Solitary

When the lovelies were growing up, they were quite busy. Even though they were from the same two parents, all four of them were (and still are) completely different. Each a unique individual. And their individuality was completely encouraged by me.

• Be yourself
• Do you own thing
• Find YOUR particular niche

Right. That bit me when I ended up having to drive the four of them to four different activities at four different places at the same time. That was fun.

When I look back, I realize that being able to stay home with the lovelies and drive them here, there and everywhere in between tended to lift my spirits.No matter what we did or where we went, we were together and how could that not lift a mother's spirits? 

But then, in the blink of an eye, they all grew up and went out into the world to begin their own lives. Which is not a bad thing. It's just a different thing.

And the question becomes, what lifts my spirits now?

Funny thing, it all still sort of revolves around those marvelous lovelies. But, instead of being surrounded by people, these spirit lifting times are more solitary in nature.

These are the times spent recalling precious memories of times that flew by much too quickly. And times spent anticipating the times that we can all get together now that the lovelies are all grown up. Then there are the times spent filling up any hours that were left empty with various solitary activities.

Please don't misunderstand! This is not a bad thing. I have discovered that I quite enjoy my time to myself. I can work out issues, write, read, watch television, knit, play with Tucker, organize, redecorate....the list is endless. And I'm pretty fun to hang with.

Plus, there's very little noise and chaos to escape from so I'm nearly always calm. I don't have to find a place to unwind or get away from it all for a minute or two.

And, when everyone comes in for a visit or a holiday or whatever, I'm completely rested and up for anything they throw my way!

Except this year, of course, from being exhausted from trying to hold it together those last few days of school before winter break because the students definitely went bat-crap-crazy.

But, other than that--I was good to go for our Christmas celebration!

During this holiday season, I realized that there are so many wonderful things to lift my spirits---just the fact that it was Christmas was enough to do it! But there were other things too---

• the decorations
• the songs
• the movies
• the good moods
• the anticipation of the arrival of the lovelies
• the preparation for the oyster roast
• the last day of school for the semester
• the cold weather
• the wrapping of the presents I was extremely late in purchasing
• the time spent together with my family and friends

There's just so much out there to lift the spirits DURING the season. But now the question becomes, will I be able to keep my spirits lifted AFTERWARDS?

The AFTER activities are not quite as fulfulling.

• taking down all the decorations
• taking a lovely to the airport so she can fly far away to rejoin her life
• leaving a lovely's house to come back to the one I have to undecorate
• facing the emptiness of the nest- time after time after time

Some of you know how it goes. And let me tell you- the times that you have to take them to the airport DOES NOT get easier each time. Just the opposite. 

Yes, the newest memories we made over the holiday were fantastic. But the time came and went in the wink of Santa's eye. Now I wait for the next time they come home. And I'm lucky- two of the lovelies live no more than 15 minutes away. Still, it's not the same.

Just when I think I've got the hang of this whole empty nest thing, a holiday comes along and leaves me with what my MIL called 'the sweet lonesomes.' I call it a roller coaster ride- ups and downs and ups and downs...

In a matter of time, I'll remember  that I quite enjoy my time to myself. That I can work out issues, write, read, watch television, knit, play with Tucker, organize, redecorate....and that the list is endless. And that I'm pretty fun to hang with.

Until then, it's just me and the sweet lonesomes.

What's keeps your spirits up AFTER the season ends?

Christmas Day 2012

We got up early on Christmas Day and I cooked. Again. Breezy really wanted breakfast casserole and, even when they're all grown up, when my kids want something, I give it or do it for them.

Tucker was first- he loves his stocking every year! DoodleBug always helps him out---

 He really gets 'into' the whole stocking thing---

He got a cute little Christmas bandana and loads of treats!

Birdie shares a Christmas moment with cardboard Evwardo--

DoodleBug gets in on the Christmas hugs---

Pretty sure this one will be a fabulous kindergarten teacher---

BestSonInLawEVER got a few mustaches in his stocking. Here's one---

I told y'all the lovelies were a bit Harry Potter obsessed---yep, that's a Harry Potter snuggie. WHAT?!

In the afternoon, we went to Dad's house- that's my brother, David pretending to fall in front of the tree. He's a NUT. :)
 

That's Deanie, DoodleBug and Birdie with David's two girlies!

David and Tucker---

We got so carried away visiting with Dad and my stepmom that I didn't take many pictures. We wanted to visit Dad on Christmas particularly since he just finished his radiation treatments the week before. He looks great and he feels great too! I'm so glad!

We also spent time looking at photos of their trip to Europe in October- what a great time they had! I would share some of their stories, but then y'all would know just how crazy our family really is. :)

I can't begin to tell you how blessed we were with family fun and togetherness this Christmas. I hope y'all had the same with your families!

Christmas Eve 2012

After hosting the oyster roast on Saturday, we cleaned up, packed up and headed 5 hours up to NC to have Christmas at Breezy and BestSonInLawEVER's house.

It was quite a trek, but we did it and we had a great time! Take a look---

Breezy had their house all decorated when we arrived---

Late Christmas Eve afternoon, BestSonInLawEVER's family came over for food and fun. That's Deanie with BestSonInLawEVER's two sisters. Let me just say that we couldn't have hand picked a better family to be in-laws with. That whole family is just wonderful!

Evwardo couldn't be with us because his family was flying to Indiana to spend Christmas with his extended family. So Birdie brought his look alike along (remember the life-sized cardboard cutout he sent her while she was in Texas?)---

The lovelies are a bit Harry Potter obsessed. And yes, they're all adults. But still kids at heart- which is one of the things I love most about them!

Every year, the lovelies draw names to see which sister they buy a gift for. A few years ago, we started the tradition of giving a handmade gift. This tradition stuck with Birdie, DoodleBug and myself. Birdie drew Breezy this year so she made Breezy a quilt---

Breezy was a little bit pleased with the gift---

The maker and the receiver of the quilt---

Yeah...I'm not going there---

See? Harry Potter crazy! Or should I say, "CRAY"?

Tucker may have appreciated the quilt too---

The lovelies---
 

They still love opening presents!

So, this year, Mimi (my mother) got in on the handmade gifts. When the lovelies were growing up, Mimi made their Christmas and Easter dresses every year. She also made them t-shirts or sweatshirts (depending on the season) for EVERY holiday- Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
  

This year, she made each of them a Christmas tree skirt. Each skirt had the designs on them that Mimi had put on the lovelies' Christmas shirts through the years---

The lovelies liked their tree skirts a little---That's Breezy showing hers off. The polar bears are the most recent design and were on one of the shirts Mimi made Breezy this year. That Santa was on one of the shirts Mimi made me.
 

See that Rudolph? That was on the first shirt when Breezy was in kindergarten. That snowman? That was on Deanie's first stocking that Mimi made. The Christmas tree? That was on the first shirt she made DoodleBug (that's DoodleBug in the picture). 

That's Mimi- rubbing Rico and Tucker---

That's my Aunt Betty- my mother's sister. She's the BEST even with her eyes closed---

 
Evwardo wanted an orange (because orange is his favorite color AND because he went to Clemson) hat with ear flaps for Christmas. I had no idea how to knit one, so I had to learn SPEEDY QUICK! He opened his before we left--- Birdie found a Clemson Tiger paw so I put that on the front---

The lovelies opened theirs on Christmas Eve--

I made one for BestSonInLawEVER and the husband too---They put the cardboard Evwardo in the picture but he had his hat in Indiana with him.

And the best Christmas present of all is one of mine---I saw a painting that I LOVED this summer and, because it costs $11,000, I took a picture of it and asked Breezy to paint one for me--in her own style, of course..She's not quite finished but here it is so far---

 It was a wonderful Christmas Eve!

Everyone wants us to make it a new tradition to travel up there for the holidays. I'm thinking that's just so they don't have to do any traveling and they get to have BestSonInLawEVER and Breezy up there and don't have to share them.

Even though it was a really good time, it was also a crap-ton of work to get everything up there and get the food ready, etc. And it was exhausting.

Of course, I told them that if there was a baby up there, we might consider being the ones to be put out every year and do all the work. ;)

All Things Oystery

Is oystery even a word?

We've had a marvelous holiday season and I hope that y'all have too!

Even though we still have the New Year to ring in, I'm going to go ahead and start sharing the Christmas photos- y'all know how I tend to over shoot pictures so it may take until the New Year to get these up. Haha.

A few weeks before the oyster roast on December 22, we started rolling the various balls because you can freeze them and take them out when you're ready to cook them (this is quite nice since we have to roll a gazillion of them every year.). Birdie and DoodleBug were more than happy to help---

The lovelies are so funny.

Anyway, Deanie and Breezy helped set up the goodie table the night of the roast---they requested bows for their headbands....just like when they were little. 

Viola! The table is ready!

And so are the oysters!

They went through 3 bushels of those nasty things. :)

That's Evwardo's niece with Birdie and Strider. Isn't she so cute?!

I love this picture! It's my BFF and her husband with Deanie-

That's Breezy (on the right) with her BFF from 6th grade---

The hit of the party finally arrived and we all nearly fought over holding him! Here is baby Jedidiah with DoodleBug---

Birdie and Evwardo---

This is Lambert Mr and Mrs--- they are the most fun and loving people I've ever met!

I caught a shot of Jedidiah smiling while Deanie was holding him---

AND I got him with his eyes open. WIDE open.

Evwardo donning my antlers I wore to school the last week before break---

Evwardo and Birdie with Jedidiah--- how stinking cute are they?!

That's the husband, Danielle (who made dozens of 12 different types of cookies from Pinterest and brought them to the oyster roast), BestSonInLawEVER and Deanie---I'm tellin' y'all, Jedidiah was the hit of the evening!

How could he not be? Look at that sweet little thing!

That's the husband with Tucker. They're conversing with Lambert Mrs.

 Those are two of my most favorite people from school laughing---we do a lot of that at school. You know, to keep from crying. LOL

 Of course, there's always guitar playin' and singin' going on. Sometimes the singin' is good...luckily the guitar playin' is ALWAYS good. :)

And those are the highlights from our 4th annual Christmas oyster roast. We ended up with about 37 people which is crazy in our little house. But we had a total BLAST!

I promise to catch up on all y'alls blogs soon! It's been crazy around here but things will settle down soon.

I'm looking forward to the day that we host an oyster roast for all my wonderful bloggy buds!

Love and hugs!