Warning: If you are bored by superfluous pictures of other people's kids, move on to the next blog! Remember, my blog is also my online "scrapbook," serving to relieve the Creative Memories Guilt that plagues me.... which is another reason I have no problem posting about things that happened months ago!
This year on December 22, I went on a long run. I ran 11 miles in "need to relieve some stress mode," and when I got home, I was pooped. I started working on a quilt for Scott's mom with the girls, but my legs were just killing me, and my head was hurting. Well, I knew I had run hard and was probably dehydrated, but this was a bit ridiculous. Finally at bedtime, I took my temperature. Yep. It wasn't the run... I had a fever... and this mama RARELY runs a fever. (Probably because my normal is 96 or 97!)
The next day, I was still running fever, and we continued to work on the quilt as I was able. However, the pressure was beginning to mount. I had to get well. Must. Get. Better.
You see, we were supposed to head to Memphis on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas at my parents' house. Since Tootie was there, I really wanted to be healthy. Also, we were going to have a family get-together on Dec. 26th with cousins and extended family... Tootie had expressed her delight at the idea of having us all get together for Christmas like we used to, and I didn't want to be the family member to mess it up!
On Christmas Eve, I still had a bit of a fever. Tootie and my parents said come anyway... they would rather take their chances. It was never spoken, but we all knew that it was most likely going to be Tootie's last Christmas, and she wanted to have us and the kids there. We loaded everything into the van, and headed to Memphis!
Hillary and Adam were there with their children, and we had our traditional Christmas Eve spread of cookies, cookies, rocky road treats, cookies, chicken dip, cookies, sausage balls, and cookies. That's what I had anyway! I think other people might have had some sandwiches or something also....
Speaking of Christmas traditions, one tradition we have developed is the tradition of Hannah Duley being the tradition reminder. She is a stickler for tradition, I am terribly absent minded, and Scott can be sort of anti-tradition at times. It works well!
So, she straightened us out on our tradition of receiving one present from mom and dad, exchanging gifts with the Pitt family, and Duley kids exchanging with each other. On Christmas morning kids would get to open presents from us and from Mimi and Papa.
The kids were so excited to open their one, super special present from us on Christmas Eve. Josh just KNEW it was something spectacular.
I had gotten them all a pair of new pajamas. (which were badly needed by the boys!) Josh was SO excited about opening on e on Christmas Eve that the Robert Crosier in me just couldn't resist a little practical joke. I wrapped up his pajamas inside his new math workbook! His little face was crestfallen when he thought his super special gift was a new math book, but
when he saw that dragon pajamas were part of the gift, everything was great! You see, this was the year of dragons and Lego at our house!
Will and Josh modeling their new PJ's!
Group shot with all the grand kids... Josh, Will, Hannah, Evelyn, Sarah, Andrew, and Levi front and center. They have so much fun together!
We couldn't think of anything for Tootie, but we decided that she might actually use and enjoy a snuggie! As much as I have made fun of them over the years, the idea had grown on me. Most of her day was spent reading or watching television, and she usually had a blanket pulled up around her shoulders. She was pleased, and used it quite a bit over the next few weeks!
Sarah made Scott a pair of East Union slippers for Christmas. I have made countless pairs of slippers, but never a pair for him! Sarah took up my slack, and he loved them!
I also got a pair of slippers... Hannah got me a pair of slipper boots that I had seen and LOVED in the mall. One night while we were in Barnes and Noble with some girls, she and Sarah sneaked across the "hall" in the mall and got them for me! They feel like soft rabbit fur!
Scott and his Girls
Evelyn is 4 years old now, and she is at the princess dress up age! She got a trunk of dress up clothes from Mimi and Papa, and wore a different princess outfit each time we saw her!
Mom and Levi reading a new book
After opening gifts, Adam and Hillary took their kids home for the evening. We stayed up and watched Holiday Inn... or was it White Christmas? Lol, we kept getting them mixed up all weekend! Regardless, we enjoyed an old Christmas movie with eggnog and more cookies before going to bed.
On Christmas morning, we came downstairs and the kids opened gifts from us and from Mimi and Papa!
Hannah and Sarah displaying their PJ's and rainboots... an interesting combination!
As we opened gifts, Scott couldn't keep his eyes off the backyard. He had spent the first week of Christmas break hunting once or twice each day, and we did NOT have a freezer full of deer meat to show for it. Now, in my parents' neighborhood, we saw a herd of deer! It was too much to bear. He went out back to get one... but then decided (very sweetly) that it would be better to spend time with us than spend the whole morning cleaning a deer!
We got several board games this year... Bananagrams is great! Hannah, mom, and I especially love it!
Later in the morning, the Pitts came back over for our traditional large Christmas breakfast of sausage/pancake bake, shrimp 'n grits, and breakfast casserole! Yum!
After breakfast, we cleaned up, dressed, and headed over to the Duleys for Christmas! When we arrived, we found out that Sharon was sick. Poor Sharon! She had a stomach bug and slept the entire time we were there. It was wonderful, but just not the same without Grandmama Sharon! We all missed her, especially the kids! For whatever reason, I did not have my camera, and without Sharon, now I have no pictures from Christmas with the Duleys!! I hate it when I do that! We ate a huge Christmas dinner and hung out with Bobby, Brian and Kevin for the day and evening.
The next afternoon, all of my mom's family gathered to celebrate Christmas with Tootie. Our kids love their cousins, and I wish I did a better job of getting them together more often. When we do see each other, they all just pick right up and have a great time together!
Milo, Roman, Josh, and Will
All of Tootie's great grandchildren...
Evelyn, Chloe, Andrew, Hannah, Sarah, Levi/
Milo, Will, Josh, Roman
Our last family picture with Tootie... This was a bittersweet evening, and I really missed Pepa.
It was nice to get to visit with everyone. On the down side, Will and Josh were both feeling poorly. That night when we arrived home, they were both running fever. I just hoped we didn't infect the entire family. Mom, Dad, and Tootie stayed well, but Hillary's family passed it around the following week. She did not hold it against us, though, and was glad we had come. Thank goodness for an understanding sister!
Kevin went home with us in order to spend the next week deer hunting, and Kay came up to celebrate Christmas with us on Monday. Little did she know that she would spend the week patrolling the sick ward! Kay always seems to be a lifesaver like that! I was still a little puny, and Will and Josh were sick. Josh recovered quickly, but Sarah and Hannah went down soon after. In the room of hacking, feverish, sometimes vomiting kids, it seemed inevitable that Kay and Kevin would catch the flu! Thankfully, they both managed to escape it!
Kay loved her quilt... even though it was unfinished! With me not feeling well, it got pieced but not quilted. Now, it can be a truly collaborative effort of 3, not 2, generations! We were all thrilled with our gifts from she and John. They got Scott a "big boy" cot for camping... it turned out to be a blessing, because we set it up in the living room, and it became part of our sick ward! I can't wait to go camping this summer and put it to outdoor use!
I did it again. This time, with the sickness going around the house, I neglected to pull out the camera, and I don't have pictures from this part of Christmas either! So, Nana, that just means you need to come back really soon. We will maybe actually feel like smiling for the camera!
Marta (above) and Sarah (below) were hula experts!
Next, the girls divided into two groups and came up with a lip-sync to an oldie... One group performed "Ain't Nothin' but a Hound Dog," and the other performed "Lollipop!"
Above: AnnaBeth leading the way with the Hound Dog group! Below: Hannah during the "Lollipop" presentation!
