Merry Christmas

From the mouths of babes....

Thank You, Linda

Isn't this just the cutest sign ever!

I hung it on my tree for everyone to see....

 and look at our little Miss Celes...in her new dress.

She is such a sweetheart.

Linda, thank you for such sweet gifts.

 You are truly one of the most giving people I have ever met.

I love you very much.

Happy Birthday to my brother Bruce

*****If you are easily offended please stop now! YOU have been warned******

Happy Birthday to my brother Bruce.

Bruce and I are 18 months apart in age.

His birthday was always celebrated on Christmas Eve...

because... well it was his birthday!

He was pretty sure that the big family get together each year were

 HIS Birthday Party.

Christmas Morning 1965. Bruce is the one with the red wagon.

 I always thought he was a pretty handsome guy.

He is the only one of my siblings that had green eyes like I do.

 The rest of the family has brown eyes.

Bruce bottom right

Bruce was an amazing auto mechanic. I do not think there was anything he couldn't fix.

When he was very young, I believe it was my mom's toaster that he took apart,

 because he wanted to see how it worked.

He was a hard worker

and would give the shirt off his back to anyone that needed it.

Bruce, definitely heard a different drummer.

and he followed that beat just fine.

From his teen years on he enjoyed his cigarettes, cannabis, alcohol, LOUD music, swearing and all the gestures that some times follow that drummer.

Bruce passed away in 2005 of all things pneumonia.

I miss him a great deal.

Happy Birthday Bruce ...

YOU ARE AN OLD MAN!!!

ALMOST 50!!!

yea...that is kind of what I thought you would say.

Happy Birthday!

Overwhelming Week...

Kirk's Aunt Rena passed away two weeks ago from old age, and the same day his cousin Kenna passed away from a long battle with leukemia.

It made me realise that I know a lot about Kirk's family from the 1800's and further back, because of doing family history...But I did not know much about the one generation before...

I had heard stories about "Rex" from Grandma Burgess...I knew he had been Killed in Action  February 18, 1944 during WWII and was buried in Italy, and that was one of  Grandma's greatest wishes was to see where he was buried...but it never happened.

For some reason...Kirk's uncle Rex has really been on my mind.

I have been staying up all night for at least a week trying to find something...anything about him.

 Grandma B had these pictures of him and that was all I had ever seen.

So, after MUCH searching I found that he is buried at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy.

and that he was a member of an elite group called the "Black Devils"

 That this group consisted of those from the USA and Canada

He joined the Army 10 days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

I guess with this week being the 69 yr. mark of the attack on Pearl Harbor

maybe he just need to be remembered.

With only 3 of the 8 siblings still alive...Maybe I should set down and find out somethings about the closest generation to my husbands paternal family.

What I Really Love

about Christmas

is

Nativity Sets

I have been collecting them off and on for a while now.

This is my newest collection from Seagull Books.

It is just plain cute.

 My Sister, Lene gave me beautiful one.

 and my sister in law, Karen gave me this when I was in the hospital last year.

 Though I do have my sets through out the house, even the kitchen...

I like to have the largest collection in the family room so I can enjoy them all together.

 This little family comes from an "Advent" countdown, but it has been kid handled over the years

and the best is all that is left.

 This is my very first set, They were from a Home Interior Party from the 1980's.

It is really a neat set, numbered and everything.

Celebrating Home ~ Formerly Home Interiors and Home and Garden Party

 This is the Willow Tree ornaments called Holy Family.

 I keep this little one up all year it came with Kira from Argentina.

 along with this one.

 Yep, what I really love about this time of the year is

I can display ALL of my Nativity Sets.

What is your favorite thing to have around for the Christmas Season?

Chirstmas Project

After last year making gingerbread houses at my sister in law, Pennie's,

I really wanted to start the tradition at our home too.

So, on Thanksgiving when Pennie was here and my niece, Sydni they baked gingerbread houses for us. It took us a week to get everyone to our home at the same time to decorate ...

But it was OH So worth the wait.

It was great.

 Ali went right to work and I believe had the first house that was standing.

Josh was supervising....

 Miss C was more interested in her bottle and wanted to go to sleep than watching.

 Sergio really enjoyed another one of our Crazy American Holiday Traditions...

His house was rock solid where Kira's kept wanting to fall down.

 She did get it to stand and stand strong it did...

 At the end we had some pretty cute gingerbread houses to display.

 This is Sergio's check out the flowers....very cute.

 and Kira's with the brick lines and awesome roof..love it

 Ali and Josh's is awesome with her peppermint roof and Christmas Tree by the door.

Derek's house was NOT going to let the roof stand

and If you might notice there is not a picture of my house. I was having crazy troubles too.

But Derek and I are going to work on ours this week and show off some SWEET houses.

The next Project that Kira and I did this week was make our Nativity sets

and a BELIEVE SIGN.

My Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus Stands about 12 inches tall.

I think I like how they turned out. (Sorry about the flash glare)

Kira's set is about 8 inches tall. I really like her baby Jesus' expression and the detail Joseph's robe.

So, the dining table has been covered with different projects this past week.

and with the wonderful Christmas music in the background it has really helped to usher in the season.

Happy Birthday Derek

How can my baby be 22 years old!!!

Happy Birthday Baba! I love you!

To read more about Derek just click HERE.