Pre Chrismas Updates

A week before Christmas, the girls decided they wanted to buy gifts for the family.  Molly wrote a shopping list and busted out her savings for the occasion.

In case you don't remember the original skating rink post, It's here: skating rink post

Watching Mack play with it melted my heart.

Not real sure how to caption this photo, so I'll let you use your imagination.  

The week before Christmas we were able to have Jayson's eye examined by a pediatric eye doctor at Wolfe Eye Clinic.  As hopeful as we were for cataract surgery, we were told his right eye does not, and never will function.

I wasn't surprised.  Maybe disappointed, but not surprised.  Our Jay, as small and fragile as he is, is stronger than so many of us ever will be.  He has overcome; he is a survivor. 

For him it's a way of life.  Always has been...

I wake him for school each morning and more often than not, find myself kneeling beside his bed to watch him sleep.  I stare at his perfect little face and wonder about his birth mother.  Did she ever watch him sleep?  Did she watch him sleep the night before leaving him alone at the train station?  Did she hide nearby and watch him, waiting for someone to notice and rescue him?  How desperate she must have felt.  I watch his eyelashes flutter and wonder if his broken eye was the reason for all of it.  And I know my questions will likely never be answered.  I will never know her motivation or the circumstances that would force a mother into that position.  I will also never know what ran though his mind... 

We have a LONG way to go, but we also know how much God loves the orphans.  HE will see him (and us) though.

Christmas Morning 2017 Style

I'd hoped to write some awesome blog about Christmas this year.  Especially since it was my favorite Christmas to date.  

However, words don't seem to do the emotions justice.  So I'll let the photos do the talkin'  (sort of)

Watching Molly open her gift from Maisie was precious... but even more precious; 

was Maisie's face as Molly opened her gift. 

Christmas, once again you've stolen my heart.

Yep, the Boyd's are now proud owners of a Cotton Candy Machine.  It was bound to happen...

And this.

And because we like to keep the boys guessing, they had to sit through the littles opening their gifts, while no gifts under the tree had their names on them. 

Pathetic, right?

They had a riddle to solve.  The clue was located inside of the tree.

Ross got his bow and went into shock.

And Mack got the gift every 14 year old either wants, or already has. 

A phone.

No more being stranded at school wondering if someone is coming to pick him up after practice.

And I took a step back to soak it all in.  To see... really, really see. 

Not just the mess of boxes and wrapping paper.  Not just the gifts spread from wall to wall. 

But to see the look of true joy, of hope and of possibilities in their faces.  

The magic of Christmas, the love language of gifts and the knowledge that they are mine.

All 6 of 'em.

Heads and Tags

Hoping Rudolph makes it to your house this weekend as Goose left this 5-pointer in our yard for us after school today.

 This was a first...

Unfortunately it was already tagged.  

But luckily, the name was on the tag and when I called the neighbors to let them know we had their head, they weren't too worried as the head was supposed to be in their burn pile. 

Happy Holidays from Hickory Ridge!

Holiday Catering with Teens

Turns out I like to stress myself out.  

Go figure.

Wednesday December 11th, I had 2 caterings to pull off. 

And yeah, I teach full time too.

Thank God for retired Mother-In-Laws who can preheat the crockpots/Insta-Pots and bring the dishes and leftovers home afterwards. 

LUCKY doesn't even come close. 

It was a huge hit- incase there was any doubt ;)

My Culinary Arts students, (whom I can't stand yet love at the same time) catered a meal to the St. Charles Lions Club for their 'Ladies Night Holiday Celebration' at 2 Saints Winery in St. Charles last night.

For starters, DO NOT OVER-brown the lasagna.  And if you do, have shredded mozzarella to melt over the top readily available. Otherwise you may need to make a speedy trip to your house in a school minivan WITH a student 15 minutes before serving time and come awful close to smearing a deer on the way... Also, check the  lasagnas before freezing and cooking as one group may have forgotten to add cheese and chicken which wont be discovered until your ready to set the buffet, leaving one lasagna in-edible.

Also, people don't eat nearly as much salad as you plan for (or bread). 

Lastly, EVERYONE loves cheesecake and the recipe I received from a dear friend saved my arse last night.

These kids make me nuts- yet I'd be so bored without 'em.

Long Grove 2017

It felt like just yesterday we were hauling boppies, pumps and pack n' plays to Long Grove for Christmas. 

This year we just hauled more kids.

I remember a few of G'funks traditions.  

The Claussen Pickle Spears in the Crystal Cut Boat-Shaped Dish. 

Oysters with the Triscuts.

BV on the refrigerator.

Super buttery oyster soup.

The chocolate tree.

The blue bulbs.

Crispy Chocolate Santa Shaped Chocolate Bars in the stockings

The static of tinsel on your socks. 

That pocket door between the kitchen and living room.

That orange carpet.

The lit-up Santa on the breezeway door.

The vanilla almond bark marshmallow peanut butter candy and the White Moon Cookies.

If I could go back in time at my current age, I know it would feel different. 

Smaller somehow.

So as I watch GG and Papa Green begin their own traditions, I pray they will hold as special a place in my childrens' hearts as my Grandparents held in mine.

I LOVE that GG has sugar cookies ready for the kids to decorate.  My favorite part... when the kids get bored and I get to decorate a few on my own, when I can spend more than 5 minutes on a cookie if I wanted to.  

What a treat!

This year it felt as though Papa had a days worth of hair to cut.  So many boys!

So, we turned the barbershop/workshop into a makeshift pre-party room!

 Complete with freshly cracked black walnuts!

 I love this photo of GG serving green beans to some of her babes.

 And Aunt Heather couldn't have been cuter holding my baby boy who was probably announcing, "yeah".

He got his very first Papa Haircut.

He and Sam played Donkey Kong.

The girls had a very special dance routine to perform after dinner.  I'm sure someone's already posted it to Utube. 

As the door to the gifts opened...

Papa modeling a few of his new gifts.

 Papa enjoying some of his new gifts.

The original '4 kids'.

Look what we did!

My old lunchbox now holds all the matchbox cars. 

These 3 boys will always have something special. 

Besides the matching Carhartts!