-2 days until Christmas 2014

I'm happy.  Merry Christmas.  Had dinner with mom, the hub, and the girls at Armondo's.  Tomorrow is Sunday in the middle of winter break (one more week off).  Reading a good book.  Lot's to do on my to do list.  Life is good.  Happy Holidays and so long 2014.  You were a challenging one.

Christmas 2014

It was a good one. Sometimes for me it takes sickness to slow me down enough to stop and enjoy it all.  (This year I wasn't the one who was sick).

 

 I need to put these in order, but I love how amused the dog was over Zorros present , and Abi's trying to stuff him into it . 

Happy thanksgiving 2014

It was just our little old Dobson family (the 4 of us plus Nana). But is was a wonderful day, and I'm not just talking about the food.

Kevin smoked the turkey all night long.  Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing from scratch.  And cake and pumpkin pie. We cooked and ate and cleaned all day.

Movie and Dinner the night before. 

Just our little family.  But it was a very thankful, happy Thanksgiving.

The girls always impress me with what they are thinking about.  Caitlin asked if we could start a new family tradition of saying 3 things we are thankful for, and had a well thought out weeks worth on thoughtful "thankfuls" to cut down to 3.  Just, impressive Caitlin!  And Abigail's that we (our little family) are all so unique and independent in the way we think and act - where did this come from?  And her love of animals. She snuck in a few extra ones too.  The girls really showed up the adults!   

Feeling very lucky, and blessed this Thanksgiving 2014.

Julia Child The French Chef- The Omlette Show

Carpet covered Brick Pillows - buy one get one half price

Oh - what to say about this whole garage sale business !  Sifting through, sorting out  - trash, treasure;  donate, debris; sell or save.  There are too many things going through my head all at once.  So probably for the rest of the summer, I'll be coming back to it .  It's part of my letting go process that I find myself being dragged kicking and screaming through , enjoying it, hating it,  and every step in between. 

Of course I have to alternate days at our house, trying to sift through, sort out our stuff, to make sure I have room for the questionable "treasures" that need to be relocated to our house.  (Kevin is probably not as impressed with my minimizing skills as I am.)  

So, first of all.  Roberta Frances Scheper.  My mother, born in 1930.  Full of Scheper family secrets and previously un-revealed Roberta Autobiographical information that she never bothered to share. . .  . After dropping a factoid last year that I'd never heard before I ask her why she never mentioned that before.  She said my dad's family was so big, and the center main attraction, that her family history just didn't come up very much.  (There are such interesting family dynamics, and realities that arise from just situation happenstance.  It's facinating to me!  All of the shoulda coulda wouldas that would have changes things SO much, or just alittle.  Yes, I'm getting old.) 

Don't get me wrong.  It's all good.  Having the time to go through all of this stuff is really a huge gift.  I am so lucky, blessed, to have it to do, to get to do it.  And my musings about shoulda's coulda's woulda's are philosophical; curiosity about how the world turns.  

But, I digress.  We do that alot, we Gillises.  (I found a 5 page typed complaint letter to Sears that dad wrote.  It was hilarious btw.)  On to the treasures:

Roberta Frances Scheper (Gillis)  and her dog Hexi?  in 1936.  

Roberta's first Communion keepsakes

Smelting pots - ore pots?  I need to ask how dad aquired them.  We took a tour of the Argo Mine in Idaho Springs last year, and learned that they are now a rare find.

Unfortunately heavily water damaged, This is the hometown of the Schepers and the Mosse family's.  Oldenburg IL.  I need to pump mom for more info.



Roberta's first communion prayer book.  Little, about 3"x1.5"

Some of W Bruce Gillis Jr.s school work?  Must be, because 1920 would be after WBG seniors school days  There were also Journals of Kathryn McCrery (Gillis), as well as nice copies of other of her journals - courtesy of Helen Gillis (Shore) - family historian - I'd imagine.

Ok.  Plenty more were that came from, so - time to run!  Happy reminiscing!  

Changes

We are taking a break today from operation Peakview purge - to go to a funeral for a friends dad.  This change thing I used to embrace?  I'm pretty much over it today.  

The one that got away!

These all just should have been Facebook posts, but the week just got away from me!

Monday - Memorial day 2014 - WEE!  we had a BBQ.  Kid's spent the day at the pool and then we had a lovely dinner with the Dainko's.  Kevin did smoked turkey breast, and it was gooooood.

Tuesday - Caitlin's final concert as a Thunder Ridge Middle Schooler.

Caitlin Dobson

She got to introduce a few of the pieces, filling us old folks in on who the Avenger are, and the importance of the Zombie genre in . . . everything!

Presies for Ms. Ravnine.

 Symphony bars for the graduates.

Kevin and Abigail made it, Colleen wore that really flattering Go Bison shirt . . .

Caitlin and Ms. Ravnine

Encore












Wednesday - Graduation at VPP - class of 2014 (our first class to graduate!)

Selfies are not allowed at graduation.  So I snuck one in during the line up.  Myself, Truman Garred and a whole bunch of Bison. . .  . 

Picture of Katrina Dainko taking pictures. . .

This one?  Or, that one.

Which ones better?  Can't decide.  Kimberly, Colleen and Saida

Adrian!  Take care Adrian, best of luck, and keep on surprising everyone!

Don't tell Andrea I couldn't be bothered to crop her out.  She looks great, just obviously telling a good story.

More Wednesday! - (It was a LONG day!)  Awards night for Caitlin and TRMS

Ms. Martha and Miles Chang

Academic achievement award - Caitlin woke up and participated this year!  Here's hoping she has the bug, and will now keep it up in high school.  

Your beautiful Kitcat!

Scott Crowner and Caitlin

And OGM, I look as tired as I felt.  But I was there darn it.  Nana was too, but didn't get a good picture.

Thursday - NOTHING!  Oh, it was the most glorious of all!

Friday - 8th grade end of year dance.

Awh - Caitlin wore a dress for the 3rd time in a week!  Voluntarily!

OK - I'm off to get ready for the "after party"!  My thought is, if they don't come here, they are gonna want to go somewhere ...  And they can come giggle, eat, be teenagers and maybe even play blackout - HERE.

Moments from my cleaning day

Oh, I'm afraid for our tame little baby bunny Courtney - she's WAY to comfy with large people walking right up to her!  Beware of the furry, 4 legged neighbors, with the big teeth!

And on a completely unrelated topic- I have become my father!  

I'm about to try to swill down some of this nasty looking stuff - because it will cure everything that ails me.  Or, not.  The harder it is to choke down the more you believe in it's benefits !  Cheers Papa!

GOLLY WHAT A DAY

Instead of DojoDobson, today we are the House of Hormones!  All 3 of us girls in tears at one point or another.  I told Kevin we could rent Titanic so he could have a good cry if he wanted to let it all out too.
(He declined.)

It's all good!  Good friends who you can talk too.

Maybe I'm destined to become a REAL Waspina after all!

Happy Mothers Day to me !

The dog at my feet, the kitty in my lap, 2 girls watching movies with me, Kevin making dinner - a snowy day outside.

We've also had a good time bird watching!  The squirrels have almost figured out the new Suett feeder, but the big birds have yet to discover it.

My desert is the quilt I get to start tonight .  Tomorrow, it's all about the students again .  Bringing in cheese dip and chips to help motivate them for their final.  It's been a good weekend. 

Pit Crew - Picture from the Sound of Music

Spring 2014 - Caitlin, do you have names for me?

The highlight of the month was the PIT

This posting will be short and sweet.  A result of Martha using the cattle prod.  I hope to come back and elaborate on this eventually, but - "anything worth doing is worth doing half-assed".  (It's still useful advice!)
The middle school was indeed alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Caitlin was in the Thunder Ridge Middle School musical - playing the violin in the "pit orchestra" as they performed The Sound of Music!  They really worked hard, and she seemed to really enjoy every bit of it.  The play was very good - and the gathering of friends family and neighbors - exceptional as usual!

Texting words of encouragement to Caitlin, who had to leave early to go down into THE PIT

I borrowed this one from Martha, mine didn't turn out.  The entire crew, and the hole in the floor that contains, you guessed it, THE PIT!

You can't even get a decent photo of your kid if they are in THE PIT! (OK, she was just hamming it up.)

 Abi managed to take 1 of her sister in THE PIT by dangling herself in.

The Saturday night audience - minus Ms. Martha Chang and myself - the photographers.  (Abigail and her best buddy Isabella, Victoria and look we found Isaac Z again!)  Friday was Roberta Gillis (Nana) and Kevin.. . . and most of the neighborhood had kids in the orchestra, backstage crew or cast.  It was fun to see everyone.  

I'm calling this one "what's wrong with my camera!?!"  Victoria and Caitlin - a blessing for Caitlin to have such a good friend.