January Birthdays

It seems like the holidays just get over, and we have not one, but two, birthdays to celebrate. Dawson on the 7th and Kloe on the 9th. The request this year was a three layer cake that looks like a Rubik's Cube. Ya, right. Thankful for the power of google, this is what I came up with.

Down right impressed, I am! I used a new frosting from a dear friend, and it is a keeper. It keeps the colors well, and is a charm to decorate with. 

 Dawson opening his gifts.....

 Lexy helping Kloe.....

 She wanted lime green! I think she likes it!

The birthday kids. I can't believe how quickly the years pass. Kloe is 9, Dawson is 8. Seems like he just turned 3 and had tubes put in his ears. 

I hope the smiles are true representations of these kids. They certainly are the smile in my heart.

Happy Birthday.

Post Holiday Visit.

After Christmas, Ken and I traveled to Saco, and met up with my dear friend, Sue. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at "our new favorite restaurant that we meet them at," The Run of the Mill. We talk and talk and laugh and laugh, and truly enjoy our lunch dates. After we ate, we visited with Sue's mother for a bit. I love these visits, as our time together is short, and way too long in between, but we always pick up, right where we left off. Hope it's always this easy.

Christmas 2012

A little out of order, but I wanted to post some pictures of the holidays at the Dow house. On the 23rd, all the grandchildren came over to help make Christmas cookies, that we would later decorate the following day. After we were done baking, Ken gathered them around the piano, and they sang, with all their heart and souls, the Christmas songs they knew. It was wonderful. 

The next day, we decorated the cookies in the morning, and celebrated later in the day, with a tree, and dinner. Here are a few of the happenings...

 Lexy's new sweater that I made.

 All four in one spot, somewhat smiling....

 Kloe's new sweater.....

The aftermath.

The kids all got a new computer. 

 Dawson taking a picture of himself.

 Gavin and Jen......

 Jen and Brooklynn.....

 An old decoration that my uncle made many years ago.

Four in a tub, all smiles, ready for Christmas eve.

It was a wonderful day with the family. It was nice to have the whole day, decorating cookies with the kids, getting our dinner ready, sharing with the family. As the kids get older, it gets a bit crazier, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

Merry Christmas!

Goodbye

     Today, I said goodbye to a life long friend. I have known her all my life. She was friends with my parents, and over the years, became a dear friend to me, too. She contracted the flu, developed pneumonia, suffer a heart attack, and was unable to recover. Within a  week, she was gone. I visited with her in the ICU for a few minutes, kind of by chance, but so glad I made the attempt and was successful in seeing her. I was able to talk and laugh with her, and to tell her I loved her. 

     She taught me how to make Chow Chow - her brand of relish. She gave me knitting needles that belonged to another dear friend, who was an avid knitter. She gave me a watch that belonged to her sister. She gave me hats she had made. She gave, she gave, she gave. 

    She was a wonderful friend, and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister. She had a temper, and she had a twinkle in her eye most of the time that matched the smile or grin on her face. She was fun, and loving, and very honest. You always knew what she was thinking, because she always told you. 

     I will miss her. I will miss her gifts. I will miss her lessons. I will miss the guidance. I will greatly miss the friendship. 

     Goodbye, Marilyn.