Apparently I've used Happy Anniversary as a post title before, because it filled itself in. I'm not sure who it was intended for in the other post, but this time it's for Edie & Glenn, who invited us, along with two other couples, to celebrate their 13th anniversary.
We met at Scheller's in Glen Flora, one of my favorite places to eat. After several rounds of drinks, lots of laughs and a good dinner, we left the restaurant just before they had to eject us! We were there at least an hour past closing time.
The traditional 13th anniversary gift is lace. Edie told Glenn she would give him something lacy. Thinking fast, Glenn asked a couple of good-looking women who had just stood up to leave, "Are either of you named Lacey?" Fortunately for Glenn, the answer was "No, sorry."
We had a really great time...thanks for including us at your special celebration!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas at the Bubela's
Wayne woke me up at 7:30 this morning...(what the?)...to see what time I wanted to go to Carolyn and Brent's to take our gifts for the little ones. "Not this early," I replied. I was thinking of going about 10:00. "Why do you have a flashlight?", I asked just before I realized it was his iPhone. Carolyn had texted him a Merry Christmas greeting and he seemed to want to reply...maybe he didn't remember how to do it. He's fairly new at having a smartphone.
When I got my new iPhone, the 4G-S, I gave him my old one and suggested that he mess around with it and get familiar with it. He was long overdue for an upgrade and I thought he might want to consider the iPhone. He had it for about a month before he decided to upgrade. I went with him to the AT&T store, but they didn't have one in stock. He's been on the waiting list for several weeks. When he checked with them a day or two ago they told him he was in the #3 spot.
Even though he wasn't able to buy a new iPhone at that time, we did have them activate my old one (a 3G-S) for him. Now he's pretty much like the rest of us smartphone users. See the photos below for the big age difference in users... Jax at 2 and Wayne at 68.
The video below shows the girls in the inflatable Karts we gave them for playing Mario Kart on the Wii. It was a huge help to them. The remote fits into the steering wheel of the inflatable and they have better control of the Kart onscreen. Can't wait to give the boys theirs when we go to the Garner's this afternoon!
But first, here's one more shot of Jax. They had removed the steering wheel from the Karts while they did other activities in the playroom (dancing, I think). Jax got a new electronic thingy from us for Christmas and he decided the Kart was the perfect place to lounge while he figured it out.
When I got my new iPhone, the 4G-S, I gave him my old one and suggested that he mess around with it and get familiar with it. He was long overdue for an upgrade and I thought he might want to consider the iPhone. He had it for about a month before he decided to upgrade. I went with him to the AT&T store, but they didn't have one in stock. He's been on the waiting list for several weeks. When he checked with them a day or two ago they told him he was in the #3 spot.
Even though he wasn't able to buy a new iPhone at that time, we did have them activate my old one (a 3G-S) for him. Now he's pretty much like the rest of us smartphone users. See the photos below for the big age difference in users... Jax at 2 and Wayne at 68.
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| At a soccer match...I love the look on his face |
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| Surrounded by onlookers |
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| Shortly after this, he got out of the wagon and went to a chair surrounded by adults. He was tired of the boys hovering over him. |
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| Moving from Carlee's match to Kate's match...he never looked up! |
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| Checking the weather or something |
But first, here's one more shot of Jax. They had removed the steering wheel from the Karts while they did other activities in the playroom (dancing, I think). Jax got a new electronic thingy from us for Christmas and he decided the Kart was the perfect place to lounge while he figured it out.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve
Luckily for me, even though this is Christmas Eve, I don't have to be ready for any activities occurring here tomorrow. Wayne and I will go to Carolyn & Brent's house, taking some gifts for the children. Then we will go to Wendy & Kelly's, taking some gifts for their children. All of them, including Robin and Chad, will come to our house to open more gifts on the day after Christmas.
So, the photo below shows the state of gifts at our house. Everything has been wrapped, with names written in Sharpie on the bottom of the package, but no ribbons, bows, or nametags have been applied.
Instead of doing the fancifying (ribbons, bows, nametags), I watched a movie I had recorded some months ago. Then I took a shower and washed my hair. When I came downstairs Wayne suggested we go out to eat dinner "since we didn't have anything we needed to do." I declined the dinner invitation, listing the fancifying that still needed to be done (or not...who cares?) And he offered to help...big surprise as he's never helped with any of that before. I'll take him up on it if he ever remembers that he offered. At the time he was watching the Cowboys on television. (They must have been losing because he's only interested in watching them lose.)
Meanwhile, I started to make a pecan pie to take to Wendy and Kelly's tomorrow. They invited us to eat dinner with them. I had just gotten the crust in the pie plate when there was a knock on the door. A neighbor, Raul, came with tamales right out of the pot to sell us. I had been wondering where he was, because he usually comes earlier than Christmas Eve. I was glad to see him, but due to a lack of freezer space, could only take three dozen. He went to his truck to get the tamales while Wayne and I scrounged up the money, including quarters, to pay him. Wayne opened one of the packages of tamales and we ate the whole dozen in just a few minutes. They were excellent! Wayne put his on a plate, but I ate mine over the trash can, washing them down with a can of beer.
I finished making the pie and it's in the oven now...so, I thought this would be a good time to get this post done. Now, I need to log onto NORAD to see where Santa Claus is right now. I hope the link works...my connection is a bit slow at the moment and I wasn't able to test it.
So, the photo below shows the state of gifts at our house. Everything has been wrapped, with names written in Sharpie on the bottom of the package, but no ribbons, bows, or nametags have been applied.
Instead of doing the fancifying (ribbons, bows, nametags), I watched a movie I had recorded some months ago. Then I took a shower and washed my hair. When I came downstairs Wayne suggested we go out to eat dinner "since we didn't have anything we needed to do." I declined the dinner invitation, listing the fancifying that still needed to be done (or not...who cares?) And he offered to help...big surprise as he's never helped with any of that before. I'll take him up on it if he ever remembers that he offered. At the time he was watching the Cowboys on television. (They must have been losing because he's only interested in watching them lose.)
Meanwhile, I started to make a pecan pie to take to Wendy and Kelly's tomorrow. They invited us to eat dinner with them. I had just gotten the crust in the pie plate when there was a knock on the door. A neighbor, Raul, came with tamales right out of the pot to sell us. I had been wondering where he was, because he usually comes earlier than Christmas Eve. I was glad to see him, but due to a lack of freezer space, could only take three dozen. He went to his truck to get the tamales while Wayne and I scrounged up the money, including quarters, to pay him. Wayne opened one of the packages of tamales and we ate the whole dozen in just a few minutes. They were excellent! Wayne put his on a plate, but I ate mine over the trash can, washing them down with a can of beer.
I finished making the pie and it's in the oven now...so, I thought this would be a good time to get this post done. Now, I need to log onto NORAD to see where Santa Claus is right now. I hope the link works...my connection is a bit slow at the moment and I wasn't able to test it.
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
They Wish You a Merry Christmas!
Gage and Zane's piano teacher, Mrs. Johnson, arranges for her students to play Christmas music each year for the elderly residents at the Wincrest Assisted Living facility. Gage, a 3rd grader, has taken lessons for about 2 1/2 years...Zane, a 1st grader, began taking lessons during the past summer.
Zane
Gage
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Cousin Christmas
We don't call it Cousin Christmas, although that's actually a pretty good name for it. The seven Wendel/Rioux first cousins (with their families) have been celebrating Christmas together for many, many years... 30 years, to be exact, beginning in 1981. By that time, most of the children of the first cousins had been born. Only Elliott and Thomas were yet to make their entry into the world. We have continued having our get together during the Christmas season every year since then, alternating the place where we meet.
The children of the first cousins are second cousins. (Well, that's not entirely accurate...it's a little more complicated than that...but, this isn't the time to explain, other than to suggest I might have used "generation" in place of "cousin".) Many of them are now married and have children of their own... the third cousins (again, not quite accurate). Currently there are 22 third cousins with more to come, almost certainly. While some of the second cousins have completed their families, others have not even begun their families.
We never have everyone attend our Christmas get together. It's just too much to hope for with that many people. We are just glad to see the ones who can come. We meet, we snack, we have dinner, we visit, we sing, and we laugh a lot. Oh, and we drink a little too! And we really laugh when we're singing... especially when we break into groups and sing the final song "The 12 Days of Christmas", where it's not uncommon to forget what group you belong to and when to sing your part.
But enough of this little prologue. It's time to look at a few photos from yesterday's party. I'm hopeful that there's a video at the bottom of this post, too...with a song for you.
Special thanks to Virgie and Bo for hosting, and also to Carolyn and Brent for providing the child-friendly venue!
The children of the first cousins are second cousins. (Well, that's not entirely accurate...it's a little more complicated than that...but, this isn't the time to explain, other than to suggest I might have used "generation" in place of "cousin".) Many of them are now married and have children of their own... the third cousins (again, not quite accurate). Currently there are 22 third cousins with more to come, almost certainly. While some of the second cousins have completed their families, others have not even begun their families.
We never have everyone attend our Christmas get together. It's just too much to hope for with that many people. We are just glad to see the ones who can come. We meet, we snack, we have dinner, we visit, we sing, and we laugh a lot. Oh, and we drink a little too! And we really laugh when we're singing... especially when we break into groups and sing the final song "The 12 Days of Christmas", where it's not uncommon to forget what group you belong to and when to sing your part.
But enough of this little prologue. It's time to look at a few photos from yesterday's party. I'm hopeful that there's a video at the bottom of this post, too...with a song for you.
Special thanks to Virgie and Bo for hosting, and also to Carolyn and Brent for providing the child-friendly venue!
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| Christy and Carolyn chatting. Aunt Janie holding Maggie, the youngest 3rd cousin |
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| Tracy and Wendy enjoying the great snacks! |
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| Looks like little boys and their toys. |
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| The big boys chilling outside. |
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| Snacks |
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| Virgie and Maggie |
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| Janet, Virgie and Bo |
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| Thomas and Tom Rioux; me and Anne Rioux |
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| Dinner! |
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| Time to eat! |
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| The songbooks are out...time for carols. |
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| Carolyn, Andy, Jax...Robin and Janie at the end of the table. |
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| There I am! |
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| Hannah and Maggie |
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Electrifying the Village
I couldn't resist showing this photo I took this afternoon. I found some accessories for the village on the mantle at Walmart this afternoon...little lampposts and people. I think they are soooo cute! They didn't have very many...at that particular store, but I'm pretty sure that's a good thing...I can picture myself going overboard...because they're just soooo cute!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Curses!
It wasn't fun I can tell you... I started cursing almost immediately. I put it up and I took it down and started over. I'd get it halfway done and then realize I needed something under it, or behind it...and it all had to come down again.
And I'm still not completely happy with it. I don't think the lighting is good enough. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's okay. Especially when you consider how few people will see it.
Maybe one of these days I can do it without the cussing. Bah!
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