Nana & Papa Day

Tuesday Amy and Natalie came along with Tony when he came up to work in the shop.  It was so much fun to have them up for the day.  Warren was a bit late getting out to work as he promptly took Natalie and gave her a bottle.   She is 3 weeks old now, and such a sweetheart.   Amy was able to get out of the house for a day, take a nap, and let us babysit for a bit.  We loved it.  Since Natalie is enjoying her mobile at home, I got out the floor mat and let her look at the mobile on that for a while.  She seemed to enjoy it. 

 

Yesterday, the 10th, was Tony's 25th birthday.  He and a couple of guys were up working on the hopper bottoms.  I made him a birthday lunch of grilled steaks, pasta and salad.  He'll have to wait for Sunday for his cake.  They plan on coming up for Sunday dinner then and we'll celebrate the big event.  It hardly seems like we are old enough to have kids that are 25 and 23.  When did that happen? 

WMS Christmas Party

Every year our Women's Missionary Society (WMS) (I hope I have the name right.  Everyone just calls it WMS.  ANYWAY!)  Our WMS group at our church has a ladies Christmas party.  For several years now it has been a salad buffet supper, with a program following.   This year was no different - its tradition now, and you don't mess with tradition!  Besides, when else do we get to eat all the fancy salads we want and don't hear the guys complain?   We invite all the ladies from the surrounding communities, and we get quite a few who come who don't attend our group.  Its such fun.

  Lisa Neufeld was our EMC for the night, and did a great job.  I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of Carrie singing, I was off to the side and a bit behind her, so didn't take pics.  She sang 3 songs and did a beautiful job. Mindy and Heidi shared some readings that were really nice.  Connie Leland gave her testimony and did a great job with that. I would have been crying through the whole thing if I was her.    We also played some games.  The gift exchange and decorations this year were snowman themed.

my table - Joy, Jen, Carol, Joan, Dhana, Mindy and Heidi

OK, lets face it.  This is me, and my life revolves around food.  Most of my posts here have something to do with food or family, or both.  I was in charge of organizing the meal.  Etta makes homemade breadsticks (yum!), about 20 ladies brought a variety of salads, I made punch and coffee, and 4 ladies made beautiful layered cakes for dessert.  Here ya go...

the punch table.  I got a great slush recipe from Elisa that was at Amy's baby shower.

Michelle is at the left, with Debbie and Yvonne serving.

 

the salad buffet tables

The cakes!  2 were chocolate with peppermint fillings, one was hazelnut and one was raspberry.  so good!

We had about 47 ladies attend this year.  Its always such a fun evening of visiting, taking a break from all the busyness of the season, and spending time together, having good food, being reminded of the Real Reason for the Season,  singing some Christmas carols, and great fellowship with fellow sisters in Christ.

It's starting to feel more like Christmas

I've almost finished decorating the tree, we've had a few snow flurries, but nothing that piles up recently.  Last night we attended the Glasgow Evangelical Church's Christmas play, One Bethlehem Night. The setting is the inn and stable where Jesus was born.  The music and acting was very good, telling the story in an interesting and entertaining way.  Baby Jesus did her part well.  She squeaked and waved her hand enough that we knew she was a real baby, and not a doll, but no big crying.  The music all around her was pretty loud, especially the finale, but she did well.  And so the round of Christmas programs and concerts begins.

baby shower

Saturday was Natalie's baby shower.  It was held at their church in Glasgow, and was very nice.  Amy's mom, sister and sister-in-law  were all able to attend, so that was really special for all of them.  Amy's friend, Virgina (who is due in just a few days now) gave a touching devotional praying blessings on Natalie, Tony and Amy.

Amy's sister, Carrie, SIL Sarah writing down the baby gifts.

the centerpiece on the gift table made of rolled diapers, bath wash, shampoos and other necessities

the card I made for the shower

blanket from us, along with a couple sleepers

when we saw the fabric with the pink & purple tractors, we had to get it.

and of course Papa had to get her a Pink Panther toy tractor to go with it!

the flannel blanket made by Great Grandma Gladys

beautiful quilt from Amy's family.

our Thanksgiving

I should have taken more pictures throughout the day yesterday, but I didn't.  Some of the highlights include:

a great gathering of family - 18 of us in all!

We visited with Craig & Lindsay on the phone.  :)  I'm thankful that they have so much family near them to spend holidays with.   We missed them, but are glad they had a good day as well.  Things are going well for them.  They are both busy at work, Craig has moved on from football and volleyball season to basketball and wrestling season.

Jake (our big, old lab) reliving his puppyhood as he chased the remote controlled car around the yard. (I really should have taken the camera out.  He loves doing this!)

 We had two turkeys this year - the traditional herb rubbed turkey done in the oven, and we also smoked one. 

Natalie was introduced to more family members.  Here she and second cousin Xavier meet for the first time.

Natalie slept through much of the day.  Here great grandma, Gladys gets her turn in holding her.

after supper Warren passed out some homemade suckers.  Here are Amy's siblings L to R:

Brian and his wife, Sarah, Carrie and Kevin

watching the movie Up before everyone went home.

holding hands during the movie.  She was sound asleep, but hanging on tight.  aww...

Tony, Amy &  Natalie (10 days old)

Everyone brought delicious food to share for our meals, we all ate too much, but had a great time.  We hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well.  We have so much to be thankful for.

Can you believe its less than a month to Christmas?

a new welcome

Our original front door and side light had seen better days for a while now, and it was time for an update.  We wanted something that would let in a little more light than the old one, and look good doing it.  Warren and Tony were able to get the new door and side light window installed earlier this week, just in time to welcome our Thanksgiving guests yesterday.

before

before inside as the trim came off and the project got going.

during...

 

after views

 

It looks too dark in the picture, but you can see the glass well here.  The color is lighter like the photo above of the outside view.

getting ready for Thanksgiving

I'm taking a few minutes to check emails and message boards, and thought I would write a quick note.  The day will be a busy one.  One turkey went into the fridge with a cherry rub on it last night, and will go on the smoker later this morning.  The other turkey will get an herb rub and go in the oven today as well.  All will be sliced and ready for reheating tonight.  No mess tomorrow!  We'll have 18 for dinner tomorrow.  Warren's parents, Harvey & Gladys, his sister Shirley and her husband, Duane, their son Scott, wife Jennifer and their toddler, Xavier.  Also with us will be Tony, Amy & Natalie, and Amy's family.  Lynn, mom, has been here for almost a week now.  Her dad, John, brother Brian and wife Sarah, sister Carrie, and brother Kevin are all coming tonight.

Craig & Lindsay, we will miss you very much.  I thought of you this morning, and all the excitement of that special call a year ago, announcing your engagement!  We wish you both many happy years together.  We love you.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving there with your Kansas family.  hugs.  Call Home!   :)

To all of you, we wish you a great Thanksgiving as you spend it with friends and family.  May you feel God's blessings in your heart and lives, and give thanks for each one.  We are so blessed to have the family and friends that we do.  You all hold a very special place in our hearts.  Thank you for sharing your lives with us. 

Precious

How do I even begin to describe what a joy it is to see Natalie Grace home with her mommy and daddy?  Today we met Natalie in person - without a hospital window between us.  We were able to cuddle her and tell her how much we love her.  What a thrill to my heart and soul!  A million thoughts fly through my mind, all overridden by love and a mushy heart every time I look at her little face and hold her close.  I didn't want to let her go. We feel blessed by God that he allowed this little girl to become a part of our family.

Amy with Natalie, ready to go home from the hospital.

The new Fast family

Tony with Natalie at home

Papa with Natalie

Nana with Natalie

Natalie Grace

We have a granddaughter!  Natalie Grace Fast arrived at 12:00 noon on Monday, November 16, 2009.  She weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and measured 20.5 inches long.  Tony, Amy and Natalie are all doing well, starting to get caught up on some much needed rest.  Tony & Amy had 2 nights with very little sleep before she was born, but it was so well worth the wait.  

Due to the H1N1 threat, no visitors are allowed in the FMDH maternity ward.  We did get permission to look in the window from outside so we could see her.  Thank goodness for cell phones!  Amy talked to us on her cell phone, and we put mine on speaker phone so we could visit. 

 

 

 visit by technology

Looking through the window to their room at the hospital.

 Tony brought Natalie to the window so we could see her.  It was hard to be able to see her, but not hold her.  But thank goodness we got to see her on her first day.  It was so touching to see our son holding his own daughter.

So here are a few photos.  We will get to see them at their home in Fort Peck tomorrow, will get to hold her and introduce ourselves, and will take tons of pictures.

Here is a link to Tony & Amy's blog.  He posted a couple of pictures this morning.  

http://montanasfastfamily.blogspot.com/

Little Natalie Grace Fast, welcome to our family.  We love you.

calves are sold

Yesterday we sold the last batch of calves.  The plan is to sell the cows this fall, and be out of the cow business, concentrating on farming.  It will sure be a change around here.  We had 70 calves to sell.  We have bought charlois bulls from Eatons for many years, and the past few years, they have bought our calves, as they did this year also. 

The calf crew - Harvey, Dan Reddig, Warren & Tony

I finished up a baby blanket this morning.  Its a simple fleece blanket, tied on the edges,  and so soft.  Yesterday was the due date, so any day now, we are expecting news of our new family member. 

Making Progress

I'm making a little progress on the baby pictures.  I now have the first 6 months of  Tony's life scrapped!  Yea!  Today I have to take in one of the pages I finished a few days ago.  I hope that the machine at Western Drug can get a good quality scan of the picture of Warren reading to Tony that is on the layout I posted last time.  I looked through my negatives binder to pull the negative to get reprints, and its missing, along with a few other strips from different rolls around that time.  I called the drug store and also Williston Walmart thinking I had taken them in to get reprints, then forgotten to pick them up, but nobody has seen them.  Neither have I in all my searching here at home.  grrrr.....  Of course they are favorite pictures.  So I am hoping that  the Picture Maker machine will do the pictures justice and I can finish Tony's layout.  Here is the latest one I finished for our album.

Yesterday Warren and a couple of other guys tore of the old shingles on the wood shop, and replace them with new ones that match Harvey & Gladys' house.  It looks really nice.  That should take care of all the roofs on the yard for a while.