January Birthdays!

Jessie's birthday is first ... on the 2nd of January ...the Uncle Jeff on the 9th and Elaina on the 11th. We had a fun evening celebrating the birthdays ... and listening to Jeff describe a movie that we really didn't understand! Fun!

Happy New Year

We decided to celebrate with the group at Tan-tar-ra.










We ended up with a group that brought all sorts of party favors! These actually lit up very well.









Party Animal! He was very gracious and gave everyone around us party favors ... there were about 16 with his group. Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to another fun year!

Christmas

Christmas in St. Louis! Every year that we've been married we have traveled to St. Louis to have Christmas "home" ... this year is no different. I had promised our family that a group picture was not required since I took one Thanksgiving ... thus the pic in St. Louis.

We have been blessed in 2009 with a great family ... no major sickness and everyone loves each other. God is Good!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was so very special...as every year is. Mother got to be with us again. She had just celebrated her 90th birthday! She received over 100 birthday cards.

The grand daughters are getting so grown. We're running out of room on the little sofa!

Last Cruise of 2009

Taken someplace on the Italian coastline. Had a wonderful time with friends Len & Deb. Cruised and did the tourist scene in Naples, Rome, Florence and some towns on the French coastline. Wow!

Thank you Mel & Janet for allowing us to go after missing it in 2008.

Holiday Labor Day

This was the best ever Labor Day! All the family was together ... enjoyed food prepared, of course, by Pop! As usual, he did an excellent job. Our "girls" brought salads to complete the array of food. I am so thankful for such a loving and caring family. God truly blessed us.

Brian & Jan and Jeff & Erin.

Our two wonderful granddaughters, Elaina & Jessica.

To complete the picture is Pop with the "Boys" ... sorry, they will always be my "boys"!

St. Louis Visit

As always Linda plans a wonderful weekend for us (Mother, Aunt Rosie, Linda and myself). We ate lunch at the Crown Candy Kitchen. Mother and Aunt Rosie ordered "cups" of ice cream and Linda & I split a hot fudge banana split. Very Good!!!

This is a sculpture titled Samarhand. I thought it was beautiful ... just like my Mother! The horse Zenit and the stellated dodecahedron were very unusual.

After lunch we visited the new Citygarden. It's located downtown with a beautiful view of the Arch. Linda took the picture with the Two Rabbits. Linda couldn't resist putting her fist in the nose of Eros Bendato.












This last picture is Aunt Rosie and Mother in front of (I thought Abe Lincoln) but it is really the Scarecrow. We just saw a small bit of the garden ... will go back on another beautiful day. God blessed us with nice weather. I'm still trying to learn this blogging without bothering Vaughn, so please excuse this not being in order. Drives me nuts but then who really cares? I just like the pictures.

The reason I was in St. Louis at all this weekend was to the generosity of my dear, life long friend, Debbie. The aunt of her husband, who lives in St. Louis, had surgery so she wanted to go to be with him and visit the aunt. Not wanting to go it alone she asked me to go with her. In that great big city, the aunt lives just down the street of my sister! Thank you Debbie for letting me ride along. I truly enjoyed it! Trevor was a sweetheart too. (Trevor is the Grandson of Debbie & Len). God has spoiled me with wonderful friends and family.