Dear Papa Dean

For his 80th Birthday party on Christmas Eve the family is getting together and offering a note of what we have each learned from Papa Dean. I won't be in attendance due to another family Christmas party but I am sending my letter. Here it is:
Dear Papa,
I want to be just like you when I grow up. I want to be on the cusp of my 80th birthday and still living a full life. I want to still be married to the love of my life. I want to be retired, but working full time because my work ethic is like no others. I want to have 6 grown children who are all as much the same as they are different; who are all successful in their own way, but don't flaunt it; who are all raising children and grandchildren to be respectful people and productive citizens; who have all had their trials and tribulations but have a level of faithfulness that is to be admired and copied.

I want to attend as many sporting events, band concerts, graduations, choir concerts, high school plays, talent shows, dance recitals, homecoming parades, and any other activity under the sun as many times as humanly possible just so I don't miss out on the events of my children and grandchildren. Even if these events are clear across the country, I want to find a way to get there and make sure whoever else wants to go can get there too. And I want to do this because I LOVE every minute of it.

And when I attend each of these activities, games, meets, events, and performances I want to meet people. I want to stand in line at the front door and know the person next to me. Or know their neighbor. Or know their 3rd cousin who used to live next door to my best friend. And I want to remember that person so that when I sit down in the bleachers or theater seat or lawn chair I can meet someone else that knows someone else that knows that someone else. And I want to say "This is what my Papa Dean always did whenever he met someone."

I want to teach my family to be competitive and appreciate a good win, but be respectful and have great sportsmanship.

I want to have 19 grandchildren (including their spouses) and seven great-grandchildren with 1 one the way. And I want all of those children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to LOVE coming to my house for Christmas. Even when we might have outgrown my home, I want them to still want to come because there is no place else they would rather be on the weekend before Christmas.

And at Christmas, I want to hear my adult grandchildren talking to each other about their fondest memories of my house "I loved the kitchen in the playroom." "Oh, what about the rocking horse?" "and the Lincoln Logs." I want my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to remember reading Dr. Seuss books in my basement and playing on the back patio and the carport (YUP, I want a carport) in the summer.

I want to be there on my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren's first (and second, and third, etc) trip to Disney World. I want to be in the pictures pushing the stroller and holding a place on the curb for the Disney Electrical Parade while everyone takes turns with potty breaks and snacks...and more potty breaks because of the snacks.

I want my children to start every other story with "On our way to...." or "we were on our way back from....." because it will mean that we have travelled and shown our children as much of this great country as we possibly can.

and lastly, at the age of 60ish I really, really, really want to be able to beat my 12 year old granddaughter in a foot race down Main Street in Gallatin just to say that I can.

Happy Birthday Papa Dean. I love you.

The holiday season is here!!!

Has it really been well over 2 weeks since my last post? Yikes! We have been so very, very busy already with the holiday season. Every day, evening, and weekend has been filled with something or other. This weekend was no different. Two parties in two nights and they were both wonderful! I love, love, love having friends and family in my home sharing great times and making memories.

I've become just a teeny bit obsessed with holiday decorations this year, but I'm trying hard to keep it under control. Trying being the operative word here. Hey, I focus my successes in other areas. Money management does not happen to be one of them. Jeremy tries to act like he is bothered by it but we all know he secretly loves all of the decorations. After all, he is the one who spruced up the whole outside of the house as a surprise for me and the boys a few weeks ago. He loves it every bit as much as I do. Maybe more.

My favorite part of the decorations this year....oooooo....I can't even choose. I was starting to write that I love having the boys tree downstairs with our childhood ornaments and the first few years of theirs. But I also really love that we found our childhood stockings and have them hung up this year too. Really makes me want to get fun stockings for the boys to start this memory for them. Ohhhhhhh, there I go again. Want, want, want. Spend, spend, spend. I'm in a spending, present-buying frenzy. And yes, I finished my shopping a few weeks ago. And yes, I continue to find reasons to buy more items. I love giving gifts and it's so much fun to find things that you just know people are going to love! Not things just so they will have something to open, but things they will really enjoy. It's the joy of giving! And I'm lovin' it!

I'm totally rambling here as usual. There seems to be something therapeutic about writing it all out. I know, I know. Too social worky. I actually got on tonight to capture in writing more of the funny little things the boys have said this weekend. I love that this blog is sort of an electronic baby book where I can keep track of their antics. They crack me up every day. But when my fingers started typing all that came out was holiday, holiday, holiday! It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

And let us not forget the reason for the season!

But I can't leave my blog tonight without just a few tidbits from the boys this weekend.

**Justin when my mom, Brett, and Grandma Dorothy got here for Leo's party: Jiminy Crickets, mom. They ARE here!

**Leo has croup this morning and sounds like an 85 year old man with COPD. He can barely speak or cry above a whisper and you can hear him breathing from two rooms away. He sounds so sad, but it didn't decrease his cuteness rating. He turned on the charm with Dr. Tina this morning. When she was done with him he whispered in his hoarse little voice "Oh tank you, mommy. Tank you Tina." She was eating him up! She said she has never seen a sick two year old thank his mom and doctor! That's my baby! I hate it that he is sick, but does it make me a bad person that I just love how cuddly and sweet he gets when he doesn't feel good?

**Justin keeps saying that Leo can't catch up with his breath. As if Leo is chasing his breath around the house and can't seem to catch it. Then he told Leo to "be wax (relax). I have had a hard day."

And my favorite from tonight from Justin while saying his prayers tonight in bed "Spirit is my favorite part of the cross. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Spirit is my favorite. I love every part of the cross and everything and everyone and every TV and everything beautiful and you are a beautiful mommy and I love you."

A perfect end to my weekend.