Holiday Happenings 2018 Part 2: Christmas in Atlanta

Judy and I both come from families where large

gatherings are automatic at Christmas. I remember

going to Mama Loyd's every Christmas Eve of my

life until I moved from Atlanta after college.

As Buddy, Caryn, and I grew up, friends became a

regular part of Christmas get-togethers, often including

a game of RISK or musical revues. 

Whenever possible, we prevail upon a friend to snap

a memory shot of our full family.  Sometimes that wasn't

possible.  In this one from 1998, one important person is

missing.  Judy!  She volunteered to take the picture.

In it are my Mama and Daddy, my sister Caryn, her 

husband Steve, their two daughters Brantley and Lindsey,

my brother Buddy (Ellis), me, and our daughters Jennifer

and Amanda. I won't attempt to tell you which is which.

Either you know them or you don't.

Mama lived another ten wonderful years after that,

passing away the day after Valentine's Day in 2009. 

She parted with us just two months before Brianna,

our first grandchild, was born.  I like to think that they

waved at each other coming and going to and from 

heaven (it's not THAT sacrilegious).  In short order

Claire arrived, and less than two years later came

Hunter and Evan. Daddy was able to see and hold all

four of them before his passing in 2012.

Below: Christmas 2009, Grandpa Loyd meets

Claire and Brianna.  Notice Mama's photo on the

piano, a reminder that she was with us, too.

I wonder what Claire and Grandpa Loyd were talking about.

Christmas 2011.  Hunter and Evan have joined us now.

Grandpa Loyd with his four (first four) grandchildren

and their parents.

 Christmas 2012, Daddy's last Christmas.

My, how the kids have grown!

Here it is Christmas 2018, 20 years after that first photo.

Mama and Daddy are with us in spirit only, but I can

only imagine their joy at how the family has grown.

This is 5 year-old Ryan's first Christmas in Atlanta,

and as for baby Bennett, has just turned five MONTHS

old since this picture was taken. Our number is 19.

And the third grade teacher in me says, 

"And that's a PRIME number!"

 For readers who may not know all of us by sight,

here are Amanda, Stephen, Ken, Judy, Bri, and Hunter.

Here are Jennifer, Judy, Ken, Matt, Ryan, Claire, and Evan.

At Christmas and always, Judy and I count our blessings.

2019 is sure to be overflowing with them once again.

Holiday Happenings 2018 Part 1

Us Loyds have a long-standing tradition of stretching

our holidays w-a-y out. Even longer than the traditional

twelve days of Christmas. Buddy, Caryn, and I have 

probably been accused of becoming teachers just for

the two week break (don't knock it).

Let's look at a few special moments in the week leading

up to Christmas.

One day it was just perfect for the Kirby kids to roast marshmallows
in the chiminea.  We burned up a ton of pine cones, too!

For the 42nd Christmas in a row, Judy and I snared a tree in the wild.
This one was a "rescue" tree.  The railroad had tried to mow it down
last year, but just pushed it over.  I straightened it and with a year of
good rain, it survived. Until ... well, you know ...

These Christmas stampers had not seen action for 10 years--
since I retired from teaching.  But I knew the right time for
them would come.  And this was the day.

Santa's workshop and three hard-working elves are busy creating.

Evan's creation.

Claire's creation.

Ryan's creation.

Even the sand pile took on a festive note.

Hunter and Bri came all the way from Georgia to get their presents
early. Hunter is a master at Legos, so this should be no problem for him.

Bri leans on her new plush pillow while reviewing a treasure
trove of new books.

It was just four days before Christmas, but we had saved two
stockings full of ornaments for Bri and Hunter to add to our yard.

Welcome to the North Pole.

It started like this three weeks earlier.  Five stockings full of
ornaments for five grandchildren.

Evan and Ryan decorated the back entrance.

Claire did most of the front yard, which Bri and Hunter added to.

You know I'm always up for a new game. At our old property we
made up a game where the children had to follow a trail of orange
cones over our whole 10 acres to locate the missing toys. Here,
we had a smaller area to work with, so I changed it to "The Grinch
Stole Christmas." 

Santa's helpers, with their sleds have to search all over, to find the
red and green balls which represent all the children's toys.
This wasn't as easy as it sounds!  Some were hidden in Mrs.
Frisby's cinderblock house!

Before heading back to Georgia, Bri gave us a taste of her latest
gymnastics routine. She wowed us, even with limited space--
and no balance beam.

Hunter was equally impressive with a performance of his latest,
longest, and most complex "form" in Tae kwon-do.  As a teacher,
the positive learning aspects to these activities just leaps out at me.
Memory, coordination, and self-confidence are just a few benefits.

The Kirbys got their presents on actual Christmas Day. Claire
loves her pillow.

Ryan is excited by his Magnetic Ninja Turtles kit.

And Evan is thrilled with his RISK game.  It wasn't that easy to find,
but it was worth it. Fun for the whole family. AND risk!

Ryan may be too young to appreciate it, but he's holding a
Chinese-English New Testament.  Claire and Evan also received
one.  Perhaps one day some of them will want to study Chinese.
Perhaps not . . .

Claire had recently had a medieval times celebration in her
school class, so this castle craft kit was ideal for her.

Then there were even more presents at Granny and Granddaddy's
house just across the street.  Um, nothing for you, Grandma.

With a fine Christmas lunch devoured and all presents opened,
admired, and packed up, there was still Grandma and Grandpa's
play yard for entertainment.  Ryan mastered the Sit-and-Spin today.
The same one his mother spun on about 35 years ago.

So those are some of our holiday happenings.  But Part 2

would be days later when we headed for Atlanta. Coming soon.