Tony's 39th Birthday....a little late

We finally got to celebrate Tony's 39th birthday recently.  (Homemade chocolate frosting.  'Bout made myself sick!)

Hannah's 9th Birthday Celebration

Hannah's 9th birthday party last Friday....the Dede children are fortunate to have three sets of doting grandparents!  Hannah chose a snowman cake, and this was before our blizzard this week.  I have never seen birthday candles lit with a torch such as this, but it worked.  Lots of giggly girlfriends, fun and games, and happy children. 

Scenes from a Snowstorm 2011

 A night to remember....

 

 This pile of snow came mostly from the front door landing.  Our house faces west, and we couldn't open the door this morning until Mario went to work with the shovel.

Thinking that staying ahead of the game was a good idea, (and my suggestion), Mario cleared the driveway twice yesterday.  And the neighbors' too.   Didn't matter.

 I'm not sure how many inches we got.  I have heard everything from 16 to 28.  There are several places where the yardstick disappears.

 Mario's snowgear today included this look.

 Blake cleared a path in the neighbors' driveway.  Mario and Blake will dig them out tomorrow.

Looks like a heart attack waiting to happen, so after he did this the second time, I issued an executive order forbidding any more snow shoveling or snowblowing for today. 

It is certainly a storm to remember. 

Oops....

Well I sure made a mess today.   I was having lunch, and somehow I turned my cup of hot tea over backwards as I began to eat my hot turkey sandwich, and it spilled into my purse.  Yep.  The whole cup of tea in my purse that was sitting on the floor next to my chair.  Everything was tea-soaked.  My money to pay my bill was in a bank envelope, and it got hit first.  So I paid my lunch bill with wet money.  I just laughed.  I can't remember ever spilling a whole cup of hot tea, let alone having it land in my purse.  You just gotta be amused.  :o)

We have a piano player in the family....or 2

Hannah and Tony played a duet today in the Quincy Conservatory of Music Piano Recital.  The music by all the participants was enjoyable and entertaining.  I look forward to more of these!  We noticed that several preschool-aged little brothers took a snooze while the music played on....

Just pics... Jill, Chris and Makenna

 I'm not sure where you are Jill, but I'd like to be there with ya!

I don't think this picture was taken in Arizona....

Elder Law Matters Article

Today in our Quincy Herald Whig newspaper in the Financial Matters section, page 3, is a thoughtful article entitled "Elder Law Matters" by William L. Siebers, Attorney.  If more folks were prepared for this time of life, there might be less heartache and family struggles as people say goodbye.  Just a thought.

How many daycare kids can sit on a loveseat?

Here are some of Carrie's current crop of daycare kids.  Well, except for the big smiley face on the right.  Nolan has lots of buddies to play with.  The two babies in front are twins.  The little boy is Mr. Mellow, and his sister is NOT! 

Just here to PLOW MY ROW!

Happy 4th Day TEC 270.  I love the birthday gift sign.  It's hanging on my fridge.  And for the birthday bag of notes and cards and letters....how can a girl be so lucky to celebrate her birthday with 80 old and mostly new friends?  I had the best birthday and will never forget how joyful turning 60 has been.

Today I was hoping to take a young man to the orthodontist in Barry.  He is missing his front tooth.  Please pray for a compassionate, helpful doctor there who will take him as a patient.  Thank you :o). But the weather has prohibited our trip.  So another month we wait for the rescheduled appt. in Feb.  Good things come for those who wait.  I've heard that somewhere.  :o)

Almost 60....I'm wearing pink for this one!

Can't believe I will be 60 on Monday.  Kitty and Chico are very excited for me!  Right now, I am thinking, READY, SET,.....not quite go for TEC #270 beginning Saturday morning.  We are prepared, excited, and know for sure that there are good things in store for all of us.  God bless everyone :o) Jesus says, "Just offer what you have.  I will make up the difference." 
And I wrote this down from an article I read a few days ago....
Walk with your shoulders high and your head higher.  Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the US today.  (our church)
(Jeremiah) Stand by the roads and look and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it and find rest for your souls.

Happy Girl at Sea World

I missed posting this one in December.  Elmo, Makenna, and Zoey hit it off at Sea World in San Diego. 

Nolan the Soldier Boy

I am trying to decide if Carrie and Tony have birthed a little warrior.  At 5 years old, Nolan is loving to play soldier, army man, whatever you want to call it, above most everything else.  O dear.  I have heard of such young men.  "Always wanted to be a soldier," the mom or dad says.  I'm not sure if I should start praying.  Well, I will worry about that tomorrow.  Or maybe I will just trust that God will take care of this little fighting spirit in Nolan and everything will be ok.  :o)

Third meeting for TEC 270 today.  I am loving how this team is coming together.  Such a terrific group, attentive, great participants, and they are so far putting up with this old lady as their leader!  Today, however, one of them told me I was showing my age when I called the DVD player the JAM BOX.  I somewhat apologized, told them I was sorry that I still did not know how to play music through the laptop computer (because I don't own one), and I saw a few little snickers in the room.  Well, I'm honest.  It's like the phone....I still just want the simple one where you say hello and goodbye. 

Someday a few of them may be where I am...just liking to do things the simple way.  But thank God most of the population has stepped up and learned how to use the new technology.  I guess.  I'm still watching my mom and dad's 19" Zenith TV from their apartment days in the 80's in Las Vegas.  I like it because the sound is so good.  Never mind the picture--yes, it is dull in comparison to Mario's big screen downstairs, but I have a hard time hearing down there.  So what good is watching if you can't hear?

Time to call it a day.  I am thinking about my niece Paige tonight.  She has gone to Australia with a group of students from Augustana College.  I hope she isn't where all that flooding is.  O my.  We are blessed here in so many ways.

This n' That, and How the Weather Stole Christmas Eve!

 Blake and his friends Connor and Dylan at the 2010 Soccer Team Dinner recently

 Cora and Hannah at their Christmas dance recital

and with Carrie after the show

Self-portrait Dede family Christmas photo (I have never figured out how to do this.)

 Dede kids:  Hannah-8, Blake-17, Cora-12, and Nolan-5

 Dede Mom and Dad, somewhere in their 30's

 Hannah loves her daddy

Hannah loves her mommy
There has been much to celebrate this Christmas season, other than missing the Christmas Eve dinner/party in Springfield.  Sadly, the weather forecast for our area all week long was right on the money on Christmas Eve afternoon.  It was my family's 3rd day together, as Chris had arrived on Dec. 22 with his family.  We chose the evening of the 22nd to celebrate our Camacho family Christmas.  On the 23rd, we had a great lunch at our fun Japanese restaurant.  Nolan stole the show for a moment by catching the food in his mouth that the cook was throwing with his spatula.  That evening, Mario and Chris joined forces on McDonald's indoor soccer team and pretty well sent the other team packing mid-way through the game.  But they all play for fun and still seem to appreciate Mario's innate talent for the game and how the Camacho instincts and ability have passed on to Chris.  By Christmas Eve morning, I had packed the guitar, musical instruments, and festive headgear for everyone (had some dynamite new ones for this year!), and the gifts were wrapped and ready to go.  We had a great Italian feast for an early Christmas Eve lunch.  Then the snow hit like a ton of bricks here.  It was that great kind of snow for packing....nice and heavy.  After Tony studied the road conditions and talked to his brother Tom who was enroute to Quincy from Springfield at the same time, Tony was called upon to make the family decision.  Sadly, we could not take the risk of putting our lives in danger because of poor road conditions and what would most likely get worse as the evening went on.  I went to our bedroom to lay down, and when I came out, there was a lot of commotion in the house.  A snowball fight was beginning in the front yard.  Cora quickly changed from her pretty purple dress to my leggins and snowboots.  Hannah already had boots and leggins with her dress, so she just went with it.  I have to admit....watching my family playing in the snow and having such a ball with each other was helpful to get me over the inner sadness of missing the extended family Christmas.  Other than the years we lived in Arizona, I don't think I have missed being with them on Christmas Eve.  AND I had such a fantastic new outfit to wear!
So what I know is that I have a resilient family who moved to Plan B rather quickly after the initial disappointment, especially for Hannah and me.  Watching Nolan taunt Chris and their play-fighting in the snow was such a reminder of how Blake did the same thing with Chris when he was a little guy.  (By the way....Blake took off rather quickly to sled with his buddies on Dead Man's Hill, wherever that is.  He found a sled in the creek at the bottom of that hill, but apparently no body with it!  It will probably be better that none of us grown-up kids know where Dead Man's Hill is.)
On Christmas Day, I played my guitar at the 10:00 mass with Jan Faler and the group.  I've been playing on and off with that group now since the 70's when Jan and I first met.  Carrie's gang spent the afternoon with Tony's family, and Chris was in O'Fallon with Maria's family.  Later in the afternoon, Mario and I joined a small group at our friend Al Knepler's for some Christmas cheer in his newly remodeled basement, before going to an early dinner with Ray and Judy.  We were back home early with Chico and Kitty for what Mario asked me to give him for Christmas:  a few days of "peace and quiet." So that is what he's been getting, as much as is possible, as I am not a quiet person by nature!
Our gratitude to all who prepared the food and any surprises we missed out on for the Christmas Eve celebration.  It was not easy missing the fun.   Love, joy, and peace to everyone.  May Christ live in our hearts.

A few more pics from Christmas at our house

Makenna and Kitty were great friends. We opened presents after the Arizona Camachos arrived on Wednesday.  Thursday we had lunch at Fuji--the kids love it when the chef throws food and they try to catch it.  If you look closely, you can see Nolan nabbed his bite. 
Always time for games, including one soccer game for Chris and Mario Thursday afternoon.  Cora all dressed up for Christmas Eve party on Friday....but the weather forced us to stay in Quincy.  So she traded in her pretty purple dress and heels for snow gear and headed outdoors.  Lastly, Makenna heading back to Mema and Papa's house in O'Fallon.  Everyone got to their destination safely.  Chris and family fly home tomorrow.  Back to warmth!