Rehfeldt's Christmas Party 2009!

As many of you know, this year the Rehfeldt Christmas was a mixed bag of emotions. That wonderful photo of Dave's family below is missing a huge part of their lives...Venita's husband for 41 years, Paul and Jason's father, Kara and Jennifer's father-in-law and Noah, Adam, Hannah, Autumn and Oliver's grandpa. If they had not been able to attend this year, it would not have felt like a Rehfeldt Christmas Party for me. After all Dave was the Santa who took over when our father passed away. And we Rehfeldts missed our brother and my mother her son.

But thanks to my wonderful nephew, BJ who takes awsome photos, came with his equipment and was able to take such a great photo of Dave's family...I just sorta snapped a photo with my camera to get a photo for my blog. Thanks also to BJ for setting up his equipment so family members could have him take great photo of their family.

I just love every new babies that are born into our family. Did you know that my grandson Sam was my mother's 56 GREAT grandchild? I've said it enough, so you may already know that wonderful fact. We had three new babies this year at the Christmas party...Oliver, Sam and Isabelle ! I'm wondering what they will be like in six or seven years..

Perhaps like Jacob, Brigitte, Mikayla, Dakota, Sydney, Spencer...up to no good. Ha! I must confess that the little girl doing the whispering is none other than my granddaughter, Brigitte. (Better keep my eyes on her.) Christmas without kids of any age is not alot of fun...we'll think about that one...there are moments.

And we are so blessed to have my ninety-two year old mother, Agnes Theresa still with us to read the true meaning of Christmas. The birth of Jesus Christ.

Then after singing many wonderful Christmas Carols...our finally song to give a cue to Santa is "Here comes Santa Claus".

We were all grateful for Aaron filling in for our brother Dave this year. And it was fun as always. Most of the kids knew who Santa was and just play along with the fun.


This year we did our party a week earlier and instead of an evening one we needed to have an afternoon party. With my large family we try very hard to please MOST everyone. Not everyone can make it when we have it on Christmas Eve. But these are things that I truly missed this year beside my brother Dave. The Christmas caroling in people homes, the limited time we had the building for (Another party was coming in.) With Bj taking photos some family didn't get a chance to have their family photos taken because we ran out of time. And then..

my sister Linda from France had to stay at our home because she had gotten sick and couldn't come. Here all the way from France and couldn't attend her own family Christmas party! Glad to report she is starting to feel somewhat better.

But it was such fun getting the food ready. Everyone is so helpful with setting up and cleaning up afterwards. The food always so delicious. The visiting with family members is so fun. And of course the singing, the skits..Jan did an A plus one. Hopefully a family member has it on video! Great job Jan. And the nieces and newphews did a great job on their parts. Scott and Box Mania. Santa and the kids.

With such a large family..we had about 73 family members this year, I did 3 slide shows. So if you have the time or even the interest, just sit back and enjoy each one.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!

Box Mania!!

"What's BOX MANIA?" you ask. Well, let's just say that it's one of the zany things that my brother Scott is totally responsible for. The last two years I have come in last!!!

Scott picks on his sisters and sister-in-law to do this game. Can't wait the year when he picks on the brothers and brother-in-laws. At any rate, it fun and sorta of like Let's Make a Deal. Each person picks a box. The inside lid has something written on it.."You get to pick 10 items from off the table behind you..etc. Mine was, You get one item off the table. I really didn't care (too much) I had spotted earlier the bottle of Listerine I was out of at home, so I grapped it and was pleased. (I must get smarter at this game. I'm not a very good looser. Just ask anyone who plays boardgames with me, like my friend Jackie.) Scott will offer you items off the table and you can choose if you want the box or those items.

It's so much fun. There is alot of wheeling and dealing going on. Jola was first and boy could she bargain with Scott. I need to start hanging out with her. Lina got the best prize...a wallet that contain $10.00 in it. Maybe I should hang out with her! At any rate enjoy the video below.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

One of the oldest traditions in our family is the coming of Santa Claus at our Christmas Eve party. Since my father's death in 1983, several different brothers have filled in the gap. But mostly it was my brother Dave who did the honors. As you all know, Dave will spent Christmas in heaven this year, having died December 4th. My wonderful nephew Aaron filled the gap this year. Let me just say at this point, the Rehfeldt family know the TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS...THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.

What was fun this year was when Santa sat down next to my mother and asked her, "Should I give these children any gifts." With a very stern look, she said, 'HAVE THEY BEEN GOOD?" Laughter filled the whole room.

Let's take a moment and look at who sat on Sant's lap. Please forgive me for not getting everyone who sat on Santa's lap...there were these annoying parents with their camera in hand who just had to stand in front of me...the nerve!LOL ! ENJOY THE VIDEO

Thanksgiving - Nice & Quiet 2009

Usually we are off to someone else's home for Thanksgiving. Be it my sister, Louise or Brett's family in Geneva. BUT this year Gary wanted to bake a big turkey and just stay home....so we did. I'm so glad that Brett, Ann-Marie and Sam could join us. My dear friend Jackie was also free to enjoy Thanksgiving with us. For some reason or another...babies are always the main attraction at any event, and Sam was no exception.

So Gary took care of the sixteen pound turkey and the turkey dressing. I did the green bean casserole and veggie tray. Ann-Marie made Mrs. Soderstrom delicious mashed potatoes ...they are so good, you don't need gravy or butter on them. She also made her own famous cream cheese filled rolls.

Jackie arrived with three great desserts! I thought that she was only bringing a pumpkin pie. But she arrived not only with the homemade pumpkin pie but homemade apple pie and chocolate cupcakes. (That was Ann-Marie's favorite dessert.) As for me I loved her apple pie!

Here you have the table setting of some of our good food.

Jackie and I enjoyed a nice hot cup of tea with our pie.

Well, later Brett took a nap while Gary retreated to the garage to continue recycling some items he had collected along life's road. Some habits never die. In the meantime, Ann-Marie and I taught Jackie how to play a card game called Golf. She must have enjoyed it (She doen't like games too much.) She played three rounds with us.

Jackie headed for home and Ann-Marie and I headed to the movies to see The Blind Side.

It was indeed a more quiet Thanksgiving I've had in a long time...but I enjoyed every part of that day. So thankful for family and friends to share this day with.

"Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles"

Ten years ago Robert Lawrence Trotter, the love of my life, the husband of my youth was suddenly taken home to heaven after celebrating 32 years of a wonderful marriage. It was such a very empty, painful, sorrowful and lonely time for me for such a long long time. Not just months but years. God had made us one when we got married and now half of me was going on with everyday life without him. BUT NOW....TAKING THE WORDS FROM THE SONG MIRACLE OF MIRACLES IN THE SHOW FIDDLER ON THE ROOF I CAN SING AND SAY....

"BUT OF ALL GOD'S MIRACLES LARGE AND SMALL THE MOST MIRACULOUS ONE OF ALL IS THE ONE I THOUGHT COULD NEVER BE, GOD HAS GIVEN A GRANDSON TO ME."

Now whenever I hold my grandson Sam, I feel a wonderful comfort and realize this precious gift from God. In the quietness of me holding Sam while he is sleeping, I feel the soft tenderness of a loving God bring to my mind and perhaps I hear God whisper in my ear..."I have given you a part of Bob back."

So I end my Thanksgiving blog with the song of "Miracle of Miracles" in my mind and heart. And I might add that goes for Ann-Marie, Brett and my whole family.

Weekend With All The Grandkids!

With Sam just a little over three months old, I was looking forward to having all three grandkids, Saturday November 7th. On Friday evening, Gary and I drove to Byron, to pick up Andrew and Brigitte. After having supper at Giuseppi's Italian Restaurant & Pizza, we headed home.

Andrew and Brigitte get along pretty good. There are times they just need to be doing activities apart from each other. Like on Saturday morning Grandpa and Andrew rode their bikes from Roland Olsen Park to Harvard. Stopping only to have lunch in Poplar Grove. In the meantime Brigitte and I took care of Sam. While Sam slept, we had our lunch out on the deck. After Sam woke up and had his lunch, we took him out for a ride in his stroller. Brigitte loves to play Sorry. Here we have her telling Grandpa how to play the game. I had played the game with her the day before.

When we picked up the kids on Friday, Brigitte love her new toy...Leapster. She played it all the way to our home and then some.

I dearly wanted a photo of the three grandkids. Something I thought would be an easy task actually turned into a mess. When Andrew and Grandpa got back from their ride, I had Andrew sit in the recliner with Sam in his lap. I then asked Brigitte to sit next to Andrew. "I'm not sitting next to him!" she said. "Well, then just stand next to the recliner." was my reply. 'I DON'T LIKE TAKING PICTURES!!" she said with tears running down her face. Well, I knew right away that Brigitte the first one to have gotten up that morning was way over tried. So I knew that this photo was not to take place.

But after Andrew and Brigitte had taken a shower and put on their pj's I was able to capture a natural photo with Grandpa holding Sam and Brigitte and Andrew looking at him. They both love Sam so very very much.

Brigitte will make a great mom someday. She wanted to take over every duty that belonged to an adult. "I can hold him standing up." "I can carry him out to the stroller." "I can, I can." she just kept telling me. While I was feeding Sam his bottle, Brigitte tried his little jacket on and to our amazement it fit her...somewhat. During the stroller ride, Brigitte was in charge of pushing it.

Here we have our two very handsome grandsons!

Gary enjoys making pancakes when the grandkids come. I forgot to get some cool whip. They both love to put cool whip on their pancakes. This time Brigitte put peanut butter on her pancake while Andrew used the traditional pancake syrup on his.

I do believe now that I think of it, that Brigitte used peanut butter on one of her pancakes and syrup on the second one.

Sunday morning we got ready for church. We weren't sure if Andrew recovering from a cold should go. When he decided to go back to bed, I ended up staying home with him. Believe me when I tell you that I got his cold that very morning. But I'm getting plenty of rest so I can enjoy events coming up.

As always it was another fun time with our grandkids...ALL THREE!

Sound of Music - Fireside

We all know that the Fireside is an expensive place to eat and see a play. But we also know that it is well worth the moeny...if of course you have the money.

When I knew they would be having the Sound of Music I really wanted to go. So we gather some of the people we thought might like to go and made plans..well the plans we made for a Friday, October 30 fell through. Which I was not happy about. The Firseside didn't do a matinee on that Friday. Because my friend Jackie had already made plans for Saturday, she would not be able to attend the Saturday matinee. And we were all looking forward to spending time with her. (A side note: Ann-Marie and I met Jackie at Granite City for lunch on Friday.) We'll have to do better planning in the future.

Here we have Colleen, Jan and Betty doing some shopping in their unique shops.

The shops are always fun to browse through. Some of us had a few items we wished we could have. Like Jan. She just loved these decorative Christmas boxes.

Ann-Marie found several mugs she liked that related to being a mom.

She especially liked the one that said, "New Mommy Two Blessed To BE Stressed."

My sister Louise who has more money than some of us, purchase this beautiful picture. "To Grandmother's House We Go."

And again, if you know anything about me, you know that I am a snowman collector. Well, here's my purchase. The comment some of us made were, "That could be Grandpa and Grandma with Grandson, Sam."

My sister Louise is just herself wherever she go and whoever she's with. She had us all laughing. We could truly say that she was our entertainment for the evening...skip Sound of Music. But the meal was so delicious...right to the last bite.

Here's the gang: Me, Louise, Betty, Jan, Colleen and Ann-Marie.

The play was excellent. Even if not all the songs were sung from Sound of Music. It's always amazing to me how they can take a small stage and bring it to life like a real movie.

County Fair in Watertown

On October 23rd, Gary and I headed to Watertown to enjoy an evening with my sister Jan and her husband Darryl. Mainly I was going to enjoy the County Fair that was for ladies only!!! The members of her church put so much work into this event. The evening was so filled with fun, food and fellowship Of course what's a fair without trying to guess how many items are in a jar.
Before the fair started, we all had a sandwich from Cousins. Then the men had to leave.


What a great performance that Jan and Susan did with the song, "There's a Hole in Your Bucket..."

I had a small part in this...I cut the hole in the bucket.

It was so nice to see Betty again. We had fun making cards for the Fall season.

Wow, if you ever get a chance...you must try funnel cakes. They were the top of the line.

There were many booths to visit. I got to an Avon booth to purchase bubble bath. The baked good table dug into my wallet also.

There were prizes to win from each of the booths. Books, Avon products, homemade cards, etc. Well, for me, I got the best prize of all!

I won a bag of popcorn!!! But I must say, if I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have purchase a bag. But since I just LOVE POPCORN it was no problem for me to down two bags! But I must say, Betty and Jan kept putting their hands into the bag...especially Betty. I kept asking her if she wanted to take one of the bags. "No, I have popcorn at home." was her reply while she put her hand into the bag to get more popcorn. What a way to end an evening...laughing.

Then our men came back and helped cleanup the place and got it ready for Sunday morning!

Isabelle's Shower & Horse Rides