Remembering.

 

Walter C.

January 1, 1920- December 28, 2014

Remembering a life well lived 3 days shy of 95 years. 
He brought me, his first grandchild, a gift of a doll from England.
A tribute to a man who always worked hard but said he "did as little as possible"
He loved his routines, pancakes every Saturday morning, his Cigars and Martinis and early dinners on Sundays. 
He was a man of few words, but you could tell how much he loved by the tears he would get in his eyes watching his great grandchildren play together. 
Rest In Peace Grandpa, until we meet again.

28 December

Holy moly......did December just happen?  As much as I love this Christmas Holiday, I enjoy the "in between".  The time off after the holiday between work and school to play and rest and enjoy some quiet.  There is not one to do list made, even for a busy body like me.  Of course the tree comes down on December 26.  Holy needles (and yes that saw-zall was used, don't ask)

 Starting new projects....

 there was lots of use of these things....

 and notes written

 and more family time, playing games

Taken From the December 21 Sermon.....

And so a daughter walked with me down the hall to the corner bed- room. Mom, this is the chaplain from hospice. Is it OK for him to have a quick visit?

And rather than saying no she reached out with both her arms to greet me and invited me to sit at the bedside. I pulled up a chair. On the bedside table were some flowers and a framed photograph of her with her second husband of thirty years who had died just last June.

You know, she said, life is full of miracles. We miss so many because we can’t see them. We’re too preoccupied with our own plans. But they’re all around us.

So this is actually the perfect time to let go, to slow down, to go dark—if even for a few moments—and to notice what blessing God is bringing to birth in our own hearts and in the womb of the world......

26 December

{this moment.}

25 December

No matter how happy and content with life I may be years from now, I know I will look back at these pictures someday and ache to climb into them again--to feel all the twinkle and magic and warmth that's also present and available to us when we're 50 and 60 and 85 but that's palpable in such immeasurable intensity when our kids are little. When their innocence and sense of wonder is so great, it trumps any skepticism, stress or sadness. When Santa hats are still a little big on their heads, three frosted cookies at a party aren't met with thoughts of calories, and pajama drawers are full of footie sleepers with reindeer and snowmen prints

-Kelle Hampton

I present Christmas day 2014 in photos: 

 

 Just checking to see if Santa left a note and ate the cookies we left him. Of Course, he came.

 this year we all wrote a grateful letter and read someone else's around the tree before we started opening gifts. Cause Maybe Christmas the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store....maybe Christmas means a little bit more. 

 I want to bottle the little handwriting forever.

 and the never ending hugs from this girl

 Eggs, sausage, grits and sweet rolls for breakfast

 Lots of setting it and forgetting it with the camera. I was so totally spoiled this year with new L.L. Bean slippers a ski coat and new computer monitor.

 the letter inside was um......well lets just say the tears started flowing.  There is a very lucky girl out there who is going to get to marry this boys someday.  HUGE heart.

 American Girl was her favorite

 there was my traditional Christmas run, and some clean up before the Family arrived. 

 While there is so such thing as the perfect person or the perfect holiday, things seemed to come together at the right time.  Of course, there were real life messes and tiredness and some sadness this year.  Our family has grown and changed and lost.  We were praying for Grandpa at the Hospice House and missing J so much this year.

 Lots of gathering around the island in the kitchen this year. 

 and more gift opening

 

and this guy.....what a giant heart

 and this girl too.

 a giant heart and giant fun.

 They are awesome kids.

 these two, such a great representation of the almost "teens"

 The Wellington, he slaves over it the entire day.  Lots of love goes into all the preparation for this day and Each year it gets better. Different and better.

 this is one of 33 selfies I found on here the next day. 

 the red sweater and black stretch pants definitely was the go to outfit this year.

 spying on the kids table.

 and three minutes later....

  It's like a wedding where everyone you love is in one room dancing, getting just tipsy enough to drop the life game crap and tell you how they really feel, and it sounds like "Man, I love you!" For the record, it can also bring up weird sad stuff--ghosts from the past, regrets, family nostalgia, yada yada. I feel a little bit of that too this time of year, and I make sure to stretch my arms out as far as they can go and feel it all. Hearts are big, they can stretch, trust them. You're happier in the end if you just stretch now and feel it. No recoiling.
-Kelle Hampton

 From our family to yours....Merry Christmas.