Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! See the Christmas Monkeys????

(My dad Lowell is in the hospital... he was not feeling well for a week, so he finally went in to Urgent Care in Gainsville, Florida.  They immediately put him in the hospital due to high blood pressure, chest pains and are going to do tests and keep him for observation. They immediately gave him nytro and aspirin, and we are waiting to hear from Mom.  Prayers are appreciated)

***SNOW*** 

I know for you non-snow folks, this may be boring.  

But it's about all we got going on here in Wisconsin is SNOW!

I woke up to this soft Sugar Snow coming down this morning.  

It's 4:30 a.m. and I snapped a few pics out the patio door to see

the flakes reflecting in the lights from the deck.

THIS is the kind of snow they show in the movies... 

It's like a Winter Fairyland out there, soft--- floating--- sparkly---  just like in a snow globe.   

Yes, it's feeling like Christmas.   

(not the wind whipping, driving, blasting, horrible blizzard stuff we had last week)

We are due to get about 7-10" today of the soft fluffy snow.  I am sitting by the light of the Christmas tree, working on my Christmas cards which SHOULD get out by today.   I had everything else done, the gift wrapping and shopping, most of the baking, and lots and lots of last minute sock orders for folks.  I had to wait to do my cards because I wanted a "special photo" to put in them.

See....I needed to get THIS photo..... 

Trying to wrangle them and get them all to sit in one spot was a feat, to be sure!

(Granfaddah picked out the jammies... they look like little Prisoners!)

We are doing a tradition here of giving our grandkids new jammies each year to wear on Christmas Eve. We all got together on Sunday at our son Dan's house to share some fun, family, laughter and let the kids open some presents to each other.   Here are our little Christmas Monkeys---  yes Monkeys!    Trying on their jammies that they can wear on Christmas Eve --- when they pop into bed with dreams of sugarplums dancing in their heads???

They were only glum for the picture posing.  The rest of the time they were squealing in delight, 

eating pizza, running around and having a darned good time. 

This was our only time that all three of our kid's families could meet in one place, due to family obligations with their spouses' families too.   We will see Erin/Mark/Chelsea on Christmas Eve and then Heather/Jesse/Jameson will join up with us there later and they will stay overnight.  We will drive back over to Erin and Mark's on Christmas morning to be with all of them.  Then about 10 am on Christmas Day, we have to pack up and head out to Steve's folks gathering in Waupaca, WI about 100 miles from here to have a celebration with Steve's siblings and parents.  There Dan/Heather/Allegra will meet up with us.  So we will get to see all of our kids and grandkids on Christmas, just not all at the same time!

We ate pizzas, watched the Packer Game (they lost) and enjoying the decorations at Dan and Heather's home. It sure was great to be all together and enjoy the family. 

Santa had sent along some special little snow globes that were really rubber bouncy balls.  

Boy oh boy, those were a HIT with the wee ones.  

But I got in my Grandkid time, even if we had to pin them down for a photo!

They are in constant motion and on the move, too busy for picture posing nowadays. 

Last weekend, Steveio must have been pining away for a campfire.  He decided to light up a big brush pile he had stacked up during the summer of downed branches and a few small trees we lost from storms. That is a tall column of sparks floating up 30 feet over his head.  Yes, he needed a campfire.  I think he was trying to heat up the outdoors. LOL

I tried to get a shot of the moon, but mostly got reflection on our trees. 

I guess I better get these cards done, the printer is finished with the annual holiday letter, complete with the new pic of our Little Christmas Monkeys.  I got the envelopes addressed, the stamps bought, the cards ready, and now can get them in the mail before the holiday.  Sipping my coffee from a special blue mug from my friend Juanita.

Thinking of my family and holding them in my heart. Hope to hear from Mom soon.