{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}~ Dec. 7, 2014

So much has gone on since I lasted posted that I don't think I can cram it all into one post.  We had guests galore!  Lizzie, Justin, and their two adorable children stayed for a whole week.  Loads of exhausting fun, including a trip to the St. Louis Zoo.  At varying times and for varying lengths, we also hosted my mother, my sister, my niece, and Dave's mother during the same week.  Of course, everyone wanted to take advantage of the WV contingent being so close.  We went to my other sister's for Thanksgiving.  It was all extremely diverting but also extremely fatiguing.  But so, so good!

{Pretty}

These pictures do not do justice to the utter adorableness of my two granddaughters.

Arane (almost two and a half)

Verity (almost three months)

So sweet and cuddly!  Just look at those kissable dumpling cheeks! We had so much fun coaxing smiles and coos from Verity and exploring the world with Arane.  Arane is my mother's first great-grandchild and Verity is her fifth.  We've had a veritable baby boom in my family in the past two and a half years!

My mother and Verity getting to know one another

{Happy}

Arane loved to explore the woods and pond with "Papa."  He even let her drive his truck, which scored big points with her.

{Funny}

It was the first time Dave's mother, Sylvia, and Arane and Verity made each other's acquaintance. They hit it off very well, but Arane had trouble remembering yet another grandma's name.  She got the "Grandma Syli-" part right, but when she couldn't remember the third syllable, she added one that was logical and familiar to her: "-ware."  Grandma Sylviware!

{Real}

Unrelated to Thanksgiving visits and activities~

Our nativity set has gone missing, along with a few other decorations.  We've looked in every conceivable box, and it is not there.  It was last seen on our moving truck in May, but of course, we haven't had occasion to look for it until recently, so we didn't realize it was gone.  We got it as a Christmas present at least twenty years ago.  I really liked it too; it was classic white china with gold trim.  I'm sorry it's gone!

We took far too many pictures to share them all here, or even a reasonable representation of them.  I'll leave the rest to your imagination.  Thanks for stopping by!  Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more {phfr}!