A Whole New Christmas for 2015

This year has flown by so fast that my head seems to be spinning.

Since Christmas of 2014 there have been so many changes in my life. Things from the death of my father to the arrival of 5 new babies in the family all within a 6 week period, a new home, a wedding and so much more. 

I lost my dad on March 22 very unexpectedly. It hit us all very hard. Never did I realize in January when dad went back to Florida that it was the last time I would see him. 

I never realized just what a kind and gracious father I had. Was always doing for others and never wanting in the limelight so to say. The stories told about dad at his funeral just blew me away with how private dad had been but also just how much he meant to other family, friends and yes even strangers. We learned  what a giving person he was throughout his life. We knew he was always there for us to lend a hand be it helping built our garage after ours burned down, to loaning us much needed cash during the hard times. We never realized just all the things he also did for friends and strangers who may have been down on their luck.

The last several days have really been hard for me. Dad would have turned 86 in just over a week from now. So many thoughts going through my mind. I so miss him and still find I have a hard time when I reach for the phone to call him and then think there is no phone to heaven. There have been a few times when I shed a few tears that a few minutes later I would look down and there would lay a penny and I then realize he is still with me just not in body. Yesterday I picked up 2 pennies from a parking lot laying side by side and thought wow mom is giving me signs too.

George and I had decided to remodel our home in May until George got to looking at a real estate magazine. He suggested we maybe rent our home to my youngest daughter and we buy a home. Talk about shocked. George had lived on the same corner for 67 years. I never ever thought in my wildest dreams he would want to move. 

This is the results of our home search. 

We are just two doors from the lake with access and docking rights. Love our new home and can hardly contain my excitment for Christmas decorating this year. 

A few more pictures of our home.

 Kitchen looking towards the laundry are and my craft/sewing/computer room. This is a bonus room over our two and a half car garage. 

Living room/ Dining room combination looking twoards the front door.

Eat in kitchen from the basement door looking towards, living /dining area.

Garage with bonus room above it. 

Start of our finished basement. The basement was plumed for bathroom and outside walls were dry walled. We are adding family room, another large bedroom/ office to the end. Large window overlooks the backyard and slider walks out to a brick patio under the deck. There will be a bar and kitchen to the right of this picture. Just picked up white cabinets today for the kitchen. There is also one large storage room and storage under the stairs. We hope to have everything but the ceiling done before Christmas. Ceiling we will wait on til spring . 

View from the deck. The other side of the trees is the lake. 

We have laughed as most of our friends who have visited us have made the statement most people our age down size. Not us we could fit 3 of the old houses into this home. We love all the room we have and are enjoying our home tremendously. 

I can hardly wait to start decorating for the Christmas season. We just went and bought 2 large trees today to add to my other trees. I plan on 5 large trees this year along with the several 4 foot ones I usually do.   George never batted an eyelash at me buying the trees. He even pointed out several he thought would be nice. 

My gingerbread tree has always been a 4 foot tree. We have a kitchen window where our kitchen table sits so we will center the table in the center of the room and I will use a 6 1/2 foot pencil tree for the gingerbread tree this year. 

We also needed a tall one for in front of the slider going to the deck so found a nice 7 1/2 foot for there. The old 7 1/2 foot tree will go in the family room in the basement.  My bonus room will have the white 7 foot tree and the 4 foot teal colored, The master bedroom I can use my black tree in. 

I brought 2 boxes from dad and moms place that were marked village. They were stored in the Christmas things. I did not open them but I am looking forward to seeing what mom had acquired. Funny I do not remember mom having a village.  

I have already bought several Christmas presents and hope to finish by the end of November. 

I am looking forward to getting the baking started. Lots of room for it in the new house. Sure can roll out lots of my lebkuchen cookies  on the island of the kitchen. We have already bought many baking ingredients. 

In June our two new Great Grandbabies arrived just 5 days apart. From late May to early July our family grew by 5 newborns. What a growth rate. Just sorry dad was not her as he was so excited over so many new babies in the family.  

The end of June our new 5th wheel arrived and we got it all set up. Seems like I spent the whole summer packing boxes moving them and unpacking them. 

By September we were waiting for George's new wood shop to arrive and be added to our property. He had to have a place for all his equipment. Let me say I have always wanted to see and Amish barn raising. We hirred Amish to build us a 16 by 20 shed which we could use for his wood shop. Three very young Amish men arrived at 2:30 with  walls built and laying on a truck bed with all framing and flooring laid in order of what they would build the shed.  By 7:30 that evening they were driving off and this is the shed fully built and painted.. 

After seeing them work I really want to see a barn raising by the Amish. 

October arrived and we had another surprise. Our oldest daughter and her boyfriend came over. Visited a while then Doug said. What I wanted to know is if you would give us your Blessing to Marry. Tears flowing I said I have just been wondering how long it would be  for you decide to marry. Problem we had three weeks to plan a wedding. Out door one at that. Now living in Michigan and by the 24th of October you may have snow but God was good and gave us beautiful weather. They we marred in a beautiful park in front of the covered bridge. Great day was had by all. 

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Miller. 

Now that my life is showing I am going to have time for blogging and hope that we may share some special holiday ideas here once again