Our 2012 Christmas Letter

2012 -- OH, WHAT A GRAND YEAR IT WAS! 

Let's see if we can recap this year's highlights with memories and pictures...

Beginning with Christmas 2011...

It all started with a kitten named Brie (yes, after the cheese; Drew is an aspiring chef, you know...)

Drew showed up at 7:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve (having driven in from Shreveport after his shift at the restaurant the night before -- THANK YOU, Guardian Angels!) with this little cutie pie he'd rescued from the pound.

Before all was said and done, she'd kissed every Baby Jesus in the house & had won over even those hearts most resistant to feline wiles!  (Paw Paw said she was "treading on dangerous ground," but he didn't fool anyone!)


A very merry Christmas was had by all, spending good times with family & friends, enjoying bonfires on the levee in Lutcher to light the way for Papa Noel (a new family tradition) followed by midnight Mass (which now starts at 11:00 p.m. - figure that one out), a visit from Santa (yes, even big kids get Christmas stockings around here!), and a trip to Mum's (grandma's) -- literally over the river (the Comite River, that is) and through the woods (Walker, LA is out in the sticks, y'all!)

Wrapping up the holidays Dewey & Angela dressed up & went out to eat on New Year's Eve to celebrate 30 years of marriage -- what a grand blessing, indeed!

JANUARY 2012

Bright and early on 1/1/12, we loaded up the car and headed to (in our collective opinion) the GRANDEST place on earth -- Walt Disney World!

If you know Dewey, then you know he's WDW's biggest fan.  And if you were around 30 years ago when we got hitched, then you know that we spent our honeymoon there.  For those of you who weren't at the wedding, trust us, you'd have remembered where we honeymooned because our going-away outfits were Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes!  (NO kidding!)

Anyway, we thought it would be fun to take the kids there for our big 3-0 anniversary, and it would have, we're sure.  Unfortunately, Drew was unable to get off work --  holidays are REALLY big for those in the restaurant industry -- so he missed out.  Boo Hoo!!  Well, Hope didn't really mind being an only child for a while...

Is there anything better
than a toy store?

We also spent some time at Harry Potter World at Universal Studios.  What a fun place!  Crowded, very crowded, and cold, VERY cold, but fun!

As you can see, we were rocking our LSU gear in high hopes of a victory in the BCS Championship Bowl....we could just taste how good it was going to be on the beaches at Gulf Shores this summer!  Oh, well.  THAT was NOT meant to be.

C'est la vie.

Maybe a Mickey Mouse ear
ice cream!
With chocolate!

Before we left the Orlando area, we had the opportunity to visit with my cousin Cindy who lives nearby with her husband, Jeff & her son, Zach.  What a treat!  Thanks, Cindy, for taking time out of your busy week to spend time with us.  It was fun to catch up!

While we were whooping it up in WDW, we got this text from Drew: 

Why all the excitement, you might ask??  

Well, here is the "before" picture -->

Seems that Chef Anthony decided the entire kitchen crew needed a new look for a new year.  Hip, hip, hooray!  

Guess there's more than one way to skin a cat!  OOOPS!  Sorry about that, Brie.  

FEBRUARY 2012

Pretty GRAND things to do in early February.....

...go deer hunting with a crossbow....

...go hiking in the Ozarks with your buddies....

...crochet some cute little bags...

...bake some kick-it break pudding for a SuperBowl Party...

...get engaged...

WAIT!  GET ENGAGED?!  

Yep.  That's what Hope & Weston did!  

CONGRATULATIONS! 

Dewey & I spent Mardi Gras with them and Weston's mom in Nashville celebrating the engagement and kicking off the wedding plans.  We were there for the first -- and only! -- snow of the year.  A light dusting on Sunday morning before church -- beautiful! 

A pitstop for ribs at the original Dreamland BBQ in Tuscaloosa on the way back to BR... 

...this place is WAY off the beaten path! (Thank you, UrbanSpoon & GPS!)

Then we were off for a weekend with Drew-Man in Shreveport...

We always get the royal treatment at Wine Country Bistro when we're in town! 

(You gotta know somebody)

Check out this ultra-grand dessert!  Wasn't even on the menu!  Were we the talk of the town, or what?! 

It was as delicious as it was entertaining! 

We caught up with Brie....

We ate some good food at our favorite haunts, including the original Superior Grille (hi, Kirchoffs!) and The Real Pickle....

...we made some plans for the spring & summer.  

All in all, an excellent month, don't you think??!!  

Yes, February was just GRAND.  

God is good!  God is GRAND!  

MARCHANDAPRIL2012 (aka the BLUR)

Now, let's see.....how many tasks are involved in planning a wedding.....hmmm.....couple 'o million, you reckon?  

Oh, at least.  

You know, they fill thick, glossy MAGAZINES with nothing but wedding stuff....there are endless WEBSITES & BLOGS dedicated to wedding planning, right down to the tiniest detail....there are entire INDUSTRIES full of people whose eyes glaze over with delight when you say you're planning a wedding (imagine the look on the face of the wolf who met Little Red Riding Hood on the narrow path in the depths of the dark forest and you'll get the picture), and in the background you can hear cash registers cha-chinging away every time you walk through their doors....

WHY?  

Because it's FUN & EXCITING & INTOXICATING, that's why!  It really is!  ALL of it!  

And I don't think I'm speaking out of turn when I say that we ALL had a GRAND time planning this wonderful wedding!  

(Thank you, Dewey.  Thank you, Carla.  Thank you, Hope.  Thank you, Weston.) 

It really was a blast!  

Engagement photos...
(thank you, my talented friend, Dana!)

the perfect dress...!
(thank you, Bustle Bridal!)

bridal registry....

invitations....stamps....calligraphy...
(thank you, Amanda @ The Keeping Room
& Martha, our calligrapher!)

wedding favors....
(thank you, Milou @ Bocage Bee & Honey Co!)

having a grandmother who can sew
makes life amazingly grand.....!
(thank you, MUM!)

& it just doesn't get any cuter than this!
(Thank you, darling Lily!)

Then, just when you think it might turn into a runaway train, along comes a lovely Easter break at the beach and you know it's all going to come together just fine......

...as long as you remember to say your prayers 

& stop to smell the flowers once in a while! 

Thank you, Blessed Mother, for your prayers and intercessions to your precious son, 

our Lord Jesus Christ, on our behalf over all of our child-rearing years! 

I think we were fortunate to have the perfect recipe for a wonderful wedding:  one very happy bride and one very happy groom who envisioned an elegantly simple ceremony, two families who were very happy for them, huge dollops of love, heaping servings of willingness, & gallons of joy, all mixed well and spiced with technology (for ease of long-distance preparation) and baked for a short & sweet period of time and -- voila!  

The next thing we knew......it was MAY!  

MAY 2012

As soon as Hope & Weston were done with their finals, they left Nashville and headed to BR to kick off the festivities...

 showers & bridesmaid's luncheon

(thank you, ladies!)

Fittings &
Last-minute details...

It all came together remarkably smoothly!  

And then, the BIG DAY!  

Early Appointment with the hairdresser...

When did these children grow up?!

Our Christmas Letter Continued

An impromptu rehearsal in the kitchen with Dad

priceless!   

A beautiful wedding party!

A beautiful day for a wedding!

A beautiful setting, our church parish, St. Aloysius.

Dewey and I dreamed of Hope walking down the aisle here for more than 13 years!

Thank you, Deacon John in BR & Deacon True in Nashville!

Our beautiful Hope,
Weston's beautiful bride!

As you can tell, all of the pictures posted here are mine, made with my iphone; they're not the amazing ones taken by our wonderful professional photographer and his team (thank you Aaron, Shelia, & Jency & Max), therefore these photos are much more "heart" than "art"!  I snapped this one of Dewey in the vestibule just before the ceremony started for a special reason.  Our oldest and dearest friends, Alan and Sally from our LSU days (currently residing in Kentucky) were not able to make it to the wedding, as Sally's precious mother passed away in North Carolina just a few days before.  We were heartbroken not to be able to be with them during their time of sorrow, just as they were heartbroken not to be able to be with us during our time of joy.  That's just how life goes sometimes; we all knew where we needed to be in body, and we were with each other in spirit.  Alan -- always the one to break the tension by cracking us up -- said, "Darn!  I hated to miss two things:  the lamb at the rehearsal dinner and seeing Dewey decked out in a tux!"  Well, it was the least I could do, Al, even if the lighting left something to be desired!  We love you guys!  

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. 

Now, let's party!  

At the end of this wonderful day, we had hearts full of gratitude to God for the multitude of blessings, to our family and friends for their love and support, to Weston for making Hope so happy, and to Hope for being our precious baby girl.  

Hey, Dewey & Angela, you just pulled off an amazing wedding for your only daughter!  What are you gonna do next??

We're going to Disney World!!!! (what else??) 

Seriously.  I told you my husband has a Disney "problem"!  He found a myriad of ways to justify this trip...."Drew missed the one in January," "We'll need a break after the wedding," (break?  Disney's a break?? gimme a break!), "Your mom and dad haven't gone with us in a few years," and on and on.  What can I say?  He wore me down....and if I'm brutally honest, I have a little bit of a Disney addiction, too.  I inherited it from my parents!  And I passed it along to my children.

The very next morning, while the newlyweds took a leisurely two-week honeymoon to the beach and the mountains, three generations of Disney fiends in two loaded-down cars pulled out, as if headed for the Promised Land.  Being a little ahead of the summer season, we found an incredible bargain on a five-bed, five-bath vacation home, complete with its own enclosed full-size swimming pool, only 10 minutes from The Mouse and rented directly from the owners, who live in Ireland -- no lie! (thank you vrbo.com!)

The weather was nice and warm (quite a change from the ice on our windshield in January!) and the crowds were MUCH smaller at this time of year.  And yes, of course, our Drew who grew up on a steady diet of Harry Potter, thoroughly enjoyed himself!

Hogwarts!  THE REAL Hogwarts!

Enjoying a little of that Florida liquid sunshine!

Another family tradition....I have a picture of
Drew at age 8 doing the exact same thing
in this exact same spot....do little boys
ever really grow up??  I hope not! 

Say, "Cheese!"

'Bye, Donald!  See you next trip!

JUNE 2012

After our whirlwind of a spring, there wasn't much we could do except....
....take a deep breath

....take a long nap

....take it easy! 

Hope & Weston had jobs and internships in BR, so they were around all summer.  That was fun!  Drew headed back to Shreveport right after our trip to make sure the restaurant was still standing (it was!).  We're really proud of our conscientious offspring!  As Drew put it once, "we come from a long line of hard-working people," and that is something to be proud of!  

Dewey enjoyed the last of the LSU baseball season, although Mouton, the Rally Monkey's mojo just couldn't carry us all the way to the College World Series this year....there's always next season!  

Geaux Tigers! 

We work out at the Retirement Community just down the road from our house (makes us feel young!), and Dewey found an ad for his and hers bikes on the bulletin board.  Now when the humidity dips below 95%, we take a spin around the LSU lakes.  Dewey's planning to ride to football games this fall! 

JULY 2012

On the road again....hey, didn't Willie Nelson sing that??

July 4th weekend, we went to Nashville with Hope & Weston & Weston's mom to move them into a new rental house.  The mercury topped out at 109 degrees -- a new record high!  Lucky us.  It was worth the effort; the kids really like their new place!

While the kids hurried back to BR to attend to their responsibilities, Dewey and I took advantage of a little extra vacation time to drive up to Louisville to visit Sally & Alan.  

We ALWAYS have fun at Sal & Al's!  

There's just something about being with people who know your history, you know?!  Especially if they know you that well and still want to be your friends!

Then we explored a little bit of central Kentucky, visiting Natural Bridge and an amazing place called Snug Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast.  This place is so remote that you lose cell phone coverage even before the blacktop ends!  Check it out:  http://www.snughollow.com  We recommend it highly -- the food is AMAZING! -- and hope to return one day soon.  (thanks, Barbara!)

Then it was on to Harlan, KY to visit my good friend and former colleague,

Margaret and her two beautiful children.  

What a beautiful part of the country! 

AUGUST 2012

Awwww!
Brownie points for you, Honey!  

Dewey's brothers and sisters all take an annual, multi-generational trip to Grand Isle, LA each August for fishing & family fun.  This is a trip that I don't get to make because I go on my annual retreat around this time every year.  Often the two overlap.  But while we're gone our separate ways, apparently he thinks of me on the beach where we first fell in love, and I pray for him (any man who has to put up with the likes of me needs all the prayers he can get!)  I love you, too, Dew.  

Believe it or not, in between all of the fun we've had this year, we did also go to work.  

Dewey & I are blessed to both have jobs we absolutely love.  Our jobs challenge us and at times even stress us out.  Our jobs are fulfilling, because the work we do can make a difference in people's lives.  That's about as GRAND as it gets, when it comes to work, don't you think?!  

August in South Louisiana....?  That's gotta mean a hurricane.  You betcha.  This year it was Isaac.  Thankfully, Isaac was more rain and bluster than anything, but as Super Storm Sandy would later remind us all, better safe than sorry!  

I rode out Isaac with my parents and my sister Debbie and her family.  There's something to be said for building a house in the middle of a cow field, especially when a hurricane blows in.  Even more to be said for the foresight to put in a natural gas generator that kicks on automatically when the power goes out!!  Thanks, Mama & Daddy; it's always fun!  

SEPTEMBER 2012

Speaking of hurricanes & work, with Dewey's job at the utility company, our experience of hurricanes is much different from that of most folks.  Most folks are off of work until the power is restored.  Not Dew.  His work ratchets up for the duration.  He's usually gone 16-18 hours at a stretch, 7 days a week until the power is fully restored.  That means he's completely out of pocket.  

This creates a problem when one needs to sign papers to purchase a new house, but one cannot actually be present because one is totally tied up at work.  

Oh, wait.  Did I forget to mention we signed a purchase agreement on a house back in July??  I think I did.  Sorry; it was a busy time, you know.

Anyway, we were supposed to close on the house a couple of days after Hurricane Isaac hit, but he pretty much blew that away.  So the closing was pushed to the day after the Labor Day holiday.  

Still no power city-wide, still no Dew.  Enter the Durable Power of Attorney.  

Hmmm....something familiar about this whole process....OH!  I remember!  This exact same scenario played out exactly 20 years ago, in 1992 with Hurricane Andrew when we closed on our first house on Oak Trail.  Funny how history repeats itself!

Anyway, we got the job done.  (Thanks to Ryan, Richard, Josh & everyone who walked us through it)

Thus began the time period that will forever be referred to in our family history as The Renovation Zone -- (cue the music) doo doo, doo doo - doo doo, doo doo.

You know, after watching at least a gazillion remodeling shows on HGTV, I'm embarrassed to say that it never occurred to me to take "Before & After" photos of our new house!  All that effort and all of that money, and we're the only ones who can really appreciate the magnitude of the change.  Oh, well.  There are things that are more important, you know.....

.....like GRANDCHILDREN!

Suffice it to say that updating the new house took longer than anticipated, cost more than anticipated, and was of a grander scale than anticipated.  It was like having an additional full-time job!  Those people on HGTV lie!!  There is no way on this earth that they can do those make-overs in two days!!  Heck, I couldn't even get tradesmen to return my phone calls in two days!  Oh, well.  Live & Learn.  A little more about the house later...

Back to the GRANDCHILDREN!

Finding out that Hope & Weston were having a girl made the planning fun!  And PINK!  I went up to Nashville mid-September to hang the curtains I'd made and help start setting up Baby Lena's nursery.  It doesn't get much grander than that!  SO much fun!

Old fashioned valence-top curtains.
Cute & girly!

Bunny Toile.
Have you EVER seen anything this sweet??!!

Nowadays baby cribs convert to toddler beds & then
to twin head & footboards.  Wow! 

Parents-to-be

A profile shot so Daddy can see...

Dewey went to Shreveport to visit Drew
the same weekend I was in Nash.
On the RiverWalk.

OCTOBER 2012

What do future grandmothers do while they are trying to wait patiently for their grandchildren to arrive?  CROCHET!

At least that's what this grandmother did! 

And I'm sure you know that NOBODY goes by "Grandmother" these days!  As a matter of fact, I've had several LONG and SERIOUS conversations with other women recently about our "Grandmother Names" (meaning what we'll be called INSTEAD of "Grandmother")  You would be impressed with the variety of names grandparents go by!  

Mine is "Angel."  

You see, my sister was already "Honey," and I am way too young and my hairstylist is way too good with color (thank you, JoAnn!) for me to be called something like "Granny" or even the very beloved southern "Maw Maw," so something had to give.  "Angel" is what my mom and dad and sisters called me as a youngster, before I went to elementary school and decided that it was not at all cool to be called "Angel" at school because everyone stopped and stared, and a few of them dared to snicker and say, "Angel or Devil??"  

Besides, Dewey calls me Angel when we're practicing what we preach to the engaged couples we sponsor at church and we're each putting the other's welfare first....and all that good stuff :)  

So "Angel" it is. 

And what did Dewey decide he wanted to be called???

(Sit down for this one, y'all. )

Pooh Pops.  

Yes, Pooh Pops.  

Uh-huh. 

That's it. 

That's the name he chose for himself.  

He's getting used to the reaction he gets in person when he tells people this, and I'm pleased to report that the reactions have not deterred him in the slightest.  

Of course, the "Pooh" part is like "Winnie the Pooh."  

Get it?  

"Winnie the Pooh."

"Pooh Pops."  

He was only slightly put off when I told him that he'd need to expect the normal developmental period, usually around Kindergarten age, when ALL children go through a phase of being completely fascinated by all "Bathroom Language" and they find anything remotely associated with bodily functions to be absolutely hysterically funny.  And that might be an issue for Lena.  Or not.  We'd have to wait and see.  He's willing to ride it out, I think.  

Truthfully, we'll just have to wait and see what Lena decides to call us.  My mom wanted to be called "MiMi" and the closest Hope (the first grandchild) got was "Mum Mum," and so "Mum" is what stuck. 

This turning point is still a good year and a half to two years away....

We were SO excited and SO eager for Lena to arrive, that we made a wild midnight dash to Nashville when Hope's labor started on October 15, just ahead of her October 17 due date....and we hung around until Miss Lena Elizabeth made her debut in the wee hours of the morning of October 21, 2012, weighing in at 9 pounds, 7 1/2 ounces.  What a grand time it was! 

Lena's finally coming!

"I love my Angel"

"I love my Pooh Pops, too!"

Little Pumpkin

"Me & Daddy love to goof around!"

Don't you think she looks like Hope did?!

Precious Sleeping Beauty

We found out that there really are no words to adequately describe grandparenthood.

And yet it is exactly as wonderful as everyone tried to tell us it would be! 

Like a little slice of heaven on earth! 

Just one little hitch....Nashville is a long way from Baton Rouge....

...and even though you try to put on a happy face, 

it can be REALLY hard to leave when it's time to go home.  

Just have to plan a trip back as soon as we can! 

NOVEMBER 2012

So much fun to dress up for Halloween!  

Just pretty 'n pink! 

Another quick trip to Nashville the weekend before Thanksgiving....it's hard to stay away!

And back to BR to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with the rest of the family.

Drew (sporting a mohawk) & his cousin, Tyler.

They'll turn 22 in January & February,

right before Tyler enlists in the service.

Wasn't it just yesterday they were heading off to Kindergarten??

(I know kids hate when parents say that, but it's true!)

And isn't it neat to see your grandparents looking back at your from your children's faces??

I'd say it's grand, just grand.  

(As is my mother who is monkey-shining in the background of these shots!

Who says you ever have to grow up??!!

Thanks, Mama, for reminding us that life is supposed to be FUN!)

Daddy's 71st Birthday.
...and many more!!!

Mama & Lily decorate the retro tree
(don't get any ideas, nieces & nephews;
I've got dibs on it!)

DECEMBER 2012

Well, if you've stuck with us this far, I'd have to say you're an above-average friend who might need a few more hobbies that do not involve screens and keyboards!  Or maybe a relative with an over-developed sense of responsibility & the same hobby issue!  Nah, just kidding.  

I don't think it really matters if no one ever read the words (although I'd hate to think no one saw the pics!).  The real purpose of this exercise was to carve out some time to reflect on the amazing array of blessings Almighty God bestowed on us this year.  It was awesome. 

Was every moment of 2012 Kodak-worthy?  Certainly not.  There were times when we fell short.   Times when we had to re-think a position or two, ask forgiveness, and make amends.  Times when we forgot to be grateful or loving, neglected to be helpful or gracious.  We're a real family, warts and all.  

Recent events remind us to take nothing for granted, for each day is a gift.  I wish I didn't need so many reminders.   Perhaps if I took these pauses for reflection more regularly, it would help.  

Oh, yeah.  The house.  God sent us some amazing people over the course of 3 1/2 months to help us fulfill our vision, and to tweak it as needed.  Thank you Ryan, Colleen, Brad, Lee, Mr. Bazile, Reggie, Mr. Burton, Mari Ellen, Becky, Chuck, Jesse Dale, Shane, and all of the others whose names I may not have been able to recall, not because you played a lesser role, but because I am getting tired now.  Each of you touched our lives!  We are thankful.  

Thanks to the help of my nephew, Jake, we moved in (mostly) on Dec 8, barely a week ahead of Hope & Weston & Lena's arrival for the holiday break.   The house is a work in progress, AND it's just a thing, just a shelter.  There are other things of much greater importance in life.  

Drew will be on his way home Sunday to meet his niece.  He should arrive just in time for the big family gathering with all of Dewey's brothers & sisters and all of the "cousins by the dozens."

Our thoughts and prayers are with Weston's family as his grandmother recovers from a recent stroke.  May God bless her and each of you with his healing and grace.  

We'll close by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!  May we find Peace through the Light You bring to our world.