A Trip to the Park

North Carolina winters--one week snow and the next week a trip to the park with Gramme. We had so much fun!

More Snow Pictures

Eatting Snow

Still Eatting Snow

He's already learning to shovel snow

Looking at his sandbox

Playing in the snow or sandbox

Financial Advice

I was just going to email this to my girls but I thought maybe others might be interested. Most of it we already know but are we doing what we know we should be doing. The number ONE thing we should be doing is paying off all credit cards and not charging anymore. We should know our FICO score (under 700 is low). Do not close out your credit cards because for some reason that I don't understand this makes your FICO score lower. Make sure you pay ALL your bills on time, being late also lowers your score. SAVE MONEY From what I understand we should all have an 8 month emergency fund. If you don't have this emergency fund, you should go over your expenses and separate the needs from the wants. Circle all the wants and if you have debt or no savings then you should eliminate the wants (at least until you have your savings built up). I am thinking that that part will be hard. If you are not getting ready to retire then you should keep investing in a 401k or IRA. Again eliminate the wants until you have 8 months of savings-
enough to cover 8 months worth of living expenses. After you get your credit cards paid off, thankfully ours are, then you should begin to save. Decide how much you can save each month and then add 20%. Put this money in the highest interest rate savings account. Money that you are going to need in 5 years does not belong in the stock market so take it out. Other wise keep it in. So let's all start saving!! That's my advice.

Bryson's First Real Snow

So tired!

Father and Son

A beautiful view from The Woody's yard

Sunset in Apex, NC

Sliding

The Woody's house

Bryson Sean and Bryson

Bryson's First Snowball

Looks like Bryson had a wonderful time in the snow. Grandpa and Gramme wish that they could have been there.

Snow Pictures

Ally and Colby Clawson

Austin Hearn

Maxine Beasley, Ally and Colby Clawson

Angela's House

Angela's house

Snow

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!! What a beautiful day is has been!! View from my side poarch.

Greg's Surgery

Greg is home and doing wonderful!! Yesterday he had his gall bladder removed. The doctor said it took so long because he had so many stones and they were so large that he had to remove them one by one before he could even remove the gall bladder. Greg is truely remarkable!! He never once complained about any thing. His only request was -will his room have a tv in it.

Look What Bryson Did

Ok--so I really wasn't going to do this but I couldn't help myself.

Look what Bryson did!! This was the first time he had even seen this little tool box. He made a pattern.

Up Dates

Just wanted to let everyone know what will be happening this month.

Greg is scheduled to have his gall bladder removed on Thursday the 15th. This is an outpatient procedure but he is probably spending the night.

Gerald will have the skin graft on his nose Friday the 16th.

My Uncle Delbert in CA is having knee surgery on January 13th

Looks like a busy week.

Please keep them all in your prayers.

Gerald's Skin Cancer

On Tuesday Gerald was in the surgeon's office from 6:30am to 1:30pm having cancer removed from his face. The most serious one near his eye was remove quickly. We are so thankful that it wasn't too deep because that type of cancer can go to the brain and other organs. The basal cell cancer on his nose took the longest. The doctor had to cut a place about the size of a quarter and just into the cartilage. They could not do a skin graft because of how deep it was so they put some type of pig skin on his nose to aid in the healing process. In two weeks he will go back for the skin graft. Pray that all goes well. He hasn't been in too much pain---just resting, reading, watching tv and playing with Bryson.

Bryson and Gramme

Bryson and Gramme (me) playing in his Thomas the Train Tent that he got from Santa. It is so much fun playing with him. Just being with Bryson and watching him play is such a joy!!

Christmas Day

Kendrick and his dad took a bunch of pictures Christmas Day too. So as soon as I get that CD, I will post more pictures of others in the family.

Christmas Day

Grandpa and Bryson eatting Christmas dinner. Em forgot the bib so he wore a special one.

Our nephew Ben, Sean, Bryson & our niece Austin.

Gerald's brother, Jimmy carving the turkey.

Gerald's sister Karon.

Granny and Papa

For the last several years now, we have been spending Christmas at Gerald's sisters house. We all take something. We always take Candy Yams, stuffing and a dessert. Some years we take a little more. At Sheila's you never know who is going to be there. It is always a surprise. Some years (when Sean had to work) it was several guys from the Fire Dept. Everyone is welcome-friends, family and neighbors. This year was a little calmer because we didn't exchange gifts. I must say though, I did miss it a little. NO Jimmy, I did not miss playing that Santa exchange thing where you take other people gifts.:) I missed seeing people open gifts. Especially Bryson. He is such a cute age now and gets so excited about everything. Maybe next year I can convince everyone to draw names.:

All total there was about ---- 30 people this year. A little smaller than usual. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Christmas Day

Doesn't Greg look handsome

Christmas Day Greg was up bright and early getting a diet coke. I knew we had tons to do so, Gerald and I got up. Greg was very excited and so thankful for all that Santa brought him. It is always fun watching Greg's excitement on Christmas Day. He got several things he needed and wanted. He looked so handsome when Gerald took him to meet Rusty and Maxine. He spent the rest of his Christmas vacation in Clayton with Rusty, Meredith, Ally and Colby.

A Very Special Gift

This year I received a very special gift. It was something I have been wanting for a very long time but I could never find exactly what I wanted. It was hard to describe to any one. I just knew that I would know it was the right one when I saw it. Emily had been with me on several occasions over the years and would ask " Do you like that one?" and I would say "It's alright but it's not the one I really want. " Well, this year I got the right one, the one I wanted- to my surprise. My daughters hand painted me the MOST BEAUTIFUL NATIVITY SET that I have ever seen! It is perfect!

Christmas Eve

We had a fun Christmas Eve. Angela, Kendrick, Emily, Sean and Bryson all came over around 5pm. Greg was here, we picked him up the day before. We had snack foods: sausage balls, turkey, ham, cheese, chips, party mix and a bunch of other stuff. We all ate in the new dining room together. Then we opened gifts. It was so much fun watching Bryson this year. He could open his presents by himself (with a little help). He was so cute! We all love watching and playing with him.

Merry Christmas Eve Morning

Merry Christmas!!! I am so excited! Our family get together is tonight! I can hardly wait! It will be so much fun watching Bryson open his presents. Greg is excited too. He wants to write a letter to Santa. I think Meredith started something :)

Christmas Get Together

Eating in our new unfinished dining room.

Last night we had our get together with --Rusty, Meredith, Ally, Colby, Maxine, Greg, Emily, Sean, Bryson and Angela. Kendrick didn't come. We missed him and hopes he feels better soon. We all ate in our new dining room.There was so much room, we loved it. It's not finished but it looked good. There was tons of food. The kids played and the adults talked. I think everyone had a great time. It sure was great to all be together. We need to do it more often.

My Kitchen

What A Mess!!!!!

Last Sunday I asked Gerald if he could please clean out the old living room (new dining room) for Christmas. Of course he said yes and if you know me, I asked him again to be sure that he understood what I wanted. It is a hectic time of the year and I knew we would be busy with different activities so, I just wanted it cleaned up. No renovation work --just cleaned up. Well, Monday morning his brother Jimmy came to work and promptly started taking the ceiling down. Gerald took off all week to work on the room. They encountered major problems when they removed the carpet and the floor wasn't level underneath. So they spent two days working on that. Any way to make a very long story short---My kitchen has a curio cabinet, another cabinet and many, many tools all over the place. Plastic is taped in various places. I am told the walls are painted and the final coat will be put on the ceiling tomorrow.
Oh-and today, after I did my Christmas cards,I was going to wrap presents but NO the stairs are block off and I can't go upstairs to get the presents.

And Now---Gerald has to go out of town. Yes OUT Of Town.
:( I am trying to smile. :)
Pictures tomorrow.

A Cold Rainy Night

Last Saturday night, Bryson spent the night with us. Gerald had the great idea that he would make Bryson his first home made hot chocolate. So he boiled the milk, added the cocoa and let it cool a little before giving it to Bryson. Well the pictures say it all :)

You have to click on the pictures to get his facial expressions.