Oma Meets Raegan

This afternoon after I got off work, Lamar, Brittany and I picked up mom so we could all go and visit little Raegan.  My mom hadn't met her yet and she was anxious to see the little beauty in person.  Andy met us over there and we had a nice visit with Kethe three of them.  Although, Raegan had just eaten and was fast asleep.  There was no waking her up either.  She slept through the whole visit.  We're hoping that she eats lots and lots today because she likes to sleep more than eat and she needs to gain a little bit of weight to make her doctor happy.  Here are a few pictures from the visit.

Notice Raegan's hair color is the same as her mamma's! We likee. :-)

Mom's 75th Birthday

Tuesday was my mom's 75th birthday.  After work, Lamar and I took her to see her good friend, Maria who had recently fallen and broke several bones.  She has been at a care center healing and getting therapy for her recovery.  This facility is across Portland up on Capital Hwy., so we decided it would be a good time to go and let Lamar do some of his gift card shopping at Bridgeport Village which is a few miles away from there.  After visiting a little bit with Abe and Maria, Lamar and I left mom to do some more visiting.  While we were looking for parking at BV, we noticed the first snowflakes come falling down....slowly...slowly.  We thought, oh look...it's snowing! How pretty.  By the time we got out of the store (which really wasn't very long...maybe 15 minutes), the ground was white with a fresh coat of very wet and slushy snow.  Hmmmm.  Then, as fast as it started, it stopped.  OK... it's turning into rain, so we may as well eat a bite.  A half hour passes.  What a difference a half hour makes!  We could barely walk on the sidewalks, they were so slick and the traffic was already pouring out of the mall.  Yes, the rain turned back into snow and it was coming down fast and hard!  We'd better go pick up mom!  So, we started our journey...our long  journey back to get her and then on home.  We barely made it up the hill that the care center was on.  Coming down was fun too!  We actually slid down the hill, coming to rest against a curb between a telephone pole and a fire hydrant.  Thank you, God, for sparing us damage to the car...or worse...us!  It was a very slow go home.  I'm guessing from there it's probably 35 miles maybe. It took us 2 1/2 hours to get home.  There were cars in the ditches and cars abandoned along the roads and highways.  This was a surprise storm for the Portland area and it was a very fast storm too!  We were glad to finally make it home.  Although, we dropped mom off at her house instead of going to our house for her birthday party.  She wanted to stay home and relax.  At least, that's what she said at the time.  I think she regretted later being alone that evening for her birthday because we heard about it several times over the next day! :-)

But,one thing she did do before we left her that evening...she made herself a 75th birthday snow angel!

I'm afraid the picture isn't that great because it's off my phone.  Didn't have my camera with me since we didn't know it  was going to snow!

The next morning, Lamar drove me to work.  His car has studded snow tires...mine doesn't.  It was a beautiful drive.  Reminiscent of last year's snow storm, but not nearly the anount of snow.  Lamar happens to be off this week and boy is he glad!

So, we decided last minute to have a birthday party for my mom at her house, since our drive wasn't very driveable even after a day.  We had a few more inches of  snow at our place and it was pretty slickery.  Lori and her family and Lamar, Brittany and I had a nice time celebrating  mom's 75 years and she was happy that she could have her little party after all.

Auntie Boo Meets Raegan

What a difference a day makes.  Last night when we met Raegan (a mere three hours old), she still had the oily drops in her eyes and her little cap on.   I tried to peek to see her infamous hair, but then she started crying, so I quickly covered her little head back up. 

Today, we drove back to the hospital in Milwaukie with Brittany.  She was working when Raegan was born, so she missed out on the early introductions.  Raegan was quite comfy all snuggly wrapped up in her blanky.  Her eyes were clear, although we didn't see them nearly as much as we did last night...and her little cap was off, so we could see her gorgeous hair!  What fun.  Brittany (Auntie Boo) is quite smitten with her new little niece, I must say. 

Raegan Grey Jones Makes Her Debut

Raegan Grey arrived today at 4:10 pm weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 21" long.  She had a rough start with her cord wrapped around her neck and arm, but all is well and she is beautiful!  She has her mamma's red hair and daddy's mouth and feet! :-)  We all think she is pretty special.  Auntie Boo will get to meet her tomorrow.  More pictures to come for sure!

Stanton Family Christmas 2009

Last night, the Stantons gathered around mom's Christmas tree to celebrate Christmas.There were a lot of us!  I'm thinking we're not going to hold many more of us at moms.  May have to make it at our house sometime in the future!

There was plenty of food and lots of laughter.  The place was hoppin', that's for sure!  Here are a few of the highlights of the evening!

Our Family Christmas 2009

Christmas Eve was a wonderful day.  We picked up Rile' and Hunter from Vanessa's.  They were so excited to start their time with us.  Rile' was so excited, she couldn't take a nap...which she regretted later, because by the end of the night, she was one tired girl!  Rile', Auntie Boo and Nana made no-bake cookies.  The plan was to have Hunter help too, but he wasn't very interested.  Although, he stayed pretty close to us doing his own thing.

After we were done in the kitchen, I got the crock pots going and the rolls in the oven.  The kids stayed busy playing from one end of the house to the other.

Lamar and Rile' started a fire in the fireplace....although we ended up with a house full of smoke  because the damper wasn't QUITE open all the way.  The kids thought it was pretty funny when all us adults started fanning pillows up in the air to try to get the smoke out of the house.  That made it a little better :-).

Once Andy and Kelly came from Portland, we ate our Christmas table full of yummy food.  Mmmmm...it was all so good.

Then, for the finale'...opening the presents!   There's just something about little kids getting so excited with every little gift.  We were laughing at Hunter, because after all the presents were opened, I gathered all his clothes and put them in one bag.  He found the bag, and started to take everything out again...all with the same excitement.  Throughout the evening, he got out the same pair of jeans about five times with a big smile and a "ooooh" every time.

So, from our home to yours, Merry Christmas!

Christmas, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas...the most wonderful time of the year!  Sometimes,  though, the "leading up to Christmas" can be very stressful.  Maybe that's why the Emergency Rooms this time of year are always full.  We can put so much pressure on ourselves.  Why do we do that?  We tried harder this year to not let that happen.   Although, Lamar has had a rough time of it.  On top of all the extra stuff that comes with being a mailman during Christmas (he had a record 120 packages to deliver on Monday...a record for his route!),  his shoulders are killing him.  30 years of carrying the mail, starting with 15 years on a walking route,  I'm afraid has taken it's toll.  So, he's at the start of figuring out exactly what he needs to do or not do to give him some relief.  Doctor appointments, physical therapy appointments and special exercises at home have begun.  Something, he wishes he did NOT have to deal with. 

The Christmas programs, and most parties have come and gone with all the excitement that goes along with them.  The rush of finding that perfect gift is past.  The hours in front of the stove are pretty much done too. 

 Now...it's time to REMEMBER why we celebrate this season.  As I'm sitting here looking at our Christmas tree, so bare after all the presents have been unwrapped, I feel  a peace.  Peace knowing that we have a God that loves us so much that He gave us a gift.  His Son...here to this complicated and stressful world, to save us.  Peace knowing that this same God wants us to be close to Him, to have a relationship with Him, to love Him back.  He is our peace and strength when we just can't do it on our own. 

As we all do our own traditional things today, I hope you have a chance to just sit down, look at your Christmas tree and feel that peace too!