Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas 2008

Well, Christmas came and went for 2008. It's strange how it builds, and builds, and BUILDS, and then boom, it's over. We had our family Christmas party with our children and grand children on Christmas Eve. We always have a big dinner. After the dinner with todays awesome technology we were able to talk and see Jeramy, Rebecca and family via the computer web cam. It was pretty crowded as the whole family crowded into my little computer room enabling us all to talk to Jeramy and family, all except Isaac who feel asleep as Rebecca was reading them the best little Christmas pageant. We've had our computer equipped with a web cam for over a year but we've never had anyone to use it with. Rebecca surprised Jeramy with a web cam for their computer and decided to give it to him early so we could visit with each other. She said, "Why didn't we do this sooner." You should have seen little Hayden's face as he looked at all his relatives waving and talking to him. After we spent time visiting with them as a tradition Papa, me, or a member of the family, reads a Christmas story or something about Christmas and then the suspense comes to a climax when the grand children are able to start opening their gifts one at a time. You always have a fear that everyone is not going to be happy with their gifts but everyone seemed to be. We use to try to get them all the same amount of gifts to open and when they were younger that was possible, but now some of them are older the money doesn't stretch as far as it use to. Some of their gifts cost more then others as well. Papa always trys so hard to get everyone something they really want or something that will surprise them and make them happy. As we watched the tail lights leaving and everything was cleaned up I sat in front of the Christmas tree and thought about Christmas. What does Christmas really mean to me? It's Christmas carols, Christmas trees, brightly wrapped gifts, Christmas movies and Christmas stories. It's enjoy the company of our family and friends, but most of all the babe who's life started all this Christmas stuff. I am indeed thankful for his life and his example. On Christmas day we did not even leave the house it snowed all day and we had no desire to venture out in it but it was beautiful to look out and watch. It felt so good to just lie around, watch TV and veg out. Later in the day Ashlyn, Dave, and kids came over and we put a jig saw puzzle together. When Ashlyn was still at home she got a puzzle every year for Christmas and we would put it together. I broke some traditions this year and maybe I will really be sorry. I didn't send out my Christmas letter/cards this year but I want you to know that we thought of all our extended family and friends and hope that you had a Merry Christmas. The second tradition I stopped was the neighborhood luminaries. A couple of my neighbors said, "What no luminaries this year?" Even Brynlee asked me, "Did you do the luminaries Nana?" So maybe next year I'll have to take up the tradition again.Here's Lily, Jake, Sam, Chris and Ben showing some of what they got for Christmas.Keagan, Tandy and Tristin.This is a Christmas Ornament I just had to share with you. Jeramy made this when he was in the nursery in primary years ago. It's one of my favorite ornaments. Ashlyn always looks for it to be on the tree as well. I wish they would have made one for all my children. Maybe I will have to get creative and make one for all of them with pictures of them at that age. Anyway heres wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009.
Pops shoveling the snow.

"Family Christmas Party"

It has been a family tradition of our family, to get together during the Christmas Season. We have been doing it as long as I can remember. Christmas has always been a special time of the year for our family. Mom and Dad always made sure we had a nice Christmas and it was always a fun time for my sisters and I, and then Burt my little brother after he came along. It was a special time of giving and sharing. My Mom rents the Senior Citizen's building which is large enough to house us all. The minute the little cousins get there they RUN as fast and as hard as they can! They have so much fun together and are so cute. This year the highlight of the party was a movie my sister Bonnie and her son Nic put together of all my Mom's great grand children and their memories of Christmas or what they wanted for Christmas or what Christmas means to them. It was adorable. After the movie, the little movie starts had fun breaking a pinata. It was our first Christmas without Janet and it was hard not hearing her laugh. She always had a funny story to tell and had everyone in stitches. Bonnie showed the DVD we had put together of her life and we all shed some tears but it was good to remember her. It is her birthday today. Happy Birthday Sis.


This is Boston, my sister Deb's little grandson, Mandy and Dave's little boy,taking the first swat at the pinata.

This is Parker, Bonnie's little grand son and Nic and Carrie's little boy, and Jackson, Harmony and Jason's little boy, and Bonnie and Mark's other grand son.
This is Nancy's grand son Chase, Holly and Gene's son.
This is Nancy's grand son Beau, Dustin and Carol's little boy, and Janet's grand son Rocco.

Candy anyone? Parker, Chase, Lily and Cruz.
Keagan and Beau Amber and Erika, Dustie and Carol's girls.
The 3 musketeers.

Three of my four, Rod said,"can you put Jer's picture in the photo with us?" I wish I could but I'm not that computer savy.

He's Still Got It!!!!

Last night our friends Patsy and Doug, and Les and I, weathered a huge snow storm to go to the Energy Solutions Arena to see NEIL DIAMOND!!!! As we looked around the center it was filled with"OLD" people. Most were of course, older then us. But there were some younger people as well. The young man who sat behind me knew all the words to every song and he had a pretty good voice. I have always liked Neil's song Brooklyn Road, but last night that song took on a new meaning for me. Neil Diamond was born and raised in the Coney Island part of Brooklyn. He lived with his Mom and Dad and little brother. Through his song and old home movies shown on the teletron he took us back to the Brooklyn of his childhood. It was a wonderful nostalgic journey. Forever in Blue Jeans, Brother Love Traveling Salvation Show, and many other songs along with his classie moves took me back to another time and era. But the icing on the cake was when he left the stage and came back to sing Coming to America! The whole crowd arose to their feet and erupted in LOUD cheers. Let me tell you it was soooo patriotic and so amazing. Again on the teletron they showed people who years ago left their home land to come to America in search for a better life. All in all 67 year old Neil Diamond still looks great, a little thinner and a little less and gray hair, but he could still belt out those songs and get your heart pumping like he did in his younger day!

November - Boy am I behind.

Lately I seem to be a month behind in my blog, well, more then just my blog. I just can't seem to get things together since my sister passed away. I didn't even take pictures at Thanksgiving. We had a great Thanksgiving. All the kids were here except for Jeramy, Rebecca and family. We had lots of good food and lots of fun together. Papa got a bingo game and some gifts for the winners and the kids had lots of fun. Tristin especially because he won the first three bingos in a row and got first choose of the gifts. Then they played Catch Phrase, if you haven't played it you don't know what your missing. Try it you'll love it. :-)

We are blessed with two birthdays in the month of November. Jake's birthday was on Thanksgiving day. So we had pumpkin pie and birthday cake and ice cream. I remember the day Jacob was born. It was the day after Thanksgiving. AshLyn had Thanksgiving dinner and then went to the hospital and they kept her. She kept saying, I had better get to eat my thanksgiving dinner! Jake waited until the next day. And what a cute little guy he was!Grandma Robb nick named Jake Tigger and rightly so. He loved to bounce and was his happiest bouncing. You had to hold on tight or he would jump right out of your arms.

The week end before Jakes birthday we picked him up and he went to dinner with Nana and Papa. His favorite thing is a good burger so we went to an old fashion Malt Shop where they had a juke box and served a great burger. After dinner we went shopping for his present and then Jake had a sleep over and we watched the video Walle. This is Jake doing what he loves to do at Nana and Papa's, that is to play Play Station ll. On the 29th it was our littiest member of the family, Hayden's birthday. Jer and Bec decided not to peek when Bec was pregnant with him and Isaac had us all convinced that Hayden was going to be a sister. Because Isaac is such a spiritual little guy we all thought he knew. "Surprise!" Hayden is definately allllll boy!

This happy little guy just makes us smile! He looks exactly like his brothers and sister did when they were a baby, its like they were all cut out of the same cookie cutter mold. Rebecca said he is now in the Terrific Two's, she said thinking positive can't hurt.

Isn't he the most adorable thing you've ever seen. This is a picture of Hayden when he and his Dad were here for my sisters funeral. Happy Birthday to our two great November birthday boys.