Getting ready for Christmas

At last it is December.....and 2009 will be over soon. What a year it has been for us! So happy to have found this house and to be living here. We always will treasure our times and friends in Michigan and are so glad that we lived there for so many years...but are now very glad to be here. Hope that 2010 brings us a buyer for our house up there! But Michigan will always be in our hearts and we will always visit dear ones there!

I am happy to have found a job I love...even though I have an hour and half commute to get to it. I have just completed orientation to be a hospice nurse for Visiting Nurse Assoc. of Greater St. Louis...who I worked for for about 15 years when I lived in St. Louis previously. When I see patients, I will get paid by the patient so my hours will be my own and I won't have to fight rush hour traffic to and from St. Louis. I think I will find it very rewarding. I am only going to work one or two days a week.

We have started decorating this old house for Christmas and it has been fun. We don't have too much outside except for lights....and lots and lots of candles inside. But I plan to go to after Christmas sales and stock up on bargains for next year's decorating! My sister and family are coming for Christmas from Maine....and we are sooo excited to have them here! Then two of my three brothers and families and are coming to join us for New Years. Also we will host get togethers with the kids and grandkids and some of our wonderful friends, so the holidays here in Owensville will be very special for the Balluffs! We wish everyone who follows our blog a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Will post pics of holiday gatherings after...and I promise to keep it going in 2010! Please keep in touch with us!!!

Thanksgiving

We were so happy this year to be able to spend Thanksgiving with family!! It was a great day. Luke was in the St. Louis Thanksgiving parade playing his trumpet in the HS marching band. He is only in Jr High...but is THAT good with the trumpet. We saw him on TV but did not make it in to see the parade....had a BIG turkey to stuff!! Everyone brought dishes and wine and we had a great time. Too good of a time to take too many pictures. But here we are.......

A fall day....

A couple of weeks ago...we had Ella and her parents out for some touring around the countryside, to a winery and some shops and then to spend the night. Can you tell I like taking pictures of Ella? These are at the winerySometimes she gets tired of posing for sooo many pictures!What a great family!Dancing in the field at the winery.....It is a beautiful setting.....and she looks sooo small...Playing Old Maid with Yeye back at the house.... Believe me...she knows the rules!Clowning around with Yeye....Relating to Cali....

Crazy fun Halloween Party!

We were invited to our dear friends' Ron and Janet's house for Halloween. Jan always decorates so nicely for every holiday. Cannot wait to see her Christmas decs!Next year, we are gonna all come in costume....but after a bit...we all tried on my mask!Ron had his own look!We spent some time outside by the fire. It was crisp but really a beautiful fall evening. Great food, some drink and good, good friends! What more can anyone ask for??

Visiting Ella at gymnastics class

Back in October, Mike and I were lucky enough to meet Ella and her mom for lunch and then to go see her do gymnastics. She is getting good at it too! And all the kids were sooo cute! Here she is with Yeye and her mom clowning at lunch.....

A pre-gymnastic run....where does she get the energy!

Lining up....they were all sooo very cute!

Learning how to flip over the parallel bars. She did flip with her teacher's help but I never could get a shot of it.
Doing really good on the low balance beam....
Learning cartwheels
AND the HIGH balance beam!! Good job little Ella!