2012 good bye 2013 ....

2012 good bye... 2013 may you be a better year.
Recap of the things that have happened this year.
We have had several funerals ~ families and good friends.
We have a family member who was diagnosed with brain cancer ~ he received good news ~ not malignant and was a fatty tissue type. (He is less than a year old.)
We have a family member who has been diagnosed with brain cancer ~ she will ring in the new year, but will not be here much longer. Her diagnosis was just a few days ago and it has already doubled in size. Prayers to all the family members in Heaven to help welcome her into Heaven. (She just turned 60 in November.)
My sweet hubby has retired.
I spent weeks in England, Wales and Europe visiting family and friends with my granddaughter, daughter and son-in-law ~ When in Wales felt like I belonged there.  Thanks family for making me feel so welcome.
I have been crocheting up a storm. I have started a new book. I have gotten a few things off my "need to do" list.
I have taken trips to visit family and friends here in the states.
Rachel and Ashley stay with us quit a bit because they are going to the private Catholic school and like not being so rushed in the morning.
Mom is still with us. Celebrated her 94th birthday.  Still gets around good for her age. She still loves cooking. Loves going to church and being active in Eastern Star and church activities.
Lara, Chris, Victoria and Katelyn spent Christmas Eve and day with us. Went to church for the Christmas Eve service. Love having them here. Don't look forward to the day Santa will come to their home instead of mine. ( Know that is selfish, but I can't imagine how lonely Christmas will be without them.)
Rachel and Ashley went to Texas and spent Christmas with their father and his wife and stepchildren. Also his parents were there.
Had a picture taken of the three girls and one of the grandchildren with Santa. Love it.
I have written a blog post for every single day this year.
I know there is more... but my brain is telling me it is time to stop and go relax and bring in the New Year quietly here at home with the love of my life.
Have a safe and blessed New Year!

And the stockings were hung

And the stocking were hung in hope that St. Nick would soon arrive.
A little late posting, but hey I have been busy cooking.
Family in Wales.... see my clock you gave me sits on the mantle.

Katelyn and her princess thing

Katelyn loved this Christmas present. She even discovered the hidden compartment.

Been a shoppin'

Went shopping for New Year's Eve and Ashley's party. Got the Brisket that Rachel has been wanting. Party planning. Food almost all bought. Now to get the Christmas decorations down and put away and the food made... wow time is flying by.

Almost 2013

Almost 2013. Hope it is a better year. Well I have had fun this year. But it could be better. My great hubby has only 2 more days of work and he will be retired. Then he can be the "LAZY BUM" he has always wanted to be. That could be bad for his health. So I hope he sleeps for his first couple of weeks, figures out how boring it is and finds something constructive to do.
Well all for today. Need to get some food cooked, a birthday party planned and party food cooked. I also need to get things ready for my hubby to take to work tomorrow since it is his last day of the 2012 year to work and the next to the last day he will ever work at this job.

People of Ohio.....

People of Ohio it is time you get rid of the BUM Boehner! He is un-American... He is the worst person in the UNITED STATES Congress. He is working against America. Get rid of him... or we will be in a depression caused by his B--- S---!
Shame on everyone that has voted for him. Forget party lines. Think what is really good for America and he isn't.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas... we have a little snow... not enough to call Christmas snow. However tonight... well we will see. I guess if it does we can at least call it a Christmas snow.
Gifts are all unwrapped and Katelyn loved her apple Santa brought.
Have a blessed day.

Christmas Eve

Here it is Christmas Eve... well actually Christmas morning. I was so busy cooking and finishing my gift wrapping that I didn't have time to post anything.
We had my sister and her husband over last night. Rebecca also came. So we had a house full with Victoria, Kristina, Lara, Christopher, Katelyn, James, My mom, Marianne and Andy and of course me.
I baked a spiral ham, baked mac and cheese, baked beans and potatoes with a cheese sauce. We talked and played games.
After all of that we went to Christmas Eve Mass.
Off to bed and then hoped Santa would arrive in the morning.

Family get together....

We were all here. Took the grandkids to see Santa and have a picture made. What fun. Also the three girls had their picture done with Santa. We all ate lots of food, took 2 hours to open all the gifts and had lots of laughs. Casi and Shane got a hotel room and the kids went swimming.
Rachel and Ashley left for their dad's house in Texas. Miss them already. Hope you girls be good and have fun. Love you.

We did it...

We  did it. We were able to get everything made the girls wanted to take with them. Wow did that ever wear us out.

The girls have made their food list.

The girls have made their food list.
Pickle wraps, cookies, granny's log, cheese ball.... They want to take this stuff with them for the long car ride to their father's house. So we will see.

Retirement... just 4 more days of work.

My hubby only has 4 more days of work... Woo Hoo! He is ready in some ways and in others I think he is wishing he hadn't decided to retire. Oh well.... welcome to retirement. Now get out and find the "dream" job. LOL

Christmas shopping done....

Christmas shopping done... Nope I have a few more gifts to purchase. Not until after Saturday though.

Ashy has the flu........

Ashy has been complaining of a score throat for a few days. Kristina took her to the doctor's on Wednesday. They tested for strep throat... nope... they tested for flu... yep. So Ashley is done with school for the 2012 year. Doesn't go back until 2013.

Shopping....

Shopping.... will it ever end? Yes Christmas Eve. Well I say that now, however I have a tendency to shop year round... hiding gifts here and there. Now just to think where I have hidden them all.
Been busy for 2 days wrapping. Of course I did not spend all that time wrapping.

How many more days?

How many more days? Well I am sure the 1rst graders I have been working with today could tell you.
Some are more excited about the 1st day of winter than the Christmas holiday.... Such silly students.

School shooting.....

School shooting, it is going to destroy families. I think about all the comments I have been reading on the Internet from people. Gun control... well those guns were legal. Nothing against the law. (I hate guns. Do not support having a gun to carry anytime, anyplace.)
I have a hard time accepting the fact that we keep seeing the pain and suffering in the news. How will the people that need to heal, heal if we keep put it out there? How would you feel? I read one person saying, "How can you call the teacher a hero that locked the students in a closet?" Well that teacher is a hero. She may have saved many more from dying. Why did he attack the two kindergarten classes? Were they the first he could get to? Were they the most venerable? Were they the one that would give the least resistance? Why attack a school?
I have read two different things of interest about school tragedies today:
1st the most deadly:
Bath Township, May 18, 1927, three bombs were exploded at the local school. It killed 38 elementary students in the 2nd to 6th grades. Also killed were 2 teachers and four other adults and the bomber. 58 others were injured. The bomber ~ school board treasurer. He drove up in his car, set off a bomb to kill and injure those who went to the school to help. This is the worst one ever. Not Virginia Tech, Columbine or Newtown. This one no guns were used. No Hollywood movies to blame. Just an ill person.
This column speaks volumes about the news media and may be something we should think about.
Morgan Freeman's statement about these random shootings....
 "You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.
 It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single victim of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.
 CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.
 You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem."
Thanks Reagan and your Republican Congress. You can be blamed for a lot of this. You sent a lot of mentally ill people home to families that feared them or to the streets to live, where everyone needs to fear them.
Congress get your act together. Stop thinking cuts in issues that make people "need" to kill so they can do what ever they want to justify what has happened to them.

Getting the goodies....

Getting the goodies all made. I have so much to do and I know I will be very busy next week. I know I will be subbing at least 3 days. Wow.... I need to really get my act together. LOL

Christmas shopping

Christmas shopping.... almost done. Have a few more things I need to pick up. Wow... Just when you think you are finished.....

Busy, busy, busy!

Busy, that is what I am. I have been subbing almost as much as if I was still working. Wow. Nice to have the "overtime" pay for once in my life. I really like subbing with the little ones. They are so much fun.

Wow ....

Wow it seems I have fallen 5 days behind. I need to catch myself up on my writings.

Oh no....

Oh no he won't be ..... My husband is retiring in just a few weeks. He is watching those shows he watches every morning.... NO you are not going to have the squawk box on all day with those shows. I will have the cable turned off!

Miss K...

Miss K is learning to talk really well. Wow it just doesn't seem possible. In my mind she is still a baby. Love ya K.

Christmas....

Christmas is just 15 days away. Bummed out that the girls will be with their father in Texas. But we will have them back home in time for the new year party.
Going to miss ya girls.

update

Update: Ashley's team won the state championship game. WooHoo. She is only in 5th grade and she is rather.... short so she didn't get to play much. However they made sure she was in the pictures, that she had her picture taken with the trophy and that she had a good time.
She told me just before the game when she saw the larger than normal crowd, "I have butterflies. "
After the game and all the cheering we headed home and stopped at a steak n shake in Champaign.... it took an hour.... poor service, food sat waiting on someone to serve it.... terrible.
Oh well what can you expect at 11:00 at night.
Any ways~ way to go Toppers. Let everyone know you will be back again next year.

Christmas parties

Christmas parties have begun. The girls went with their grandfather and their mother to the corporate party, while I stayed home and finished our tree. Now if I could just get those gifts wrapped.
Tonight they are at a party put on by grandpa's union.... stating, free goodies and of course a guest visit by Santa.

It's beginning.....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Hall House. Tree is up. Many decorations are up. Not doing every room this year.
How ever, I am ready for the Christmas break. I will be missing three of my granddaughters and three of my grandsons, HOWEVER my little cutie Miss K will be here with her big sister Victoria. Oh and her parents too. We have invited Kristina to come stay since her girls will be in Texas.

Looky, Looky

Looky, Looky..........

Ashley scored in the semi-final game. Way to go Ashley!

IESA Girls Basketball

2012 Class 7-1A Girls Basketball - Game 6 Scoreboards
Danville Schlarman   vs.   Sigel St. Michael's Final 
Score
Danville Schlarman 44   Sigel St. Michael's 20
Danville Schlarman Scoring Leaders   Sigel St. Michael's Scoring Leaders

10 Cecelia Damilano       1 Bailey Schumacher 4   8
12 Chian Scott       11 Micah McWhorter    
15 Carrigan Gard       13 Rachel Buening    
20 Arieal Scott 1 6 2-3  22   14 Brittnay Krampe    
21 Anaya Peoples 5 1 1-2  14   15 Abby Flach    
25 Sabrina Hantz       2 Jolene Bueker   0-2  0
32 Jayden King       20 Jenelle Vogt    
40 Taylor McMasters       3 Shanna Nieburgge 2   4
43 Capria Brown       31 Emma Fearday    
44 Janie Gross 1   2   32 Leah Jansen 3  0-2  6
5 Ashley Wallis 1   2   4 Isabel Lee    
53 Alexis Dietzen 2   4   5 Sadie Bueker 1   2
54 Gabi Hughes            
Team Totals 10 7 3-5 44   Team Totals 10  0-4 20

Game Comments: The second semifinal game saw the Sharpshooters of Sigel St. Michael�s take on the Hilltoppers of Danville Schlarman. The Hilltoppers once again were on fire from outside the arc. #20 Ariel Scott had 6 three pointers for the game and 3 in the first quarter. Ariel set a new state record for most three point baskets in a game. The previous record was 4 set by Zahna Medley of Springfield Calvary in 2006. # 21 Anaya Peoples of Danville added a three of her own in the first quarter to help give the Hilltoppers 18-8 lead they wouldn�t relinquish. Ariel Scott was the leading scorer of the game with 22 points. Bailey Schumacher was leading scorer with 8 points for Sigel St. Michael�s.
 The Sharpshooters will meet Okaw Valley in the 3rd place game on Thursday. The Hilltoppers will be playing for their first state title against the West Lincoln Broadwell. 

Sugar Gliders

Kristina has some sugar gliders. Do they ever stink! Just how do I convince her to get rid of them so they don't stink up the living area of everyone else?

Basement

Basement, we are going to make the basement into an area where the girls can practice dribbling the ball. Hahaha. When they are here they always want to practice basketball dribbling on the second floor. Uhhhh no. So grandpa said he would get them an area in the basement where they can practice.

Dec. 1, 2012

Wow, It is Dec. 2012. Where has time gone?
Lots of changes going on around here. We are turning the attic into an office for Kristina since she has so much stuff. Portable heaters will keep it warm and this summer we hope to redo all the walls, upgrade the electric box and add outlets up there.
The girls are doing great in school. High Honors.
Today the principal at the school I sub in told me, "You are here so much we need to get you a key." No I don't think so. I just want to sub enough to make a little extra cash so I can do the attic.
The boys have grown so much. I almost didn't recognize them. They are both going to be taller than their mother soon. My mom was here for Thanksgiving and boy can you tell that they are related to her side of the family. Mr. A looks just like my mother's brother at that age.   Of course we all thought Uncle G looked an awful lot like Elvis at one point in time.
We haven't seen Miss K for about a month. They were in Washington D.C. over Thanksgiving. Can't wait though. About 24 days till she will be here again. She is getting so big. I love looking at her pictures. She is so cute and is such a happy baby.
You know if I had my way all of my children, their spouse and their children would be living right here with us.
I didn't win that elusive lottery so I guess my "dream" still hasn't come true.
My mother is doing really well for someone that is 94. I talk to her each day and see her most every day.
My husband has just one month left and he will be retired. I just hope he finds some other programs to watch as I really get tired of the same ole news programs all day long. The people on these shows and their opinions really get on my last nerve. I would rather watch boxing as the news constantly and listening to others opinions.
Well I have said about all I have to say. Happy Dec. And remember this is the season for Jesus....