Traveling

I had told you about going to grandma and grandpas house but I have another story to share. As I am the oldest of the family I have learned that sometimes just taking a day and listening is well worth what you learn.
As I posted yesterday I had an uncle pass and I have got to spend time with family that I don’t normally get to see. Which is great. We are all sad for my aunt and cousins as one would expect. My uncle Nick was a great guy.
There is a happy note to this story….I got to spend the last 30+ hours talking with my dad. Sure I talk to him every day about what’s going on and stuff but I haven’t really talked to him in a long time.
We talked about old churches we went to as I was growing up, how he met some of the people I grew up knowing as Mr and Mrs (whoever), and even me getting in trouble.
He told me there was a kid at church that use to pick on everyone. One day the kid crawled in between the legs of my high chair and to hear dad tell the story I beat the crap out of him. He didn’t pick on anyone else after that.
Here is me and my dad on our recent road trip.

Time we didn’t want to take but so glad we got that time together!

Dec 11

Look who I found

This is my Aunt Sandy! Together we have put together a blog for her so that she can share her testimony with people and so she can let her light shine on the Internet. Glad to say she can now blog from her phone!
We say I’m her tech support but the coolest part is I am her niece!
Love you Aunt Sandy!
Here’s to many, many, many, more blogs
And revisions!
Check out her blog at
http://www.walkwithmeandsharemyjourmey.wordpress.com

Dec 9

New PJ’s

One of my favorite memories of Christmas is the new pjs that we got every year on Christmas Eve. Around 5pm mom would give us each a wrapped present that had a new pair of PJ’s in it.
When I was younger this was like yeah look PJ’s now I’m like hey where are my PJ’s :0)
Sometimes my sisters and I got matching PJ’s but most of the time it was what ever mom found that we were into at the time….meaning tweety bird, Mickey Mouse or who knows what.
As an adult I still try to put on some PJ’s by 5 on Christmas Eve.
My youngest sister started this tradition with my nieces and I love that for them. One day they will also do this with there children. It’s kinda a family tradition.
After the Jammie’s where on we had to stay in our rooms for awhile. Santa came early to our house. We would hear Santa open the front door (we didn’t have a chimney) do some deep ho ho ho’s and then my mom would open the bedroom door and we would run to the tree.
Everyone has there spot. Come to think of it we still sit in the same spot we did growing up (lol creatures of habit I guess).
PJ’s I must go out and get a new pair of PJs for Christmas!
This pic is of my sisters and I and I see one sister fell and roped the knee out of her PJ’s. No real surprise here.

Dec 5

Christmas pagents

Thru the years I have been in and seen a lot of Christmas programs.
I have dressed as a wise man (there wasn’t a lot of boys in my church), sang in the choir, and was in many Christmas plays.
Good memories really. But one of my favorites is of my oldest niece. I’d say she was around 3 and my dad had been practicing with her for weeks on her line. She was to hold a candle and say my candle shines for truth.
When the big day arrived this is what happened…

She stared crying and my father picked her up, leaned down and said “her candle shines for truth!” That is me on the left taking the picture. She was dressed so pretty but she never has liked the spot light.
She is now a beautiful young woman that knows what she wants to do with her life and I couldn’t be more proud of her.
A memory that I will always cherish!

Dec 3

Going to grandma and grandpas house

One of my fondest memories growing up was being at grandma and grandpas house. They lived 9 hours away and we were there at least once a month for a long weekend and sometimes a lot more then that. I was really young when my grandparents passed but lucky for me my mom and dad took pictures of my sisters and I with them. I’m the oldest so I remember them more so then my sisters.

But the thing I remember most was riding in the station wagon or as we called it the Brady mobile lol. We went everywhere in that thing. I was the car sick kid so if I wasn’t in the front seat my parents were hoping I was asleep. We pulled over on the mountains of West Virginia a lot. Maybe that is why I was so skinny when I was little :0) lets just say I fed the birds up and down the mountain regularly :0(
If you still have a grandparent alive go see them, call them. Do it while you can because one day they will be gone and you won’t be able to just pop in. Really that’s all they want. Your time and attention even if it is just for a little while.

Dec 3

Do you remember family Christmas pictures

Another Christmas memory I have is our annual Christmas portrait being taken. Most of you will remember getting dressed up and going to Olan Mills or dept store and waiting your turn to smile for the camera. The ride in the car bring told not to get dirty, don’t touch your sisters hair, just sit there for Gods sake. Was this torture worth the picture….back in the day I would say no. But now as I look back I have some really great memories.

I’m the one in the middle incase you were wondering. To add family members was always interesting as well. A brother in-law and a niece!

Or more recently….

Then there was this one I sent to my business clients…

of course putting some silly comment with it to make people laugh.

To me christmas is about finding the “SPIRIT” of giving. Giving a smile, holding a door for someone, saying bless you when someone sneezes. Sure it is nice to get gifts, but how much nicer is it to do something for someone else that isn’t expecting it.

There are so many more pictures I could share and embarrass my family but I’ll save that for another time. I am just grateful for the memories.
This might be my card picture this year..

The possibilities are endless!
You can always check out my other kids blog if you would like.
http://www.mrpsadventures.com here is a taste of it…

Have a great Christmas! May you never run out of laughter, love, and words :0)

Dec 3

I had a doll house…

As I was growing up I wasn’t much of a doll kinda girl. Being the oldest of three girls I became dads go to person when he needed help. I mowed the yard, raked, and helped fix things.
Then my freshman year of high school I was failing science. It’s the only time I ever remember my dad going to parent teachers conference. The teacher told my dad I needed a really impressive science fair project or I was going to have to repeat the 9th grade. Of course the conference was right before Christmas break. I was so grounded.
That christmas my dad went to the store (he isn’t a shopper) and bought a doll house kit for use to build. We had 9 weeks to build it and make lights work inside. (Instructor thought I should learn about electricity.)

That’s it there. One day I’ll take it down and show you the other side.
We glued, painted, wired and furnished this house in 9 weeks.
My science teach was impressed and I ended up with a B in the class.
I learned a lot about wiring which at 29 years later I understand was the point.
Childhood memories!

Dec 3

Christmas memory

I was at my fathers today and we were discussing Christmas past.
Dad worked 2nd shift most of my childhood. He came home one night and kids where trying to steal the lights off the bushes. They had strung the lights across the street. Dad ran over his own Christmas lights. He was mad. The kids got away but dad never put lights near the street again.
Another memory….For as long as I can remember my father decorated the outside of the house. It started out as just lights on the bushes outside, with Santa sitting on the porch.
Then as we all got older the display grew….

The joke on the street was my father had stock in Dayton Power and Light.
As I got older I learned to appreciate all the work my dad put into putting this display together.
There are stories where someone tried to steal baby Jesus out of the stable. They were surprised by the fact that he was tied down, binge corded and zip tied into the manger. They did get his blanket but that’s all…(it’s ok to laugh, we do!)
What an awesome memory to have!

Dec 3

I remember

Got to thinking about the Christmas season today and I was reminded of the Rikes Store windows. When I was a young girl my mother would bundle us up take us to see the window display. We would walk down our street to the corner bus stop and get on the RTA bus and ride it downtown. We didn’t go downtown but one time a year so this was a big deal for us.
Here are a few pictures of the displays that now resides in the Schuster Center on Main St in Downtown Dayton.

These are just a few pics of this wonderful display. It brings back many great childhood memories.
If you get the opportunity to come to Dayton this is a must see!

Nov 28

Double

This was a rough one for me. That’s why it’s a day late…sorry about that.
I thought hard on what I could do for this challenge and it hit me….a selfie!

My double! This is my oldest niece and when while she has been growing up her pictures look just liked when I was little! So they all her mini me.

Ohiophotogrl

Just Another Way To Get Things Out Of My Head…..

Traveling

Look who I found

New PJ’s

Going to grandma and grandpas house

Do you remember family Christmas pictures

I had a doll house…

Christmas memory

I remember

Double