Gentle Years

Yesterday we stopped to see GB and he and his family were not home-they had gone to visit PB and her family.  So we stopped in and all four kids were in the same place at the same time.  Those are the best of times!

The pictures really speak for themselves

On Wednesday we got a little over a foot of snow, so school was canceled.  I had already agreed to watch RB and MB for the afternoon so that their parents could make a treacherous drive to their mortgage appointment, and then JC called and asked if I could watch BB while she went snowboarding (our house is on the way to the ski area).  So I had all three boys.  Aidan and RB napped most of the time, which gave me time alone with the little ones.

BB spent Friday night with us and, Aidan loves to help take care of his nephew.  Then on Sunday morning GB called and asked if Aidan would like to come out to the community center in the next town over to play basketball with him before all of the guys/the real players showed up.  So we went for half an hour before church.  They shot a couple of hoops but the hoop is too high for Aidan, then dribbled, then played catch, then played air hockey, and last of all they played a little soccer, with BB and me helping out occasionally.

G's sister and her husband have now been married for 25 years, so we celebrated on Saturday with a surprise party.  They did very well, despite the loss of their 20 year old son last summer.  Here are some photos of various family members and friends celebrating.

These photos are taken between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon-proof that the winter solstice has passed and the days are already getting longer.

Today we had our celebration with "the big kids" and their families. 

GB and his family with Mom

G getting his fiber (ha-ha)

PB and her babies

LB and RB

Aidan with yet another stocking (so he wouldn't feel left out)

It is the end of the usual crazy day, though it was a little calmer than usual.  Here are pictures of various family members celebrating the holiday.

BB wearing his third outfit of the day by noon-still a cutie pie.

My third sister's two children along with my fifth brother's daughter in the middle.  Oh, and Mom to the right.

RB before the opening began.

Our son in-law (RB's dad) and a niece.

Ice Storm-Round #2.  The storm in the late '90s wasn't as bad because it was warm.  That meant we couldn't put food outside to save it, but we also weren't freezing.  Here are some pictures from this weekend:

One of the lilac bushes.

Birches laying down in the back yard.

This is the pin oak by the deck.  I love this tree because it keeps its leaves all through the winter and the sound of them rustling in the winter wind is beautiful.  If you look closely, though, you can see that every limb is coated with ice.