Funny Stuff and Hello to 2014!

While we were visiting in Kansas over Thanksgiving, Callie carefully painted my toes and fingernails. She chose red and green for the Christmas season. Here is a picture of my toes. I left it on for awhile because it reminded me of her after we returned home. She did her very best and was very serious in selecting the colors. When I did remove it, it took forever and lots of scrubbing with the remover. It seems they make little kid polish ironclad while the fancy manicures you pay thirty dollars for can smear easily and chip merely by looking at it. 

My sister sent us a beautiful amaryllis. There is a photo below showing it in a sunny spot by a south facing window. I saw the second unopened bloom and was watching to see if the sun and water would help it to open. I asked my sister in an e-mail if she thought orchid food would work on it. She told me gently not to hold my breath waiting for the second bloom as the entire thing was fake! Ha ha, they sure made the roots look realistic is all I’ve got to say. But the good thing is we can enjoy it again next Christmas.

A big highlight of 2013 was our river cruise on the Danube in May. Wanting to share that with our family who made the trip possible led to Steve publishing his first photography book! It is like a coffee table book and I think it turned out very nicely. Hopefully he will get around to a book of his American landscapes next. It is a shame for all his beautiful images to not be seen.

Our New Year’s Eve was not very exciting. We had talked about maybe going downtown to watch the local lighted ball drop in the depot square. But we just could not fire up to go out because it was windy even if not frigid that night. So we stayed in and watched parts of three animated movies for kids. We did not want to watch anything violent or depressing. So we saw all of Monsters University, half of Up, and half of Wall E. When midnight arrived we shared a kiss that pained us because we had built up static electricity sitting on the couch and made a spark. Ha Ha. Then we went to bed.  

Christmas 2013

Well, all the boxes and wrapping paper have been cleared out and recycled so Christmas 2013 is history. We were blessed to have our daughter, son in law and grandson with us for a few days. It is surprising how noisy a house can be with only one two year old in residence! He certainly understands the concept of unwrapping and getting presents but Santa and Jesus are still pretty obscure at this point. We did get to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve but little grandson only made it five minutes into the service before having to “go play with the kids” due to making noise and squirming all over. Oh well, eventually we will teach him the sacred meaning. 

I tried a new chili recipe this year on Christmas Eve, a chicken and white bean recipe with green chilies. We got to decorate Christmas cookies and grandson was a good “shaker” putting all the colored sugars and toppings on after we applied the frosting. He really is a cookie monster though constantly asking for a cookie. We made him a special plate of very small cookies. His mama has a sweet tooth too though so it is no wonder that he does.

It was nice to spend some time with the other Van Courts this year too. On the Sunday before Christmas Myrna had us all over for a lovely meal along with her group from Texas which includes her daughter and son in law and their two daughters and two great grandsons and a grandson and a son in law. Pete our nephew and Steve’s sister Sharon were there as well. The two one year olds are very delightful and entertaining and as different as night and day.

There was just enough snow left in the backyard on Christmas for grandfather to pull Maverick around on the sled. He is much better about holding on this year but still tumbles out every now and then.

On Christmas Day we also got a brief visit from cousin Joe and his lady who we had not met yet. It is always good to make connections with family.

A highlight of Christmas Day was getting to Skype with Phil and his family in Kansas and also daughter Em who was visiting them.  Callie and Maverick got to show each other some of their presents and we got to see seven week old William in his cute Christmas outfit.

Today the day after it all Steve had an appointment but I just stayed in to do nothing at all. Nice. We hurried so much to get the house clean and decorated, I am not quite ready to undecorate and pack it all up yet!

A new grandson!

William James VC came into the world in the first hour of Saturday November 16^th. He weighed 8 lbs and 11 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. We were in Cheyenne getting text message updates throughout the day into the late night hours from our son. The worst part of waiting was the last hour when the texts stopped for a time because too much was going on. William’s maternal great grandmother, grandmother and two of his maternal Aunts were present at his birth. Everything went well and both mom and baby are healthy.

He was born in Wichita but came home to Salina on Monday the 18^th. Grandmother U stayed all week to help out and we arrived on Sunday the 24nd (Thanksgiving week) for our visit to see him and our turn to help keep the house going while the family gets used to new routines. I was amazed to see their house all decorated for Christmas inside and on the front porch. Kristin said she wanted to get things done early because she was afraid it wouldn’t happen otherwise. Phil has been very tied up at work as his right hand guy left for a new job in Texas. 

Miss Callie my “best girl” was full of energy and seems to be accepting her new “baby broder” giving him lots of kisses and hugs. He doesn’t do much yet though, but when he cries she asks “Why baby broder crying? Grammie and Callie got to hang out in her playroom and play cars and paint and play dress-up. At times her two year molars were causing her pain when she bites into food, but she was liking her popcicles and ice cream!

On the 28^th we cooked up a traditional turkey dinner and both children slept through the dinner so we had a nice quiet adult meal! Steve kept himself busy with various carpentry and installation projects during his time there when he wasn’t helping me find things at the grocery store.The guys hung the train art in the baby’s room which took laser levels etc. He also helped string Christmas lights around the garage and the front door and back deck. I mostly just cooked meals and changed some diapers and held the baby and played with Callie.

On Saturday the 30^th the Urso family came to visit from Wichita. Auntie Daniel had not yet seen the baby as she lives in Texas and was home for Thanksgiving. Baby William got a half bath in a plastic basin while everyone watched.  We had pizza and lots of conversation.

On Sunday the family posed in their Christmas outfits for a Christmas card photo shoot with grandpa behind the camera. William snoozed through the whole thing. 

On Monday the baby had his second week appointment at the pediatrician so we helped get everyone dressed and into the car seats for that. He passed his check up with flying colors now weighing over 10 lbs! He won’t be wearing the newborn size clothes much longer.

Will is a very mellow baby so far. He only seems to get upset when he gets undressed to get his diaper changed. Once he is dressed and wrapped up again he is fine. He does make noises after some feedings like grunting every so often maybe that is his version of fussiness or gas. Otherwise he is looking around or blissfully asleep. None of my babies were as mellow as he is.

It was hard to leave because he will change a lot before we see him again. A snowstorm and arctic weather were heading our way so we had to get going. It was a very precious time.   

This year’s mystery quilt

On a Saturday a couple of weeks ago the quilters gathered for a full day of quilting. We were each told to bring 35 five inch squares of white and off white fabrics from our scrap piles and another 35 five inch squares of dark fabrics. The project turned out to be a queen size quilt top and even with eight women working on it and using precut fabric it has taken at least four quilt days to put together. All of the names of those who have not won a group quilt in the past will be put into the drawing and one will receive the quilt top to finish and keep.  Even though I have been quilting for over five years there are a couple others that have been participating longer and are still waiting to win. It seems the newcomers have a better record of winning.

The haphazardness of the colors is what makes it pretty I think. Some of the colors repeat and stand out but for the most part the fabrics are just a real hodgepodge of prints and patterns large and small.

We will be getting together for a Christmas brunch in December and we will draw for the winner there. I keep saying to the others that what I’d really like is to have a quilt that includes a block done by each of my quilting friends with their signatures on it. But I wouldn’t mind winning this one!

The pattern is made up of only half square triangles and four patch squares arranged to make repeating squares and chevrons.