Fun in a Winter Wonderland!

Little cousins had soooo much fun all week long!! (click on photos to enlarge)

Snow Angels... with Nana... this was the 1st snowfall. We were so excited to get out in it!

Sledding together... how FAST do you want to goooooo??? Hold on tight!!

Above shows the "remains" in Nonnie's hair from the Snow Angels. Now you know that Nonnie prefers palm trees, sand & salt water over bitter cold!... but it really doesn't get any better than time playing with grand babies!!

Becca is always up for ANYTHING!! Even sliding down the driveway on this tiny little sled! HA!! We were laughing hard as I pulled her along as fast as I could go! I wish you could have ALL been there to experience it!!

What is it that makes it so funny to "pelt" Nana with snowballs? The little girls loved it!

A little snowy, sweet faced smile!

Little Miss A. wanted to help Nonnie shovel the driveway... she is such a good helper! She even got the "kick" of the shovel down (just like Nonnie) when she got to the edge! So cute!!

Christmas Trees and More!

Merry Christmas!!

I had a surprise trip to Costa Rica this week, and this was my Crew! Like you, the last few weeks have been about Christmas preparations. Packages to wrap, last minute ones to purchase... a little tree to decorate and so many beautiful sights to take in as the WHOLE WORLD celebrates! So this is my very merry Christmas wish to ALL of YOU! I always feel a little sad that we don't live closer, but please know that YOU are loved, and soooo very special to me! May you find the richest blessings in Christ as we take time to ADORE HIM this Christmas season. I hope that you enjoy these "many" photos of the lovely memories I have been making and that you are enjoying the memories that you are making for yourselves as well! And then I hope that you'll share pictures too!

Above is the tree in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, San Juan, Costa Rica. And below was at the Costa Rica Airport. The burlap bags are "coffee bean bags" (so cute!) Although my layover was very short, I did have time to pick up a couple of bags of that delicious Costa Rica coffee!

The tree below is simple, but sweet. It's located in the Continental Crew room, Liberty International Airport, Newark, NJ... and as you know, I've been spending my fair share of time there lately! :o) Thanks for putting up with my "whining"!

One of the most beautiful little cities I've ever been to is Stratford Upon Avon (above & below). It's the home of Shakespeare and is a "postcard perfect" glimpse of England.

My very first trip to Oslo, Norway was at Christmastime (above & below). It was bitter cold, but fortunately I had planned ahead and brought my winter coat, hat & gloves. It was so lovely that I enjoyed walking around this beautiful city all day long. Oh... and a big hot mug of cocoa helped take the chill off too!

You all know that one of my favorite places to travel is little Limerick, Ireland. The next 3 photos share a bit of the festive spirit that they have there.

Above is downtown Limerick, and below is the lobby of our hotel, The George.

This picture of me is from a couple of years ago, but it still brings back such fun memories of time with my lifelong girlfriend Linda from CA. We always have such a wonderful time when we're together... we're just not together enough! Below is Linda's daughter Katy, Me, Julie & Linda. It is one of the richest blessings in my life to have a friend that is like a sister in heart & faith. And we always enjoy lots of laughter together too! :o)

Wow! Being so very close to New York City has been a treat! I've enjoyed Christmas time downtown with BOTH of my daughters and it never gets old!! Here are a couple of photos of the HUGE tree at Rockefeller Center and one of the many incredible window decorations at Macy's. Truly MAGICAL!

Below is a photo that little Miss A took while we were in Florida. This was a store in Celebration which is the Disney community. It's so pretty and quaint. Miss A LOVES PURPLE!

And Merry Christmas from Belfast! They go "all out" downtown during the holidays. The Christmas Market is the best!

Above is a lovely tree at the London Gatwick Airport. Below is a little glimpse of the famous shopping area in London... Oxford Street.

Of course you know that my favorite destinations are with my family! Above is my youngest daughter's tree with a Mickey Mouse Train and all! And below is her cat Katrina. Katrina has been a part of our family for over 12 years now. The poor furry girl doesn't really care for anyone and hisses at most everyone... but we love her anyway!
Fortunately Julie's little ones LOVE everyone! They are a joy and so adorable, if I do say so myself!

And how about these beautiful kids? Can you tell that their Mama has taught them well when it comes to smiling for the camera? I just want to hug them ALL!! Becca's home is always a busy place filled with fun!

I so love how seriously the little ones take trimming the tree! It's important business, you know! And seeing the "bulk" of ornaments on the lower 3 feet of the tree always warms this Nonnie's heart!

Although so far away from my daughters, I'm so grateful that the miles never separate how close we are. And I'm glad for them too, that they both live in small communities where neighbors are friends and the towns are family friendly. Here's a recent parade in OR. I hope that wherever you are, you have time with family & friends and enjoy the Spirit of the season.

My Family...

I'm still cherishing memories of time with my parents, daughters and grand babies in Seattle earlier this fall. Here are a couple more pictures that capture some of the fun.

My Mom has never liked her picture being taken. And I mean NEVER! Well, except for the one above. Okay... the whole story is that my Mom and I have an inside joke (or code word) that makes us laugh hard every time we say it. So, I throw it in now and then to get a grin out of Mom when I get the camera out. Of course no one else really gets it, but it makes us smile every time. This time the little girls got a kick out of it too which made Mom & me laugh all the harder! It was so sweet to see them "crack up" with us! And Mom loves this picture! :o) (sorry, I'm not giving away the "secret joke"!)

Do you ever just feel like a "door mat" for your family? HA!! Isn't this the best kind? I think I enjoy laughing with my family even more than cooking and eating together.

The boys were definitely outnumbered this trip (3 to 9)! It's a good thing that they are good natured! And what can I say about my family? I am blessed beyond words. Children and grand children are a blessing from the Lord and good parents? A priceless treasure...