Like with many people at this time of year, we have stepped up our physical fitness workouts. Well, I have really stepped it up, since I was not doing anything (3 days in a row). Hopefully, a few months from now I can still say I am doing just as much. Mary Kay has been running and has put in an entry for the New York Marathon. Running a marathon has been something she has talked about for several years. An entry doesn't mean she will be selected, but she can't wait to find out, she has to start her workouts now. I know that once she decides to do something she will get it done. I wish I had half as much will as she does.
Our Christmas was just tremendous. We started off with a wedding. Kyle our youngest married Sarrah at St. Micheal Chuch in Plymouth. Sarrah is going to try to get the wedding party in the Guinness Book of World Records. Virtually everyone from both sides of the family were in the party. For us that meant that 16 grandchildren were all in it, plus all our sons, daughters, daughter-in-laws, sons-in-laws and of course some great friends. I had another kidney stone issue the week before the wedding. All things passed on Friday, before the wedding. The bad news is the doctor told me there are more to come. Anyway it was a beautiful wedding and great reception!!! Christmas - all 30 of us were home for Christmas afternoon and evening. Mary Kay kept her mother's love of Christmas with the family up. The presents were numerous and loved by all, but the excitement and warmth in the house was something special to be part of. Izzy, Sophie, and Lucy did some of their Christmas program for all of us. Before they were done we all started singing Christmas carols. We spontaneously decided to carol to some of our neighbors. We had a great time, both the young and old kids! We missed having Grandma Davis with us this year. An odd but beautiful thing happened - she always bought each of our families a pewter Christmas ornament. When she passed away this year Mary Kay and I decided that we would continue the tradition. We contacted an Avon rep. and told her as soon as they became available we wanted to buy several. We never heard from her, so I got on line to try to order. I couldn't find them anywhere on line. I called the company and was told that last year was the last year they made those ornaments! It was just so fitting that the last one she bought for everyone, was the last one they made. They held a special place in our Christmas decorations this year and will in the future.
Other excitement -
Mary Kay and I are watching our youngest grandchild - Henry for the rest of this school year. It is already a special time! He attended his first community meeting with me yesterday. You have to start training them early to be community minded.
We bought a pop-up trailer this Fall. That is something that we wanted to do for many years when our kids were younger. We had some real exciting camping experiences and a camper may have made them a little less stressful. We hope to make lots of use of this one by our whole family. We never do anything too conventional - our first trip is going to be to Florida over Spring Break. We plan to go to Fort DeSoto and Disney World, both old favorite camping sites for us.
We will head to Denver over Memorial Day, again. Remember that is where we started the big ride last year. Mary Kay, Matt, and maybe Kyle will run the Bolder Boulder then we will head back to the Katy Trail to finish our bike ride. We may have a little company for the first few days of the ride. If the timing works out some of our kids and grandkids may ride with us on the Katy Trail. We are already getting excited about it. It will be great to finish what we started last year. I am taking pain pills with me, just in case of another kidney stone :). Really as we have looked back at last year's ride it was a very significant part of our lives together not just last year, but in all of our 42 years of married life.
