Birthday Boy

Our Miracle Baby

Happy Birthday to Strider. He is three years old today. Our little miracle baby, we are so blessed to have him with us. He is so bright and fun and a little bit of the devil and we love him completely. He is always entertaining, even when he is tormenting his brother and sisters. Tiny,as everyone calls him, melts my heart when he puts his little arms around my neck and squeezes tight. He loves to play out in the sand and water and eat candy at Grama's house. He has this raspy deep voice and I love it when he talks. "Grama, have fruit rollup?" He always asks for those when he comes to play. Life is passing at such an accelerated pace these days, it is hard to grasp that he is already three. Happy Birthday Tiny. We love you!!

Happy 2010

Happy new Year to One and All. Christmas was busy and bustling and just down right fun but I am ready to relax with my new book now! I am still enjoying the decor and have to be in the mood to take it all down so maybe by February I will be there. I love the holidays. And I love the down time that comes after. January is my favorite read month and I usually get about 3 or 4 books read this month. I am into my new one I got from Sabe for Christmas. It is called The Help. Great read so far. We had lots of good times, good food, and good family and friends to share it all with. We took all of the kids caroling before Christmas on a Monday night. The Jones went with us and they still came back on Christmas Eve so it must have been fun. We also had our annual Christmas Eve bash with the pinatas and Santa Bag. Then Christmas morning was the big breakfast, followed by the opening of gifts with all of the grandchildren and children. This year Ashley spent the night before Christmas with us so we had someone to wake up with Christmas morning. It sure is different with no little ones to rouse from the bed. I used to dream every Christmas Eve that I forgot to stuff the stockings. But last year I didn't have the dream and it didn't return this year. Apparently my anxiety levels over the morning have dropped off. I didn't get very many good pictures at all, even with the new camera. Too busy I guess to stop and shoot. But I will always carry the memory of my beautiful family in my heart. I love them all so much. We missed Kaylie but got to talk with her on the phone during the party. So now it is on to the New Year. I haven't written down any resolutions yet but I have one that I am already working very hard on. And I am sure it will take many years if ever to become proficient. I used to always write my resolutions down, even categorizing them. But the last few years I haven't done that. Made me feel like a failure when I didn't realize them. I think perhaps I had too many. Well, I am totally rambling now so that means the time has come to get off the blog.

More Pictures of the Ages

I still have yet to master this blog machine. Apparently the pictures don't publish in the order you start with. And they will only take 4 or 5 per post I gather. A safe guard for the reader no doubt, so they don't die from boredom in front of the computer. So here are a couple more of the life and times of Tom & Patty. I would try to lable them but I am sure to lable them out of order. Read on for the actual anniversary post.

Forty Years in Living Color

I don't know why the pictures didn't download to my post but I am trying again. Don't worry, I didn't put forty full years in, not even close. Just a few down through the ages.



Just A Couple of Innocents who had no idea what life was!

Happy Anniversarys

Happy Anniversary first to Aaron and Gel. They were married on the 10th of December, two days before our 25th. It was some party that year. I wanted to throw another one but.....
Bob Seger might say "Forty years, where'd they go? Forty years, I don't know where they've gone!" We celebrated at DisneyLand, where we wanted to go on our honeymoon. lo those many years ago, but had no money. We actually borrowed $200. from Max and went to San Diego Zoo and Sea World, and stayed 3 nights in a motel. Wow, all for 200 dollars. Can you imagine?! We had a wonderful time at Disneyland and rode the roller coasters over and over. I told Tom riding them was pretty much like our life together. A lot of ups and downs, high peaks, and low valleys and every once in a while, we would be thrown for a couple of loops. Sometimes we would just hold on tight, breathe deep, and hope we stayed on the track. And then there were times in the last 40 years where we would be at the top of the highest pinnacle, where for a brief, shining moment we could see forever and what a view. I loved the old lady in the movie Parenthood who told her family about the roller coaster and the merry-go-round. I like the roller coaster better too!! Our life together has been an amazing ride! Someone once asked me if I was single again someday, would I remarry. I told him probably not and he asked why? And I still stand by the answer all these years later, that once you have had the best, it would all be down hill from there. I could go on and on about the last forty years but let it suffice to say, I have been loved and taught by the most unselfish person I have ever know, who protects and serves me daily. I would be lost without him. He is my anchor and my sail. I look forward to eternity with him by my side. Happy Anniversary Tom.

Our Champion

Yesterday, Gramdpa and I had the exciting opportunity to see Sydney show her new horse Bell. She was awesome. She won 3 ribbons for her collection and looked so cute on that big horse. We are so proud of her. I don't know much about horses but Sydney seemed to handle her well. She got her to do what she wanted and looked like she had fun. Way to Go Sydney!!! We love you!

It Was A Party

I am finally getting around to posting a couple of pictures of our amazing 4th Annual Halloweenie SleepOver. We went ahead and had the party the week of the flood. I manage with the help of my work horse hubby, to get the house back together and we partied into the wee hours. I made each guest an apron tucked in a bag with lots of goodies. My theme was skeletons so they got a bandana covered with the motif to match their aprons, along with a necklace of bones and an eyepatch. They were all the cutest pirates this side of the islands. We had chili pepper with the trimmings for dinner. Everyone was plenty full though they all wondered why I didn't have little name tags for each item on the menu, like last year. Sorry kids, you were lucky to get the party at that point, what with the water rising and all. We did all of their favorite things from Man on the Moon to hunting ghosts. We watched falling stars and talked on the tramp until it grew too chilly even with every blanket we could find in the house . Then we bedded down to a movie and all were asleep within half an hour. Next morning, we cooked ghost pancakes, scrambled eggs and then played until noon. It was especially memorable for me as I do not anticipate Kaylie will be with us again. She is now 12 and gone off to foreign lands to be famous. Next year we will have new guest list that includes 2 more boys so the dynamics will be entirely different, but I am sure just as joyful. I look forward to it with anticipation and new ideas to make memories that will hopefully last a lifetime for both them and me.