Pre-Christmas December

School is out and bad weather has arrived....must be almost Christmas in Kentucky!  I've had time to have lunch with friends, including Lisa (Eddy) and Juilee (who is GC's art historian and department chair).  My family had dinner with Lisa another night, but the photos are unusable - apparently one needs to use a flash inside a dimly-lit restaurant when it's dark outside in order to avoid demon eyes on all people in the photo.  

Can you find Elizabeth in the chorus picture?  Sorry, Peyton is not in chorus.  This year's Christmas concert was combined with a Christmas play, so we were doubly entertained.

Steven damaged his finger at work, and we are waiting to find out if there is ligament damage.  Six stitches.  Yet still, he never complains and continues to be such a workhorse around the house.  I am loving all of our Christmas decorations.

Michael clearly inherited Steven's ability to quickly and accurately build furniture, as he helped Steven put together E's Christmas gift from us.  She convinced us it was time for her to choose her own furniture and no longer be subjected to our 20+ years, "old-person" furniture.  She selected quite modern pieces and they really look beautiful.

Elizabeth and I continued our yearly tradition of attending The Nutcracker together.  She noticed how different this year's performance was compared to all previous years' performances.  I had no idea she paid so much attention, thinking she went each year just to make me happy and proceeded to zone out once the lights went out.  But maybe she is so super-happy to spend time with me she absorbs every moment of our togetherness with an uncanny memory.  Yes, I'm laughing to myself as I type that.  I know better.

We hope your holidays are beautiful and wonderful.

Thanksgiving

Please note I misspelled Peyton's name in my previous entry.  Because he is still in Elizabeth's life and she has pointed out my error twice now, I feel the need to publicly correct myself.  I will never misspell his last name, however, because I am always staring at it when looking at Elizabeth's back.  She wears his RSMS sweatshirt every (repeat: every) day.

This week Christmas break begins for Elizabeth, Michael, and myself, yet I'm reflecting back on Thanksgiving.  Every year, each of us looks forward to spending the day at the Huffs' home, where we know there will be delicious food and plenty of kindness.  Zoe and Niki actually wag their tails and make happy sounds once we hit the Shelbyville exit, because they figure out where we are going.  

 

Much of the remainder of the weekend was spent focused on Christmas - decorating the tree (oh, how I love seeing those glass hummingbird ornaments; and I love seeing the frame ornaments that have my children's faces on them even more - there is one ornament for each year of their lives), figuring out our photocard, and even braving the crowds and cold to go shopping.  We found a lot of shoes!  Elizabeth and I went to Kohl's on Black Thursday.  We were like the three men in that we were so wise: We stayed in our warm vehicle until the line that wrapped around the store's four corners dissipated, and we just walked right in.  Overall, it was relaxing, peaceful, and wonderful.  The kids had friends (no surprises here: Stephen and Emily were the overnight guests) spend the night, and life was happy.

Elizabeth and the dance

Oh, Elizabeth looked so very beautiful for her first formal dance.  She looked exactly like herself, of course, but with the added excitement of going to a dance with a guy!

Her friend Anderson came home with her to get ready.  They ate pizza in between straightening their hair and getting their fancy earrings in place.

Niki was mesmerized by Elizabeth's long flowy dress.  I think Steven's heart broke just a little bit as he watched her run toward the dance doors, so happy to meet Peyton and spend the evening with him.  I know you would like to know more about Peyton - wouldn't we all.  Elizabeth is mostly mum on the subject, although just mentioning his name does cause her to smile.  As I learn more about him, I'll let you know.  I do know where he lives, sort of.  Elizabeth promised to let me drive by his home, but suspiciously couldn't quite remember where he lives once we were in the neighborhood.  I don't know if she honestly forgot or if she didn't want her mother to engage in stalking behaviors.   

Unlike many people (including myself) at middle school dances, Elizabeth actually DID dance.  Afteward, Emily and Anderson spent the night but did not quite have a sleepover, as that would imply sleeping.  Talk about giddy all night long! 

Michael and the Titans

Michael made the middle school basketball team, the Royal Spring Titans.  Today was their first away game.  I had already committed to giving a mock lecture at the college, so I didn't get to go.  I knew Michael would be negatively affected by my absence, because I know I am always his inspiration for all things good and positive.  Well, go ahead, call me a  LIAR!  Steven texted me updates during the game, like "18-15, michael has 8", "we up 24-22, michael 12", and "we up, michael taken out of game", quickly followed by "we now down", then "m back in, we up".  Twenty-five texts later: "M hit 3 pointer in over time to get lead back" and the final text: "45-39, Michael 26".  (There are 15 people on our team, by the way.) 

THEN, when I was in Lexington with Elizabeth and Emily, shopping for dresses and jewelry for the Winter Formal next Friday evening, I receive additional texts.  Same scenario as Paragraph One above, long story short: This time Michael scored 20 and the team won the tournament championship.  Again Michael scored more than half the team's total points.

Oh, how I wish I were there.  Not just to BIRG, but to be there to celebrate the team's success. And to see my son, to give him a hug in person.  So proud of him.  Such a good little athlete.

BUT, I would not have missed being with Elizabeth at Fayette Mall.  And just wait until you see Elizabeth in her elegant dress next weekend.  Soo gorgeous.  Elizabeth, that is, not just her dress.

Fall highlights

Of course Elizabeth and Michael's fall highlight was going back to school.  Ha ha ha ha ha!  But admit it, they do look happy and wonderful on their first day back in August and continue to do remarkably well.  We are always so proud of them.

Elizabeth is featured in this year's Scott County calendar!  Who recognizes her friends Emily, Pallie, and Shelby?  I was in the newspaper for Opening Convocation holding the faculty mace, which should not be confused (although it often is) with a bedpost.  Our interim president is next to me, followed by our new president, who begins 10/21. 

September's highlights included celebrating two birthdays: Niki's 2nd at Bruster's ice cream and Rosemary's more-than-2nd in Shelbyville.  Austin's girlfriend Ally is the female next to Elizabeth. 

We recently had two very special dinners: One with Lisa Eddy and one with Granna Banana.  They are both so, so, so, so, so special to each of us.  So even though we're back to school and work, it's been goooood. 

Never Better

One Direction has a new hit out, The Best Song Ever. 




Reflecting on our Summer of 2014, I'd sum it up with the phrase The Best Summer Ever. 

So many times during the past weeks one of us has said, "Oh, do you remember when..." or "That is what ____ would say" or "You remind me of ____ when you do that."  We have laughed and laughed when looking at photos and recalling stories. 

Once again, the photos will say it best, so I'll leave it to them to express the joy, happiness, love, and peace we felt when all of my siblings and their families came in (we missed Nick and Patrick, of course). 

I am always struck by the genuine joy in the faces of my children, husband, and myself in our collection of photos, starting during our trip to St. Louis in June.

Thank you for the best summer ever. 

California

It had been four long years since we had been able to travel to California.  Happily, it was well worth the wait.  Oh, there are so many memories about which I could write. 

Here's just a brief list of topics:

• watching my children and their cousins splash in the Pacific
• laughing at the funny things 4 and 7 year olds say
• hearing about my siblings' and their spouses' daily lives
• spending 2 full days with Regina, my beloved college roommate
• celebrating Aaron's birthday with so many relatives
• feeling relaxed
• playing tennis
• getting to know Micki and Ken better
• touring Google and Tesla (and proudly wearing my Tesla shirt on walks since then)
• cognitively taking a break from the routines of Kentucky life

The pictures say it best.