Beaches are for sunshine and warm breezes and cool drinks and playing in the water…and sunshine. But, when God sees fit to water his creation, there’s still lots of fun to be had.
First thing…sit in the only spot of sun on the porch and watch as the clouds roll in…
Ask your Mom to go get doughnuts for breakfast…cause doughnuts can make any disappointment so much easier to bear!
While you wait for your Mom and your Lulu to get ready…why not rearrange the toy shelf? Everything out…and everything back in again. But better suited to my liking! Good job, Levi!
Mom… Where would you like to go?
Levi...Wal Mart! Wal Mart!
Mom…But we are not buying any toys…
Levi…I just want to look and see all the things they have in there!
Mom…OK…here we go!
Lulu...Oh, My! Wal Mart? Really?
Thank goodness for umbrellas!
First we look at all the toys…ALL the toys. Then we find a cooler for our lemonade stand (Coming soon).
Lulu...I need some keys!
And, so we get an up close and personal lesson in key making!
5 keys later..we set off to find something else interesting…Look at this! A bicycle just for Lulu!
Here and there we go…all over the store. Suzanne found a great way to keep Levi under control!
Levi and I decide we need some white cheddar popcorn and chocolate chip cookies…you know…rainy day food!
So, we check out and head to the car…popcorn, cookies, m&m’s, and cooler in tow!
Levi...Look! It’s not raining now!
Suzanne…I think it’s time for a smoothie!
Levi...I think it’s time for McDonald’s.
And, so we go to both. Suze and I have a smoothie and Levi has a Happy Meal!
We stopped at the paint store and Suzanne did a little touch up painting in the house! Thanks, Suze!
Back to the Sandcastle to wait for Pa and Uncle Ian…they are dropping in to spend the night on the way to Las Vegas. Pa likes to fly out of PCB.
And, once we visit a few minutes…it’s off to Boondocks for a great meal! Levi managed to get Pa’s hat from him and proceeded to wear it all night! Levi and Uncle Ian having too much fun!
Levi and Pa and Uncle Ian decide to stop at Pier Park and let Levi ride some of the fun rides there…but Suze and Lulu sit it out in the car. We’ve had a busy day. We get tired…but Levi never does!
To tie up the night, we stop for ice cream and sno cones! YUMMY!
Up the next morning, we wash sheets and towels, tidy up, and hurry home for an important meeting .
BACK UP A DAY…
A few pics from our first day. First we went to the Frank Brown Water Park and soaked up lots of sun and fun! The day was perfect! Not too hot…cool breeze…a little cloudy. Just like we ordered.
After a quick shower back at the Sandcastle, we set out on a search for supper. Every place was crowded. Somehow…and I’m still not sure how…we ended up at a little local place. There was live music, folks dancing and having a ball! There was even a pool the kids could swim in during dinner! We sat outside…and laughed and laughed and laughed! We decided that even though the place was not crowded…and we had to wait over an hour for our food…we’d make the best of it and enjoy being together! And, we did! When we finally got out food…it was delicious!
And, since no one likes to go to bed on time at the beach…Suze and Levi took a few spins on the go-carts. Me? I was safer just watching from the sidelines!
Sweet fun on a quick 45 hours at the beach! A huge amount of fun in a short amount of time! Hey…you just gotta cram that fun in in the time you have! And, we did!
It was a grand and glorious two day celebration! Our Adam (who is a paramedic) had to work on Christmas Day. So we had our immediate family celebration on Christmas Eve! Because of God’s great goodness, Alex was feeling well enough to be up with us the whole evening! He so enjoyed time with his brothers, as they did as well! Isn’t it wonderful how God just drops in a miracle to give us joy and happiness. We all truly doubted Alex would be able to join us. But, God came through. Praise His name!
A little African drum solo to add to the merrymaking!
Remember the old Operation game? It’s still fun!
Me and my boys….
The whole crew…look carefully…Don is in mirror!
On Christmas Day, Don and I attended worship service at our church. It was lovely! We sang all the old Christmas carols, had an inspiring message, and then shared communion as we departed. How blessed to be able to attend worship on Christmas Day!
Back home, Ian and Don and I began to prepare dinner for the extended family. I had put in my JENNIE-O COOK IN THE BAG TURKEY 🙂 in the oven before I left! (By the way, it was as delicious as ever!)
Family began arriving around 4 and from there on it was a cacophony of laughter and squeals and paper tearing and singing and love…lots of love! (Alex was here in spirit, but unable to be up today…we missed him so).
First order of business, make the little boy’s pics in their Christmas pajamas! They were really not in the mood to pose for pictures…but we cajoled and threatened and promised and managed to get a few good ones!
Photo bomber!!!
Silly boys..climbing around like monkeys!
Joy and her girls…
The keeper of the trash! Thanks, Ian!
And to our parents, who are celebrating Christmas in heaven…we love you and honor you and miss you everyday…and especially at Christmas.
Thank you, God, for sending your dear son, Jesus, to us on earth. He is the reason there is love and hope and happiness in the world. He is the one we strive to be like. He is the one who cares for us and cherishes us and forgives us and saves us! To Him be all glory and honor and praise!
There was just the teeniest touch of fall in the air…still hot, but with a smell of the cooler temps to come. Don and I picked Levi up from school and went out to eat. Then, per Levi’s direction, we headed to Landmark Park. He loves this place. Don and I have not been in quite a while…but Suzanne and Adam take Levi there quite often.
We visited all the little buildings and then headed to the fabulous playground. Just an ordinary day…nothing to cause it to stand out any more than any other day. But, it was a beautiful day…a God-given respite in the middle of the stress of everyday life. Actually, it is well worth remembering…so enjoy some pics I managed to snap!
Are you as happy as I am when I have an ordinary day. So many of our days have a moment when something startles us…we have an accident… we get bad news…we have to do something we really are not comfortable with…someone is unkind to us…someone doesn’t behave in a way that we agree with. And, from that point on, the day goes down hill. Nothing can rescue it and turn it back into an ordinary day. It is marred by circumstances.
But, all along there are also plain, ordinary days. The sun still shines, or the rain pours…but it doesn’t matter. Nothing is ruffling our feathers. No bad news…no accidents, we can do whatever makes us happy, everyone one we meet either ignores us or is kind…but no one gets in our way or causes us one bit of stress. These are the days that generally come and go and we think them unremarkable.
But, oh! what joy there is hidden inside those days. There is time…there is fun…there is play…there are smiles and there is laughter. There is room to explore and time to stop and give thanks for the days when ‘nothing happens’. And, when you lay your head down on your pillow at night, you think to yourself, “What a great day!”
And, those are the days you treasure and keep in a safe place. It was one of those days.
Thanksgiving Day in our family is full of good food, wonderful family, and furious decorating! We always have lunch at Pop’s with Joy in charge of the kitchen. Due to the effects of the past few weeks, we had a lot catered this year, and paper plates were in order. It was delicious! Our Birmingham Boy, Ian, came bearing two delightful deserts…one made by his own hand! Yummy!
While Lori slaved cleaning up the kitchen, all by herself, with a joyous attitude, Tara, Joy, Suzanne, Ian and I were busy seeing to the decorating of Pop’s house. It has been our tradition since Mom moved to Heaven to spend the hours after Thanksgiving dinner getting Pop’s house into a Christmas mood. Ian made 65 trips into the attic since he was the only male with young enough legs and strong enough arms to tackle the job. The other men were all a ‘few’ years his elder. His 3 peers were needed elsewhere…. onewas urgently needed to help control the deer population…out in the wilds of Abbeville. One was needed to sew and patch and transfer those who chose Thanksgiving and big sales as their clue to begin partying And, the last one was helping watch the youngest of the male members of our clan as they were showing their mad skills to each other and their grandfathers on various athletic equipment consisting of 2, 3, or 4 wheels! (But, if you notice, in the pics below, one of the little boys has a busted lip, chipped tooth and skinned nose…Way to Watch, guys!)
After we finally got the tree fluffed, and plugged in, we set about finding and hanging the 586 ornaments Mother had on her ‘family tree’. She also had a ‘Fancy Nancy tree’ elsewhere in the house, but the family tree has every single ornament any of her children or 5 grandchildren had ever made, or that anyone had given her. Oh, my! So many…and every one of them dear to her and Pop’s heart. We did away with the fancy tree, but still put this one up right in the den where he sees it. If Mother decorated something in years past…it must still be decorated now, according to our patriarch. Oh, and it makes him so happy to know she would be so happy to see it still done so. This means that 6 wreaths get hung, 3 light posts get adorned, arrangements on a dining room table, a kitchen table, the island, and two tables in the hall. AND the old ceramic tree with those tiny plastic bulbs that is as old as I, am goes in Pop’s study. We had fun, as we always do when we are together. Even Lori’s grumbling about people still using forks and glasses couldn’t stop our fun! (just kidding…well not really, but she did say it with a smile in her eyes!)
Someone may or may not have fallen off a step stool, onto a 3 foot tree lying on the couch and continued rolling until he/she hit the floor. And, the little tree may have been permanently altered. However, it sits proudly in its spot…propped up by 2 books that are hidden by some burlap around the base…looking to all the world as if it is intended to be that way. There can be beauty in the broken. Mom would be so proud!
Anyway, back to the purpose of my post today. John Thomas and Levi were so excited at the prospect of having another tree to decorate! Oh, the ornaments were shiny and bright and wherever they put them was perfection! John Thomas called the right to put up the star, with Uncle Ian’s help.
Let me just interject this observation. John Thomas is most cooperative and gracious to anyone who may even think they want to make his picture. He waits. He poses. He makes the most adorable smiles that make you just want to pitch his little cheeks! In fact he wants to be in every picture made!
Sweet Levi, on the other hand, does not have the patience nor the ‘want to’ to smile sweetly for just a quick second while you try and catch a cute picture. Pose? Are you kidding? You have to sneak around and usually the best I can do is get something from the side. If you ever do get him from the front…his eyes are looking around furiously to see what he can do the minute he is released. They are NEVER looking at the camera!!! (Unless he is being threatened by someone whom he knows really means it!) I always take 10 or 25 pictures of him in hopes of getting a good one!
You can not imagine what it took to get a good one of these 3 below…
Spot the difference in the two little boys? God love ’em both!
All kidding aside, with this tradition, we honor the sweet memory of our Mother and Granny and take great pleasure in making the house as festive as she did, knowing what pleasure it gives to Pop. And, he is so gracious and appreciative.
PART TWO…The Day After…
I ask for trouble. I know it’s true. Don’t mean to…but it happens.
Last year John Thomas was visiting me and asked me if we could paint a Christmas tree. I told him that I did not have one but I would look around and see what I could do. Well, things happened and people happened and life happened…and I did not get to carry out my plans. But, I told John Thomas that if I was able we would do it this year. And I was…and we did.
The day after Thanksgiving John Thomas and Sweet Levi showed up at my house at 10:00 sharp. And, I was ready and waiting on them! Time for our morning of fun to begin! I had a huge sheet spread out on the floor. Both boys had the same supplies…a bare tree, a palette of paint, brushes, an empty snow globe, two empty glass ornaments, a tiny truck, and a tiny tree. I kept control of the paint bottles, and the supplies for the snow globe.
We began by swirling different colors of paint inside the glass ornaments…these turned out very pretty…but was not a hit with the boys. It took too long for the paint to run down the sides. They needed fast results!
Then we started the trees. Now this, they loved. They discussed which colors they would use. Levi told John Thomas that he should copy him because he does art everyday. John Thomas told Levi that he already decided which colors and not to copy him! I think that ended all discussion of paint colors. They both went to work and let their creative spirits soar. I guess they didn’t notice they both had the same 4 colors.
The trees are hinged on the back so they will stand up. They did a great job! Then we washed up and sang a few Christmas carols to liven us up!
We made our little truck ornament for the tree, and then came time for the snow globe. Oh my!
I found the neatest snow globes at Michael’s this year. They are plastic and are in 3 pieces…the globe, a little platform for the characters you choose, and a twist on cap. And, they are large enough that you can put more than one thing in it. I had a snowman, a deer, trees, 2 elves, a house, a bicycle and two signs to the North Pole. And two bags of snow! John Thomas chose first cause he said he was older. Levi said, “Don’t you know I’m 4 now?” JT told him it didn’t matter, he was still older. Levi told him that he went to his birthday and he was four, too! John Thomas just rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, two years ago, Levi” I didn’t stop at 4!” Not sure Levi gets it yet, but we let JT go first. He tried out several and decided on an elf and a tree and a sign. So, I hot glued and then we opened the snow. OH! THE! SNOW! I bought some somewhere that was teeny little styrofoam like balls. BIG MISTAKE! They immediately attach themselves to your hands and clothes and face and everything! And, they are so very lightweight that every time you breath out or say a word the weight of your breath sends them into orbit. They fall where they will and refuse to let themselves be picked up again! I learned a lesson, for sure.
Levi and John Thomas were sure troopers though. They got down on the floor and tried their best to corral the lost snow. Oh if only it would really melt! Needless to say, we grabbed what we could and dumped it in a bag and decided Levi would use the flaky snow! He had been studying the pieces and finally decided that he would take the other elf and a tree and a sign…just like John Thomas! I glued. And told him to wait for me to open the bag of that lighter than air flaky stuff. Somehow, his brain did not comprehend what those words meant and he bit a hole in the top of the bag and proceeded to pull it apart with all his might. And he did…pull it apart. And it really truly snowed in my studio. A whole bag full. I couldn’t speak. John Thomas stared at me. Levi laughed and said, “Come on, John Thomas, help me put it back in the bag and lets do it again!” JT didn’t move. He knew. He’s 6. The bag was quickly then removed from Levi’s hands and cleanup began. OH ! My! What Fun! Here’s the two other ones we did. See those little demon balls in the snowman? NEVER buy them!
We finished up with the projects and put everything away. They played with cars for a while, then John Thomas chose a book for me to read. But, no. Levi decided he would read to John Thomas. He ‘read’ him a photo album of his K3 year of school. I don’t think JT was particularly enthralled. But, the dear boy was kind, and let Levi finish.
And this is the only bad picture of John Thomas known to be in existence!
And our fun morning came to an end. The boys gathered their treasures together to take home and soon their Moms came to pick them up. I tried everything to remove snow from my studio, and finally hit on a lint roller as the best tool for the job. Used up all the sheets on the roll…but there’s very little snow left!
JT looked the the pics I took before he left and he told me I messed up on this one. “You don’t have anything in this picture, Aunt Tonja, “he said. “Oh yes, I do, Little Man! There’s a little hand reaching into to a beautiful palette of paint! He can paint anything he wants. He can create a blue sky or a dark storm, or a truck or an airplane or even a family. It’s all up to the artist. I think it’s beautiful!” He said it still looked like a wrong picture to him. That’s OK. He’s 6!
I am a Christian woman who has survived many years on the planet. God has blessed me with a wonderful family: husband, 3 sons, a dear DIL, and a precious grandson. I also have dear friends to keep me inspired. I am an artist of sorts and am finding my way through the great blessing of retirement. I recently retired after 20 years as a music teacher. Life is good!
My Boys
"All your sons will be taught by the Lord; and great will be their peace." Isaiah 54:13
Read their stories... Adam Alex Ian
Hello, my name is Everly. I am a blogger living in New York. This is my blog, where I post about interior design and decoration. Never miss out on new stuff.
Hello, my name is Everly. I am a blogger living in New York. This is my blog, where I post about interior design and decoration. Never miss out on new stuff.