kids have turned into big bodies that like to eat and talk.  What a party!  Ben came home from his mission the day before, and Levi came home from Kansas, too.  Almost the entire Bransford group was in attendance....as well as a bunch of preggo and un-preggo cousins. (This year will be fruitful....just sayin.)  It was great. We ate turkey.

Yahoo Corrals 2008

The party keeps getting bigger.

The yacking is forever.

 

It's almost here....

 I'm thankful for a holiday where the main activity

is putting olives on your fingers before you eat them.

just sayin....

 

Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween!

Over the weekend we had our annual trunk-or-treat party...or as I like to call it, "junk-in-my- trunk" time. (Because I know exactly where that candy is going...ya know? )  

This year we found this amazing terantula spider puppet that Rob handed out candy with...

Sometimes....even candy is not worth it!

 

Then this morning I found this lovely....

This is "Trunk-AND-Treat"!

 BOO to you!

Nana D

One word...."skype". period.
If you had told me years ago that most of the time I spend with my then future grandchildren would be over the internet....I would have told you that you were "loco-chicka"!!  But yes, that is what has come about, and people...I am soooo thankful for those pocket full of minutes with said McNuggets. And just like a box of Forest Gump's chocolates.... I never really know what I will get!

But then, neither do they! (I'm pretty sure they were looking at the DPR make crazy faces in this picture....he has the same effect on me.)
But I have been able to watch them grow from little peanuts into big peanuts and it has been truly awesome!

Sweety La La always puts on a show:

Sweet Birdy keeps me totally entertained:

And Sweet E and Sweet D?  well they are just much too much fun!

Put all the "SWEETS" together, and I (they)have total pandemonium....

Occasionally, I even get to skype with my man-child....ya....that's fun.

Just the other day, Kindle sent a text...."Mom, get on skype!  La la keeps asking to talk to Nana!"

Makes me melt...and not just a little.

 

bye, bye birdies

 We've had birds nesting in the top of our bamboo shade on our patio all summer.  When they first started flying around looking for a place, the DPR immediately ran out to chase them away spouting opinions on how they were going to die out there if they built a nest because as soon as we turn on the AC it will be too hot....yada, yada...

They built a nest anyway, regardless of his opinions.  Then they did their birdy thing and before you can say "yumpin' yiminy" their were 3 little eggs in the nest.  Honestly, I didn't pay that much attention after that....until the end of July.  The little birdies were all busy and focused and I pretty much felt the same.

When we got home, I went to hang the lanterns on my patio.  I was dreaming of seeing the colored glass in the sunlight.  There.... I found the empty nest.
And I realized, it was really....really empty.

(sigh).

 

and finally....(drum roll please)....

lovely.

happy.

beautiful girl

tinted jars for lanterns and flowers

felted birds cake topper

We are family.

sweet.

buckets of flowers

Vanilla Bean cake with Lemon-curd filling and buttercream...oh my!

on the patio

sundae bar---yum.

first dance

Stealing a quiet moment

Birdies flying away....