holidays – Page 6 – ToadMama.com

December 28, 2009

Christmas 2009, the Recap

I finally managed to go through all of the Christmas pictures taken at various family gatherings over the past few days.

I didn’t take nearly as many people photos as I should have. I realized that after having captured some particularly delightful (to me) kid pics at my mother-in-law’s Christmas gathering.

The beautiful children pictured below belong to Mike’s nephew, Curtis, and his wife, Candice.

First Adriana…

Do yourself a favor and look at it large (click on the image). She just has the most beautiful blue eyes and this angelic face that just melts your heart. Unfortunately, she spent most of the party napping. But this one perfect shot makes it okay. One time soon, we’ll have to arrange a special photo session for this little cherub.

She has a brother, too, which you probably would have figured out for yourself.

Mason also has big blue eyes and a little cherubic face that just screams, “Take my picture!” I couldn’t decide which shot of him I liked best, so here’s another. In color…

The little guy on the left is Mike’s great nephew, Ryan. He is Chris and Steve’s little boy.

Ryan is not the sit-still-and-pose type. Actually, he doesn’t sit still. (Don’t worry, Chris and Kathy, I deleted the crazy pics of him.) But look at this boy’s skin. Have you ever see such creamy, flawless skin?

He is sitting with his paternal grandmother. Her name is Kathy, which is really quite funny. Why funny? Well, my name is Kathy, and I am married to a guy named Mike. Ryan’s maternal grandparents, my sister- and brother-in-law, are named Kathy and Mike. So this is Kathy #3 in our family.

The above images are from the day after Christmas. The day before Christmas, aka Christmas Eve, was at our house. For whatever reason, I didn’t take many pictures at all. Most of the ones captured by my camera were taken by my daughter, Amy.

I did capture this shot of Joey, our youngest grandchild, digging the very yummy, homemade trail mix, gifted to us by June and her family (Mike’s cousins) in Willow, Alaska. I practically had to pry the bowl away from him.

I did slide it away from him at one point (he wasn’t paying attention). But he politely grabbed the bowl with two hands and pulled it right back. Notice how he’s holding on tightly with the right hand?

Here’s Brianna with the Shrinky Dinks Hubby and I gave her. I used to LOVE Shrinky Dinks, and I think it’s super cool that she likes them, too.

This is the only full-face shot of Gaige captured all evening. He’s trying to make Meg say “cheese” I think.

Here’s Joey in his cute Santa apron. He knows how to say “cheese” for sure.

I got zero pictures of Amy and TJ. None. What a bummer. I was going to remedy that at our post-Christmas gathering, but the whole family was sick and had to stay home.

I did take a few shots of the parents on Christmas day. Here’s my Mom…

And my Dad…

… who can now grow upside-down tomatoes without being called a redneck.

And here’s Mike’s mom. My mother-in-law. We camouflaged her candy in this box full of packing peanuts, trying to trick her into believing we forgot to get the one gift she looks forward to most every year. She dug, and dug, looking quite perplexed. Then, as soon as she hit the box, she said, “Oh, is this my candy?”

That totally cracked us both up. She LOVES that candy and knows we would have enough sense to warn her in advance if we weren’t able to procure some.

And that’s it for the highlights. I told you I didn’t take many pics. If you want to see the rest, you’ll have to go to my FLICKR site.

All in all, it was a nice Christmas. Even if Shannon is halfway around the world.

I’ll try to get more shots next time. I promise.

I did take a few cool pics yesterday…

This is K, who was sleeping beside me, on her back, on my chair.

This one shot I took while testing my new 2x teleconverter lens. Doesn’t this image just scream COLD?

A teleconverter increases the focal length of a lens. So, if you have a 300 mm zoom like me and use a teleconverter, you effectively can have a 600 mm zoom.

That’s how I got this close-up shot of the moon.

You will not achieve the same quality you would get with a true 600 mm zoom lens, but it costs ten times less than the cheapest 600 mm zoom. The more-expensive 600 mm zoom lenses cost many thousands of dollars. For one lens.

That’s it for now. I hope to get more people pictures later in the week. Stay tuned!

December 16, 2009

Does It Get Any Better?

I really have not been in a very Christmasy mood this year. I don’t know why exactly.

Maybe it’s because this is our first Christmas with no children left in the nest. Perhaps it is that Shannon is halfway around the world. Or, maybe I’ve just become an old Scrooge.

As a parent in a blended family (parents and step-children), Christmas has always been a struggle. Trying to arrange where the kids will be and when for the holidays was never easy. It always added an extra bit of stress.

Now that Amy is married with a blended family of her own, that pressure hasn’t gone away completely. But she and TJ always manage to work things out nicely. She and the kids will be coming here on Christmas Eve. We’re hoping Eric won’t have to work so that he can join us. Or maybe he’ll want to be here on Christmas morning. Maybe both.

But that still leaves Shannon. In India of all places for the Christmas holiday. I might be revealing some ignorance here, but that’s okay. I am not afraid to admit that I don’t know everything.

I always thought India was a Hindu and/or Muslim country. While the majority of the population is Hindu or Muslim, about 25% of Indians are Christians. Christmas is actually celebrated with quite a lot of fanfare in India. It is even a national holiday, so everyone, irrespective of their religion, gets to enjoy it along with the Christians.

Of course, that begs the question of whether it will it be harder for Shannon to be alone on Christmas in a nation that actually celebrates Christmas. Or would it be better in a place that doesn’t celebrate the holiday? So she doesn’t miss her family too terribly much?

We’ll never know. Because, although Shannon won’t be with us, she will not be alone for Christmas.

The way things have worked out, she is only in India now because of her visa delay (she had a hard time getting a visa). She is currently making her way across the northern parts of the country. By the time Christmas rolls around, she’ll be in the south, in a city called Bangalore.

The company I work for has a sizable operation in Bangalore. I don’t know many of my Indian coworkers well since we don’t speak often, mainly because of the time difference. But there’s a woman named Joyce who works in the Bangalore office doing the same job as me. We do interact by e-mail occasionally, so I sent her an e-mail asking if she had any recommendations to share with Shannon for her pending visit.

Shannon will be arriving in Bangalore on December 23rd or 24th.

While Joyce was more than willing to give Shannon some recommendations, she did even better. She invited Shannon to stay at her house and spend Christmas with her family.

Hubby and I were both quite touched by that very kind, generous and completely unexpected offer. I mean, Joyce has a husband and two daughters (ages 10 and 16 months). Who would ever think she would invite a stranger to her house for Christmas?

Well, Joyce did invite that stranger (Shannon) to stay. And Shannon accepted. So Shannon will get to spend Christmas with a family after all.

Not just any family, either. A very special family with children. A Christian family that celebrates Christmas like we do.

While I know Shannon will miss everyone over the holidays, I think it is her niece and nephews that she’ll miss the most. Because children are what makes Christmas so magical.

As I have told Joyce, we will never be able to thank her enough for opening her home and heart to our daughter. Of course, knowing what a special person Shannon is, I know Joyce won’t be sorry. And apparently Joyce’s oldest daughter is already making plans for Shannon’s visit.

I don’t think it does get any better. I’ve got some Christmas spirit now!

November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just had to take a moment to wish all of my family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s going to be a VERY quiet one for us this year. Just Hubby, the doggie-girls and me on a fog-enshrouded mountain.

No TV, so we won’t even be watching any parades. Not that I am complaining.

This is the first time in many years that none of our kids have been with us for Thanksgiving dinner. Shannon is currently in Dubai. Amy and family are going to her in laws’. Eric will be dining with my parents.

I hope each and every one of you has a fabulous day.

– – – UPDATE – – –

Wanna know what a quiet Thanksgiving looks like?

November 1, 2009

An Eventful Halloween

This was the most eventful Halloween ever. Well, maybe not ever, but at least in a long time. In the morning, I did my first 5k in Ocean City, Maryland (more on that tomorrow). In the evening, it was trick or treat time with the grandkids.

Their Dad, who is away doing Army training, was not able to be there. So Hubby and I went along to help. Not that Amy really needs help, because really is the best Mom ever, but because it’s fun.

Whenever I see this picture, I’ll forever remember hearing Joey, very loud yet muffled by the mask, saying, “Cheese! Cheese! Cheese!” The boy has been trained well.

I’ll also remember Gaige, strumming his sister’s pink guitar while serenading us with “If You’re Happy and You Know It” to keep us entertained as the other kids got dressed.

After Brianna got her costume on, she joined the singalong.

Transformer Gaige was definitely the most pumped up of the three.

Although Brianna was excited, too. I even got her to vamp for the camera. (For the record, I wouldn’t usually say my almost-9-year-old granddaughter was “vamping,” but she is dressed as a devil.)

As for the little guy, he came running out as a growling, muscle-bound Power Ranger and promptly tackled his still-singing brother. So I think it is safe to say he was excited, too.

Finally, the trick or treating began. I wouldn’t have thought an almost 26-month-old would be so into trick-or-treating. But Joey loves doing the same things his big sister and brother do.

Even if he did struggle to keep up at times.

He didn’t care. He was having FUN.

Here’s Amy with the kids as they patiently wait their turn.

Joey was a real trooper. It was obvious he was getting tired, but he never once got crabby. He didn’t complain a bit when Pop started carrying him from house to house and I carried his bag. He’d come right to Hubby and I after doing his thing at the door, say “there you go” as he handed me his bag, then turn to Hubby, raise his arms and say, “Pick me up, Pop.”

At the end of the night, the kids surveyed their loot.

Throughout the evening, Hubby and I kept remarking at how fast the kids are all growing. Compare the pics you’ve seen here to Halloween 2008 and you’ll see for yourself. And look at Halloween 2007, which was even before I had a Blog…

Time does go way too fast. The older you get, the more you realize that. Which is why, I think, grandparents tend to appreciate the grandkids so much. Because we know it wasn’t so long ago that their Mommy looked like this…

I hope your Halloween was equally as enjoyable!

August 16, 2009

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad II

So, did I mention that yesterday was my parents’ 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY? Well, it was. And we didn’t just take them out to lunch, we threw them a big party! I couldn’t mention that here ’cause it was a surprise. And Mom reads my blog.

Here they are on their wedding day, August 15, 1959. He was 21 and she was 18.

How could we not have a party? Fifty years of marriage is quite an accomplishment these days, as evidenced by the rarity of 50th anniversary party decorations.

And here they are now. They look pretty happy, don’t they?

As far as the surprise goes, Dad was clueless to the very end. Mom knew there was going to be a party, she just didn’t know when. To throw her off, I told her I procrastinated so long, I couldn’t find a place to have it. So we were just going to have a little party at my house (how boring and anticlimactic!) on August 22.

She didn’t know what was going on either until she saw a friend of hers in the restaurant parking lot. But that was okay. The party was still a smashing success.

As you can see, quite a few people attended. Their two favorite neighbors, Henry and Sheila, are at the table with Hubby, my kids and my nephew.

Some of our family on Dad’s side made it down from Pennsylvania. Mom’s sisters, brother-in-law, and some nephews, all from the Baltimore area, made it, too.

Here’s Dad with some of his friends from the Corner Crab House.

Even their doctor (they share the same primary care doc) and his wife attended.

I was pretty busy running around playing hostess and trying to take pictures at the same time. I didn’t get any great candids. Maybe my sister-in-law, Sharen, who was also taking pics, got some better images.

People get a bit weirded out when folks like me are walking around indiscriminately shooting pics. Sometimes, when they see me coming, I get looks like this…

From left to right here are my cousin (Tim), brother (Tom) and Tim’s wife (Karen). After I saw this image, I told the boys they were looking evil and that I had to try again.

I guess this is why people hire photographers to capture images at events like this.

All in all, it was a great day, which they topped off with a drive home in their nicely decorated car…

I wonder if anyone honked at them as they made their way home? I sure hope so. I’d honk if I saw this car driving down the road!

All in all, I think it was a 50th anniversary party they’ll remember for a long time.

December 21, 2008

Cookies!

The last Saturday before Christmas FLEW by at the Kirkpatrick household.

The biggest event of the day, by far, was the cookie baking. As I did miscellaneous odds and ends… shopping, putting the final touches on Christmas craft projects, pre-wrap staging, etc… Hubby baked cookies (among other things).

Now, I do realize there’s a fine line between sharing with you just how wonderful Hubby is and bragging about what a wonderful Hubby I have, so I won’t go on and on about him. I’ll just say that I REALLY appreciated all of his efforts today.

And, of course, I have to share some images. Okay, lots of images. But they’re good ones. At least I think they’re good.

Here’s Hubby happily baking away.