Santa Claus and Ho Ho Ho and Mistletoe and Presents...

Oh my goodness has our Christmas break become busy! 

J came home the weekend before Christmas.  L had to continue school, and I had to work through Wednesday.  The following day, we began baking our Christmas cookies.  We also spent several hours hauling and stacking wood in the lean-to by the woodburner.

We finished our cookies and finished watching our annual Christmas movies on Christmas eve.  J decided to bake Christmas feet and fish, while L made some Amish conjoined twins.

Christmas morning brought fresh cinnamon rolls baked by JP.  We all enjoyed opening our presents.  J was especially happy with the cape that I made her.  We had a delicious Christmas dinner with my parents.

L's 16th birthday was on the Monday after Christmas.  We will try to celebrate tomorrow, since JP is working again today.  I made her crepes for breakfast for her birthday.  A few of them actually turned out ok!

Monday evening, both of my brothers, and 2 of my nephews arrived from out of town.  They stayed overnight, and then we all left bright and early Tuesday morning in a caravan for OH and the funeral for my grandma.  My youngest brother and his boys stayed for the next day, but my brother from TX had to return home immediately after the funeral.

We watched some movies, and put together a puzzle.  It was a nice visit.

Today L is working on homework.  J is cleaning out her fishbowl, and I am washing and putting away bedding from our many visitors. 

Tomorrow is New Year's eve, and then we start a brand new year!

Tiny Grandmom

My last living grandparent passed away this morning.  My grandma was 106 years old. She lived through 21 presidents and 2 pandemics.  She outlived 2 husbands and beat COVID last year.

When J was just a little tyke, she was trying to figure out how her great grandmother fit into the scheme of things.  She decided that her grandmother was "Grandmom," and her great grandmother was "Tiny Grandmom."  We have called her that for the past 16 years or more.

This is J with me, grandma and great grandma - a 
year or two before she dubbed her "Tiny
Grandmom."

In 2008 L and her cousin joined Grandmom and
Tiny Grandmom for photos.

The girls invited Grandmom and Tiny Grandmom
to a tea party in 2011

Grandma was the first person that I ever saw putting on make up.  I remember watching her when she and grandpa came to visit us in Idaho, when I was about 6 or 7 years old.  During the same visit, I was also pretty impressed that her teeth could come out!

Back in the 80's, after my grandpa passed away, grandma decided to go into Mennonite VS (Voluntary Service), teaching arts and crafts in a Nursing Home.  During that time, she learned how to do ceramics.  For many years, she made ceramic dolls, complete with beautiful outfits.  Most of her granddaughters were gifted one of her "babies."

JP was my "plus one" to my grandma's 2nd wedding.  It was one of our early dates, and we spent the car ride from Virginia to Ohio and back talking for hours and learning to know each other better.

She has been such an institution in my life, it's hard to believe that Tiny Grandmom is gone.  She lived an amazing life, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it!