One Long Christmas Holiday!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Goodness, that was a very long December. So long...I've posted photos to prove it :-)
Thankful for a new month in a new year.
Christmas Eve was quiet. Bob, Khloe and I attended a beautiful Christmas Eve service at Church, followed by an early dinner of lasagna and warm bread...with two of the kids and two of the Grands. Khloe and Ellery got to check out their stocking stuffers...Namaw felt they should open something!

 Sweet Bean's posing with her Beep tree....now known as birds :-)

Pa and Bean's heading to church.

Namaw and the Sweet Beans

Happy to be in the big Church!

Christmas Day at my eldest son Mike and wife Katie's home.  We had a wonderful time with Mike, Katie and kids, Katie's family, my son Brian and girlfriend Brittany, and Mike and Brian's Dad and his wife.  Enjoyed a lovely dinner, lots of conversation and lots of gifts....for the kiddos!  Always a day we look forward to.

Ellery Grace...she was happy sitting in her new chair....

Love this of Khloe and her Auntie

Son Brian, Brittany and Ellery with her new hat :-)

DIL Katie....she and Mike make it such a great day!

The morning after Christmas we drove north about an hour an 15 minutes to pick up our oldest grand daughters Julia and Aubrie. We traditionally head to Coronado Island, tour the Hotel Del to see the Christmas decorations, dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, a short walk to our favorite spot for hot chocolate on a very cold winters eve, wrapping our evening up with The Festival of Christmas for a fabulous play. Our seats were second row center stage and the play was awesome.  We enjoy every second with these beautiful girls.  They truly are so well behaved, and well mannered young ladies.  We just beam with pride when it comes to how they have grown...kudos to daughter Jackie and hubby Ev on a job well done!

Pa, Aubrie, Julia and myself....happy old people......

Traditional photo on the bench while we await our table....

Hotel Del

Aubrie and Julia

Tradition that they pick out a new glass turtle every year.  Aubrie named this one Coronado :-)

The twenty seventh, Jackie, Ev and Grandson Gavin caravan-ed down with our son Joseph and his wife Angel and our two grandson's Dominic and Calib. We celebrated Christmas again with them. Mike and Katie joined us with Khloe and Ellery. First time in four years we had all seven grands in one spot...Can you believe I didn't get a photo of all 7 together??  Uggh! the most in a photo is five ;-(

Dominic and Ellery

Oldest Julia with youngest Ellery

Aunt Jackie and Ellery

Son Mike (posing) DIL Katie

Son, Uncle Joseph meets Ellery for the first time. Juila in background Calib on right.

Calib and Khloe bonded as cousins :-)

Ellery and Julia

She's a cute little gift!

Grandson Gavin with Daddy Ev.

Katie and Calib

Aubrie, Khloe and Calib

Gavin, Ellery and Dominic

Joseph, Angel and the boys stayed with us for five nights....lots of time to get reunited with those young boys! We are thankful we had that opportunity to do so, thankful for the miracle of Joseph  and for his wife Angel.  All have had a very long past eleven months to say the least.  Hats off to Angel who has just totally amazed me at all she does in a 24 hour period!! She is amazing and I can tell you I will pray for her to have energy to carry on each and every day. Joseph has a long road ahead and prayers are always appreciated!!

Son Joseph, DIL Angel, Dominic and Calib :-)

 I still thank God and all who prayed every time I see a photo of Joseph, thankful for his life is and understatement. He looks great!


January 2nd we were once again two under one roof.  We managed to deconstruct the Christmas decor and pack it away for another year. I found myself thinking I need to thin out the decor, it's just become an exhausting thing....I want it to return to simple ......and focus on family more.

Looking forward to a new year of blessings, we are indeed so blessed by our friends and family...that includes each of my blog readers. Striving to be a blessing to others this year!
It's what echos from my heart in the new year.....

December Arrived and Nearly Gone!

It has been so long since my last post that I still have a Fall background....Fall which lasted about a week here in So Cal...enough to see leaves on the trees change color, I love that!

We are officially in what we call Winter...we've recently had a week of high 60's-low 70's and last I heard Christmas day is expected to be 68....cold, for some of us. We are spoiled by our near perfect climate, love that windows can be open most days of the year, fresh air. Yet, I get excited about needing to wear a jacket or heck, even a sweater for that matter.  I don't need snow to shovel, ice on the roads, or the slush that follows to have enjoy winter, but I do want some cold! If I want snow I can drive up the mountain an hour and a half and see it, and it's beautiful!

Random quote I love; Wisdom makes decisions today that will still be good tomorrow
Lysa Terkeurst

Long way of getting to the point of how far behind I am in blogging.
Still having issues with the shoulder (here comes the old person talk we all say we'll never do).  I've learned I have a tear in my rotator cuff and at torn bicep tendon that needs to be "relocated". No idea when this will happen, the process does not sound at all fun.Surgery date is looming....

How I will miss having the girls...I'm thinking it will be the hardest part of recovery....no pain pill will take care of the routine of them in my life.  I know their Momma and Daddy will bring the over :-) it just won't be the same.

So enough poor me  :-) I've missed my blogging buds!!
I do try and get on- line to catch up with each of you, and boy that's a challenge, time waits for no one!!

We lost a very dear, funny, loving friend, who with his wife Joy was a part of our dinner group. Joe will be missed, but we will reunite with him one day in eternity... Yay! The photo is Joe and his wife Joy, love it . In the mean time we will keep an eye out for Joy and just continue to love her to bits!!

Our son's including Joseph!! and his family will be here Christmas Eve, can't wait to hug him and shower him with nothing but love.  His wife Angel,  has had a lot  to handle since last February, they are now living in Maryland near Walter Reed Hospital. Looking forward to reconnecting with them and with grandsons Dominic and Calib!!!

Christmas Day we will spend with my son Brian and girlfriend Brittany at my oldest son Mike and wife Katie's home.  Always a day of fun with Katie's family and my son's Dad and Step Mom, always look forward to it, just a great time!

The 26th we pick up our oldest Grands Julia and Aubrie for our annual day on Coronado island for dinner shopping and The Festival of Christmas play....we took them shopping last weekend for new outfits for the big day. Super excited for this day every year!

The 27th Julia and Aubrie's Mom, Dad and brother Gavin will be with us for a post Christmas visit....hoping Joseph and family can return for another visit as well :-)

God is so good, the thought of all of us together again.....no words can describe.

Leaving you with photos of days gone by since my "Fall" post ....you knew I would :-)

Below and early Christmas with my siblings and their families...

My sisters and our Grands!

 Ellery likes to show her teeth....

 Below cousins Ellery and Minnie

Ellery grabbing a hand full of sister's hair!

Ellery, whenever Marinara sauce is involved :-)

First day of Christmas baking...

 Love the above photo as nobody is really posed or ready for a shot....

Now you're up to date with photo overload...sorry, not so much :-)

Good to be back,

 Wishing all of you and your families a healthy, safe holiday season. 

Merry CHRISTmas!

For all who are missing someone, I know how difficult this time of year is.

Praying you are able to find joy in the memories, how priceless are they?

~

HE gives me strength and takes my weakness. 

HE will give me peace and take away my suffering.

 What a good reminder for today and everyday.

~

It's what echos from my ♡

On Being Thankful ~

THANKFUL

1

:  conscious of benefit received thankful

>

2

:  expressive of thanks <thankful service>

3

:  well pleased :  glad thankful

that it didn't rain>

— thank·ful·ness noun

 

I, like many have used Facebook to be a part of thirty days of thanks. Posting each day something I'm thankful for.

I have to admit, every year that I type out the first thing I'm thankful for, I hear a voice in my head that says, "why do you only do this in November?"  Okay, I don't publicly share my thanks daily and perhaps I should. Perhaps it puts others in thought pattern of being thankful too.

 

 For some,

 thankful  when they might otherwise believe there is little to be thankful for.

 

Sharing what I'm thankful for, reminds me of what really matters in my life.  If I were to loose all material things, and have not a dime.......I would still have each of the things I have listed for the last 25 days. My family, my church/family, my beloved Bible and my awesome friends......so much thankfulness!

So for those that may be making that mental list of what you don't have....might I suggest you take a moment and make a list of what you do. That is the list of what really matters most.....

It's easy to become overwhelmed with what or who we've lost in our lives, especially this time of year. There are always people worse off to be sure, but it doesn't always make us feel a lot better in the knowing of that. I trust it's difficult because we tend to daily make the things, as the most important  in life.                           

  It's really the people around you, they are what matter.

 Large in number or small, they are what matter.

Praying for those who struggle at this time of year...praying you find a place of hope if you have none.. For me that is my faith, my awesome church and the imperfect people in it.  

 

We are community!

~

 Thankful for my fellow bloggers always!

Thankfulness is what echos from my heart daily. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

 

Monday Minute ~ OZ

Been awhile since my last post, but here I am with no promises of consistency in my future blogging :-)

Shoulder issues (possible rotator cuff) have slowed down everything so leaves little time to blog.
I've missed this community and hope to catch up with each of you!

Wanted to stop in and at minimum share the Halloween photos of Khloe and Ellery.

Warning, the cuteness is off the charts!

My love of The Wizard of Oz only added to the news they would dress as Dorthy and the Lion :-)

Told ya!

These beautiful little ones, no words to express the joy they add to my life.
It's what echos from my heart today....

Fresh on Friday ~ Encouraged!

 

Well our Women's Retreat was wonderful.

Highly recommend our speaker Carol Hopson, it's the second time she has spoke at one of our retreats.

She is amazingly sweet, wise and has a gift  to be sure. God is using her to reach others in a mighty way!

Several women made the decision to rededicate, several to dedicate their lives to God.

We sometimes face the fact that our way isn't working so well, or something is missing...

He is the better option....

Two standouts for me ~

God is sovereign, He knows what we will face before we face it.

He already knows the outcome.

I found it removes the anxiety when I know He has it...whatever it is!

So encouraged by that.....

Second, to those who never feel you've received an ample amount of sleep,

(like me my entire life).....

When I asked Carol if she had a good sleep she responded, 

"I got as much sleep as God wanted me to have!"

BAM!

 He is all the strength we need, when we think we have none.

I now use the expression as though I always have. Smile ~

My Grands Khloe and Ellery continue to fill me up....

Khloe will often just blurt out, "Namaw, I love you." 

She is now the announcer of Stop Signs in our path....on a recent trip to Cost Co she announced,

" Namaw, you didn't stop at that stop sign"

(It may have been a rolling stop)

Yes I did honey...

" No you didn't Namaw."

Yes I did.

"No Namaw, you didn't."

"Okay, I will stop twice at the next one". Going to have to watch that, she obviously is!

Note to self and to readers.....they are always watching......

In the same trip as I turned a corner, it hurt my shoulder which I'm having trouble with.

I said "ow".

Khloes matter a fact response,

" Stop whining Namaw, you just lay in bed for awhile and it will be better."

I have no words to this response......

Yesterday she was saying grace before lunch,

after thanking God for her food, she said,

"and thank you for making me special.."

(Thanks Veggie Tales!)

Holding Ellery against my chest before nap time, she remains so still.

I begin to sing the  "go to sleep" song and I no more than got through the

 first stanza and she raised her head look up at me and began to applaud my song :-)

Guess who's walking ?

We can be encouraged by the words of a great speaker 

as well as by

the honest words or actions of a little one.

Both cause me to feel changed, different, once the moment is captured...

Change isn't always a bad thing.

Be an encourager and watchful of how others are encouraging you that may have

otherwise gone unnoticed!

It's what echos from my heart today.