GiGi is 85

This past weekend we celebrated my wonderful Grandmother's 85th birthday. We went out for a nice dinner (without kids!), had some cake, ice cream, and wine, and played some card games to celebrate.

Some things I love about my Grandma Lil:

• She is an old farm girl and is still very frugal.
• Her freezer is full of yogurt containers, washed and refilled with single servings of leftovers.
•  She always has cookies.
• She's always up for a card game.
• She remembers every birthday and anniversary,and always times it so it gets to you on your exact birthdate.
• She is an incredibly good cook, but her recipes are difficult to repeat.
• She'll drive an hour to watch a 20 minute program you are involved in.
• You can't arrive or leave her place without at least 2 hugs and a kiss on the cheek.
• She makes quilts for every child and grandchild.
• She walks 3 miles a day and does these awesome 1980's workout videos.
• She has my mom's high school senior picture hanging in her stairwell.
• She drinks Old Milwaukee.
• There's always room in her house and heart for one more.

Baking fun

Tessa loves to help in the kitchen lately. Every time I head toward that room, there is she, grabbing her stool and trying to get right in the middle of the action. She usually drags a dining room chair over so she can stand or kneel on it. This allows her to see and reach everything, which so far, is funny but also frustrating. She's begun taking it upon herself to grab snacks off the counter, open cupboards, drawers, wash dishes, etc. The other morning, Joel and Nora were still asleep so Tessa and I decided to make muffins. She had so much fun pouring in the ingredients and stirring, and the end result was a hit too!

Christmases

Being from a family that is very close in proximity and relationships means around the holidays, we have a balancing act.We coordinated quite a few Christmas celebrations this year. We visited my aunt in Ames, then had our family Christmas at home in Webster, then Joel's Grandma in Elkhart, then Joel's parents in Ankeny, then my parents in Des Moines, and finally, my Grandma in Guthrie Center. This does not count the Christmas we have the weekend before Thanksgiving.

We both love our families and enjoy our time with them, so between these Christmases and our work schedules, we found ourselves driving back and forth so much in that Christmas week. But, to spend time with everyone, it was well worth it! Here are some pictures to highlight how our week went!