Christmas Morning

Family tradition is that all that can make it come 0n Christmas morning and exchange gifts and have breakfast. This year we had waffles. In memory of Mike who the boys nicknamed "Wafs" , that is short for waffles.(Theres a story behind that)

Don and I gave all the the families Belgian waffle irons for Christmas.

Kristen has more pictures of the Christmas festivities on her blog.

LeSueur Christmas Party

This is our annual Christmas Party. We always have a dinner and then we have a white elephant exchange plays some wild games and this year we bought presents for a family that needed help. Dan played Santa and the kids helped him deliver the gifts. They all thot it was the best part of the night.

All is Merry and Bright

Emalie's Christmas concert. She plays the sax.

Jake and Joey acting normal

Random Moments in December

This Christmas Season started out with a LeSueurFamily Social.

We have some very strange girls in our family.
( Katie Syrek, Shelby LeSueur, Haley Syrek)

Ashley Syrek, Kayla Payne, and Mallory LeSueur

Girls Trip/Shopping/ "Wicked"

Emalie got to be "Special" and go with the Moms

Shopping at Cabazon. Window shopping at Beverly Hills . Cupcakes from Sprinkles and just being crazy girls was what it was all about.

Seeing the musical "Wicked" was the highlight of the trip.

Too much fun- don't want to come home!

The best trips are "girl trips". I learned this from my friends. You get to do what ever you want and stop at any store or buy any treat and you don't have to ask a man, who just wants to hurry and get there.

Dinner With the Syreks

One evening we had the delightful time having dinner at our home with the Syrek children.
Who taught these kids manners?
I guess when the food is sooo good you have to eat it all and then lick the plate. There is no other way to eat speghetti.

Family History Trip/Lincoln Land

A few weeks ago Don and I went on a family history trip to Illinois and Kentucky. We spent some time at New Salem where Lincoln lived for a few years before he became famous.






















This is the tombstone of my gr gr grandparents in Athens Illinois. I am looking for his parents that were married in KY.

He is James Louis Parrish and His wife is Matilda Stout. They were married in 1838 Sangamon Co. Ill and he was born in 1816 in Lexington Ky.

This is not easy. You have to be a very patient detective. However I got the bug and I am determined to find him.

New Hobby

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!
Betcha didn't know Don and I took up dancing.

Labor Day Weekend

Our family (most of them) spent the weekend in Pinetop, AZ. Thanks to Ann and Dennis Barney for letting us use their cottage for the weekend . We all had a great time, but it was really wild and crazy. The little kids and Garrett and Jacob.

Jace LeSueur (Chads boy, can you see that?)

Mika our granddog
Jason Syrek, our funny boy.
Race cars were lots of fun

This pic was taken at Grumpy Jakes, a restuarant owned by our friend Jerry Epps.

The mothers enjoying a shopping trip at a boutique called Urban Bliss, owned by Ann Williams (Melissa's sister). They dropped a few bucks there.

Darling grandaughters, Emalie and Jordan (Russ's girls)

Bedtime was a challenge with 15 kids.

Eating time was also crazy with 25 people

Cute girls riding with Gramma to the race cars.

" The teenagers!"

The boy cousins, who we had to keep an eye on for fear that they might do something really nutty.

Luke the Lizard

I was watching Jace this afternoon and look what he found in my family room. A gecko. In the house. He decided to name him Luke the Lizard. Here's some pictures of him before we let Luke go.

Check out those eyelashes.