Dancing in the Snow at CALM

We all bundled up and went to the CALM Holiday Lights display. Aubrey and Zoe looked so cute riding in the double stroller.



Aubrey and Mom ( She went into labor the next evening and Juliet was born 1/1/10)

Proud Daddy's



Aubrey loved the snow machine and was so excited about the "snow" I just loved the happiness that catching snowflakes gave her. I call that her Dancing in the Snow Happy Dance.

Time Moves Forward- Christmas 2009

Christmas was very different at the Thompson household this year. To begin with, there wasn't the huge gathering of the extended family due to the fact my brother and his family were in Hawaii, sister Julie in Washington, Marti & Ron planning to travel South to be with their kids and grand kids and Mom planning to fly to Seattle ( she ended up not going). Jacob is still traveling so this is our 4th Christmas without him, my dad passed away in February so this was our first Christmas without him. However, we celebrated our first Christmas with our new Granddaughter Zoe, Barbie and Justin's new little one is due at any time and Aubrey at three years old was excited and filled with the wonder of Christmas so it was fun to see through her eyes the wonder of Christmas activities, decorations and music. Oh yes, and I also attended my first Christmas program as a grandparent and watched Aubrey stand up on stage and occasionally ring her bell and sing a line or two (wow! did that ever bring back memories.)


We got together with each of us bringing a pot of homemade soup ( split pea, French Onion, Potato-Sausage), salad and bread on Christmas Eve and my mom joined us in the festivities. So, with our bellies full of soup, a warm fire burning in the fireplace we enjoyed an afternoon with each other celebrating Christmas.

Memories of past Christmas' filled my head from when I was a child getting a Mary Poppins doll from Santa Claus to watching my own children's thrill as they saw what Santa had brought them on Christmas morning. It seems like just yesterday when Justin and Jacob got cowboy hats and toy guitars and now I am watching my own grandchildren, yes, I am watching my grandchildren open gifts and delight in the excitement of Christmas. It is hard to believe that time has passed so quickly. God has so richly blessed us and how sweet it is to watch Aubrey as she plays with the Nativity set and talks about the birth of Jesus and sing Away In The Manger .





We are looking forward to the new year and a new addition to the family and the return of Jacob who is finishing up the last miles of his 3 1/2 year bicycle ride down the Continental Divide. We expect Jacob to return to us late January or early February .
Hurry home Jacob, we are so excited to know that you will soon be home.

Christmas Cookies with Aubrey

Aubrey wanted to come to grandma's to make Christmas cookies. We had fun mixing the dough, rolling it out and cutting out Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Snowflakes, Stars and Snowmen. Yummm! they were very tasty with frosting and sprinkles of sugar

Frozen Shoulder

My knee was one year old on December 2 and I am so totally thrilled with the difference in my life now that my knee doesn't limit me and cause pain like it has since I was in high school. However, I'm really discouraged right now because I have been diagnosed with a "new" orthopedic condition. Now, I know I shouldn't be discouraged but if you know me I have had more than my fair share of medical problems ... knee, feet, ankle, gall bladder, Bell's Palsy, female issues and the list goes on. Oh well, I start physical therapy on Tuesday and pray for good results because right now movement with my left arm is very minimal and very painful.



"Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that causes restriction of motion in the shoulder joint. The cause of a frozen shoulder is not well understood, but it often occurs for no known reason. Frozen shoulder causes the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint to contract and form scar tissue"

Family Baths

Last night Zoe came over to have a "Family Bath" with grandma . Also in the bathroom was , Kurt, Alisha, Mickey, Ivy, Tess and Grandpa!! SHE LOVED IT!

Thanksgiving

This was a very different Thanksgiving for our family... Mom went with Bob and family to the Roper cabin up in Glennville, Marti and Ron had Julie, Sean, Andy, Lyndsay and girls and we went to the Howards to share Thanksgiving. I brought the turkey and a pecan pie and we had a great time sharing our little granddaughter Zoe. It is so nice to have a good relationship with Alisha's family and we really had an enjoyable time. My son Jacob is riding his bicycle somewhere in Argentina so there was an empty space for us but we are hopeful that he will be home soon.
Brad enjoying a turkey dinner

Justin, Barbie and Aubrey at the table

Aubrey racing grandma

Zoe

Aubrey "exercising in the front yard"

Aubrey playing Soccer

First Thanksgiving for Zoe

We are full, content and so thankful for all of God's blessings on our family

Finally!!!

After over three years without a functioning bathtub and over 2 years with just a hole in our Master bathroom where a tub should be, a new bathtub was installed on Monday!! Now I know some people wonder why in the world it took so long but there is a long involved story because we had insurance on the tub but they really didn't want to tackle it and in the end we gave up so the tub just said there, unable to be used due to a leak. Brad wanted to replace it with the same exact tub so the dimensions wouldn't change but you couldn't order it without a Contractor's license and then he wanted to install it and then we were told it was difficult and then, and then and then. You get the idea. Well, last week we decided to call the contractor and show him some bathtubs we'd found on line and in the meantime I went to Lowe's and found the exact measurements we needed. So...


We now have our jetted Jacuzzi tube installed!! We have to custom order the spout but we hooked up a hose so little Aubrey could christen the tub because she has always asked about that hole in our bathroom . In fact, we haven't had a tub since she was born but as you can see, she is certainly enjoying it now!

Work

I graduated from nursing school in 1976 so that means I have been working as a nurse for 33 years!! Yikes, where does the time go? As a nurse I have done a little of everything from camp nursing, public health, home, hospital and then for the last 20 years I have been doing school nursing. The field of nursing has offered me opportunities to work per diem, part time, full time and just about any schedule I want if I was willing to make compensations elsewhere.

2 1/2 years ago I changed jobs from being a District School Nurse to working for the Superintendent of Schools as a Program Nurse where I've worked with Alternative Ed students, Pregnant and Parenting Teens, Cal Safe, grants, Migrant Ed., you name it and I do it. I originally changed jobs because I felt I had lost my enthusiasm for nursing in a district and had become somewhat apathetic about my job.

Well..... after working for the County I find I am no longer apathetic but I do find myself working longer hours, more days, spending hours on a computer,putting together State Reports, learning about budgets, personnel issues, grant writing, time-lines, teaching classes, developing programs.... and the list goes on. So, the job is interesting, challenging , frustrating and exhausting!!

Yesterday I held a Nutrition Workshop for 30 Child Development teachers and put together Power Points, agendas, evaluations, sign-in sheets, hospitality, prizes, set up computer, projectors, organized for stipends, downloaded music for the program , etc. I couldn't believe how much is involved in one workshop!! Thankfully, I have a very good consultant that works with me and did a fantastic cooking demo/nutrition education and two other young ladies that helped put together my Yoga demonstration and the "make and take" activity. All in all, the Workshop was a fantastic success and I feel like it was a great accomplishment.
OK, so now I'm going to take Monday off !!!! Haven't I worked long enough that I can retire and watch grand babies? LOL!!!


The "Nutrition Team"

Happy Halloween

The Evil Ivy Halloween Witch ( our little hand-raised puppy is 1 months old!)


Elliana came to visit from Hawaii dressed as Stawberry Shortcake

Aubrey dressed as a Pink Kitty Cat

All was well to Elliana took Aubrey's bag of candy, lol, check out her expression
Mick, Gage and Ivy . Saucie refused to pose this year and let her daughter pose and Tess is just far to active to get into a costume and take her picture by myself.

Making Apple Crisp with Grandma

Aubrey loved using the "apple peeler, corer, slicer" on the apples she had hand picked up in Tehachapi. We made a delicious Apple Crisp

Competing Pairs

Last weekend was really a busy one with Bakersfield Obedience Training Club holding its' Obedience Trial for which I was Hospitality plus I entered Mick in Novice and Mick and Gage together in Rally Pairs. We had a blast. In Rally Pairs the dogs are coupled together on the same leash and do the rally course of obedience side by side.

Bath Time

Zoe being given a bath by her Daddy, looks kind of surprised to get her picture taken, lol.

Aubrey with a dirty face and wild hair getting a bath at Grandma and Grandpa's

Happy Birthday Aubrey

"Birth"day 9/8/06

First Birthday

Second Birthday

Third Birthday. What a beautiful young lady you are growing up to be.

Happy Birthday my dear Aubrey. These past three years have allowed me to fall in love with the sweetest little girl and to be her grandmother is even better. I love you.

Zoe

I have been trying to get some pictures of Zoe but she has been sleeping or not cooperative, however, this past weekend Kurt and Alisha invited me to go to Cayucus and stay with her parents in a condo they rented for a month so I drove over Saturday morning and stayed till Sunday afternoon.
Zoe is a very easy going baby that lets her parents sleep in, rarely demands anything and is just in general a very content baby. Not to say she doesn't have her moments, after all, she is a girl so she doesn't like the dirty diaper and will let you know she is hungry or needs a nap but even then she will go a lot longer than any of my kids ever did before letting you know what she needs.
She is a very loved little girl by her doting parents and of course, grandparents. Her smile will light up your world.