Christmas Past

James and Geraldine Carter, Ranes and Blace's Paternal Grandparents

1976, my cowgirl and her brother with his first *slinky!*

1980

I have discovered, after 50 years of picture taking, that the pictures that didn't make it to an album or in a frame~~ keep popping up everywhere, the rest of your life! You have to know what I mean, they are too good to toss (who can toss a pic) and they keep showing up!! It seems I would simply track down the album with old Christmas pics, but these will do just fine! I can even smell the peppermint and hot chocolate!

Ranes age 6, 1976

His dream was a Banana Seat Bike

and he covered at least a million miles with it!

Blace, age almost 2, 1976

Baby Buggies have come a LONG way!

This one got pushed many miles too!

(check out the floor model TV, the orange walls and burnt orange carpet)

It's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas!!

Ranes and (as he puts it) *My beautiful wife Heather!*

I call it Ranes and my beautiful daughter-in-law, Heather!

Families and Friends are entertained~~

~~by adorable little children!

Great Job Kayleigh!!

Christmas Is Coming!

Tyson, Kayleigh and Braydon checking out *thousand dollar* Christmas Trees!

New Sleds In Use!

I also have a few movies of this, too cute and TOO fun!!!

Braydon's Christmas performance at school!

I wasn't there in person but was connected via phone so got to actually HEAR the beautiful songs as well as the audience reaction (especially Kayleigh who was overwhelmed to have her Ganma on the phone (we did chat a bit, how could I resist?)

Daddy's Girl!

Christmas At Work!

What a great time we had~ not sure what was best, the food, the gifts, the games, the fellowship or the FUN. We enjoyed it all to the hilt! Some folks were camera shy, so you have to look carefully to see their spirits moving around.

The wildest game is saved for last!! We roll dice one at the time, when doubles are hit you get to don the fuzzy gloves, a long scarf and start the task of trying to open a tightly wrapped package.....until someone else gets doubles...... and you are quickly robbed of all!

Then the REAL fighting begins!

(I won.. only because I got doubles at a good time)

Pam (Resident Interior Decorator), Denise (Clinician Boss), Linda (the BossBoss), Theresa, (The Angel), Tere (the Boss), Mae Eva (Mother Earth) and LAZY SUSAN! (the one we love lots)

Chinese Gift Auction

(yes, we fought a tiny bit)

Susan, Bonnie, Denise and Kim

Tere, Pam, Betty and Brenda

ENJOYED IT YOU GUYS!!

Thanksgiving Day 2009

Debbie is checking out Black Friday specials!

The primitive house some of us walked to after the feast!

Uncle Waymon and Aunt Carolyn created a TURKEY Pinata!

A tiny sample of the multiple desserts at a Dekle gathering!

We were at Lois and Melvin's new house in the woods!

After the feast we walked through the woods to the primitive house!

Mother, Daughter and Grand-Daughter!

Cousins Lynn and Keith

Sister-in-law Fran and Niece Katherine

A very artistic chalking!

Thanksgiving Sports?

I'm not yet ready to talk about my experience with homemade rootbeer this day!

However, I CAN be ever so happy that Braydon and Tyson had a good experience with theirs!! Actually they had root beer and creme soda!

Maybe by Christmas I can get it right?

This is not totally computing for me, but then again I am in the deep south where we are still in shirtsleeves, football is still prime and hunting is a typical Thanksgiving *sport*!

SO.. here we have snowboarders... in their shirtsleeves.. .. in their living room!

I look forward to the SURE TO COME snow sports pics!

If I haven't said it already, I am SO THANKFUL for

Sky, Lacey, Braydon, Tyson, Addison, Kayleigh and Carter!!

That's MY sport... G'babies!

Gobble Gobble

THANKSGIVING 2008

We've GROWN since 1974

Early Thanksgiving!

Got a call from brother that they were headed south for the week, going to visit friends in Florida, would be stopping by for a visit!!

Here he is on Mamoo's patio with son Christopher!

Does he just get cuter every time we see him?

Christopher and his baby brother Zachary! You can tell how glad Chris is to see him!

The day went too fast and I didn't get any pictures (in awe?)Luckily, my niece Michelle did get these!

We are Thankful for~~

Our Canine Crew, the owners of our Home and Heart