The Best Christmas Surprise EVER!!

The Best Christmas Surprise EVER!!

For the past several months my brother Adam and I have been scheming up some big plans. 

 We've been planning a surprise for my parents...a BIG surprise!

 Here we all are on Christmas morning just before the big surprise, wearing our Singapore T-shirts from Uncle Bryant.  After the picture was taken I showed my Mom where their ultimate present had been hiding throughout the morning.

They opened a very large, very light weight box to find a simple note that read:

"Let The Games Begin" 

and explained the basic idea of a scavenger hunt 

and gave them their first clue.

While they spent their time hunting for little slips of paper hidden throughout the house,

 the rest of us got dressed up in these:

Green T-shirts that read "Pettey Family Reunion 2012" 

and an image of a cruise liner and a tiny Tinkerbell waving her magic wand.

We were dressed just in time for them to finish their hunt.  

I think they had no idea what to expect.

And, not to brag or anything;), 

but I think we exceeded their expectations!!

"It's A Small World After All!!" we all sang together

"We're taking you on a Disney Cruise!!"

Their were tears!!

And their were hugs!  

I still kind of feel like we hit a home run with this surprise!  We're all so excited for our big trip in February.  And I hope it made my parents feel honored and let them know how special they are to us and how grateful we all are for all the surprises they've given us along the way.  Because its true. We are and they are...special to us.

xoxo

Ash 

Gran

I talk with my children a lot about their Gran, my Grandmother whom I never imagined I would miss and think about as often as I do.  Her name seems to come up every time I talk about my childhood or see a raspberry or make mashed potatoes.  I even watched an episode of Murder She Wrote the other day while I did some sewing.  It was her favorite TV show.  Hearing the theme song brought a somewhat mournful smile to my face.

Tonight when I went to lay down with Georgie after I got home from the gym she asked me to tell her a story from when I was a little girl.  I told her about the time I went to Utah on a plane with my cousin Aly...no mommies to hold our hands.  I told her about how I visited my Gran and played barefoot on her soft green lawn (I'm not trying to sound sentimental here, they had the best grass!!)and picked raspberries and cherries in her back yard.  I told her about how she bought me the silky blue nightgown that Georgie wears obsessively now despite the fact that its 2 feet too long for her.  On Sunday I gave her a necklace that had been my Grans, a dainty gold one with a tiny key dangling from it.  Mid story Georgie began asking me questions about Gran.  "Where did Gran get that night gown?"  "Where did Gran get this necklace?"  It seemed to me that in that moment my Gran became a person to Georgie.  And for some reason tears welled up in my eyes and I smiled.  It struck me that my Gran was living on in us.  I have always known, to some inadequate extent how much a Grandparent means to a child but I never considered, as a child, what they mean to adults...what great lessons and stories they provide for us as parents.  It was a short trip from that line of thought to my own parents who are so much a part of everything that I am.  I'm so grateful that my children have them.  I'm so glad that when Isaac is sad that he has Gaga to call.  That when they grow up and tell their children stories they'll be able to tell them how Papa dressed up in a costume every year for their birthdays.  How they drove an off roading vehicle with PopPop at Christmas time and swam many miles in Mimi's swimming pool.  We're writing each others stories every day and sadly, most of the time we don't even realize it.  It takes moments like this one with G to put it all in perspective.  As I think about my Gran I wonder if she knew, before she left us, what a big part of my story that she was.  I wonder if she knew that she would live on in us.  I doubt I ever told her, past the age of 12, because I didn't even know it myself.  I think it goes to show, that yes, undoubtedly we need to express our love for the people in our lives.  But more than that is that all of this goes with out saying.  It just is.  Good Grandparents are part of who we are.  They are the cozy blanket, the worlds best snuggle, the best present on Christmas Morning, the back scratch and the softest hands you've ever held.  They will always be the smile that arises on the face of a 4, 30 or 85 year old.  They transcend generations!  So for all the thanks you don't get Gaga, Papa, Poppop and Mimi, know it from your own experience.  You are the world to them, to us and to the generations to come.  

Our Thanksgiving

It all started on Tuesday with Isaacs class "Fall Party"

Isaac and I were in charge of the decorations.  I let him pick out what he wanted to make.  He settled on corn husk centerpieces made out of liter soda bottles and tissue paper as well as Indian headbands.  He helped me make them all.  

Here he is with his teacher, Ms McLeod.  We both LOVE her! 

And here's what we call the Elm Street posse;)  

These three cute kiddos all live on Elm Street, Slade directly across the street from us and Devin about 5 houses down.  They play together a lot!  It's soooo fun to have neighbors with kids living so close!

On Wednesday night we headed for Houston.  We were all excited.
Zach, Jill and ALy were all going to be there!  

Sweet Greetings awaited us!!

 Hello, Juliet!!

Hello, Gaga!

Can you believe we went swimming on Thanksgiving Day?

The weather was 90' all day and then a northerly blew in a little before nightfall.
Just in time for the HOT TUB!!

Liam, Isaac and Joey's shoulder;)

Jill and Arie Lou
with whom I fell completely in love.  She got to sleep over at our house one night and she is the cutest, funniest little thing!!

Isn't he HUGE!!

The Nina's!!!  

Mom, Jill, Juliet and the original, Nina Grandma!

We quickly switched gears from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  Here Isaac is excited to receive 

Toy Story 3!  His biggest gift was the Star Wars AT AT found at Costco.  It is awesomely HUGE!

Georgie is in love with her Bitty Baby!  

Thanks Gaga and Papa!!

And I'm in love with my 3 amazing mirrors!  And my tiny little, gold, wear-everyday peace sign necklace!  You gotta love gifts from parents....they buy us things that we could never buy for ourselves!!

Thanks Mom!  And for Joey it was the Beatles T-shirt you see him wearing below.  

So Joey and so cool.

 Goofin' off at Lupe's Tortillas.

Most of the gang!

The kids helped Gaga put up her Christmas villages.  They really enjoyed it.  It made me slightly regret selling mine.  I hope my Mom doesn't read this!  She'll say, "I told you so!"

Merry Christmas everyone!  More where that came from later!

xoxo

Juliets Blessing

Juliet's Baby Blessing

The day was sweet.  The weekend perfect.  

On Sunday afternoon we blessed Juliet at my parents home in Houston.  She woke up from an after church nap to a house full of friends and family that love her.  I spent some time alone with my sweet little girl, dressing her in a gown that I had worn for my own baby blessing.  The gown was worn by my Mother, her siblings, my siblings and all of my cousins on my Moms side.  Isaac and Georgie were blessed in it and I believe that Liam, Arie and Ryder were as well.  The bonnet was my Fathers.  I felt connected with all the Mothers that had done this before me...dressed their children in this gown (and bonnet) for a beautiful occasion.  I felt connected with a moment that seemed fleeting but also with history that was with us.  I felt my Gran, my Mother, my Aunt, my Grandmother, my cousins and my children.  We shared a special moment with all of them...Juliet and I.  

My most precious possessions 

A special moment with Papa.

The Men in my circle;)

Q:  Who drives 3 1/2 hours with 6 children during a residency program for a 24 hour stay to see friends?

A:  Special People.  People that you love.  People that you love.  The Bahrs

We soooo enjoyed having them there and appreciated so much their sacrifice in coming to meet Juliet.

Silly Faces

The Boys

My Babes

The kids sang "I Am A Child Of God" before Jet's blessing, then "I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me" after the blessing.  They set the beautiful mood.

Gaga and Papa kisses.

Dad with "The Nina's" (We're missing Jill)

Gaga with Juliets special cupcakes.  They were delicious!!  

Complete with pink J's on top of them!!

Arie back from Guam.  

I'm dying to get these two together again!!

After a tearful goodbye to The Bahrs and the Monsons the kids carved a pumpkin with Papa and Gaga...a smiley one.  Isn't that fitting!

I love people!!  Especially my people!  Thanks so much for being there friends.  It meant a lot to us!

xoxo

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

It all started with:

Isaacs classroom party.

 It was fun to see him in his 5-day a week, school environment!

Mrs. Madl's Kindergarten class.

We really love his teacher.

Then we waited, not so patiently, for Gaga and Papa's arrival.

Awww, like a breath of fresh air they entered our lives!  I am so grateful for Grandparents.  I can't imagine Isaac and Georgie's world without them!

On Thanksgiving Day, Joey and Dad headed for the football field and Mom and I slaved away;)  Once again, it was so nice to have a buddy in the kitchen.  My talented and resourceful Mom took the kids out hunting for greenery for our centerpiece.  They loved every minute of it, carrying their baskets and collecting earthy treasures!

Voila!

(sort of...before my Mom refined the kids labors)

I didn't take a single picture of the guests at our Thanksgiving Day dinner but it included the Fischers...who made this delicious apple pie with their name inscribed in pastry on the top.  Clever dudes;)  We also had our dear friend Ruth Thomas with us.

We spent part of the weekend teaching Isaac how to ride a bike without training wheels.

He did great but I think we'll hold off our serious study until the spring.

It's been WAY to cold around here to keep it up!

Keeping with tradition we drove 2 hours for a Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving.  I'm thinking we might hold off on this tradition until we leave Oklahoma.  They just don't have good, accessible Christmas tree farms around here.

But then again they love it...what's a Mom to do.

I'll think about that tomorrow, not today!

Our masterpiece...after completion!

...the real masterpiece!