Welcome to the family!

This is "Peaches Le'mon"! Snesko boys named her Peaches and Alvin named her Le'Mon. She has both colors and is very beautiful. I love her coloring and only 3 months old so we can train her to be a fun bird. Thanks Chelsea, Stephen, Chandler, Cooper and Tatum for the best Christmas present.

I love Christmas!

Christmas is over! Is everyone happy? Not me!!! I am always a little sad every year to see the holiday season end and this year not a bit different; Alvin and I have enjoyed the whole month of December. I don't know why; maybe the colder weather has helped and the interactions with the little boys have been fun. Cooper loves to sing the Christmas songs and knows the words or at least the correct tune to many different ones. Cash has the cuttest smile whenever you talk to him. Carter so tender and caring for us all. Chandler being the oldest and going to school until 2:30 everyday seems so grown up anymore and I miss not being able to do things with him. Alvin has been especially happy and cheery this season too and that has been the best.

Thanks everybody for a great Christmas. Sorry the Snesko's were under the weather a bit of the time and glad Cody and Chelsea have been able to spend a good portion of the week with us.

Three Years Old and Secrets

Carter was just 3 years old late November and Cooper will be 4 years old in early February so there is a little bit of age difference and a big difference in keeping a secret. One morning about 3 weeks ago before I took Cooper to preschool he said, "Nana, we got your Christmas present." I said, "Oh, what did you get me?" "Can't tell you it is a secret." So, he went off to school and after picking him up from school and he was eating his lunch he said, "Nana, we don't have two birds at our house". Now, I know for a fact they have Vinnie the african grey and would not even think about getting another. So, that was easy to figure out. Since then many little slips of the tongue that I have just ignored but I told everybody just don't tell me the color or the name so that would at least be a surprise for me. Well, just yesterday Cooper said, "Peach and Vinnie talk back and forth." So, I guess there is nothing left of that secret! I love it; just part of a fun Christmas.

Now Carter has been doing much better. He has been delivering to our front door each night presents for the "12 days before Christmas". I figured it out quite quickly who it was bringing gifts but of course didn't let it be known. It has been fun to see what we get each night and I understand Carter has found the nightly secret trip to Nana's front door and leaving the gift, knocking on the door and than running fast back to the car lots of fun. Thanks Carter, Cash, Chelsea and Cody. It has been fun for both Alvin and I.

Pizza Party

Our college days at ASU were spent mostly in the ceramic room; Alvin most of the time and me on special occasions. One thing the group of students and instructors did often was have a pizza party. Now this was not calling for pizza delivery like we do now but actually cooking pizza in kilns. Yes, this can be done and we have continued to carry on this unusual activity all of our married life with kid parties, teenage parties, church parties, adult parties and school parties.

Alvin's college class always have a year end Christmas gift exchange and pizza party. Let me explain how this works. I prepare all the stuff you need - dough, sauce, cheese, pepperoni, sausage, olives, bell peppers, onions, and pineapple. Each person takes a wad of dough and flattens it in a pie pan and then adds whatever toppings they desire. It is than cooked in the gas kiln at around 900 degrees.

Now, my kids have been doing this all their lives so they know that the pizza might be burndt on the bottom or soggy in the middle and very seldom "just right". But, as my girls say; "you just always know it won't be perfect but it is just a fun thing to do." So, Chelsea Pace who experienced her first pizza party tonight (because we invited our kids to join in the party) sorry yours was soggy and Carter's was burndt on the bottom. We just wanted to carry on this tradition with Chandler, Cooper, Carter, Cash and Tatum. I think they had fun!

Christmas Card Tradition

Sending Christmas cards to family and friends have been a top priority with me in my Christmas preparation. I started sending out a card with a picture when Gretchen was 1 year old. There hasn't been too many years it didn't happen and the last many years it has defnitely been a must. We added Stephen first to the family picture and than Chelsea so that made 7. A good enough amount; but now we have added Chandler, Cooper, Carter, Cash and Tatum so last year I booted the big kids out and now only Alvin and I and the grandkids get to adorn my annual Christmas card. Do you know how hard it is to get 5 kids under five to all look good at one time for that special picture? Gretchen suggested we get everybody dressed up again and try one more time. I said no; the one I choose is just perfect. You will have to be on my Christmas list to see my perfect picture.