Happy 2009!

Happy New Year!!
It's time to say good-bye to 2008. There were some sad times and some tears but there were many wonderful times in the past year. I treasure the love and the experiences shared with family and friends.
I will miss my Uncle Lloyd and hold on to great memories of time shared with him and my entire family. My kids are well and I am very proud of them and how they are living their lives. I feel blessed to share life with Dale and enjoy exploring so many new things and places together.
I look forward to starting a new decade of life and learning more about myself, others and the world around me in the coming year. Life is good and I am grateful.
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy"
Philippians 1:3-4

Empty Stockings

The stockings are empty. The gifts are opened. The cookies are gone and the wrapping is in the trash. Every one has returned home. Christmas 2008 is over. It was a wonderful holiday filled with love and joy. I was so blessed to be able to spend time with so many loved ones. I think I saw every relative except the ones in Nebraska. That's a good reason to get to Lincoln this spring. This week has been a great celebration. I think I may leave the stockings, nutcrackers and Christmas tree up for a few more days, just to bask in the glow of the holiday.

Family Christmas

I got to celebrate Christmas with my kids this weekend. We have always gotten together when we can find a night that works for all of us. It's usually "around" Christmas, but not on the actual day. Whatever the date, we wake up and it's OUR Christmas Morning. We do stockings, gifts, breakfast and just hang out among the boxes, ribbons and wrapping paper.

Jay, Travis and Ashley posed for me; all wearing new shirts they got for Christmas. How fun is that? We had chili the night before then played dominoes with Dale and his son, Eric. It was a good time to just be together and enjoy the holiday. Now everyone has left to go home and the house has a very odd quiet. It happens every time!

Iowa Energy Basketball

Jay's here!!

Jay drove down this morning and we spent the entire day just hanging out. We laid around at my house most of the day which was very relaxing. Dale came over and took us out for dinner before we headed to Wells Fargo Arena for a basketball game. Jay would have preferred hockey, but the hockey teams were not in town for Christmas. This was a first for me, a sporting event on Christmas, but it was good. I love tradition but am open to change too. I have had many opportunities to learn that lesson!
It was a great game...won by the Energy in the final minutes. Next time Jay comes maybe we can get to a hockey game. That would be lots of fun too! So fun to hang out with Jay today!!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Day! Merry Christmas to all.

The fun and family continue for me. Jay arrived today so that we have an extra day to hang out before Ashley and Travis arrive tomorrow. We have two more days of Christmas here. I just love having my kids at home!!

I wish you all a beautiful Christmas. May the true spirit and love of the season be alive for you.

Christmas Eve

I am very blessed to have loving cousins, aunts and uncles who value family and time together. We gather every year on the Fourth of July with the entire family. On Christmas Eve some of the family members gather as well. Many years I was unable to attend this gathering when I worked at the church or had other obligations. Not everybody can make it but those that do enjoy lots of food, photographs and conversation. Yes, we pose for lots of pictures. This is me with my sweet Uncle Fred. Aunt Snooks and Aunt Carol are my wonderful gorgeous aunts who are in the top photo. They are also amazing cooks who have taught the younger generations very well. I woke up still full on Christmas morning!! It was wonderful to be able to spend a couple of hours with them, cousins and second cousins. Now I look forward to seeing all again on the Fourth of July!

Merry Christmas, Wreghitts!

December 23, Every Single Year!

Dan and Jill are the first to be grandparents. Izzie is adorable and the first of the next generation!

In my family of origin December 23 means Family Christmas! It's a true holiday tradition. Since my siblings and I were very young, the family celebration has been on December 23. We traveled to relatives on the 24th and 25th. When we all got married, we continued the tradition to avoid schedule conflicts with in-laws and other families. Now that our children are getting married we still gather on December 23 each year.

I do not have a photo of everyone, but all made it this year, except Gary who was at work in Nebraska. I seem to spend less time behind the camera than I did in the past. It is fun to just enjoy the moments and I sometimes forget to grab the camera!

We play a gift exchange with a $5 limit on each gift. It's a challenge to find the best gifts and to steal them from each other before the timer buzzes.

This gathering is a highlight for many of us. It's constant, talking, eating, laughing even some complaining and it's FUN! Merry Christmas, Nonnweilers!

Family Nativity

When I was a young mother, my mom offered to buy me a nativity for a Christmas gift. I looked around and decided that this was my choice because it seemed unbreakable, but yet did not look too plastic. I wanted my children to be able to play with the figures. I hoped that they would use the nativity in a way that would bring the Christmas story alive for them. They did play with it and we added some animals, musicians, shepherds and wise men over the years. Often baby Jesus was found in the arms of Mary (as shown) rather than in the manger. The baby Jesus would often be missing, hidden some special place till Christmas. The nativity did become an important tradition in our family, both of my kids enjoying and appreciating it while voicing the desire to have that someday. So years ago I started buying a piece each year for each child. The first year Jay and Ashley got the baby Jesus. The next year I gave them Mary followed by Joseph the following year. Because they were always the same and in the same size box, Jay would look at Ashley's then not bother to unwrap his. Ashley has her nativity set up in her home this year. Jay's is still in one of those big boxes in my garage, some of the figures still gift wrapped. He doesn't have room in his apartment, but he knows where to find it when he is ready.

Nutcrackers at Christmas

Nutcrackers have become one of my favorite things! In 1987 I took Jay and Ashley to see the Nutcracker Ballet in Ames on the Iowa State Campus. Ashley was enchanted by the production and the nutcracker. (Jay was fairly bored until I pointed out that if he turned around he could watch the lighting guys with all their equipment.) So that year when Ashley was just three and a half, I purchased her first nutcracker at Younkers for $7. As I learned more about nutcrackers and the German versions, I purchased more for her over the years. She didn't get a nutcracker every year but she did get many! About ten years ago I realized that someday when she left home she may want to take her nutcrackers with her. I couldn't imagine decorating for Christmas without these noble wooden soldiers and kings to stand guard on the mantle, so I kept the white and blue king for myself. Ashley contributed the two on the right to my collection during her college years. Travis gave me the red trumpeter when they were dating. Last year Dale gave me the brown horseman on the left to join the others. So when Ashley and Travis got married last year I was able to delivered her collection to their home and still have my own nutcracker display at Christmas!

More Snow Coming

More snow is coming tonight! We already had three inches of snow this week and we are predicted to get more next week. Snow is in the forecast for December 23 which may not mean much to most but if you are a Nonnweiler, that means Christmas!! We have celebrated on the 23rd for close to fifty years. I hope the roads are good. This photo was taken in February 2007, but it has been so cold and snowy in the last couple of weeks that it is feeling like February already.

Weekend with Ashley

What a wonderful weekend with Ashley! It was fifty degrees when she arrived and below zero when she left. I guess that's December. We hung out together, relaxed, slept very well and caught up on life as we prepared for Christmas. I just love it when the kids come to visit. It just feels so homey to share home with family! We spent most of the time at home but did go out each day.

We went to the fabric store and started a Christmas project. The fabric you see in this photo should be two quilted tree skirts by this time next year. We are trying to be realistic about our expectations. Neither of us is very crafty but we will have fun with this and create some memories too. My current tree skirt was hand made with a good friend about twenty five years ago. It may be time for a new one!

We did some Christmas shopping together. It was nice to help each other with ideas and choices. I got lots of wrapping done in the evening while we watched a movie at home.

Dale took us out to a movie on Sunday, Four Christmases. It was cute and a nice break from all the kitchen work. The windchill was so awful when we left the theater that it took our breath away. It was good to get home and hit the kitchen again and turn on the oven.

We made sausage won ton stars, freezing most of them and eating a few for lunch. We made chocolate mint cookies and enjoyed the melting swirls of the mints on top. We made caramel corn to send home for Travis since he missed out on all the fun. We did have fun and made good progress on our Christmas preparations.

Christmas Season

There are so many things to enjoy this season. The sights and sounds of December are so tied to Christmas. I have enjoyed the snow, but I am also enjoying the fact that it is all melting today. I enjoy the Christmas lights too. This is one of my favorite views. I took this photo two years ago. It's Valley Junction in West Des Moines, just two miles down the street from me. Ashley is coming this weekend and we will enjoy some Christmas preparations. We might bake, we might shop and we might make a new tree skirt. We will most definitely relax, enjoy each other, talk, eat and laugh. I am looking forward to her visit during this Christmas season! In less than two weeks we will have celebrated Christmas with the "boys" too. It's all good.

Fruit Instead of Cookies

I am trying to do better, staying away from the cookies and shopping in the produce department more often! Between the broken arm and poison ivy, I have felt pretty cruddy for the last couple of months. One of the best ways for me to make some changes to feel better is to eat healthier (and exercise, but let's not get carried away yet.) My arm is healing very well, just some discomfort from the sprain in my wrist, the break is much better. I am finally off the drugs for my many ailments associated with the break and the ivy. All this makes me anxious to feel better.
Did you know that fresh home baked cookies are delivered to my work place daily? That's a huge temptation for me, but I have stayed away from them for a couple of weeks. I prefer a fist full of cookies but am working at embracing the beauty of the produce aisle. I want to feel good and age well....staying active and feeling healthy. The fruit is pretty, isn't it?

Brrrr. . .

It's cold and windy today! The temperatures are expected to drop all day long. I guess this can be expected, but I still plan to have a good weekend.
Dale and I went to the Drake men's basketball game last night and it was a great game. The winning bucket just seconds before the buzzer saved us from overtime! I think we will go to a movie later today.
I am very content to spend my Saturday morning snuggled in by the glow of my Christmas Tree lights. It took me a full week to decorate the tree. I assembled it on Sunday, added the lights on Tuesday then started the ornaments on Wednesday and just finished today, Saturday! Every single ornament I have is on this tree. Its packed! Hopefully Jay, Ashley and Travis will be willing to take a few home with them at Christmas. Maybe it's my age, maybe it's having a smaller home, but I find that I want and need less "stuff."

It Feels Like Winter

Sunday morning we woke up to snow. It was gorgeous. Knowing that it was predicted to melt, I really did enjoy it.

I photographed these same berries during the first week of October and posted the image on this blog. They looked lots different then. I do love the change of seasons in Iowa. It's just that I think winter might be a bit too long.

Tomorrow is expected to bring another inch or two of snow. Although we did have lots of melting today, the ground is still covered. Since tomorrow's accumulation will add to the Sunday snow, I guess it really does feel like winter. Fortunately I found my boots. Not cute boots. Not boots with heels. Real boots...Iowa boots. I will need them!

Happy Birthday, Dan!

It's my big brother's birthday today. The photo is from last year when we celebrated his 50th. It was the best party, a camouflage party! His wife and kids planned the surprise party in their garage. All the guests were dressed in camouflage clothing, including his sisters! That's all four siblings in the photo. There was an ice storm that day but Dale and I braved the roads and drove to Mason City. I just could not miss this party. It's not that rare to have Dan's garage filled with people wearing camo because he loves to hunt and fish, but it is unusual for some of us! I purchased my shirt so that it was the right size to pass on to my son. He will wear it when he goes hunting but I will not need that shirt again! It was a fun party and it's a great memory for me. Happy birthday, Danny!