Busy Busy Busy Week

It's been busy busy this week! You all are, too, I know. I haven't had time for much blogging and today I'll make it short and sweet! Thanks to all of you who take the time to visit me.

Princess and I closed out the stores last night trying to get finished up shopping. Now all I need is gold ribbon and bows and would you believe that I'm having a hard time finding it! Everybody's about out. Of course, it's not really my fault that I've waited until the last minute, is it?????

MY KIDS ARE MY LIFE. Friday is #2 son's 22nd birthday, so we'll pause the Christmas stuff, and take time to make him feel special. I always order him a cake (even tho he doesn't eat sweets - but the rest of the family does!) and he'll smile, take one bite and leave the rest to us. #2 is the strong silent type. A young man of few words, but when he DOES speak, it's usually something worth hearing. Typical middle child when he was young. I miss him being little SO MUCH!!! He and I were so close and he "needed" more of me than my other 2 independent kids. My husband likes to tell him now that he was like a leech on me - we had to peel him off of me. He loved me so much. We always had a 1/2 year birthday for him when he was young since his birthday falls right at Christmas. We never combined birthday and Christmas for him. We always told him that he was our special Christmas angel baby. And he looked it - he was blue-eyed and had white blond straight silky hair. He really looked like a baby until he was probably 8 or 9. I kept him in bubble suits (which I smocked myself) and knickers until he was almost 5 and my husband finally told me that was enough. I had to let him grow up. : (

I made nearly all of his outfits - all English smocking and all originals - probably more for him for than my daughter. He had a new smocked bubble or knickers or button on shirt/shorts nearly every other Sunday when he was little)

#2 son is on the right and #1 son is on the left - they are standing with their grandpa. I think they're kinda cute myself. They are both tall like all my people. I miss them being little..... I would love to have them climbing up on my lap and snuggling. #2 son spent the first 6 or 7 years in my lap, but he's grown up into a very nice respectful and mannerly young man. I'm proud of all my kids.

Here is Princess, spoiled by our whole family - mostly her brothers - the only girl, so you can imagine she really IS a Princess. But she's growing out of it. I will fill you in on her and her oldest brother another time. (I think I said short & sweet on this blog, didn't I) I will say that Princess can slug and hit and scream and is just as tough and crass as her big brothers at times .... so lady-like.....

Back to the Birthday Party - We ALWAYS have all the grandparents and our whole family for our birthdays for the kids. They have a favorite Mexican food restaurant we always go to, and we take the Cake and presents and celebrate. Can you believe that my husband and I still have all 4 of our parents!!!! We are so blessed , and so far they are still in good health. They have been such an important part of our kids' lives and have helped to not only baby-sit (we never called sitters), but they have reinforced all the Christian ideals and morals and Godly ways to live that my husband and I have tried to instill in them. Of course they're not perfect! None of us are. But how great a blessing it is to have that extended family - and they all live here, too. Our kids have all admitted to us that they feel so lucky to know that they are loved, that our family is STABLE, that there was never divorce nor will be, and they have seen by looking at their friends how blessed we all are. I hope and pray that they will carry these beliefs and standards forward into their futures. I pray for their future mates every single day that they, too, will have these same beliefs and will be committed to God. It's so hard to find that nowadays. Most kids have experienced divorce and other traumas in their lives and it's no fault of their own. The Lord has been so good to us to leave our folks around to help us raise these kids of ours and to spend valuable time with them. What more could I ask?

Christmas blessings to you all - Vickie