Happy Thanksgiving

What a glorious day - to be thankful for all that we have in our lives. We will have a big family dinner with our daughters and their families - and talk to our son and daughter-in-law in West Virginia several times during the day.

I am thankful that Don and I have been married for 45 wonderful years -
they go fast - and are full of such wonderful memories.

I'm thankful for Don - and that he survived the ordeal of open heart surgery this summer - and that he is doing exceptionally well and is completely back to normal - with even more energy than before.

I'm thankful all the family photos did not burn up in the fires. (me - age 2)

I'm thankful for growing up in Alaska where a girl can have adventures every day . . .
(I'm wearing the white blouse)

I'm thankful for my big brother Jimmy - I miss him terribly!!!! He was my protector.

I'm thankful for my little brother, Jeff - he left us this past summer and we all miss him.

I'm thankful for family pictures!!! (me on the far left)

And I'm certainly thankful that we don't wear our hair like this anymore!! (4th grade)

I'm thankful for Don's parents - what a wonderful gift they brought to this world.


I'm thankful for a little girl frosting cookies (Beccy - 3 years old)


I'm thankful for the wonderful teen age years . . .

I'm thankful for a daughter who grew into a wonderful, thoughtful and clever woman, a superb mother and a sweet auntie.

And I'm ever so thankful she found her wonderful Jason . . .

I'm thankful for a little boy who can still charm the
socks off just about anyone. (Rusty - age 1)

I'm thankful for the wonderful and super talented man he grew up to be . . .

And I'm thankful for the wonderful Jamie that he married
(and that we got to go to WV for the wedding)

I'm thankful we have photos of Rusty and Jamie when they live so far away.

I'm thankful for our youngest daughter (Lori), one of the cutest babies you have ever seen . . .(of course all my babies were extra darling)

I'm thankful for a silly child who could lick the frosting off a cake and look you straight in the eye and say - yes it was very good, when asked if she had eaten the frosting . .

I'm thankful that she grew up into such a fine creative woman, a good mother to Jahn and a fun auntie for Ben . . .

I'm more than thankful that she found her fabulous Jason . . .
who brought Jahn with him into our family

I'm thankful for three children who would dress up and sing christmas carols
for us when we lived out in the country on a farm in Kansas.

I'm thankful for Don's aunt who treated our kids like they were her own grandchildren .

And grandsons - I'm extremely thankful for grandsons . . . (Ben - 1 year old)

Who grow up fast and wear bobbly hats . . .

And play with Miss Kitty . . .

And sing songs . . .

And ride bikes . . .

And do important things on the computer . . .

And laugh in the summer . . .

Yes, grandsons - I am extremely thankful for grandsons!!! (Jahn - age 2)

Grandsons who love bridges . . .

And ride bikes . . .

And run the bases at the Bellingham Belles Baseball Game . . .

And bake pies with Grandma . . .

And paint their faces with Grandpa for the Super Bowl Party. . .

Our favorite christmas gifts - two fabulous grandsons to play with and adore!!!!

I hope your thanksgiving is as wonderful as ours -- and give your family a hug - they are the most precious thing you'll ever have!! And to our friends across the world - a wonderful weekend too - as we here in the US celebrate our Thanksgiving with family and feasting and good times.

We got a new Santa

We used to have a big plastic light up Santa for the front porch. He lit up the porch in CA when we lived on a hill. He lit up the front porch when we lived in a big farm house in WA, way out in the country. He lit up the porch when we moved in town into a cute little 1920s Craftsman cottage - yup, you heard right, Craftsman - like the Sears tools. You could order a whole house from Sears, they would deliver it to your site and you put it together by number and with an instruction sheet. But I digress - then one night - no Santa - no light - NO SANTA?????? Where could he be? Did you see him running by? Was he kidnapped? Did he want to go back to the North Pole? No Santa - we looked up and down the street - no sign of him - we walked around the neighborhood, hoping to find him - no Santa. (Did we really think that whoever stole him would just put him out on their porch?)

Our name for our Santa was Giant Tacky Plastic Santa - and we loved him so. Everyone is the family has been searching for another Giant Tacky Plastic Santa. We had bought him at KMart in CA and had never seen another since then. Until later that same season we saw one sitting on a deck, far, far from our house. Don offered them a princely sum for their Giant Tacky Plastic Santa - even throwing in our sob story - but they loved their GTPS too much to part with him. GTPS owners are that way - they love their GTPS.

You know I love Santas - I have Santas with sticks . . .


A Santa that is a teapot and cup . . .


Santas that are small and light up and live indoors at christmas time . . .


I have painted wooden Santas . . .

Teeny tiny Santas to wear on your ears . . .



I have a quilt with Santas on it . . .

Rolly Poly Santas...and friends . . .

And a Santa that Rusty made when he was in grade school -
made from a candle jar . . . we put Chex party mix in this Santa every year,
his hat lifts off for filling . . .


Here is Don's dad's Santa, used in place of a christmas tree when Don was 12.


I take photos of Santas when we travel . . .
There are Santas that I want to make someday . . .


And my cousins even made Santas out of pine cones -
like old timey ones (and I don't have any of those!)

And even a picture of Don with Santa when he was a darling little boy - dressed up in his fancy duds - but no more Giant Tacky Plastic Santa. Our son-in-law searched for another GTPS and if he can't find it, it can't be found.


So now I am a little happier - I have Medium Tacky Plastic Santa - although it is tempting to call him Medium Giant Tacky Plastic Santa. He is about 3 1/2 feet tall, GTPS was 5 feet tall. I hope that where ever he is - he is happy - and the ones who stole him from our house on Broadway feel very very bad about it. Don't you think that is a dandy Medium Tacky Plastic Santa - or MTPS? I especially like his friend the reindeer. Now Christmas can begin - I have a good Santa.