Welcoming 2012

So happy to see my kids out together having fun and looking out for each other. It would make me very sad if Eric was bummed out and depressed all the time. Happy to see a smile on his face and that he is out and about. (Although he does look a bit like the Pope in this picture with the beads and the pointy hat.) hahaha

2012...HERE WE COME!!

To all of my friends...wishing you all Happy and Prosperous 2012!

It's Over PHEEEW

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a lot of family time and tons of good food, all the kids seemed to have enjoyed their gifts and the best part, my son was there for all the festivities and was able to enjoy himself without being asked 25 times if they could leave. Christmas without Jessie was quite pleasant and I was happy to see Eric enjoying himself. I was a little worried that he would be bummed out and quiet but he was actually more like himself than I've seen in some time. We had a heart to heart away from the crowd and he seems to be doing well...he said he now just wants the whole thing over and done with. I did learn a few more things about Jessie's behavior of late and what he told me would normally make me very angry. But after thinking about it all, I am with him...he just wants to get on with his life and move forward. I am happy to know that Jessie's parents are also behind Eric and they have been very supportive of him. Catching their daughter in several lies has made them very wary of her and they know what she is capable of. They would actually like for Eric to continue living in their home but he will be moving in with a couple of his friends in the new year. I think that is for the best...the sooner he gets away from that house, the better. The only sad part is he cannot take the dog with him where he is going. And I know Jessie's father doesn't want the responsibility of taking care of the dog. So, not sure where he is going. I would take him in but I don't want Jessie coming around here to visit him.


My neice was at my parents house with her two little ones. They are such good kids, very well behaved and so cute. They are 15 months and 3 years old and it was really fun watching them open their gifts. Sara spent the whole day playing with them and really she is a natural. Kinda makes me want her to settle down and have a couple of kids. :-) That's not going to happen for quite sometime. It's ok, I'll just spoil George's grandkids and my great neice and nephew.

Here are a few pics from Christmas Eve and Day!


Sara and Hunter


Alex and Callissa


Stepdaughter Nicole


Sara and Waylon


Group Shot of my side of the family


Kendal wearing Sara's boots

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to All!!

I'm back!

Whoa...it's been 17 months since my last post. LOL Sounds like going to confession. Well I have decided to pop in and see what is happening in the blog world. I've been very very busy the last month or so but with Christmas around the corner, everyone is, aren't they?
OK so a lot has happened in the last year and a half. I will try to catch you up on the key points.
My son Eric got married in August of 2010. It was a beautiful wedding, perfect day and we had a nice time, considering all the pre wedding crap that went on.

Hindsight being what it is...I have come to the conclusion that my daughter in law has a very mean side to her, which will become apparent later on in this post. I thought she was trying to push my buttons back then but refused to buy into it and now I KNOW she is mean spirited and phoney. A couple of examples...first she asked me if anyone would be insulted if they did not invite my husbands children (Eric's step siblings now) the wedding. I told her that I had a problem with that and I think they all would like to attend the wedding, and it is a downright insult to George if they are shunned. Well...they were not invited. Money wasn't an issue and I even offered to pay for their meals if it was. OK it's their wedding and their choice. Then, she purposely sat George and myself with my ex husband and his girlfriend, at the wedding reception. This was not an issue for me but she already knew that my ex was uncomfortable around George since he made that very clear at the rehearsal dinner. It really was not a huge problem, just uncomfortable and a little awkward but we are all adults and no fights broke out. I don't know, maybe she was hoping something would happen, who knows. This is Sara and me at the wedding.


After the wedding, it became more and more difficult to see them. Every time there was a family gathering, they always had an excuse as to why they couldn't make it. They missed both of my parents 80th birthday parties along with a few other events and last Christmas we had to totally rearrange our Christmas because they were not going to be at our usual Christmas gathering. This summer, they did come to our 4th of July BBQ but sat by themselves and didn't speak one word to anyone other than me, my parents and my daughter. They left as soon as dinner was over.
This Thanksgiving my son arrived here by himself and said Jessie was 'doing her own thing'. I have since learned that she has become very mean to him and they are now separated. Apparently a divorce is in the works although no one has told me directly. I've just been told not to expect Jessie at Christmas and not to purchase any gifts for her. Eric has also told his sister that it was Jessie who didn't want to invite George's kids to the wedding, it was always her idea to lie about why they couldn't attend anything regarding our family and she has a reason why she doesn't like anyone in our family. I guess we foiled her attempt to avoid Christmas with the family when we all rearranged our schedules to accommodate her and she had no choice but to attend last year. Frankly, it would have been more fun if she hadn't come, since she sat there with a pout on her face all day and couldn't even crack a smile in the family photo. See attached


Well all I can do is be there to support my son through this tough time. I know he must be heartbroken but he also has to feel terrible that he allowed her to make decisions for him regarding his family. We've always been very close no matter what differences and challenges we've had and it always made me sad when he didn't attend things.

On to happier things. Sara, has been doing very well. She has gone back to school and is now in hot pursuit of her Masters degree. So far, she has aced her classes and really enjoys school. She moved into a new apartment last August and has a new roommate. She leads a very active life and seems to be very happy even though she has no Mr. Right in her life at the moment. She keeps busy with work and school and comes up to visit about once a month. She will be here on Thursday after work and plans on staying through New Years. She has the week off from work and so do I so we will have a nice week together.

George is well. He got a very nice promotion last summer and is now the Engineering Manager where he works. He has had another unsuccessful Fall, meaning he did not manage to get a deer this past hunting season. His brother and many of his friends were successful but that's ok. He likes the solitude of hunting and he seems to enjoy just hiking in the woods and sitting in his tree stand and napping. LOL I think that's what he actually does in the tree stand but he claims he is always awake. Kind of hard for me to believe since everytime he sits still here for 5 minutes he is soon napping.

Work is very slow and I suppose it will get slower since I work for a Government contractor that supplies mountable flashlights and night vision goggles to the military. I suppose there is a downside to everything, but I am glad that we have withdrawn our troops from Iraq and I certainly hope we don't get involved in another conflict, even if it means downsizing and layoffs at work.

My Christmas shopping is finished and now I just have to complete wrapping. We are having Christmas with Georges kids on Christmas Eve and Christmas with my family on Christmas Day at my parents house. On January 8th we are hosting an after Christmas Brunch so George's kids and his brother's family can all get together and see each other. Everyone is just too busy during Christmas to see everyone that we need to see so this will solve that problem and prolong Christmas a little longer.

My neice Crystal had twin boys last month. She was a surrogate for a couple who could not have children. The boys were born 6 weeks early but are now out of the hospital and doing great. Crystal is doing very well and the couple are over the moon now that their family is complete. I am so proud of her. Not sure I could do what she did but she is a very special person.

The end of January, George and I are going on a cruise with his brother Ray and Ray's wife Diane. I am so looking forward to it, we always have fun with them and they haven't been on a vacation in many years. We are going to Puerto Rico and a few other ports that I just cannot remember at this moment. All I need to know is it will be warm there and I am happy to go. We have had a very nice Fall so I really can't complain about the cold and right now we have no snow on the ground and it looks like we will not have a white Christmas. We did have a white Halloween though, so I am all set. :-)

I guess I should get back to wrapping gifts. George is watching some football game, getting ready for the game of the week @4, Tom Brady vs. Tim Tebow. I hear it should be a heck of a game...we'll see!

Be back soon I hope!!