Christmas Eve

I made it to bed by 2:00 am my first night home, and I slept at least till 9:00 on Christmas eve, I got up early and went to Walmart to get Lasagna fixings, and a few last minute frames and things to wrap. While walking through the store, on the intercom, came a voice saying they were having a two for one special on deerstands. I just knew I must be a REDNECK. I continued laughing throughout the store, listening to people talk. I talked exactly like this once. I remember when I first moved to Jacksonville back in 1991, my real office job, they said try and loose that accent. My reply was “I’m proud of my Georgia heritage”. I really am, but my families southern accent is much stronger than mine now, although mine is still strong huh? While checking out I saw a woman smiling at me, it turned out to be my girlfriend from back in my school days. She looked great. She showed me pictures of her two children, ages 16, and one younger with pride. She looked happy. I gave her a big hug and chatted with her for a while. When we were in school, she used to ride with her older brother to school, he drove a herse that he painted red. Well she fell out of the herse on the way, when he realized she had fell out, he put the car in reverse and ran over her leg. She spent a long time in the hospital after that. For a long time she had a picture of me in a heart frame over her bed. I would visit from time to time, I remember her grandmother saying the reason she was sick in the hospital was because of that picture over her bed, and everyone would laugh.
I finally got home, made the lasagna, even had a few minutes to talk to Tony on Christmas eve and we exchanged some of our stories. I took a quick nap afterwards, got ready, and Autumn and I drove over to my dad’s. Eli and Ethan quickly followed, with Sherry, Mark, Dena, and Andy quickly behind. It was a night of Italian delight, Jane made some wonderful spaghetti, we had two pans of lasagna, a wonderful salad, lots of goodies, I think my favorite was actually the pinto pie, it tastes just like pecan pie, and I would give anyone a $100 if they didn’t agree. We all sat around with my dad and had a really nice time. It didn’t seem stressful at all. He even told us a funny story of when he was a teenager and got arrested that we had never heard. It was quite funny. We left and walked over to Dena and Andy’s. Autumn had to leave early, this was our first Christmas Eve without her with us. We have spent the last five years setting up everything for Santa to come see her. This year she spent with her mom on Christmas eve. I made it home, and Sherry and I stayed up till 1:30 wrapping presents and talking. Now all I have left to tell is about Christmas day and I’ll be all caught up, well almost anyway.

Christmas Eve Eve, babysitting the boys

I'm home from Georgia, got home a little early, Mike has a cold so I made him some homemade chicken noodle soup. He got me some beautiful shirts, I'll be sporting at work, and some cool movies. I just wanted to post some pictures but make it quick so he could do some things with his new video Ipod I got him for Christmas. These are pictures from my first day in Georgia, the red barn is my great grandfather's old barn. My sister and the boy's live out on the farm that I spent every weekend with my grandparents. My dad lives in the house that my grandparents live in. They were napping when I got there, and my sister Dena and her husband went shopping, so I spent my first day with the boys, from 2:30 till midnight. We had a blast though. We went on a long walk, picked up pecans, and peanuts, as you can see Ethan eating a peanut, but nighttime, they were eating popsickles in front of the Christmas tree. I'll be posting more about my weekend later. I need some snuggle time with my man. I missed my teddy bear. Eli told me I could sleep with his, but it just wasn't the same thing.

Remembering Maggie

Maggie has been Sherry's dog for as long as I can remember, for many years. I can hardly remember a visit without Maggie being there, Sherry found Maggie up in the Great Smokey Mountains, it was snowing and she was just beside the highway, She was up there camping, She stopped opened the door, and Maggie has been with her ever since, Sherry checked the campsites close by, but noone had seen her, there were no dogtags. Maggie was and is a beauty. She has the most human eyes hidden behind all the hair. It's not going to be the same at Christmas without her. Sherry would always give her a cute Christmas scarf. This is one of my favorite ones with Sherry and her although there are many. My mom just emailed me that they are putting her to sleep today at 1:00 p.m. Keep my sister in your thoughts, she's had Maggie longer than any boyfriend, or even her husband. I think she's had her for almost 14 years. We will all miss you Maggie, I'm glad I got to spend Thanksgiving that night with you on my lap on the couch.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.Maggie will be there. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. Her bright eyes are intent. Her eager body quivers. Suddenly she begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, her legs carrying her faster and faster.You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your Maggie, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

My niece Autumn and Mike's Mom's Christmas party

John’s Monday Photo shoot over at http://journals.aol.com/johnmscalzi/bytheway/  

My Monday Photo Shoot: You know what you think is pretty. Show us. It can be a person, a place, or thing, just as long as the primary reaction you (and hopefully others) get from seeing it is, my, that's pretty. It's so simple that your major difficulty, I expect, will be narrowing down the field to one thing.

 

No this one was easy as could be, Pretty to me is my six year old niece.  She is the perfect little model for me, she’s quite the natural, although we spent much time doing little pranks that Uncle Derek or should I say (Uncle Dig-It) since they are all calling me this now taught her that weren’t so pretty(like platic wrap on the toilet seat and vaseline on the doorknobs).  She’s really the sweetest thing in the world to me.   Once again as I left she made sure she was the last one to say goodbye, as she followed me to my car showing me where she wrote I love you in the dust on the bumper of the car, yes we have lots of dirt roads.  She blew me kisses till I couldn’t see her anymore just like last time.

The other pictures are from Mike's mom's Christmas party I took, we all had such a good time, and Mike came home in such a great mood, he really loves being a part of his nephews life, and he and Tiffany got along good, I even saw the love in his eyes.

 

Thanksgiving 2006

More posted later, just got home, I'm so tired.

Birthday Poem to Lance yesterday was his birthday

Lance and Derek, brothers by blood
Thoughts of yesterday continue to flood
Two children fast at play, I grew older and went away

That was the past, and the memories last
Because in our dreams and in life, time goes so fast
Or can time stand still, where we can look at thoughts of past, present, future at will

Tomorrow will come and we will be still
With unmeasurable amounts of love to be shared
Although we don’t always say it we both know, (that we have no hair) I was trying to rhyme with shared
For now we have our dreams and thoughts, our should and our oughts

Our father and mother, our sisters we love.
I only know of being Uncle, you know Father and Uncle.
But… we are brothers
We are brothers by blood
And my love does flood.

Happy Birthday my brother!

Nana's family reunion and our 90 year church homecoming

This past weekend we had my mom's mother's family reunion, and the next day was the church I grew up in 90th anniversary.   This was some of the pictures I took the last few days.   I had such a nice time.