Merry Christmas to All!

 Christmas week started with a day of cookie baking at mom's

with some of the grandchildren and greats.

(That's Sue with Andrew's idea of gymnastics, Jesse and Beth)

 Then we gathered with daycare kids, mom, G A Sue

and Barry at a play date in Eagan.
Claire, Everleigh, Max, Andrew and Brody

 Christmas Eve at mom's...obviously no food :)

(Mom with Claire, Ben, Sue, Jesse (seated), Josh, Heather and Ami with Briggs)

 The greats played a game with prizes!

(Everleigh, Claire, Andrew and Brody)

 Briggs was ready for his close up with Aunt Jesse.

 Six of the 16 (to date) greats.

Andrew(Jesse), Claire(Josh), Briggs(Scott)

Max(Josh), Everleigh(Scott) and Brody(Beth)

 Back at our house Christmas Eve, Andrew (with Everleigh)

gets a surprise.

I think he likes it!

 Everleigh, Briggs and Andrew in new jammies

 Ben(birthday boy), Andrew and Jesse

 Scott, Ami, Everleigh and Briggs' first Christmas

 Andrew's and his own cozy coupe!

He literally would not get out of it!

Today, we paid a visit to our Aunt Phyllis and Cousin Rynda.

Sue, mom, Phyllis, Rynda (Andrew) and Annie

Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat

 So I wanted to take a picture of the big kids at

Andrew's house today so sat them down

in front of the fireplace....well, I tried to sit them

down.  First one was up, then the other...

Then this....

I give up :)

A Little Story

It was a playdate for Everleigh and Andrew and

they were busy with Andrew's new train table.

Andrew showed Everleigh the ropes.  She was

a quick study and soon had her own train zooming

around the tracks.

Then it was time to rustle up some food in the kitchen.

Isn't that always the way?  Just when things get cooking,

the phone rings.

Everleigh kept saying "I can't hear you".

(probably a telemarketer).

If you notice, Andrew is also on another

phone in the backround.

There was also time for a story.  This one is about

Bible animals but it also has "googly eyes" so is educational

and silly, all at the same time!

When Everleigh got home she gave Briggs a big hug.

He was tolerant of it.

In the mean time, Andrew and Jesse went for a ride on

the Holiday Train at Southdale.  He was enamored

with the "choo-choo".

A shout out to my Aunt Phyllis who started

this stocking tradition about 50 years ago with

stockings for the Mieska grandchildren.  We

have continued the tradition by adding a stocking

for each new family member.  Here is our latest...

for new baby Briggs.

And one waiting for a name....Jesse and Ben's baby

due in March....the blue top is NOT a clue.  Their family

already has green, red and purple so the obvious

choice was blue.

Those 2 stockings will join these stockings already hanging

in our porch for the 6 other grandchildren....

Matthew, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Brighton, Everleigh, and Andrew

...and the adults..Jesse, Ben, Ami, Scott, Chad, LoriAnn, Greg and Bonnie

Happy Birthday to 2 J's...

 It's my nephew, Josh's, birthday on Dec. 16.  Here

he is with Jesse, circa 1983.  They were literally

kissing cousins.  Happy Birthday, Josh...(31!)

December 15 is a big day in our family.  Jonathan

was born in 2000.  Here he is in a favorite pose....in uniform.

Hope it's a great day, J!  Hope you like the card I sent :)

Away In A Manger...ah....Swing

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like.....

I know....that is one strange looking snowman!

Well, when Andrew and I tried to build one, the

snow was too fluffy and wouldn't form balls so we

decided it was a Snow Mountain instead.

Or as Nathaniel would say...."sanow mountain"

 For my Florida grandsons ( and Loriann)....

Greg's new snow blower

Thankful

Of course, I am thankful for spouse,children, grandchildren,

good friends, a comfortable home, good food and health

but here are some other things I'm thankful for:

good tires on my mini-van

Target

Michael Buble (apologies to my sons)

warm November days

dry roads
nine months of pregnancy
nonfiction books
dinner at a nice restaurant
 (relatively)cheap gas
a smile from a stranger or a small child
smores
real customer service
the first warm day of spring
...and much more...

wide eyed

Briggs, Everleigh and I got to spend a  bit of quality 

time together this week.  He likes his swing and

as you can see, he is growing and changing.

and the academy award for the best performance as an actress goes to...

Meanwhile...on the slide....

One Month Old!

Briggs is one month old as of Nov. 8.  He is changing
and filling out already! 

Andrew has a new slide and Everleigh came over
to his house to try it out.  It was a hit!

5 Years

On Nov. 10 it will be 5 years since our dad died.  

Five years is not a long time but it seems since like

a long time since I saw him.  Pictures above are from

his days as a young man and then from 2 of the

happier days of his later life...weddings of his

grandchildren.  The first is his reaction to my toast

to my son Scott at his rehearsal dinner.  The

next is his reaction to Greg's toast at our daughter,

Jesse's wedding and the

last picture is he and I dancing at 

Jesse's wedding.  That guy had good hair, could really dance and he

was quick to shed a tear.  We could use

more guys like that....

Once Upon a Time....

there was a little boy named Andrew.

 

who went to his Grandma's house.

 

He practiced the piano,

and took an afternoon nap. shhhh

 

Then there was work to be done.  First, unroll

the toilet paper and

run bits of it back and forth to the bathroom

 

uh..oh....a mess to clean up (coffee was cold, thankfully).

 

A game of hide and seek....Gma, where are you?

Then a little fresh air to check to make sure

all the pinwheels were working properly.

Good times!