Christmas 2011

This video was taken at our family Christmas party, hosted by Adam and Melanie, where we had a wonderful time enjoying fabulous food, very fun music...

and love...it's the love that brings us all together, as you'll see from the following video.

We tease each other and laugh a lot, but we are one of those I'll be there whenever I can because I love you kind of families.

Love created things at Christmas time too, like ornaments.

It took us on a lengthy car ride to Great-grandma's house, on one of Jack's vacation days from school.  Grandma played Caroles for us on her keyboard.

Love brought us together, on a very cold day, for a trip to the Christmas tree farm.

Love gathered the six of us together at 5 o'clock on Christmas Eve for a turkey dinner and pumpkin pie, immediately followed by gift-opening, which was immediately followed by Uncle Kody asking, "Is it really only 6:30?"  We miss you so much, Kayla!

And finally...love and good humor supplied Aunt Sandy with THE perfect gift for our brother this year!

Love IS CHRIST...mas!

My Hero!

"Who were your heroes, Grandma, when you were little?"  Jack asked, as he sat at the kitchen counter drawing pictures of super-heroes.  "Cowboys,"  I said, "Stoney Burke, The Rifleman, Little Joe from Bonanza, my heroes were all TV cowboys."  He proceeded to draw this picture for me, which I treasure.

Today, I have only one hero and he doesn't look anything like this picture.  He's brave; having once stood in the face of grave consequences to proclaim his love for me (kind of a long story).  He's strong (beating back the demons of addiction in defense of our marriage and family) and just like the cowboys in white hats on television a long time ago, he's one of the good guys.  Here he is in the warming house at Boyne Mountain on our skiing Honeymoon.  Notice the glasses?  They're safety glasses...his originals were destroyed in a fire on our wedding night.

This is me on the same day riding a ski-lift.

Our journey, which began thirty three years ago today, has been downright rocky at times but I have always known he is the one and only guy for me.  He is always telling our sons, "Try to find a woman like your mother."  I have a little more advice for you guys; when you do find the right one, be the kind of man your dad is, and love her heroically. 

Happy Anniversary, Jerry!

                                    Kody, Jack, Sharlet, Jack Jr. and Jerry on the Christmas Tree Farm wagon last weekend.



Then and Now

We are waiting for a baby today.  We have been talking about our little grandaughter for months.  I have knitted for her and we have prayed for her.  We have a snapshot of her on our wall and a special place just for her in our hearts.  Our daughter has anxiously prepared for her arrival by reading book after book on the subject of adoption.  She has been homeschooling her three little boys with a vengence for the last couple of weeks, hoping to create extra mother/daughter bonding time when she arrives.  Daddy painted her room twice to achieve the perfect shade of pink. 

Since I started this blog post (I can't imagine why I didn't finish it) our little grandaughter, Jubilee Sue Rupp has nestled deep into her family of Mom, Dad and brothers.  We have spoken to her on Skype and stared admiringly into her beautiful photographs, but she has remained too far away for us to hold, other than in our hearts. That is about to change!  In just a few weeks we will have our arms around her!  Our Christmas will last until then as we anticipate the best gifts of all this year; a reunion with our daughter, son-in-law, and our precious little grandsons and the one all wrapped up in pink...JUBILEE!  We can't wait!