RAMBLINGS OF A GRANDMOTHER

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

A Year of Change

This time last year we had big news that after more than three years of having six grandchildren a new one was coming our way. Seven grandchildren, wow.
Miss Molly Marie joined our crew on July 8th
 
 What we didn't know was that all fifteen of us would be moving and each and every one of us would be living in new cities and homes. I'm not even sure where to start. I guess at the beginning but I'm not even sure where that is since it all happened so quickly at the same time. Let's just cut to the chase.
                                                 This is Thomas and Natalie's new home.
                                              They no longer live across the street from us.
                                                       so, we HAD to move, right?
 


This is our new house
So we moved out of our old neighborhood.
Leaving friends and a home we lived in for longer
 than we have lived anywhere.
We may not live across the street
 but instead of 30 minutes it takes 8
That is good because we have our new little sweetie
 to take care of while her parents work.
We also doubled our square footage.
Why you ask?
Because we had a family of four move in with us.
2013
With a fourth deployment looming over their heads
Shawn and Jennifer made the hard choice to leave the Army life.
He was able to get a job on post with the same people he worked
with when they were stationed here but the pay and benefits are less.
He'll be going back to school with his Military benefits.
Sad that this young family has given so much to this country
but have to start from scratch.
2008
 
 
So for now they live with us.
Tom and I have everything we need on the main floor
The Bransons have the whole second floor with
3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and a sitting area.
We also have a huge finished basement when all the grands are here.
Jennifer has been subbing in the kids school.
The same school that Thomas teaches in and the redheads attend. 
So I flew out to Texas and drove back with Jen and the kids
while Shawn processed out
 
Our Bransons
 
                                                        Lest you thought I forgot these four.
                                         They are now making their home in our old house.
                                                       Charlie is tickled with his 'man cave'
                                    Michele is tickled to be only three minutes from her mom
We are now recertified to take in foster children in our new home. Although we do not have a placement right now. We have a couple of families that we run into and are happy to tell us how well those children are doing.  It's nice to be appreciated but we do understand that it was most likely one of the worst times in their lives and they just as soon not remember.
This picture is from last January and I would dare you
 to tell me which were not born into our family.
We will be here when and if they call again.
MERRY CHRISTMAS



 
 




Monday, December 22, 2014

First Annual Ugly Sweater Party

As my brothers, sisters and I all got married and had children we all gathered at my parents house for Christmas Eve just as while growing up our Aunts, Uncles and cousins all met at my Grandma Penney's house (aka Nanny). So Christmas Eve to me and also our kids has always been known as 'Penney Christmas'. Try as we have over the last 37 years we have been unable to get a consistent 'Dennison Family Christmas' going. This year Tom wanted to try again to start a new tradition so he came up with the idea of an ugly sweater contest. He bought a Christmas trivia game and we pulled out the Yatzee and Uno (Penney's never did well with games as much as my mother tried LOL). He and I sat down together picked categories and ordered medals so that everyone would win. We even had a banner made. We picked a list of snacks (none of which are traditionally served at the Penney Christmas) and the annual Ugly Sweater Party was born.


There are those ugly sweaters in all their glory 1985
I made my sisters kids Halloween costumes
and we got these in exchange
 

Making Grinch Kabobs

I also made a broccoli Christmas Tree
with cauliflower snow
I don't think I will be doing that again
The toothpicks were dangerous


Jack insisted on making holes in his sweater and putting stains on it.
To him that's what makes it ugly.
I think he gets it now




Jennifer packed away her sewing machines for the evening
so that we could serve the food




Lily didn't quite get it, she refused to wear an ugly sweater.
She gets it now

Ella beat them all in Yatzee



and we ALL learned some great Christmas trivia
like Santas in Russia wear blue


They were all over our house 4 days later and finished up all that popcorn LOL









Everyone got a million dollars too



Never too big for a hug

double sweaters
funny thing I gave her those holiday sweaters
from my 'teacher' days



Ella sang us the songs that she sang at her Christmas concert last week
Dennison family Christmas 1988
 

                                                             Ugly Sweater Party 2014



Penney Family Christmas 1987
Traditions are good
 
Come back and see the wrap up of our year.
It's been a busy one!