The Elf Comes to Visit

Sweet Sylvia (oh yea, and her parents) came to visit over the weekend, and what a great time we had.  We planned to go to the Festival of Lights Saturday night at the zoo with Rach, Sylvain, Sylvia, Pete Laura.  Matt, Jenn and Charlie planned to come, but Charlie was too sick to take out in the cold.  The Fasciottos were going to come up Saturday morning, but Sylvain was fearful of getting here too late to see the start of the UK game at 12:30, so decided to come on up Friday night with the baby, while Rachael went to Lexington for a birthday party, and would come here after the party.  Sylvain got here about 6:30 and went into "setting up shop" mode.  He brought in the nugget, then got all the "gear" up to the baby's room, setting out the vitamins, sleeper, blanket, binkie, doo-doo, nose drops, etc., etc., etc.  My son-in-law is quite the daddy, and quite the pinball player.  He sheepishly asked if I'd mind if he went to game works to play some pinball after he got the baby to bed.  Well, of course I told him no need to put that sweet baby to bed, that's what grammies are for!  So he was off to Newport and I got to have another "oh so cherished" evening with the nugget.  Before Sylvain left, I had him help me do another photo shoot, and the nugget was transformed into the most precious little elft you ever did see!

Saturday morning Rach and I did some shopping while Jay went to the Redsfest with Matt and Sylvain watched the baby.  We were looking for a piece of furniture for her dining room and had a great time scrounging through the Florence Antique Mall.  We came back and took another round of pictures, trying to get the perfect Christmas card shot.  Then it was off to the zoo.  The snow had fallen and it was beautiful, but very cold!  Way too cold take take out the baby, but we did it anyway, bundling her up in her stroller.  Pete and Laura, and Dar/Jerry/Nolan met us there and we got there before the crowds.  We headed straight to Santa to avoid the lines, but Sylvia was having no part of that!  She screamed when he tried to hold her, so that was a bust.  But the zoo was still spectacular with the lights and the falling snow.  We got home and had chicken chili, Pete and Laura went back to Lexington, and Rach/Sylvain took advantage of another night of free babysitting and had a date night.  Two nights in a row getting to rock the sweet nugget and get her to bed -- priceless!  I savor every minute of these times with her.  She's a sweet baby and just fills my heart.

Nine, Going on Thirteen

Yesterday, I took my neice Abby to our 2nd annual "no one else invited" birthday lunch at Mrs. Teapots.  After picking out fashionably appropriate, color coordinated boas and hats, we had a wonderful time eating off of fine china -- PB&J and hot chocolate for the birthday girl.  Abby was so impressed by the hot chocolate which was what she called "the real deal", served in a pretty tea cup, not a mug.  She could just tell it was NOT the kind you get out of a packet and put in the microwave.  We had a wonderful time, chatting the afternoon away, and she was thrilled that the place was all decorated for Christmas.  She talked about how much she loves art, and how much she loves history and the 1800's.  I told her I bet she likes watching Little House on the Prairie; but no, she's not into the farm stuff.  She likes the fancy history better, like Boston life in the old days.  And she talked, and talked, and talked.  And she said she used to be shy, but she's not shy at all anymore.  In fact, "I've been talking so much, I haven't even stopped to eat my chocolate cake, Aunt Joycie!"  And I enjoyed every word; some day too soon, she'll be way too cool to talk to her old aunt.

I told her antique stores are all about history, so after lunch we walked through Bellevue scrounging through the antique and gifts shops.  She'd never been in an antique store, and she truly loved just taking in all the "stuff" and she really did enjoy looking at the different pieces of art.  We ended the day by coming back home and making the gingerbread for our gingerbread house.  Even though she's been helping to decorate the house for many years, she actually got to MAKE the gingerbread.  She helped mix the dough, then rolled it out, and cut out the pieces. 

When the day was over, I realized that Abby has grown at least 4 years in the past year.  How did that happen?  She's already gone from standing on a kitchen chair to help me bake, to standing on a little stool.  I will be so, so sad when she gets old enough to just stand there -- nothing needed to make her tall enough to help.  Where did that little girl go who couldn't see over the counter?  Even her apron is getting too small.  I have to face it that she's quickly entering the adolescent stage.  I hope and pray this sweet little girl doesn't get completely lost in that most horrible of passage to the teen years.  Abby is a delight, and I just love that little girl.  I'm so happy I've gotten to share these most precious years with her.  Living up the street has just been a gift I'll always treasure. 

A Family and a Baptism

Today was a very special day.  Sweet Sylvia was baptized and I could not be more delighted.  Standing in church and listening to the prayers of a community that I, and generations of Neltners before me, have been listening to for hundreds of years seemed to make the circle complete.  It was passed on to Rachael when she was baptized, and now Sylvia, clutching her dou-dou with the handerkerchief tied around it's neck (the one used as a bonnet when Rach was baptized, and then tied to her bouquet when she was married) was a symbol of the family bond and love that brings us all together.  Surrounded by her family, from both here and France, we watched as she was blessed into the faith that generations of Neltners and  Fasciottos before her embraced.  It is truly the "faith of our fathers", and now Sweet Sylvia has joined the congregation.  I was bursting with pride.  She was not the only one blessed today; God blessed us all who were present in our common bond of love for the Nugget.  God is great.

My Dear Deer are Back

I just found my long lost friends on Craigslist!  Yes, those wonderful reindeer who were part of my Christmas since we moved into this house 17 years ago are back.  I bought them at the Woolfest in 1993, and put them out every year.  Two years ago, I decided 15 years of the same lawn decorations for Christmas was enough; after the holidays, I packed up my white wooden reindeer and hauled them off to Goodwill.  I thought I'd come up with a new and exciting way to decorate my front yard for the holidays.  But alas, what I didn't count on was the "hole" I felt when it came time to pull out the decorations.  I missed my reindeer!!  Nothing out there could compare to those beautiful white deer with their big red bows, standing proudly in the stategically placed spotlight in front of the house.  I had to find them again.  For 2 years I've searched craft shows and yard sales, ebay and criagslist.  Tonight, the search is over! Tomorrow I pick up my dear deer and bring them back home.  Rachael will be so happy, not -- she always hated those deer and I really don't know why.  But I do know that I will never part with them again.  Wherever we end up, the deer will go too.  And that includes the nursing home.  Some day, someone will have to be sure my deer are outside my window, majestically displayed for all to see!  

Live for Today

Everyone knows we should live for the moment, but there are days when it becomes more evident.  We've just had a couple of those days.  In the past 2 days we learned that a family member is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and our daughter-in-law's father has a brain tumor.  He's 62 and ready to retire in December.  As much as we need to plan for the future, this kind of news makes us realize how important it is to cherish every moment of every day and never take anything for granted.

And, I never take for granted time spent with my family, and now especially my grandkids.  We just had a wonderful day today with Sylvie-pie, Rach and Sylvain at the pumpkin patch, somewhere in Indiana.  Jordan was able to join us, and it was a beautiful, sunny, WARM fall day.  The place was quite an operation, with hay rides, petting zoo, apple picking, 2 restaurants, an ice cream and cheese store, a winery, and a country store full of pies, breads, jams, and everything fall -- it was the best!  I feel so blessed that we get to spend this time with the kids, as it all goes by way too fast.  (It makes me sad that Sylvia is outgrowing her clothes so quickly; her daddy will be buying prom dresses before we know it!!!)  The Nugget is such a good little girl, and Rach is such a good little mama.  She has taken well to motherhood; she has a glow about her she never had before, and I'm so proud of her.  And Sylvain has proven to be a very good papa too; I love watching him with her, he is just smitten with her.  Sylvia is a lucky little girl!  Who wouldn't be smitten.... look at the cutest pumpkin in the patch!

And, speaking of smitten, her Grandpa Bird just can't get enough of the nugget.  He can spend all day just rolling around on the floor with her or walking her around the yard exploring.  This little girl has lots of men in her family swooning over her (like Uncle Jordan), and Jay is right there in the mix.  My kids were lucky to have him for a step-dad, and now the next generation gets to feel his love too.

So, at the end of the day, when there's so much sadness and there's so many things to wonder "why is this happening", the special little moments in a pumpkin patch mean even more than they would have a just few days ago.  And, we get to do it all over again tomorrow with Charlie!!

My First Attempt at Blogging

I NEVER thought I'd do this.  I am way too old to do this; well kind of old.  However, my whole life I've always wished I'd been diligent enough to keep a journal.  I wish I had my thoughts on paper when I'd been through the highs and lows of life.  Other than a few notes posted in the baby books, and my "Travel Journal" I always grab before we leave on a trip, I have nothing to in writing to look back on and re-live some of the most memborable times of my life.

So, here it is.  And it came to me this weekend as I savor what a wonderful weekend it was.  My daughter and granddaughter (Sylvia, almost 6 months old) and I spent a lovely day at the Woolfest on Friday (I played hookie as Rach and Sylvain were on fall break).  It was just a perfect fall day, bright blue sky, leaves turning, and crisp, cool air.  Then we came home where the rest of the family (Jordan, Matt/Jenn and that other wonderful grandchild Charlie) gathered for gumbo, applie pie and a bon fire out back.  Jay is in heaven when he can get a crowd around the fire, and his brother Kurt and nephew Aaron showed up too, not to mention little Adam next store, the King of S'mores! 

On Saturday morning, Rach, Sylvia, Grandma and I went to Penney's to have our "4 Generations of Neltner Women" portrait done.  It turned out really well, was a lot of fun, but exhausting.  Sylvia did great; those eyes just get bluer and those cheeks just get chubbier, and she gets sweeter every day.

Then to top off the day, Rach and Sylvain had a date night and left Sylvia in grammy's care - hooorrrayyy!!!  I loved having some alone time with my Sylvi-pie.  We did our own little photo shoot, then dinner, bath, story time and bottle before lots of hugs and kisses, swaddling and night-night.  They all packed up and left this morning, which is always sad.  But I'm hoping to see them again next weekend when we go to the 'ville to a pumpkin farm. 

I love the fall, and weekends like this -- just good old family time -- make the season so much sweeter!  I am blessed.