Just wanted to share a few pics Liisa sent me

Tony has received a promotion, to being a Staff Sgt. in the Army Reserves.  He had his Christmas Military Ball last night, and he took both his wife and his sister as his dates. They had a wonderful time, and I am so proud of my handsome son.

Andrea and Tony

Liisa, Tony, and Andrea



Tony and Liisa

 Don't they all look fantastic? I enjoyed Liisa's frequent updates during the dinner on facebook, as well as the pictures she sent me in text messages.  I have to admit, I adore technology for keeping me a part of my older children's lives. Otherwise I would feel like I am missing out on so many things! It also keeps me in contact with the rest of the familu.

As the holidays approach, I find myself feeling homesick more often. In talking to my mom, she said she missed me after thanksgiving because I always used to be her chauffer to take the Christmas Wreaths out to the cemetaries for my dad and grandpa, as well as to some graves of elderly family friends whom we adopted over the years. My nephew took her this year.

We have really chilly weather here this weekend, and it was 23 degrees when we left for travel league bowling this morning (just Rei and I). Reimond stated he was embarassed by me because, as always, I brought knitting with me. I saw another woman knitting too, and I walked over to her with mine, and we compared notes on taking our projects places. (She mentioned her kids give her grief as well).  I told her that since I don't bowl myself, I use it to be my "dedicated knitting time" as I support and cheer on family members and their teams. 

I am plugging away at the Christmas gifts I am making, and I am starting to see some progress. I have also been experimenting with recipies from "The Pioneer Woman", a blogger I follow who has now published a cookbook that I really want to get. (I am using her recipies published online). I made a to-die-for turkey potpie last night for dinner and it turned out amazingly well. Eric actually raved about it!

Sounds like my grandbaby is unhappy right now, and neither Mama nor Auntie Aurora are able to settle her.  Guess it's time for Grandma to check in on her and see what she needs...