Deja Vu

Deja Vu - experiencing something familiar!

Omaha - Christmas 2009 and January 2010

Looking at drift by our driveway...

Getting to our Mailbox....


Street and sidewalk in front of our house...

Grand Forks, ND - Christmas 1980 and January 1981

Our front yard and Jason (age 4 1/2) on snowdrift...

Everytime I walked to the mailbox in the last several weeks, I felt like I was back in North Dakota. It was such an odd feeling. Nebraska never gets this much snow and it's been along time ago that it was so cold. (It has been 61 years since it has snowed like this in the month of December.) Reality came back yesterday and today...in the form of rain! The snow is melting fast which is more like Omaha winters.

Thank goodness for warmer weather.

A Wonderful Time of Year!

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year! I love the music, decorating the tree, snow, and all the sights and sounds of the seasons. It was fun having all our children, children-in-laws, and grandchildren here for this Christmas! I loved watching the faces of our grandchildren as they saw what Santa had brought, the preparations of their mom and dads getting ready for the jolly old man, the laughing voices of adults playing board games late at night, and watching all the grandkids as they got to know each other. It was hectic at times but it was happy hectic times! There was confusion at times and even misunderstandings but we learned amongst it all that family is what matters most! It is not the Christmas tree, the gifts, the food or the snow (we had a blizzard Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day). It's the happiness and love that brings people together and binds them forever.

In the following posts, I put some pics of our time together. I hope it's not too many pictures, it was hard to choose.

Trip to the Gingerbread display and Amazing Pizza Machine

We went to the gingerbread display at the Mormon Trail Center. The kids enjoyed looking but I it was pretty tasty looking, too! We had fun upstairs looking at the pioneer displays. Noah was very interested in everything and talking to his dad about everything he saw.

Stephanie and Noah looking at the gingerbread houses.

Keegan and Grandma

Cooper enjoying a pioneer hat!
Eric and his cute little Olivia.

Eric and Olivia in their pioneer hats!

We also had tons of fun at the Amazing Pizza Machine. The kids loved it! Thank goodness there was enough of us to keep track of the kids. It kept them busy for a long time!

Enjoying the buffet!

Brett and Stephanie (Such a cute picture)!

The train was a big hit! Keegan on the train!
Matthew with Carter on the train!

Olivia not too sure about the slide!!!

Dad to the rescue!!!

Eric, Joy, baby Olivia and myself!

Carter and Keegan in the arcade car!

Cooper loved the Air Hockey game! But the ride that was the hit for all of the kids was the little Merry-go-round! As you can see they all loved it...even little Olivia knew how to hang on.

This ride was a little more than Grandma would have done....I think Brett throughly enjoyed it.

Noah and Cooper

Wow, swing that hammer!

Eating at Lanzky's Restaurant

We went out to eat on Weds. night to Lansky's (a pizza and pasta place big enough to sit all of us). Jason and Lacey were able to join us for this evening. It was fun for the cousins to get to know each other.

Jason, Lacey and Eric's baby, Olivia

Cooper giving Maddie a hug!

Cousins-Kenzie, Kaiden, Kaitlyn and Noah before dinner!

Grandma and Maddie (what a sweetheart)!

Stephanie and Cooper!

Christmas Eve Day

Christmas Eve Day was a busy day for all! I was so grateful for all the help that everyone gave. Everyone was willing to run to the store for things we needed and to help prepare the meals that we had. We prepared a Christmas eve dinner and Jason, Lacey and family came over to spend the afternoon and evening with all of us. We played a white elephant game after dinner that was really fun!

Noah and Cooper got to decorate cookies for Santa right before bedtime and of course after decorating cookies a much needed bath. We were already for Santa.

Carter and Keegan with Rick and I!

Noah and Cooper all ready for Santa and bedtime.

Olivia in her Christmas jammies!