The Lighting Ceremony

Each year, shortly after The Feast, we all enjoy the annual Lighting Ceremony here at the Thomasson residence. Tim and All Those Boys work really hard at lighting up our corner of the world, using only Christmas lights. This year, Tim got a wild hair and headed out to Wal-Mart. When he returned bearing a moving reindeer and spiral Christmas tree yard ornaments, we were all pretty excited. Until the star fell off the Christmas tree and the reindeer was found to be missing his ears. Obviously not made by American workers! I hated to see his mouth get tighter and tighter as these 'easy to assembly' holiday must-haves, just wouldn't go together. Or it could have been the fact that I insisted on getting pictures of this unfolding drama.

Well, as Ma Ingalls always said, 'All's well that ends well.' Indeed, after a little go-around with the customer service folks, we were all set. The Lighting Ceremony could go on as usual.
Whew! That was a close one.

We love our little reindeer as he bobs his head at our spiral Christmas trees. So much so that we took some pictures right in front of them! Merry Christmas, everyone!
Early maybe, but nonetheless, heartfelt.

The Season Begins

This time of year is just made for traditions. And for a person that resists change as aggressively as I do, traditions are what it's all about. Every year, the same thing. Nothing ever differs. To some, that sounds boring and monotonous. To me, that sounds perfectly wonderful. One of our traditions that has evolved (not in THAT way) over time is our annual Feast. I like to capitalize it that way. Actually, I prefer to call it The Feast because I figure that if I cook multiple pans of starchy food all day long, serenely watch everyone overeat for 15 minutes, then slave over a sink of hot water for an hour while cleaning up, the darned event needs to have a full-fledged title. This year's Feast was yummy. I believe this picture of Tyler speaks volumes.

Mothers around the country agree: all the work is worth it when everyone is sitting around the table together!

I would be remiss if I didn't add this postscript. I actually have some pretty darn good help in the kitchen these days. As these pictures atest, Nick, Tyler and Chip can whip up a mighty nice looking pie or two. Thanks, Boys! I love to have All Those Boys help me in the kitchen...now we've just got to get the washing the dishes part drilled into their lovely young heads.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Time Doesn't Fly...It ZOOMS!

As I have said before, we are rather overloaded when it comes to fall birthdays around here. Just in our house alone, we celebrate four birthdays during October and November. And that's not counting our extended families! But each one is very important to us, because each one is for a special person. The latest Thomasson birthday belongs to Chip who recently turned two. Chip has brought a great deal of fun to our family, fun that we didn't even know we were missing. Isn't it something how God gives us wonderful gifts that we didn't even ask for? And isn't it something how those gifts turn out to be just right for us?

Chip really enjoyed his birthday. He loves to blow out candles and practices all the time, so he was definitely up to the task of extinguishing the birthday candles, especially considering there were only two of them.

And he's figured out the fun of opening presents.

But we didn't count on this one thing: we gave him the little cars first. That was a bad thing to do because as soon as he saw those, he was completely content and "all done."

Tim thought that was actually a pretty good deal and was ready to sack up the rest of the packages and "recycle" them at Christmas. Luke was getting agitated because he had oh, so carefully, chosen all of Chip's gifts and wanted to see him open them. And Nick and Ty wanted cake.

Eventually we got him to open the rest of them...quickly, so he could get back to his cars.

Happy Birthday, Chip!!

Please Be Patient...

We seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties that are preventing me from working on our desktop. In a nutshell, our PC is not feeling well. Nor acting well. So I am stuck with the laptop. Now, that last sentence may make you think I'm not grateful for the laptop, but that just isn't so. I am overcome with gratefulness. But, you see, I cannot access any of my pictures on the laptop. That makes me very discouraged because I have some beautiful new photos I am dying to show you! And I know you're excited to see them. That's where the plea for patience comes in. We both have to wait....So we shall. Please know, though, that I will have a respectable post for you, replete with lovely pictures, just as soon as I can figure out how to give a Tylenol to the computer.

Trick or Treat!

Halloween was really fun this year. First of all, the kids looked adorable. I mean, half of them looked adorable, the other half looked suitably cool. You decide which half falls into which category.

Luke and Nick decided that they were now far too old for such childish pursuits as Trick or Treating. Of course, then they were mad that they didn't have any candy and proceeded to plunder Chip's loot. Good thing Tyler and Chip made out like bandits.

Look at those people. They don't even look scared! An obviously benevolent ghost is hovering about as Darth Vader is just waiting for his chance to attack. What's wrong with this country?

Fall is a big time around here when it comes to birthdays. We celebrate mine, Nick's, Tyler's and Chip's in October and November. And that's just for people that actually live in our house! There are even more birthdays in our extended family! Lots of fun, for sure. Well, the last one we celebrated at home was Tyler's. He turned 9 on October 24. That's just amazing to me. He'll always be my baby no matter how that sets his teeth on edge.

He gave us a very nicely detailed birthday list of what he expected, I mean wanted, for his birthday. The very biggest, most important item on that list was this instrument to aid in the breaking of bones, the Rip-Stick. It's kind of like a skateboard, only with a little bit of skaterboy attitude thrown in. Just perfect for Ty! How he (and Nick, who got one as well) can zoom around on these things! I could never stand up on it, I'm sure, nor would I try. I was concerned that I might lose my balance just wrapping it! But he loves it. If you don't believe me, look at his face at the very moment he saw the as-requested silver Rip-Stick.

He is a real blessing to our family, and we're so very glad to have had him for the last 9 years!

WE LOVE YOU, TYLER! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!