Merry Christmas - 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen;

I'm headed out the door in about 40 minutes to go to my daughter, Kristy home for Christmas Eve. She has three children.

My son Pat is flying in from AZ with his wife Lana this evening. They will show up around 5 pm.

My eldest boy, Jeremy whom I have not seen for about 4 years now still won't be showing up - as he is... shall we say, unable. Oh well, but his three children will be dropped off by their mom along with one of her daughters whom we consider to be one of our grandchildren anyway....

My other daughter Becky and her husband Dan will show up around 4 pm with their four kids.

Kristy's husband's mom and sisters will show up.

My son Nick will be there, and my wife JoAnne and I.

Usually, I don't use any one's names in the family. I try to keep their privacy - but you know what? With the world the way it is, you folks are part of my extended family anyway and I know that you're all with your own immediate families today and tomorrow.

I will have a LOT of little grandkids around me... I'm not all that partial to little kids any more, my patience for them is wearing thin but, they are little, innocent babies who need nothing more than to be fed, and cared for until they too can join the high blood pressure crowd of the adults.

If only I could go back to being one of them - life would be fantastic. I can't though and now I deal with the day to day nonsense of life, And try to help my kids make their children's lives better. Sometimes, it's tough.

But it's something we have to do!

My friends, I wish each and every one of you the very Merriest of Christmases you've ever had and to please spend time with your families. Sometimes, as many of us know, we don't spend enough time and then when they are gone we wish we could have.

Several of us have lost loved ones over the past few years and they can't be with us except in our memories.

The best thing we can give our children and those who come after us are GOOD memories because when we leave this world we take little with us, and leave everything behind. "Things" get thrown, and destroyed. Eventually the only thing left of us is the DNA we passed along to our children.

Life, friends, it short - 60 good years is all most of us get. Enjoy it, and pass on good times and good memories to those you love.

Best wishes for a great Christmas and a Happy 2011. Don't forget to prepare for the end of the world in 2012. Just before Christmas (Ok, I'm joking, I don't believe that nonsense!)

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year my friends.

Rick Donaldson
Colorado Springs, CO

Merry Christmas to all and have a blessed New Year!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

:noel:

Merry Christmas to all my electronic friends! My wish for you all is good health and safe passage. Be well friends.

I wish to you all from my heart a very Merry Christmas to all my electronic friends and a wonderful New Year!!! :noel:

Merry Christmas! Kids(Grandkids in your case) are always great at Christmas, they're so energized still...sometimes to the point you consider Thorazine :).

Mal.... the Thorazine would be for me.....

Wow... yesterday was loud, raucous... and I had a severe headache by the time I left.

I'm headed back over shortly so Jo can get the ham a cookin' and the little ones can open presents from grandma and grandpa (some got to open things last night because we won't see them again for another 6 months or something )

:(

Oh well.

We heard from my eldest. He will probably be coming back to the real world in 2012.... maybe September. Who knows?

Hope Santa was good to everyone! I got a new Islands Calendar :) Pretty pictures!

And a new Nautica jacket, and the newer Sarah Palin book and a movie! :)

And I got to see all my little ones..... wow. that was a lot of kids. hahaha

Merry Christmas... and God Bless us... every one!

Merry Christmas Everyone. I too am with family. Sadly the xBox I bought my brother is dead on start. It started to work then flat out died, so off to the store tomorrow to say wtf? Sometimes a PSP is a good thing. Aside from that disappointment, all is well. May this be a fond season of memories for all.

I am cooking the ham for today and am using a secret recipe. Well, it seems like a secret but is so easy it is funny to tell.

Take a 2ltr of root beer, such as A&W and mix in a pitcher with 1lb of brown sugar. Put ham in a appropriate cooking bag size and pour the mix over the ham. Cook per the instructions for the bag and you get a moist candied ham. It tastes like you did exotic but familiar spicing and is delicious, but way too easy.

Merry Christmas Everyone! My family celebrates on Eve so today is just a lazy day, leftovers, movies and staying in your pj's all day :)

Phil, that sounds like a tasty way to cook a ham, gonna have to try that. My secret recipe was always a fan or two of coke.

Rick, I feel your pain. As a single guy and no kids, being around a bunch of screaming kids all day is like fingernails on the chalkboard squared.

We've almost made it through another year, I have high hopes that 2011 will be better than 2010. Peace.

And I can't WAIT for Christmas 2012! lol

Either:

1) The world will have ended.


2) I will be sailing on the Caribbean Sea full time (or on my way).