Air Travel over the Holidays is FUN and not FUN!

Well, air travel has been a bit of a challenge this season. The flight from Denver to Tulsa was, of course, delayed for several hours. As a part of my happiness project, though, I took the opportunity to make some new friends. First was a big man with tatoos and earrings, on his way to Phoenix to spend Christmas with his inlaws, who showed me his pictures of his new daughter and reminded me yet again that babies always make the trip worth it! Then there was a new friend who lives in Denver and who likes hiking and camping, and also happened to be the aunt of my good friend Marlo , who lives in Tulsa. I need some friends in Denver, particularly those who belong to a hiking club and enjoy the out-of-doors! So the delay was in part really fun. I was surprised that others were not griping about all the delays, changes, cancellations, but really, the airport crowd was in the Christmas spirit and were just happy when we finally took off.
Coming home was more of a challenge, as I was suffering from some type of stomach virus. I know it wasn't the flu, because Janina made me get a flu shot this year. But I woke up in Oklahoma feeling sick to my stomach, and I still had to make my way home to Denver. I loaded up on Pepto Bismol and Advil, and tried to make the best of things. The flight was full, though, and I had to sit next to someone with really bad breath and this can be a real challenge when you don't feel very well!
To make matters worse, when I finally arrived in Denver and my suitcase was tossed onto the luggage carousel--disaster!! The zipper broke, spilling all the contents of my suitcase onto the conveyor belt. A collective gasp--oh no!--broke out from the crowd as my underwear, vitamins, shoes, and clothes went everywhere. I don't know if this has ever happened to you, but try and grab items as they continue to go around one of those conveyor belts! You can only grab so many items at once, and the rest just go around for everyone to see. Two very sweet young girls helped me grab things, and finally all was retrieved--at least as far as I know (I have not gone through everything yet, but I am sure that anything lost can be replaced). I had to use my good problem solving skills, too, to figure out how to get the suitcase home. I decided NOT to take the bus, which was how I had gotten to the airport, and took a taxi instead--a Christmas present to myself b/c I was just not up to anything else.
So, Christmas was wonderful, but holiday travel can be anything but wonderful!

After Christmas!

Christmas was terrific, it is so much fun when you have a 5-year old that helps everyone else believe in the magic of christmas! The marvelous Macy worried because she had more presents than anyone else. She was particularly upset that our good friend Bazilla (Macy talk for Sevilla) only had 1 gift under the tree, even though Bazilla said her gifts were the chance to spend Christmas with our family, and all she and Uncle Jim really wanted for Xmas were pizza and wine, and we had both on Christmas eve!
The marvelous Macy was delightful, exclaiming over each and every gift that she opened, saying that she had always wanted whatever it was she opened. Very charming, and she was sincerely thankful, even for little ER's gifts! She delighted in the gifts that other people recieved. I must say, it was a perfect Christmas eve. Friends and family were gathered around for a relaxing yet fun evening. We missed Ben and Brooke and Julia and ER, and most especially Mimi Joan, but we remembered them in our conversations and in our hearts, as we talked about the Christmases past. Now we will all look forward to the new year, and the challenges and changes ahead!

Happiness

"Only LOVE can make you rich."

--Kermit, the frog

"Dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. Life is how we get there." Kermit, the frog

The Happiness Project

Today, while looking for something on the internet, I came across something that I found very interesting. It was called the Happiness Project. It seems that a professor from Yale had started her own Happiness project, where she spent a year testing every hypothesis, principle, theory that she could find. She says she tried everything "from Aristotle or St. Therese or Martin Seligman or Oprah" and she blogged about the challenge of being happier, and other people became interested in it and started their own happiness project. You can even email her and get her resolution chart. She has suggestions on how to get started--pick a "life symbol", the symbol you adopt for yourself and for your own happiness project. I signed right up--I have decided to start my own happiness project. I am still considering my symbol.
But it got me to thinking. Exactly what makes people happy? Is it money, is it having things, a great job, a big house, the newest gadget? Is it being thin, being famous, being smart?
And then I got to thinking about the Marvelous Macy. She's only 5, and 5-year-olds are supposed to be happy. Her dad likes to take her places when she has a good week at school--they go to Incredible Pizza, Chuck E Cheese, ice skating, the movies. And I got to say, I like to take her places too. Because she is FUN! But Macy is happy in the bathtub--and she doesn't even need bubbles, or candles--she just likes the water! You can fill a tub up and that girl just loves it!
And, in many ways, Macy is lucky. She has a dad who adores her, she has my daugher, who will love her like her own, she has lots of cousins and "grandmas and grandmothers" and Mimi and Mr. Lynn. But that little girl also has her share of heartache. Just before she goes to sleep, she misses her mother. The marvelous Macy doesn't live with her mom, she doesn't even see her that often, and Macy's mom doesn't even call that much. And this adorable little 5-year old doesn't understand. Well, none of us understand. She has experienced things in her life that no one should have to experience, and especially not a child.
And yet, for the most part, the Marvelous Macy is happy and she spreads happiness to those around her. I mean, I took her to the zoo here in Denver, and we saw a new baby giraffe, and a hippopotamus, we saw elephants, we saw sea lions, we saw a rhinocerous, and we saw gorgeous Christmas lights. But what did Macy like best? Well, to be honest, she liked the turtles. The ordinary, everyday variety of turtle, too, not even the giant sea turtles. We must have spent 2 hours in that sweltering rain forest, looking at the turtles. (It was sweltering because it was 15 degrees outside and we were dressed for that, not the tropics.) And I found it delightful, because she found it delightful. And I learned that it is not the big adventures in life that make us happy, but the small, everyday pleasures. The joy of spending time with the marvelous Macy, the precious ER. The joy of visiting my son and his wife and seeing their menagerie of animals. The joy of the crisp winter air, and the joy of sunshine in below 0 tempertures.
So, I am starting my own Happiness Project. I think the idea is intriguing, and worth some thought.

Blessings

A child's face at Christmas time
Santa tells the Marvelous Macy how it works!
You know, don't cry, don't pout
Be sweet, do your chores


Beautiful blessings of mine!

Today's pictures! Macy in her "polka dot dress" at the Nutcrac ker and the little man in his pooh bear.

Christmas

Christmas has always been such a magical and special time for me, because I come from a family who loves Christmas. My grandmother loved surprises and family, and always gathered everyone at her house. She loved the planning, preparing the food, the gifts, the pitch card games. My mom also loved Christmas and she loved to give and receive presents. She loved Santas and lights, and I have inherited that love of Christmas from both of them.
Last year, though, Christmas was really hard. My mom was sick, and big decisions had to be made. The decision to put a loved one in a nursing home is a terrible decison to have to make. First of all, because the loved one doesn't really want to go, and those who love her don't want her to go either. I had to worry about my dad; caring for her had become such a huge physical burden, finding caregivers was becoming more difficult, and the time had just come when I felt that she would get better services in the nursing home. It was really terrible though; the nursing home was great, many of the people who worked there I had known my entire life, and many of the residents there I had also known my entire life, and still it was awful. We tried hard to bring things with us that would provide comfort to her, and still she cried because she didn't want us to leave her there. It seemed the only decision to make; and yet, looking back, I wish it could have been different. Because this Christmas will be my first Christmas without my mom, and I miss her so.
I have been so blessed in my life though; 42 Christmas were spent at my grandma's house. She died at Christmas, and gave us all one last gift; everyone returned to Grandma's house that year, even my sister, to celebrate Bomi's life and Christmas. This year, after 53 Christmases with my mom and dad, I will celebrate Christmas without them. My mom died in March, and my dad has gone to Florida to be with my sister's family, and I, of course, want to spend Christmas with the newest member of my family, little ER.
And because of the Marvelous Macy and little ER, I have learned that Christmas is still magical after all. The memories are good ones, because I have such a special family to share Christmas with. Even though I won't have all of my family with me this Christmas, I will carry each and everyone of them in my heart, and I will thank God for my many blessings, for I know that He, too, gave up His Loved One for us, the One whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, the One who is really the magic of Christmas.
Merry Christmas to all!

The little guy is growing!!

Little ER had his first well check up today. He also got his shots, poor thing. However, he is now 24 3/4 inches long and weighs 13.5 lbs. That is above average in all categories. According to Papa ER, with a name like "ER" he has to be special!

His mother says he is also spoiled, and cries when they try to put him down--he wants to be held. Why on earth would they even WANT to put him down? I mean, I just want to hold him all the time, I can't figure out why they need to put him down. Don't they know how fast he will grow? I mean, just look, he has grown like 5 inches since birth, and almost doubled his weight--and he is only 10 1/2 weeks old.

I mean, look at him! He is so sweet! So hang on mommy and daddy!

Little Good byes

Last night, the kids went home. It was so hard, letting little ER get on that plane with his mom and the Marvelous Macy. I mean, Lyndsey won't change that much in two weeks. The Marelous Macy missed her Daddy, and she was glad to go home. But little ER, I am pretty sure that he wanted to stay. In spite of the fact that twice I bumped his head and made him cry. But also, I held him a LOT, and he told me that he really likes to be held. Well, he didn't really tell me, I mean with words and all, but he TOLD me, with his eyes, with his little hands. He really LIKES his MIMI!!
My house had little good byes all over--a diaper here, some reindeer horns there, a stocking cap overlooked in the bottom of a sack, but all-in-all, my house went from being a happy home full of children and laughter, to an apartment where no one lives but me. Those Christmas decorations that I put up for the Marvelous Macy, just silent and dark when she is gone. Luckily, it won't be long before I see them again.
It is just amazing how much life a 5 year old and a baby can bring with them. As a parent, you don't really appreciate the gifts because it seems pretty overwhelming. I mean, there are no breaks for parents, you have to be there whenever you are needed. As a grandparent, though, there are too many breaks, too few moments when you have those children, those special gifts from God. I am so blessed, and especially at this time of year, I am thankful for the Marvelous Macy and little ER.

Santa's helper!

Macy wants everyone to know that she was cuter when she was a baby, because she had a bow in her hair!

Yes, there really IS a Santa Claus!

So, the babies have been here visiting (along with Mommy Lyndsey and Mr. Lynn). Mimi was so excited to have them come, their first visit to her new home in Colorado. It is great, too! The house looks so much better with my family in it!!

So, one of our stops was, of course, the North Pole. We had to take a train up the mountain (or at least to the 4 mile stop!) to get to the North Pole. Santa rode the train with us, greeting all the children and their parents and grandparents. We sang Christmas carols on the way up, Macy and Mimi singing at the top of their lungs!! Luckily, they gave us songbooks that had all the words, E-cause (as Macy says) we didn't know all the lyrics by heart.

At the North Pole, all the children and their families got off the train, and the elves and toy soldiers served cookies and hot chocolate, while we waited for our chance to sit on Santa's lap and give him our list! The hot chocolate was necessary, because, even though the sun was shining, it is very cold and windy at the North Pole.

Santa's elves were putting Christmas tattoos on the children. When, suddenly, a snow ball fight erupted. It was every child for him/herself! Laughter rang out at the North Pole, for all the children are happy (and good) when Santa is watching! We are not sure where Santa lives at the North Pole, though, his house and workshop are hidden somewhere deep in the mountains, so that children can have surprises on Christmas morning.

The trip to the North Pole was exhausting (or maybe it was the altitude) for Macy and ER slept all the way down, while Lyndsey and Mimi sang Christmas carols. Mr. Lynn took pictures and enjoyed the ride. All in all, a beautiful day at the North Pole!

Is there anything sweeter???

Christmas trees

Today I had to go to the "Springs" to pick up some dishes that my dad sent with a friend, who left them at her brother's jewelry store in Woodland Park. It was a beautiful day, and as soon as I left the interstate to head into Woodland Park, I noticed that every single car had a Christmas tree--either in it, on top of it, or in the back of the truck. It seems that on this day you can cut your own Christmas Tree from the Pike National Forest. And, being a beautiful, crisp, sunny day, many people were taking advantage of this holiday tradition. Cars were parked all along the side of the road, big groups trying to select and cut their own tree. It is such a cool idea; I wanted to stop and get a free tree, too, but, duh...what would I cut it with, the plastic knife from my picnic lunch? So...I just had to enjoy other people cutting their trees. Mostly men and their sons, or families traveling together in 3 separate cars just for this event. It was really fun, though, because the fire department was handing out cookies and hot chocolate to 'Men in Trees' and their families, the forestry service was checking out the trees and helping the lucky Treebeards (Ents) strap thosetrees to their cars. I wonder if those trees scratch the tops of those cars. I mean, some people came prepared with a tarp or a sheet of plastic, but some just tied them to the top. Those were mostly the small Hondas and such, toting enormous trees--the trees hung off of the front AND the back, they were so much bigger than the car!

I took the long way home, in order to enjoy the mountains and the day. There are places where the snow covers the land, and there are places that are totally without snow. But everywhere there is the majesty of the mountains. You have to be careful on tree cutting day, though; those little bitty Hondas with 10 foot trees on top of them can lose their tree at any moment, so you have to be prepared to dodge flying christmas trees. Luckily, driving round the mountain requires you to go pretty slow.

And so, another day in the mountains came and went. I had to get home early this day, to watch the Sooners wrap up another Big 12 title and set a new record--the first team to score more than 60 points in 5 consecutive games. I just hope they can score 60 against the Gators! Boomer Sooner!

GMA in Denver!

I hope you enjoy today's pictures!!!

Today Good Morning America was in Denver. I was excited to see what the window in NYC would look like, and I really wanted to go down to Union Station and get on TV. Unfortunately, I had to work, so I could only watch on TV. It was really cold down there, I think something like 16 degrees here right now, but everyone seemed to be having fun. The window had snow skiers skiing at WinterPark, it showed the Ski Train--which I am excited to ride--and it showed the Christmas lights! it was spectacular and gave a flavor of why it is so great to live in Denver!

Next week, my two favorite kids will be here. We are going to ride the Santa Train to Pikes Peak, and make a stop at Santa's workshop--it is such fun having a 5 year old who is SO excited about Christmas!! We are also going to ride the light rail downtown to Union Station and see the lights, we are headed to Copper Mountain for a day of snowboarding and tubing, and we are going to the Children's museum and to see the Zoo lights!

In preparation for their visit, Mimi has been very busy! I had to buy a Moses' basket, so little ER would have somewhere to sleep, and I had to get diapers, wet ones, formula, etc., so that Mom doesn't have to worry about packing all these things. Also, we had to have a baby snowsuit and, of course, some presents under the tree--which I also had to purchase and decorate.

The stockings are hung by the front door with care ( a NEW one this year!) in hopes that the Grandkids soon will be here. There are icicle lights on the patio, and real icicles are hanging from the patio as well. Snow covers the land, at least temporarily, and it is indeed beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The real present already arrived, in October, and he has brought such joy!!

The Season of Change and Not Change

Another thanksgiving has come and gone. This year was the season of change, the first Thanksgiving without my mom. So there were moments that were bittersweet, thinking of Thanksgivings past. My dad seems to be doing ok, just lonely. He remembered my mom's part, and brought the pies, bringing enough so that all 20 of us had our own. And there was a new generation in the kitchen this year. Oh, my sister-in-law, Mush, was still in charge overall, having once again bought enough food to feed the enitre population of a small country, and Julia, my co-mother, was still in charge of the details of getting the food all on the table, but the girls really did a lot of the cooking, making traditional Thanksgiving dishes like soapapilla pie and some kind of heavenly sweet potato concoction. But there was still a thread of the past there, too, because when it comes time for the gravy, I always think of my grandmother; she made the best turkey gravy--but failed to teach any of us how to make it so we just have to kind of wing it--and it may or may not turn out. And there were noodles, a favorite of Mema Betty Jane's. And Papa Mack brought the smoked cheese. And Tommy didn't have to carry the dressing anywhere, so we didn't have to scrape it off the driveway this year.
So there we were, our beautiful family, from those two great- grandparents in their 80s to the newest members, two who are merely months old.
In October, both my niece, Elizabrat, and my daughter Lyndsey had babies, so there was always a baby for me to hold, while all this cooking was going on. The sweet and lovely Greta Ruth, a delicate, dark-haired beauty and the precious blond cowboy ER were in great demand. Both because they are sweet-smelling babies and because you can get out of a lot of work if the babies need to be held. And if someone wrestled the babies away from me, then there was Maggie Moo or the Marvelous Macy to look after. We took a lot of pictures, soon to be posted here.
And there was a bountiful feast, for which I am grateful, and a beautiful family, for which I am truly blessed.

Thanksgiving

Ok, so I took this job in Denver. Professionally, it was a great opportunity. Personally, though, it took me away from my family. You know, those grandkids that I am always blogging about. So, it has been lonely. I mean, look at those babies with Mr. Lynn. They are having fun and I am not there!!

Oh, the job is great! Every day, I walk to work and I look at the beautiful mountains and I think, "I am so lucky to live here!" The job is busy, and challenging, and the day goes by fast. Every evening, though, as I am walking home, I am thinking of my family and not seeing them today. Cell phones are great; but talking just isn't the same as giving them a hug. Hearing Macy say, "MeeeeMeeee! Quit snoring!" or "Turn up the heat ditioner" (I mean, if their is an AIR conditioner, there could also be a Heat Ditioner, right?)

So, today is the day before Thanksgiving. Tonight I am going to join thousands of other air travelers trying to get home for the holidays. I had to park my car at the Park-N-Ride yesterday, because it seems that all the parking spaces get filled up on holiday weekends. So tonight, I have to drag my huge suitcase (I mean, who knows what the weather will be in Tulsa?!) out to the curb and hitchhike over to the Park-N-Ride, so that I can catch the bus to the airport, so I can stand in line for two hours with the rest of the people trying to get out of Denver. Luckily, we are closing early today, because the whole process could take me a while. (So, you may be thinking, why did she have to take her car to the Park-n-ride if she was riding the bus--well, I have to get back to work on Monday morning.)

However, it will all be worth it! Because tonight, I am going to sleep in Macy's room, where I will try not to snore and she will definitely wake me up if I do, and tomorrow I get to snuggle up with baby ER. And there will be lots to eat, because my sister-in-law is cooking. Baby Greta Ruth, whom I haven't seen since she was 5 days old, will be there with her big sister Maggie Moo. And my Bennie Boy, the owner of the mini horses and protector of all animal strays, will be there with my sweet daughter-in-law, Brooke. There will be lots of family time (but never enough) and lots of food. We will have Thanksgiving dinner and then we will all go to the movies, just like we do every year (except, of course, the year that Tommy lost the dog; even though Mush warned him about letting Jeremiah outside he did it anyway and some people had to miss the movie to look for the dog so that Mush didn't divorce Tom; I mean, that wouldn't be right, on Thanksgiving, to have a split in the family.)

So, I am counting my blessings today, because tonight I will sleep in the pink and purple room of my favorite granddaugther, and tomorrow I will wake up with the babies close. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Be sure and count your blessings!

Baby ER and Big ER

Well, he is all of 6 weeks old now. So sweet, that baby smell. His mom, my daughter, is such a great mom. She is so attentive to him, and she worries about him. He doesn't eat, he eats too much, he doesn't sleep, he sleeps too much. But she is so great--she sends me a new picture every day. She takes him to work with her, she cuddles him up and checks in golfers at the same time. ER doesn't seem much like a baby name, though. She and Richard named him for my dad, her grandad, his great-grandpa, a man who is very special to all of us.

Big ER will turn 80 this Christmas day, and he still works cattle, mows his own lawn, gets on the roof to put up his Christmas lights. We all treasure the time we have with him, he has always been the rock of our family. If anyone has a problem, they can call him and he will listen and be supportive no matter what.

Visiting the Grandkids

So, I just returned from visiting my new grandson and his sister, the Marvelous Macy. Little ER is so sweet, he has filled out from the last time I saw him. He is 6 weeks old now, and absolutely beautiful.
So, the Marvelous Macy spent the weekend with us. mr. Lynn and I checked into a kid friendly hotel with an incredible play area, louie's lagoon. Macy had a great time and invited friends, and Mimi spent most of Sat and Sun watching kids swim. They had so much fun it wore the skin off their feet and knees!!
It is such a pleasure watching children play with one another. They can play for hours in water, and for some reason watching them is as fun as playing in the water with them. They have just incredible imaginations, where I see a pretend palm tree, they see a real one. Where I see a play cannon, they see pirates and forts and honors that need to be defended. It does wear them out though.
And, sadly, at the end of sunday I had to say good bye to the little guys...but I will see them again at thanksgiving, which is really something to be thankful for!

Grandkids

Grandkids are just the best. When you are lonely, they cheer you up. They love you lots and are happy to spend time with you. They like you better than they like their friends, at least until they are 12. They teach you all the things young kids are doing these days, if you let them. It is so great!
Macy Moo is the granddaughter of my heart if not my blood. She calls me Mimi, and she loves me, despite the fact that I snore. She is smart, funny, and fun to be with. She loves to watch "The Three Students" and always corrects me if I make a mistake and call them the Three Stooges.