Christmas Celebrations ~ 2010

                                 My brother Greg ~ Christmas Night

                           Bryson loved his Toy Story Trash Truck

                                        Stocking at Gramme's House

                                         Such a fun age  

                My youngest daughter,her husband and my grandson.

            My oldest daughter with Kendrick and Bryson.  
Bryson and Auntie Ange love each other so much!                                        

Grandpa & Gramme with the Sweetest Little Boy Ever 

                                                    

Vacation 2010 Tennessee

Bryson driving Gramme ~ DollyWood

Jellyfish ~ Aquarium ~ Gatlinburg, TN Tons of fun having water gun fights!!

Petting Zoo ~ Sevierville, TN

Gerald ( Grandpa ) and Bryson in front of the condo.

So excited on this water ride at Dollywood that Bryson wanted to ride it again!!

The DollyWood train smelled so bad that Bryson did this on his own.

Me and Bryson ~ Sevierville, TN Emily, Bryson and Sean ~ Sevierville, TN

Bryson on the Bee Ride ~ DollyWood

Duck Game ~ Bryson and Sean ~ DollyWood

Elephant Ride ~ Sean and Bryson ~ DollyWood

Our Condo Apple View River Resorts ~ Sevierville, Tn

My Dad

My Dad, brother Rusty, me and my brother Greg.

My Dad

Whenever I talk about my dad........I always say my dad. Sometimes I say Grandpa Clawson and sometimes Dad but mostly I say my dad. My Dad was Wonderful!!!! He was loved by all who knew him. He accepted people for who they were and never judged. His life was not any easy one but I know he was happy. He was surrounded by family and friends that loved him. I could not have asked for a better dad!! I am so thankful that he knew this when he was alive. I have no regrets. We were very close and he knew how much I loved him and he also knew how much his death was going to effect me. Sitting around my kitchen table we had many opportunities to talk and talk we did. He shared his thoughts about his life with me. He told me to "remember the good times" but it is so hard to remember the good times without being sad. He died in 1998 as I have probably said before and it is still very hard on me at times. The last 2 months have been especially hard and I am not sure why. Maybe May being Mother's Day (my mom died in 1968) and June being Father's Day has trigger it. I just have moments when I miss my dad so very much. Father's Day is Sunday and if your dad, daddy, father is alive.......don't forget to tell him how much he means to you. If you are not on the best of terms with you dad, you may want to take this Father's Day to become closer.....because once they are gone it's too late.

Notes Taken In 1990

I took the following notes while talking to my dad one day. He died in 1998. I am sure most of this will not even be of interest to anyone other than my family.

The house my dad lived in while growing up in Nebraska had two bedrooms upstairs. The girls shared a room and the boys shared a room. One bedroom downstairs was for their parents.
My Grandma ( his mom) use to heat some type of irons and put at the bottom of the beds to keep them warm.
The bucket that they used to go to the bathroom in was frozen many winter mornings.
My dad went to school from first to eight grade in a one room school house. He got glasses when he was in the fifth grade. He got very sick in the 11th grade with Scarlet Fever. He was out so long and got so far behind that he never went back. He finished his high school education after I was born and in grade school.
The teachers sometimes live with my dads family.
After the 8th grade he had to go away for high school, in Curtis, Nebraska.
Grandma (his mom) use to read stories or play the piano at night. She played the Black Hawk Waltz. I use to call this the wiping song because she seemed to wipe her fingers over the keys. It wasn't until years later that I even knew the name of the song.
In 1948, Grandpa and Grandma ( my dad's parents), my dad, my Aunt Alta, Uncle Delbert and Uncle Charles moved for Nebraska to LA, California. My dad was 22 and his youngest brother Charles was 7 years old. My dad and Uncle Delbert drove together. My dads oldest sister Gen and her first husband Harry already live in CA. His older brother Albert was in college in Lincoln, Nebraska. His younger sister Sylvia was in college in Kearney, Nebraska. His younger sister Zella was married and lived in Lincoln, Nebraska.

My dad worked at a gas station and my mom worked at a movie theater near by, when they were very young. My mom would sit on a bench at the bus stop and my dad would see her sitting there. One day he asked her if he could drive her home. That was the beginning.

My dad tried to in list in the Navy but was drafted in the Marines.
The first 6 months of my life he was in the service.

Our house in CA cost $10,000. $250 down and $67.50 a month

I have more notes like this packed in boxes. It's fun for me to go back and read them from time to time. I wish I had asked more questions when my parents and grandparents were living and that I had written more down. If your parents and or grandparents are still living be sure to ask and write down any questions you have. I wonder how many people do this.

Christmas Celebration 2009 #4

Angela, Emily, Gerald and Gayle

Emily and Bryson

Granny is giving Bryson a Christmas present...3 years old and says Thank you all most always

Angela and Kendrick

Granny and Papa


I could just re post last years and the year before and the year before....Once again we had a big dinner (around 3pm was suppose to be at 1pm) at Gerald's sister Sheila's house. We all take something so no one person has to do too much. Once again certain ones ( no names) left before cleaning up and once again certain ones stayed to do the clean up. I am sure you can guess who stayed.. I want to say something but of course my too sweet husband says no I can't and being the perfect obedient wife...Stop laughing....yes I am......I do as I am told. I wanted to draw names but that didn't work out...Didn't really feel like Christmas just a repeat of Thanksgiving... Hopefully next year we can do something different ( and this is coming from me ...who hates change). All in all it was a great time...everyone was good this year.

Merry Christmas

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas!!!

This is your Christmas card this year. I have had "do Christmas cards" on my list since the beginning of December and for some reason just didn't do them. In fact it's still on my list. I am afraid it's one (of many) things that will not get done this year. Just hope I get over this feeling guilty feeling I have.

We Wish You a Merry♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Christmas♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪We Wish You a Merry ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Christmas ♥ ♥ ♥We Wish You A Merry ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪Christmas ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪...And A Happy New Year!♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪...

Christmas Celebration 2009 # 1

Our first Christmas celebration of 2009 was held last night on my 39th wedding anniversary! Menu---snack foods ---because it's the easiest and everyone brings something. We had a great time talking and watching the kids play. It got a little loud at times but everyone took it rather well.( could it be what Gerald put in his famous Sausage Balls ).

How Many Men Does It Take?

to get a dime out of the garbage disposal :

Thanksgiving

Bryson and Blackie all tired out....

My pretty niece Austin (and she's sweet too) and Bryson

We had another wonderful time at Sheila's, Gerald's sister, house with family and friends! We were late eating ........again.....but this time it was no ones fault. Everyone enjoyed Bryson...he is talking so much more and says the cutest things! He's not much on eating and hardly ate anything...wish I was more like him. I am thankful that we could all be together. Missing Sean..but a fireman has to work some of the holidays!! Bryson was looking forward to seeing his daddy at the fire department later.