Happy Family, Happy New Year!

Seeing the New Year in with Stacy and Ruth Ann in Cincinnati, OH:

success at the Kenwood Mall--a new phone for Ruth Ann, and something nice for Stacy and Duane to wear to the wedding on Saturday.

pizza (sodas, no pints)

a game of Sevens and learning to play Golf with Skipbo cards before Ruth Ann's cold took her to bed,

Kings On The Corner right up to midnight. 

Happy New Year!

Louise, Duane, Stacy and Ruth Ann😀😀😀😀

😔, 😄

Last night we enjoyed one last night of fun and games with our daughter Rachel and family, and this morning collected hugs and kisses as they went out the door to work and sitter.  We packed up and headed south 

to Cincinnati for a week's visit with daughter Stacy and daughter-in-law Ruth Ann.

After lunch all of my late nights/early mornings this past week caught up with me.  I crashed for 4 hours while the others settled in front of the fire for a chat while they waited for me

to open presents!  

Can't have enough (local chocolatier)Esther Price hot chocolate or non-pareils!

The girls finally have their new movie throw. (See 10/27 Busy At Home blog.)

After gifts were exchanged and appreciated, the girls cooked up a spaghetti dinner for us to enjoy before an evening of cards.

This evening we introduced them to grandson Simon's favorite--Sevens.

Tomorrow--another day, another game!

Louise and Duane

Hot And Heavy

With only one more day to play with our daughter Rachel and her family, we didn't waste a minute.  After breakfast we had time for a card game before heading out the door.  A quick smoothie stop and we were ready for

some hot and fast basketball action.  Grandson Judah helped his team by scoring a couple of baskets

(on the right in white, his ball at the right edge of the backboard went into the net.)

We won!

The rest of the chilly, wet day went quickly with cards--Hand and Foot,

(Maddy, Judah, Rachel, Benji, Duane and Simon)

Scrabble,

and Tripoli.

Rachel took this picture and made everyone behave.

What a great week!

Moving south tomorrow,

Louise and Duane

Gaming Two Ways

After breakfast Benji went for a run, and grandson Judah played something electronic while we played Bananagrams with the rest of the family

Daughter Rachel, grandson Simon, Gramps, granddaughter Maddy

and visited the other family for lunch and Dec. 28th birthdays.

Holding up the wall is son Duane Jr., Rick--Colleen's boyfriend or PawPaw, Colleen--Jr.'s mom or Nana, Ruth Ann, daughter Stacy

In foreground Duane Sr.--Grampa, Emma on the floor, Coy, Ava, Alyssa, Brandey

Uno Dare  (I lost)

The birthday kids--Coy 5 and Alyssa 6, both born on Dec. 28th!

Captain America!  The shield is made from a disk found at his house and painted by PawPaw.

Emma and Ava gave these thoughtful gifts--Ava's horse that Alyssa wanted, hand-made paper tulips, 

a campsite complete with trees, a purple log campfire, a blue sleeping bag, a yellow camp chair, and two marshmallows on sticks.  Genius! 

Birthday cupcakes!  Yay!

Back home in time Rachel and the guys to catch the Ohio State game while Maddy and I sat in the dark watching some Psycho.

What better way to spend the day?

Louise and Duane

Playing Around

Grandma and Grandpa were in charge of grandkids today while Mom and Dad were at work.  It was a difficult job, but I rose to the task.  (Duane was not feeling well today.)

First kids made breakfast for us, then we had a game of Empty the Dishwasher.  Judah won by getting the silverware put away before Maddy's glasses and cups and Simon's plates and serving bowls.  

After a few games of Mysterium (see Symplicity blog) and a card game called Sevens, we had a new game called Show Grandma The New Buckeye Trees You Got For Christmas. (Grandma makes up such fun games!)

  The trees seemed to be doing well.

While we were out we had a few games of Hoops.  

The boys were better than the girls, but then I only ever played HORSE before, and wasn't very good at that!

After lunch parents returned home from work in time to ok a bit of 4-wheeler racing.  We switched machines and drivers among two four-wheelers and the Mule.  After a few times around the house behind Maddy, I rode with Simon in the Mule then played a game of Try To Ditch Maddy with Judah as my driver.  

Our last outside game was Sword Fighting.
A hit from the red edge of the sword on the breastplate or a stab to the red circle is fatal.  After several fatalities, I decided that I was outmatched and gave up the ghost for good.

os.

Maddy Two Swords took on the boys and held her own.

In the evening Benji and Rachel took Judah to act as ball boy at a basketball game.  Gramps and I took the other two to Bob Evans for supper, passing through the beautifully lit downtown, still dressed for the holidays.

Back home we played Mysterium (Maddy's favorite game) and Sevens (Simon's favorite) before settling in for a movie.

Tomorrow,  we're split between two families again.

Louise and Duane

Simplicity

breakfast

fighting to the death

card games 

showing our true faces

Star Wars:  Rise of the Skywalkers followed by

Marion's pizza

Mysterium (board game)--Clue with a twist

beautiful weather--sunny, 60 degrees

Perfect day!

Louise and Duane

Bedlam!

Outside--a beautiful quiet sunrise

Inside the lull before the tornado.  Poor Benji isn't quite awake yet.

Happy present openers.

Rachel and her boys.

A leisurely breakfast (thank you Benji!) with the family and a quick card game with the kids rounded out the morning.

In the afternoon we visited with a few of my family members.

My sisters Marycarol and Martha celebrate December birthdays--Martha on the 6th and Marycarol on Christmas Day.

Left Martha, her daughter Theresa and Theresa's son Shawn in the Santa hat. (That's some of Shawn's artwork behind my sisters in the picture above.)  Right--Marycarol, her boyfriend Dave and left front, Dave's grandson Sean in the white jacket.

We enjoyed Christmas/birthday dinner and birthday cake, and watching my sisters open their presents before heading back to our daughter Rachel's house.  The family there was out for the evening for Christmas with other family members.  Since we had the house to ourselves for the evening we took the opportunity to make some Christmas calls to a few friends.

Hope your Christmas was just as merry!

Louise and Duane

T'was

T''was the day before Christmas.  We got ready to go

in spite of the fog 

and residual snow,

to the Wegleys' for feasting

and laughing and gifting,

playing 

and hugging

The Wegley brothers

and in other ways lifting our spirits 

to be ready in every way

 for more food, games and fun on Christmas Day!

Ready for more family fun!

Louise and Duane