Bye Bye Winter

Didn't February seem to last forever?  We didn't get a lot of snow, but the weather was dreary, and, let's face it....the groundhog was right this year!  

But, Marty and I did get out and about for some fun so I'd thought I'd share a few of our family adventures with you. 

In February there was the twins' birthday which always involves some entertaining antics

We had some fun "recreating" a photo from when they were babies

There a tad bit harder to hold now.

The cake was made by Stacey and pretty clever if you ask me.  (Delicious as well!)

And the girls couldn't be happier!

A couple of weeks ago, we made a quick trip to Beaver to check up on Mom. 

As you can see...she's doing great!

Mid March means a birthday celebration for Marty!  (He's older than the number of candles that you see.)

This year, we celebrated in Lynchburg and I made the cake.  Not fancy, but certainly yummy.

We spent the latter part of the week on the campus of Liberty University, where Joshua was competing in a debate tournament.  It meant early mornings as we needed to be on campus by 7:15 AM, but as you can see, we're all pretty chipper!

Joshua and his debate partner participated in three 90 minute debates on two consecutive days.  They were the youngest participants and this was Joshua's first time participating in a tournament like this.  They won three of their six debates, which is pretty impressive, considering that they were up against some seasoned debaters who were several years older. 

Marty had fun judging and I enjoyed sitting in and watching as this was an entirely new experience for me.  The subject matter involved current events that revolved around US policy in respect to a group of countries in Latin America.  Each team had to be prepared to defend the Affirmative or the Negative, and they were not made privy which would be expected until five minutes prior to start time. 

I was really impressed by the poise and demeanor of the debaters and I think it's a great idea to have these young men and women explore both sides of a subject.  It gives them the opportunity to understand the mindset of the opposing side.  

We had Saturday to get out for a few minutes to explore the beautiful campus, so we headed outdoors to get some photos. 

We had been told that one could get to the top of the Liberty tower for a view over the countryside. So, Marty and I thought we'd sneak over for a peek. 

But we found all of the doors locked.  Not to worry....we soon learned that the only entrance that was open was the one on the ground floor, so we headed back over, this time with Becky and Joshua joining us. 

The inside of the elevator was entertaining.  This is what you see when the door closes to make the long ride up. 

And the ceiling had a mirror!

We stepped outside to take in the view.  It wasn't as spectacular as we had anticipated  due to the misty weather.  

But we still managed to have fun with it!

A fellow student who had joined us for the trip to the top was more than happy to take our photo.

Then we headed back down to the bottom where Joshua held the world on his shoulders. 

He certainly has much to be proud of!  It was a busy, but fun weekend and Marty and I were glad that we could be part of it. 

We drove home on Sunday and had learned of the passing of one of my dad's cousins, Mary.  Marty and I had visited her quite some time ago so that she and I could troubleshoot the Takach side of the family.  She was an avid genealogist, and she and I would email back and forth, getting excited when we stumbled upon a piece of information that we didn't have before.  

Her "Celebration of Life" was scheduled for Wednesday, and we were free, so Marty and I made the drive to attend, and I'm SO glad that we did!  Mary loved to relay how she looked forward to visits from my dad when they were youngsters, and, it turns out that her younger sister, Marge, had some entertaining stories to share as well. 

I met second cousins for the first time, and every one of them was delightful!  Here you see me with Stephen.  His father, Andrew, was the best man at my parent's wedding. 

I found some vintage photos of family visits when I was a child, and asked one particular woman if she had any idea who the little girl was in the picture. (That's me on the right.....No...I don't have curly hair....not quite sure how that happened.)

Well, it turns out, "that woman" was the baby in the photo!  How great is that?

Marty and I were thrilled to be welcomed so enthusiastically by this obviously close knit family. 

It was a beautiful tribute to Mary.  

Certainly special moments to treasure. 

Until next time......

 

Holiday Happenings 2024

The year will soon come to a close, and I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight some of our holiday family fun! Photos are limited as I was too busy having fun, but no worries, I have enough to reflect our adventures. 

It wouldn't be the same without the annual sugar cookie extravaganza!  As Iris was prepping the surface for rolling

her sister was busy helping her mom prepare the cheesy potatoes for Christmas Day dinner. 

Rolling was soon underway

and little brother meticulously placed the cookie cutters on the dough.

Within no time the house was filled with heavenly smells, and everyone grabbed some icing and sprinkles to set about decorating. 

except for Mabel who was enjoying the new dog bed that she received as a gift. 

As you can see, the results were perfect!

and delicious as well!

How was that for fun?

Christmas Eve we welcomed Amy and Mabel

and enjoyed our traditional Slovak Christmas Eve dinner after attending evening Mass. 

The food was scrumptious!

On Christmas Day, we headed back to Stacey's for a lovely celebration. 

 It appears that Santa brought make up.

Can you tell?

Grandma G (that's me!) gave them these outfits.  Don't they look fabulous? Well, perhaps I'm a bit biased. 

This gift from my son-in-law certainly confused me and resulted in quite a laugh. 

As I was contemplating just how this would work, I was assured that it was just a box.  The joke was certainly on me!

Dinner began this year with all of us popping Christmas Crackers that Marty and I had picked up when we enjoyed lunch at Best of Britain Tea shop a few weeks ago. There was the thrill of a loud bang

and paper crowns for us all to don.

It really was quite fun.  

Parker impressed us all by reciting grace perfectly before dinner.  I must admit, I felt my hear melt a bit as I watched him intently clasping his tiny hands while he prayed.  A memory that I will surely treasure. 

As always, dinner was scrumptious as Stacey is an excellent cook.  No photos, though.  we were too busy enjoying the meal! 

I brought the Ho Ho cake for dessert.

And I must feature this snowflake brie that Stacey had made as an appetizer.  How beautiful is this?

It apparently takes some time to construct, but the end result was fabulous.  And delicious as well. 

Before moving on, I'd like to share this unique painting that I thought was so clever.

The artist was more than willing to pose for me. 

Perhaps he'll be famous one day!

We headed home the next day, with Mabel tagging along for the ride. 

But she and Amy were with us only overnight before traveling back home. 

Two days later, Marty and I headed their direction for a small Christmas celebration at Jim's house. 

No lacking for entertainment there! 

There might have been some sneaky doggy activity happening.

And this year's Yinzer Fishing gift featured the logo on a new set of hats.  Someone was more than a little bit excited,  I can assure you of that. 

On Sunday, we visited with Mom

and managed to squeeze in some quality time with my high school friend, Tammy. 

She and I always look forward to sharing these special moments when we can make them happen. 

Marty and I treated ourselves to a stay at the Riverside B&B in Bridgewater, which is just a few miles from Mom's house.  Marty loves gazing out at the river from the bedroom, while hearing the trains traveling in the distance. It really is in a peaceful location. 

And, at this time of year, festive decor added to its charm. 

In the morning, Russ, one of the owners, impressed us with his collection of vintage toasters.

As you can see, there was quite an array.  But these don't include the two that were featured in a demonstration from Russ.  They were the oldest toasters in the house, one dating back as early as 1909! We had seen a similar demonstration on one of our previous stays, but this one was even more entertaining! 

Before heading home, we bid fond farewell to Russ and promised we'd make the Riverside our "home away from home" sometime in the near future. 

Not a bad idea, if I say so myself!

Here's wishing all of my followers a Merry Christmas (there are twelve days to celebrate, so we are still in the midst)  and a very Happy New Year!

See you in 2025, and as always, thank you for following along!