LOTS OF CELEBRATING!

The past week we celebrated New Years, our #2 Son's birthday, their anniversary and just being together as a family and watching 5 grandchildren (ages 1 1/2 to 9). What fun we had and lots of goodies to eat also.

Granddaughter Em pouring sparkling grape juice for Miss Ella Bella who was ready to party!
Two of my sweet daughters-in-law huddled in the kitchen to compare parenting notes--or maybe recipes??

Sons #4 and #2 with their dad.

Son #2 getting ready to blow out candles on his birthday cake. How many candles are on that cake??
Miss Ella Bella next to Soph, taking a BIG bite of birthday cake.
Soph and Grandson #2 wrestling on the floor.
Son #2 unwrapping "the clock" that belonged to Mother. He was pleased to inherit "the clock" that all the grandchildren remember seeing at her house.

Learning to Wii??
Grandson #2 conked out towards the end of the celebration and I enjoyed the cuddle time.
Before we all left for home we tried to get a picture of ALL the grandchildren who gathered for the festivities. Unfortunately Grandson #2 was more interested in watching all those girls than posing for my pictures!
But the girls did pose nicely for me. Such a sweet group of girls!

A FAMILY GATHERING

This past weekend we had a family gathering and celebrated 5 birthdays that were happening within this first week of April. My brother, sister and I were all together with our Mother who turns 94 today.

My brother and his wife had all of their children and their granddaughter at this family gathering. My sister had her daughter-in-law with two grandchildren and I had Son #4 with his two children here. We had five little ones between the ages of 8 months and four years old. Our two-year-old (almost three) granddaughter came over to our house before the other children appeared on Sunday morning and was disappointed that they were not here. She said she wanted her cousins here because "my cousins are crazy about me!" My husband and I had to quietly stifle our laughs.

Here are a few pictures of our many activities over the several days that we were together:

Cousins getting to know each other

My family with my mother at the Birthday Party

My sister-in-law with the youngest of the cousins.

The cousins on an Easter Egg Hunt.

My hubby entertaining Miss Ella Bella like he did our boys a "few" years back.

Our lovely neighbor (on the right) provided a pedicab ride

My brother helped entertain the cousins in our backyard

And we ate every time we turned around. Yum! Mexican food!

We had a wonderful time and the weekend was over before we knew it. I am so grateful for the times that we celebrate together.

THE DUST BEGINS TO SETTLE

Our company left today and our house is VERY quiet! There are a few packages left under the tree to deliver to Son #2 and family when we visit them next week, but our house definitely has that "after Christmas look" with many leftovers in the refrigerator, several containers of cookies on the kitchen counter, gifts still to put away, and Christmas wrapping paper and tags to stow until next year.

However, looking back is a delight. We had a wonderful time with family and loved ones over the past week. We realized that we were celebrating Christmas this year with four generations gathered together. The first picture shows my mother who was the oldest at our celebration at 93 and the youngest was Grandchild #7 at almost 5 months old.

Miss Ella Bella discovered that Santa had come and eaten all the cookies and polished off the milk that she had left for him the night before. She was quite surprised and a bit dismayed that ALL the cookies were gone!

Grandchild #7 let his sister, Miss Ella Bella, help him open his packages and then she helped Granddaddy open his stocking gifts. When the gifts had been opened, she involved Granddaddy in coloring with her in her new coloring book. He was most happy to help her begin coloring Cinderella's beautiful dress. After having all boys in the family, these girl activities are a new experience for him.

Great-Gram read to Miss Ella Bella and then clowned around with her oldest two great-grandchildren. We had a wonderful time and these picture provide us with some great memories. We are, indeed, thankful that we have had these times to enjoy being together--with still more together times ahead when we gather with Son #2 and family.