Happy New Year Everyone!

Say good-bye to 2010! I've had a great year, can't imagine the one ahead being any better, but looking forward to what's ahead.

Jensen's ultra sound was normal which is great, but the infection has gone to her kidney's. The Dr. says she has to be fever free for 24 hrs. before she can be taken off the iv meds and put on oral so she can go home. I talked with Brandi just a little while ago and her temp is near normal, so hopefully it stays that way through the night and maybe she can be home tomorrow.
Brandi said this pic was her first smile of the day, for a male Dr.

J and Amy have been sick all week, Amy went to the Dr. yesterday and J went today, both are on meds and haven't been able to work, now that they have meds they should be feeling better soon.

Miss and love you all! Have a great night and be safe!!!!

Rough Day

It's been a rough day for our family. It started early for Brandi, Jensen is sick. She has been admitted to Children's hospital. She has an urinary tract infection, her white blood cell count is really high, and Brandi couldn't get her fever to go down. I'm glad they finally admitted her, but it's hard for Brandi and it's hard on the other kids, they don't really understand what's going on. Pray that she gets well soon!

Phyllis heard from Jon and his arrival date has changed again. His time frame is now the 7 - 17th of January. Pray that he gets home safely and is able to be with us all at Great Wolf on the 15th, but especially pray for Phyllis as she and Olivia wait for his arrival.

congratulations Dan on winning the fantasy football league

Greetings from Gram

I have the feeling that everyone is doing like I am. After the hustle bustle of the holiday we are all hibernating getting ready for the next one! I think I have been in bed and sleeping every night by 8. I just want to thank everyone for my wonderful gifts. I have 4 days off coming up and will write you all then but wanted to say hi and thanks. This has been a really high God filled week for me even tho I am exhausted. Enjoy your week. Love Gram Bev

Something refreshing

We were looking for something refreshing after all the holiday eating, and tried this:

Chicken Salad

2 1/2 cups of chopped or shredded chicken or turkey

4 strips of crispy bacon chopped

1/2 c of minced celery

1 cup of halved grapes or apples

3/4 c of mayo

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp of lemon juice

1/4 tsp of ginger

dash of salt, pepper, and worsht.

It was delecious, the kids and I finished the bowl while watching Beauty and th Beast.

Hi

Hi Everyone. We had a great Christmas realxing and full of food, movies, and new toys. We had a great Christmas Eve with Rubens family and woke up and opened presents around 11. Of course we had egg nog and cinnamon rolls. I didnt evenhave to cook on Christmas because we had so many leftovers. I hope everyone enjoyed time with their family.

Christmas is...

Even though we are so far apart, there are times I feel so close.

How can this be...

I'm flying here and racing there, But you remind of the lake smell air.

How can this be...

You are family, truly it is that easy.

You are everywhere I am

For you live in my memory.

Christmas is as Snoppy says, and that is everyday!

Merry Christmas from Gram Bev

Well it certainly ha been an interesting few days! I worked Christmas and totally enjoyed every minute of it. So many people and so many co-workers determained to have Christmas even if we worked. Christmas Eve I spent with Sylvi Taylor and Helen and then we went to church together. Today Sandi and Wes and everybody came to my house for Christmas. We ate, and ate and ate. I don't care if I see any more Christmas food for a long time. Oh but by New Years Eve I'll be ready to eat again! My favorite part of Christmas was talking to family, the videos and just spending time with friends. God is so good. Well like Sandi, I am tired, guess it looks like a 7:30 bedtime for me. Love you all Gram Bev

Happy Day After!

Wow, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did. Actually we've had entirely way too many days of food, people, presents, did I mention food, and we're all extremely full, and tired. I decided my evening is going to be spent in bed reading and maybe sleeping. I put on my new thermal jammies, slathered my feet with the wonderful gift of shea butter, slipped on my toes into warm socks, and wrapped up in my new , very fluffy, very pink, robe with matching slippers, and am now climbing into a freshly made bed with lovely new sheets and settling down to read one of my gifts of great literature "Grandma Putts Old-Time Vinegar, Garlic, Baking Soda and 101 more Problem Solvers: 2500 super solutions for your home,health,and garden", or "Don't You Dare Throw it Out! 301 terrific trash to treasure ideas for cleaning your clutter and stowing your stuff".
My Internet will be shut off tomorrow for a couple week while we get a new cable/Internet provider, so hopefully I'll be able to catch up in a little while. Have a great rest of your holiday and Happy New Year! I'm excited for lots of new activities and projects I've been planning for the coming year.
Love ya
Sandi

Our Merry Christmas Video!

It began at 2:00 am on Christmas Eve....

Up at 2:00 AM and here we are....

At the station with our tickets

Breakfast on the Train

Ice carving of Santa's Sleigh

And us on OUR sleigh


MERRY CHRISTAMS, EVERYONE!!!

Google Earth Christmas

THE DIGITAL STORY OF NATIVITY - ( or Christmas 2.0 )

Olivia

We got to see Olivia today, Ruben and Gwen could not wait to see and hold her, she is still so tiny and eating every two hour, Phyylis says she is tired but so happy. She is busy doing a lot of reading and getting ready for their move.

Aunt Sandi you can tell Ian to change his state of mind here oranges are so expensive we cant afford to buy them almost a dollar each and seven dollars for the bag.

My Favorite Christmas Performance

Love you all!
Uncle Mike

Todays Ian Story

Well my children are so spoiled that they get woke up for school with breakfast in bed every day, and every day Ian moans and groans about what breakfast is. Always something like, I hate that or that again! Well today we had oranges for breakfast and I took his in to him in bed, and just like every other day he complained about having oranges again? Then he yells at me as I'm walking out the door, "We're so poor we have to eat oranges every day!" I laughed my butt off all day long. Sorry my poor Ian!
Have a great day
Love Sandi

It's almost here!

Christmas I mean. I went to work for a half hour today and got sent home because my throat is so sore I couldn't answer the phone. I just called off for tomorrow too. I feel fine just can't talk. We still have snow but it is not so very cold. I t was a toasty 26 this am. I still have 1 gift to get so I'll try to get it tomorrow or do I have to stay home in bed cause I'm not working? I'm working Christmas day and really look forward to it. Sandi's family will come to have Christmas at my house Sunday after church. Soon Jon will be home!! Enjoy each day. Love Mom

Miss you all!

I'm really missing my family today. It's feeling like Christmas here! I think this will be the first time we have had a White Christmas in KY. Tonight we are going out with J and Amy and some friends to see the new Narnia movie. I have just one more present to wrap, and everything is ready for Christmas day. I looked back to our post from last December, what fun! It's amazing how much Brandi's little ones have grown since then, and how many changes our family has had in just one year. Hope you are all having a great week! Happy Anniversary to Jon and Phyllis! Love you all!

Sun at last

We've been kind of glazed her since Wednesday nights ice. The main roads are fine but everything else has a nice layer of ice. Our side roads are nothing but ice, and since so many cars park on the road here, many of them have new scrapes and dents. It's been cloudy and cold, but today the sun came out! It was so pretty. It wasn't any warmer really so we still have ice, but everything seems so much better when the sun is out! It's supposed to storm again starting Tuesday, so it looks like we will have some snow for Christmas this year. Tomorrow I'm going out with a friend, to check out a tea room, and look through some of the store in Victorian Square. We are both done with our shopping but thought it would be fun to people watch. Today we visited with J and Amy, and skyped with Olivia and Phyllis, Olivia was wide awake and making faces. Her and Mommy were going to find a Christmas dress today. Jon is scheduled to arrive in CA on Jan. 4, so little Olivia is going to take her first plane ride Jan. 3, then another one on Jan. 14th when they all fly back to KS to join us at Great Wolf Lodge so we can celebrate Christmas together. I'm sooooo excited!

Its Christmas Time!

Were all keeping very busy these days. We finally got a snow day on Tuesday, and Wes last day of work till after the holidays was Wednesday. Ash and I made lots of candy Wednesday, and we rode out to pick up Tim on Thursday hes done till mid January. Alyssa had a Christmas chorus concert Thursday night ,and we had a great Christmas party with Dot and her kids today. Were having a progressive dinner with ash and grandma tomorrow and Sunday were going to the festival of lights. Tuesday Lyle has a chorus concert, and the kids have four more days of school till their winter break of 10 days. Ive been sewing and making Christmas presents for weeks, today I finished, now maybe i can catch up on my reading, well maybe after I get some sleep. Sleeping from 1 am to 5 am for days is not cutting it!
love ya
Sandi

Daaron's First Violin Recital

Sorry for the poor quality of the video and the fact it is sideways. I took it with Debra's phone and can't get it rotated. You can't really see Daaron, but here are two videos of two songs he played with the group. Love you all.
Mike

Borrowed Children

I borrowed 2 little girls a couple of nights ago. Their parents got a free night out and I got someone to bake cookies with. Sarah is 5, she was very eager to find out how to make cookies, as if she had never done it before. She was also very amused that an adult would play on the floor with a baby. Her sister Lydia is almost 1. She isn't walking yet, and Phil spent the evening crawling on the floor with her. It was fun! Sunday after 3 previous attempts to get a tree we finally got one! It's the first time in I don't know how long that I have had a full size live tree, I think it's beautiful! We had pizza, and homemade pretzels. It's been snowing so it really feels like Christmas. Today was Phil's drop day, he got up and went to the gym with me, it was empty, everything around was closed because of the weather. After we worked out we went shopping, we were actually the only ones in one store, then we went to a favorite restaurant for lunch, it was packed, we found out they were having a snow day special, 1/2 off everything, what a treat! So my house is finally all decorated. Tomorrow my friend and I are going to do some baking and share it all with our life group tomorrow night. I think I have all the gifts ready to put in the mail tomorrow! I found this book called Making Room for Christmas for Phil and I to use as our advent reading. It has a different reading for each night from Dec. 1 thru epiphany. It follows the Latin American custom of Las Posadas. It's a really neat tradition where they "join" Mary and Joseph in their search for lodging, each reading asks the question "Is there room here-in your home, in your heart-for Jesus to be born?" I really like it! Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas season! Love you all! Tami

Monday Morning

Its 7:30 am and everyone is off to school and work. Its 15 degrees which is the warmest its supposed to be today, and snowing. I wanted to go shopping today , but instead ill probably just sit in front of the warm fire and sew or read. Have a great day everyone

Love ya

Sandi

Rainy Perrysburg

HI Everybody Love all the pictures! Brandi your little ones are beautiful. After talking to Mike today I backed up to Dec. 2 and after a bit of changes I managed to hear Daaron play Jingle Bells, saw his advent calender and enjoyed the pizza! I have a lot to learn about this thing. Good job Daaron! It is still raining here and it sounds like the wind is picking up. Hope it dries up some of the water before it freezes. I don't work on Monday so if it freezes I'll just stay at home and get some baking done. I went to church this am and Sunday School and have been bothered by something all day. When did it become alright to sell things in the churh during worship service? And can we not deny our comforts for an hour to worship without eating and drinking coffee in the sanctuary during worship?? Maybe I've just become too old. After all I am a GREAT GRANDMA. Help me think this out. I have been almost near tears about this all day. Love ya all Grandma Bev

Busy and Tired

We have a quiet and interesting few weeks. Mom was hear for T-Day and Olivias birth, and then she was off. I was able to get a little christmas shopping done while she was here. We had a small shower for Phyllis and gave her the presents that everyone sent. She loved it. That same night we also put up our tree and had pizza and wings. Since thenthe tree has been knocked over several times, and the ornaments and consisently reaarranged and on the floor. I managed a week of drving my kids around in Ruben's little mazda that is meant to sit 4, and I have four kids, so we made multiple trips to and from work and to and from the sitters, and some days we went a little illegal. I finally got my truck back and i got pulled over because my kids we're goofing off intheir car seats, and earned myself a $300 ticket. They we're buckled in but that sure grabbed his attention. I turned right and did not pull into the the lane closest to the curb, I didn't know I was suppose to do that. Needless to say it's not good timing Ruben work has slowed and I am on vacation starting next week, and I still had christmas shopping to do. School of course is busy we are preparing for the chrsitmas program and we are making gifts for parents, and I am making gifts for my kiddos to give their teachers, I have been baking a making salsa. I was not real good about cleaning this last week because I spent two nights at the hopsital visiting my best friends baby and Olivia. then we had our christmas party for work which was agreat night out. So yesterday and today I am trying make up for all of that. Ruben has been helping his cousin put insulation in his home so he has been busy. Jensen is alsmost five months old, she is trying to crawl and teething. Its all happening too fast. She had caught a bug and has arunny nose and cough and yucky tummy. on top of all that she got shots yesterday. Poor girl. Well We love you all I have to go take somethings out of the oven.

Christmas Ideas

Tamis last post got me thinking about what to do for Christmas if you have no kids, no money, and cant eat sweets. Here are some ideas I came up with, the first list should be free, the next cost a little.
:find out if area schools are having holiday chorus or band concerts
:walk around your neighborhood and look at lights, make a best of show ribbon to give to the family with the best decorations
:light candles and turn off the lights, and listen to Trans Siberian Orchestra
:Read a Christmas book-we like The Christmas Box, and The Family under the Bridge
:Watch Christmas movies-Our favorites Elf, The Grinch, and Christmas Vacation
:Have a Progressive dinner with 3-4 families, (go to diff houses for appetizers, soup and salad, main course, and dessert)
:Have a present wrapping party
: See if any local group are caroling
:interview older relatives, neighbors, or nursing home residents about past holiday experiences
:make dog biscuits for friends or neighbors pets (as fun as cookies but you wont be tempted to eat them)
: invite neighbors, friends, or church family's kids to come decorate your tree, or frost cookies with you
:make pomander balls
: learn how to make mittens out of used sweaters bought from salvation army stores and give them away
:make thank you cards, rent a Christmas Carol cd from library and listen to it while creating
:see if your local library, historical societies or botanical gardens are hosting any holiday events
: host a Christmas tea
:make gingerbread houses
: go to worldvision.com and buy some animals
:go to college or church programs
:go to toys r us and buy the toy you always wanted as a kid and put it in their donation box
:adopt a family to buy gifts for(local schools or churches prob will have suggestions)
:sleigh rides are always fun!
any other suggestions?
Have a great day!
Love Sandi

Christmas Spirit

When I got off the plane Friday night it was snowing. I was really feeling festive! Phil and I spent the weekend driving around southern KY visiting each one of his Guard units and on Sunday went to one of the Christmas parties on Sunday. When we came home it was still snowing here. We have tried 2 times to get a Christmas tree, but still don't have one. I have no Christmas baking to do, no Christmas shopping to do, no parties to go to, so I'm really having a hard time staying in the Christmas spirit. So this weekend, I'm going to try to work on that. It sure would help if we had some kids around! We had so much fun putting up the Christmas tree with Brandi and the kids! So unless any of you want to come down and visit, I guess I'm going to have to borrow some kids!

Cold and Snowy-sort of

Well, It is cold, wind chill in the single digits. Everyone seems to have gotten snow except us. Buffalo way got 30 inches last week, Randolph got 50+ inches earlier this week, Perrysburg even has 20. Gowanda has about 6 were protected by the valley. Only 6 inches here, were bummed, cant even think about getting a snow day with totals like that! Anyways, did I mention its cold!

We received our first Christmas cards and packages this week, so exciting! I don't know whats going on with the kids, Cameron brought in wood and shoveled the driveway Tuesday without being asked, Ian shoveled the driveway yesterday without being told, and Alyssa came home from school yesterday and went right in and cleaned her room!? Must be almost Christmas.

Well have a good day, and stay warm, cause its cold!

Love ya

Sandi

Hi from Gram

Wow what a good day this has been already. I got to have breakfast with Sandi and shop awhile with her then a talk with Tami! Those kind of things are what make me happy. Oh and finally got the cap for my root canal. First it almost went down the drain, then it needed fixing then dentist dropped it and I felt it going down my throat! Yikes It is now where it belongs and I am told very secure. It is snowing and blowing so great... Alyssa helped me start to clean up and decorate for Christmas so now I'm getting in the mood. I love my FAMILY they just bless me so much. The pictures of our new little one are beautiful. Praise God for his watch care over both Phyllis and Olivia. Now I'm enjoying a ducky tea. Love you all Gram Bev

baby pics

If you haven't already, check out http://www.bellababyphotography.com/ password 1202olivialeroy. The pictures are beautiful!

Olivia Renay LeRoy

She's here, and so beautiful, this isn't the best pic, but it's all I can get you right now. Pray for Phyllis, labor and delivery were pretty easy for her, but she had some problems after delivery. She is getting blood transfusions right now, I just spent the last hour with her and Olivia, both seem to be doing well.

December 2nd in Michigan

Hi from New York. No camera to take pictures with, but a little web cam that'll work.
Mike
Well, can't seem to get the video to load properly. I'll keep trying. This shows up on the composition page, but for some reason is not available on the blog page. J, any ideas?
Uncle Mike

Cold and Busy!

It sure is a lot colder than the 50's we had the other day. It snowed for most of the day today and were supposed to get 6 inches tomorrow morning, All the kids have spoons under their pillows hoping and wishing for a snow day tomorrow.(spoon under your pillow , pjs on backwards, and ice cubes down the toilet=recipe for a snow day!)
Christmas activities are in full swing here. Ashley and I made gingerbread houses, snowman mints, and cut out cookies today, which the kids frosted this evening. Our advent calendars this year consist of 1 pyramid shape with 25 drawers that open ,with gifts and verses in them, the other is 25 presents taped onto the fridge with an activity that we will be doing that day printed on the back. The next 25 days are all planned and packed with movies to watch, crafts and goodies to make, projects to work on and places to go.
We're all excited about the new baby!
Have a great day!
Love ya
Sandi

Colder

It is so much colder here and the wind is freezing, we are in the teens this am. Yesterday we saw our first sno flurries, but it turned out to be sunny in the afternoon. Very differnet from our warm fall we have had, Ruben stayed home Monday and Tuesday because it was too windy to put up siding, and today on his way to work the truck broke down. So we are al going to try to fit in his little mazda so I can go to work today. What a busy morning we will have. Im working on a stir Fry to send with everyone for lunch Addi is off to school with Grandma, Ruben is still sleeping. Gwenis wactching her favorite cartoon, Dinosaur Train. Jensen just has a bath and is playing on the floor, she love tummy time, she will be crawling by Christmas. Mom will be a Grandma for the fifth time Tomorrow. We are so excited, I cant wait to see out new addition. Well I hope everyone has a great day and enjoys the weather whatever it may be.