Pink Sky, Ice and a Bald Eagle

Pink sky at night.........

 I saw a red fox come trotting across the frozen lake from the other side this morning! 

 Made me wonder how many other animals cross in the wintertime?

This bald eagle came back around yesterday.  Last fall he snatched a duck right out of the water and then dropped it right next to me out of a tree, but this time 6 crows came swooping down on him and he finally left.  Must have had Crow for lunch!  That's Lake Life!

Victoria Rose

On Thursdays when Marc has his church meetings in Syracuse we stop and eat with Kristine and Carol and then when Marc leaves I get to stay and play.  So fun to see Victoria grow from week to week!

 Kristine suggested Dinner out at the Texas Roadhouse to make up for

 Carol missing her anniversary with her sweetheart in Utah this past Thursday.  It was Yummy!

 Marc thought Victoria looked good enough to ..........

 Kiss!  Such a sweet baby girl!

Goodbye and Good Luck to Chris and Carly

The family were invited to Dan and Diane's for a farewell dinner for Chris and Carly Sunday night.  Chris would leave on Monday to drive over 4000 miles to Alaska where he has been stationed with the Army.  Carly will follow shortly. We hope to see them again in July for their wedding reception.  Carly looked beautiful and Chris so handsome out by the water for their day after Christmas wedding.  They seem very suited for each other and are best friends.  Great way to start a marriage!

Of course we all got to hold baby Victoria.  She smiled several times at Grandpa and Aunt Diane, but pooped up her back and down her leg while I was holding her!!!  She didn't even cry when we had to just about give her a bath while changing her.  So sweet!  

Two Sweeties!

Sledding Down Our Road

8 degrees and sunny!  Great sledding weather!  The boys flew down the hill on this green sled and Devon almost went down into the creek!  Bring back memories Ashley and Hank?  Then it was back up the road behind the snowmobile!

Devon and his gray bangs.  They were frozen!

 Connor stayed warm....sort of ...during the 10 runs down the road!

After trying a couple of runs by the house we all came in for some hot chocolate. 

Kristine's Birthday Party

We called Kristine, made a cake and picked up the pizza on the way.

  Megan, Zoey, Kelsey and Nicki showed up to wish Kristine Happy Birthday, too.

                                           

Pretty in pink.....sweet Victoria.

 Zoey was up on all fours and rocking back and forth.  She will be crawling soon!

 Zoey thinks she can walk......well with Grandma's help.

 Getting some sugar.

 Grandpa, too!

 Happy Birthday Kristine!!  We love you!

Meeting At Doug's

Family Home Evening at Doug's.

  Aunt Nicki is a baby hog, but you see Victoria isn't complaining!

Victoria and her boy cousins in NY getting some "sugar".

Carol standing in front of a mural in Doug's of Skaneateles Lake front.

 It is so nice that Carol is here to help Kristine with baby Victoria.  She is a joy to have around!

 More Christmas from Nesbitts and Aunt Susie and Katie.  Victoria loved everything and says thank you!

Friends Forever and last post on Dallas Trip

Susan, Marc and Mary

Started out living side by side in the duplex, houses next door to each other and sharing each other's families when they were young.

I met Mary when we moved to Dallas and loved her right away.  She has much the same sense of humor as Marc and Susan and is alot of fun to be with.  We haven't seen her for quite a few years and it was wonderful to re-connect and for Cami and Mike to meet the "other half" of the family!

 Katie spent her two nights off work with us and she still loves to play games as much as we do!  She is a sweetie and we were so glad to see her!!! 

 Wacky Six Anyone?    YES!

 Playing "oh hell".  Had to get at least one game in!

                   Thanks Cami and Mike for a wonderful vaca with family and friends. We love you alot!

Dinner with Aunt Susie and Katie

This is backing up a bit:  Monday night after Christmas we all went to Aunt Susie's house in Allen for dinner and had a good look at some younger pics of Marc and Susan.   We had been to Marc and Susan's family homes in Dallas, Gran and Jete's house, the Jr. High and High Schools he and I had attended for one year each and to the Restaurant he used to work at in 8th grade.  We ate lunch there.  To Cami and Mike's for a rest and then on to Allen.  Big Day!

 I think I told Parker if she smiled for the pic we would take her to the Hotel with us and go swimming.  She did smile and we did go swimming!

 Dallas was always smiling at us.  So darling.

 Cousins: Katie and Ashley born 6 months apart.  Katie has been out to see Ashley in CA a few times lately.  It is nice that Ash got to come visit Katie in TX.  

We could hardly pry Dallas out of Hank's arms.  He was taking full advantage of his vaca time and his baby girl loved it!  Thanks for driving to Dallas to see us Nesbitts!

Marc, Susan and I picked up Cami from work after our trip to the cemeteries.  We got to see Cami's office and meet some of her co-workers and her boss.  Then it was on to Mike's office to see where he works and then to bring him home with us.

Mike's office.

 The "7-Eleven product development room.  We even got a few samples to taste test.  Yumm!

We got to meet Mike's boss, also.  Nice to be able to picture where they both work!

Visiting TX Relatives

We drove 30 minutes out to Kaufman Cemetery where Marc and Susan's Dad, his second wife Janet, his Grandparents and an Aunt and Uncle who died young were all buried.  This is the headstone for one of Marc's Aunts on his father's side who was 5 when she died.

James  Allen was 7 when he died.  James Leonard doesn't know his Grandpa had an Uncle named James!

Grandma Rosa had 10 children.  Grandpa Stephen Marcus Clay Sr. being the youngest.

 Wow. Grandpa Stephen Calhoun Clay died at 61.  And Grandma Rosa lived for 28 more years without him.  

 Marc and Susan's Dad.  Died at 57.

Janet lived for 13 more years while son Christopher fulfilled her dream of him becoming a Catholic Priest.

Marc and Susan are standing at the Clay Family gravesite in Kaufman.  When Janet died, Chris must have bought the family headstone for his parents and also new stones for James, Rosa and Stephen to match.  When we had last been to this gravesite before Janet died, the stone markers were all even with the ground.  We were glad to see the new markers.  Thank you Chris wherever you are!

This is a street in Kaufman.   We just had to take a pic of it.  Made us smile. Was it named after the Clay Family?  Humm!