It was time for a birthday party!  It was time for a   "Thomas" birthday...."the train" that is!  It was quite the celebration as Jonathan had three sets of grandparents, Paul and Beth and Robbie (honorary Uncles and Aunts).  He wanted hotdogs and chocolate cake for his dinner and Heather made "Pigs in blankets", yummy baked beans, salad and homemade french fries and yes....chocolate "cake" (brownies).  It was all delicious and the guest of honor was quite honored.  It's not every day you turn five years old!  And Jonathan is a real sweet five year old, one any grandparent can be proud of! 

The picture is fuzzy, the kids are anxious, little Analiese is sniffling in a tissue (she thought that was WAY fun for some reason!) and we thought it was all pretty funny!!!  Besides Doyle and I we can say...left to right is Daniel, Analiese, Edmund and Jonathan, the four most precious grandchildren anywhere!

I will post pictures of Christmas soon ....hopefully.  But I just got back from Joy's farm where I picked up my weekly milk.  I love going over there and only wish I had more time to spend with Joy.  She is in her 80's and I've mentioned her here before, but she is always a bright spot in my day.  Today when I popped in I was greeted of course by her dog, Daisy, quickly followed by Joy.  The little cabin smelled wonderful so I asked her what she was baking and she said a cake  Pointing to her recipe collection of old 3x5 cards and handwritten recipes taken from "Grit, 1982", she had a recipe for Fruit Cocktail cake.    I told her my mother used to make that cake and all of a sudden I had a desire to run home and bake me an old-fashioned cake. 

Seeing her collection of recipe cards I almost asked her if she would "will" them to me when she died.  But then I thought that didn't sound very nice, so I didn't!  One of my weaknesses is old recipe card boxes filled with handwritten recipes.  Anyone that knows me well, knows that I have several of these tin boxes in my kitchen filled with old recipes  (When I got back home I quickly added, "fruit cocktail" to  my grocery list).  I had a little extra time today so I stayed and talked to Joy for about 30 minutes and she told me of her niece who turned 73 yesterday and is going to the Amazon to count bugs (or some such thing!).. 

When I arrived home and put the milk away, Doyle and I had lunch.  I told him about my visit to Joy's and wondered again why I love to go there so much, besides the fact that she is a very interesting older person.  Perhaps I wondered out loud, it is because she is one person who seems really content with her life.  She lives a simple life, milks her cows, bakes and reads. She is very interested in the world around her (probably knows more about politics then I do!),  but doesn't strive for "worldly goods or gain."   Do you know how refreshing and how rare that is these days? 

I can see why God wants us to live contented.  People who are contented are so much nicer to be around! 

  Our new grandson was born on this day, December 4, 2011 at 1:57 in the morning. He weighed in at 7 lbs and 13 oz.and is 19 inches long.   He is beautiful and very alert and strong.  He has a good name, Edmund (think Narnia series) and Quincy (think Dracula) Meyer (think Mud clan!).  Everyone is very glad he is here, most of all his mommy, who got to the hospital with an hour and a half to spare.  I figured he might be born last night, as the weather had taken a turn for the worst, cold and snowy and babies love drama!.

It's a very cloudy day and I'm baking Molasses cookies and listening to a wonderful album.  The fire is blazing in the woodstove and keeping me warm.  The kitty has already fallen in the fish tank this morning, the dog and cat have had "leftovers" from my beef stock I made and Doyle and I are going to take our grandsons on the Polar Express this evening in Durango.  I think I'm as excited as they are!  I think you have grandchildren so you can do those things you couldn't do when you were young and you couldn't afford to do with your own children.  We still couldn't afford to do this, but because we have been hosting several P.A. students from St. Francis University in Albuquerque, we have the money.  So, I am making cookies they can eat (because of their allergies I have to take their own snacks) and I am making Hot Chocolate they can drink (from Coconut milk and homemade chocolate syrup).  They will also have popcorn and if Doyle and I decide to go out and eat after the train ride we have food they can eat.  I love this season of the year, I love that we get to take a month or so and celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ's coming and birthday!  And, we get to do some fun, fantasy things too, like ride the Polar Express to the North Pole!!!

I decided I'd better write something as on Monday hopefully my computer is going to the doctor.  It is needing a tune-up and I don't know when I'll get it back.  I've been lax in keeping up to date here and I've also been behind on that other place that starts with an F and ends with k.  I've been feeling pretty unmotivated about everything lately, it could be because I'm tired of doing things that have to be done.  And then here we go again........Tis the season...........and all that!    I'm not sure how the months go by so fast and then the year is over, but it seems to happen sooner all the time.  Here are some exciting things that happened to me today or this past week.

My kitty just came up on the chair and sat by me.
We said goodbye to Lisa on Thursday.
I got the guest room ready for Cody.  We say hello to Cody tomorrow (for six weeks.)
I raked some of the yard today.
I cleaned the house.
I babysat the boys yesterday and we were noisy and crazy with a mop and broom.
I made three loaves of bread, did laundry, worked on Christmas presents, made dinner, yelled at the dog.
Watched the movie Secretariat, and loved it!
Watched the "new" Disney movie, Annie.........(not so much.........loved it that is.)

I told you I was tired...............this just proves it..............goodnight!

For some reason I just love this picture.  I think it's because Analiese is showing such joy and innocence and it looks like she is getting ready to fly.  Of course I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that she is my granddaughter and I think she is beautiful and precious (which she is!).  I told her mommy that she may not think it's so fun standing on a scale in ten years or so, (isn't that sad in a way?).  If we could only stay so innocent and happy! 

Have you heard an angel sing?  If not, I think you should listen to Jackie Evancho.  I'm listening to her album I just splurged and bought called "Dream with Me".  My friend Mary introduced me to her.  She is an incredible singer for such a young girl (I think she's about ten years old).  It makes me look forward to Heaven, when we can all sing like her!

    A few pictures to share....the boys came over to play (well, Jonathan came to play, Daniel had to take a nap) and so Jonathan and I did one of our favorite things together, we made pictures using felt (sort of like the old flannelgraph boards).  When he made this picture (with NO help by the way), I titled it, "OWS" (Occupied Wall Street).  I thought it was very well done, and of course, he had no idea why we thought it was so interesting....he just loves to make pictures.  We went outside and took pictures of "God's beautiful world" (his words) and we read again for the umpteenth time the two books, "I can Experiment" and "I can make things."  We read these every time he comes and he never tires of them.  I feel guilty every time we read them, as I know I need to make these wonderful things with him!  We played "golf" (croquet) and then Auntie Megan called and after I talked to her, he had to talk.  He loves to talk on the phone and thank goodness he has Aunts and Uncles that talk with him.  Daniel is following in his footsteps pretty closely....he is already practicing on the old phones we have in the toy box.

We are enjoying our  new house guest, Lisa.  The animals love her and we love her sweet spirit.  It's been fun lately seeing who our next guest will be.  Several months ago I was listening to a radio show (don't even know who it was) and they were talking about passion.  And I thought to myself, outside of my God, family and friends I'm really only passionate about one thing and that's hospitality.  And I wondered how God was going to use my gift.  The next day I got a phone call from St. Francis University in Albuquerque asking me if we would host another student.  I took that as an answer from God, and we had Jerome, now Lisa, and we have another student coming as soon as Lisa leaves.  It's a wonderful thing to be able to use one's gifts for God.  It brings joy to my life like nothing else does.