Holiday! ( Madonna plays in the background)

This post may be all over the place but here goes...I am sick right now, I have lost track of what day was what but just know that I regret not taking more pictures on Xmas day where we had a super brunch at mom and dad's then took the party to Honey's house ( our house ) where i was virtually worthless other than to get in honey's way:( I am not good at sitting idle, and despite feeling like doggie doo I was determined to be useful. Or sadly, annoyingly pesky asking for a job!
Oh well.
Yummy Rice K bars.
Mom cat really is the best cook ever. And she isnt related to TomKat. thank goodness.
These Caramel Rolls rock. They are so easy to make and so yummy. We just use Rhodes Whole wheat bread dough and brown sugar, nuts, raisins and of course some butter. These are just before they are going to cook, after having risen in a warm oven.
Here is more of that Granola that Jen H was talking about. MomCat makes it even better than i do. She ( mistakenly!) put the dark chips in before it was cool so they melted into the oats. So yummy, it turned into Chocolate Oats instead of Oats with chocolate chips.

This is Iona. Ray knows Iona. She is 13 yo. And there have been a few times we thought she was going to the happy hunting ground. Her happy place is outside chasing things, squirrels birds, etc..when she was a kid she caught a bird out of the air. And she swam about 800 yards out into Lake Superior chasing loons till she had some sort of frontal lobe wake up call and she realized she had better turn around.

Even if she cant hear too well..( at all ) and she has arthritis in her feet and if you didnt notice it, look again, she has full atrophy of her Right Temporalis muscle..she loves the Holidays as much as anyone. She puts up with our jokes about serving soup in the bowl on the right side of her head and happily still goes to get as many squeeky toys as she can fit in her mouth to let us know she is so happy we are here.

Xmas EVE at Mom and Dad's house: MY CHRISTMAS GIFT IS HONEY. ( oh and a new laptop! Sweet!)

I saw a movie last night, as i sat on the couch, wishing i was feeling better.
The FAMILY MAN. I love that movie. I know some of you have seen it. What stuck with me even though i was kinda in and out of sleep is when Tea Leoni said to Nick Cage: "If i hadnt married you, i wouldnt have any of the things I am CERTAIN about....you, the kids, Us."
I think we often think that alot of things in our lives are certain. I do. And that is up to each of you and anyone who is kind enough to still be reading, to determine. What is CERTAIN to you?

For me I know the Holiday's reminds me that what is CERTAIN to me is Honey and my family.
Like any family we have our ups and downs but i have never doubted for one minute that my family, my sisters and brother ( I have 2 older sisters/1 younger brother ( gobiggreen 91), my parents and my extended family as well ( too many to count!) all love me. And sometimes they can only love you the best they can at that time.

I like to think that my health is a certain, but when i was blessed to be diagnosed early ( 2 years ago) with Malignant Melanoma, I realized that playing tennis outside, teaching tennis outside and looking tan and healthy doesnt always = health. Daily i try to remind myself to stay focused and to let go of the need for too much external praise/reinforcement. I try my best to train and get in my workouts. I am realizing more that this isnt something i am doing bc I want to win and be the best. Training / working out /yoga / tennis...is something I am certain about. I can do what i can do. Somedays i swim super fast and I want more. Somedays i look at the Watt-ometer and think "OMG are you really spinning at ONLY 100 watts ?" But if that is what it is for today, that is what it is. Let it go. ( Yes I kidnapped that from ELF a few posts ago, but i am still thinking about it so it meant something to me )

Fabulous cousin ANN! She just got married to Hank. Ann is an aerobics instructor, and has produced DVD's called Jump Force. You may know it from the SweatShop or some other Y's in the msp area.


Uncle Angus, Cousin Sara and Cousin Todd.


I am not sure what my brother told the boys to do but whatever it was it is hilarious.
In the words of my youngest nephew "Will" on the far left, Xmas was AWESOME.
Here we have my two nephews ( in green ) and my cousin's ( Sara) kids.
Will, Will, Joe, Sam

And the oldest and wisest here, Chippy. Chippy is from Texas and is in the Children;s theatre production of the Christmas Carol. Here he is in ...my dad's top hat...my sister's ( his mom's) new coat from Lands End...and his Harry Potter Glasses. LOVE THIS PICTURE!

Notice the remote. Harry Potter surfing the TV channels!
They had to leave after 48 hours for his last 3 plays. My sister laughed, saying "sometimes we have to leave bc i have to go back to work...this time my 10 yo son has to go back to work!"

Chippy and Heide, we miss you, come back soon!
Mom and Dad: for being 81 years and 79 years young you continue to Amaze me. Thanks for being you and letting us have the best memories of Xmas eve and Xmas day. The real Xmas trees, me throwing up Xmas eve ( why do i always recall that?), dad: thanks for cooking the beef so that it wasnt still "quivering," Lee: thanks for doing dishes and telling me to hibernate for 2 days till i feel better, Heide : thanks for talking to me when i was napping on the couch on Xmas day, even if i felt crappy I wanted to talk to you
Aimee: thanks for the caribou card and thanks for loving my brother and being a good mom to Will and Joe And Rob: thanks for always being you, and GOBIGGREEN!
and HONEY: Thanks for putting up with me. I get a bit highstrung during the holidays and i end up in tears...and sick. I love you and am so excited to be in OUR HOUSE for Xmas 2009!
(OR can we go to mexico for Xmas 2009??!!! Feliz Navidad!)