Schwalm Christmas 2023
Category Archives: Family
A Christmas surprise!
Since we missed going to Grayling for Christmas since Katie had Covid, we surprised them in Lansing for the Schwalm Christmas! We decided at about 10am that we could make it…and walked in to Beth and Jim’s as they were finishing dinner! SURPRISE!
Thanksgiving 2023 is over…
Thanksgiving Day 2023
Friends of ours—Scott and Wendy—also joined us this year as she was visiting from Seattle and they didn’t have other plans! She loves Thanksgiving and cooking so she brought most of the sides to go with Tom’s smoked turkey and smoked ham!
Thanksgiving tip? Gravy in an insulated pitcher! Pourable plus it stays warm!
The evening was spent watching football, playing cards, puzzling, and visiting!
Pre-Thanksgiving 2023
Everyone was coming for Thanksgiving again this year! So Day 1 dinner prep—smoked ribs—started early!
Deer camp day 2: success!
Owen got his first deer! In one perfect shot! Needless to say Tom was a proud papa.
Owen got to drive the 4-wheeler (and deer) back to camp!
And while he didn’t take a bite of the raw heart (apparently a first-deer tradition?!) they did eat it cooked with onions with dinner!
First day of deer camp at Ozzy’s Acres
My cousins Kevin and Greg invited Tom and Owen to go deer hunting. Tom hadn’t been hunting since we met (!) and he was very eager to go and take Owen for his first time. Ammunition for his old gun was exorbitantly expensive so he “had” to buy a new gun and everything!
Friday Fave: my stepsisters
I was busy when my Friday reminder went off and I thought I snoozed it but here we are.
I grew up an only child so was thrilled when I gained three new stepsiblings when my mom remarried! We don’t get to see each other that often, so when we do, I love it!
Last week, these two were able to join us in Maine so we enjoyed some time on the beach at our cottage just catching up!
Marshall Point & Owl’s Head Lighthouses
Today’s adventure in Maine…So happy it was sunny today! We started at Marshall Point Lighthouse in Point Clyde, ME. This is where the Forrest Gump scene of Tom Hanks running was filmed.
Read the book? Check!
Visited the lighthouse? Check!
Another day around the house
It started out rainy and overcast but eventually the sun came out. We went out for lobster rolls for dinner.
It rained all damn day
I sat across the couch from Owen and read a book.
Everyone else played many hands of Buck Euchre (Katie learned it and loved it), Tonk, Kings Corners and others I’m surely forgetting. Katie was a card-playin fiend.
Lesson learned and Pemaquid Point
Last night we had asked Owen to take out the lobster waste and set the bucket inside the garbage bins (because it was too dark to go too the beach and dump in the water—but it couldn’t stay in the house or be left out where animals could get it.
Never underestimate the non-listening power of a teen brain. This is what we found in the morning. He somehow missed that we said to put the lobster shells IN the garbage bin and just left it on the porch. So then he got the glorious job of cleaning it all up! We all had a good laugh.
Then it was off on another adventure—to my mom’s favorite spot: Pemaquid Point!
You’ve seen the lobster dinner, now see our dessert! Everyone loves strawberry shortcake!
Lobster, lobster, lobster!
When in Rome…
When vacationing in Maine, fresh lobsters straight from the dock are mandatory. You’re looking at nine lobsters coming in at 18-ish pounds!
Our beach, Mount Battie & food!
There were LOTS of rocks between us and the beach.
Heading back up to the house to get ready for the day’s adventure!
On top of Mount Battie.
Then it was off to the surprise for the kids—Uncle Willy’s Candy Shoppe. They each got $10 to spend there ($5 from Grauntie Rose and $5 from me) and Katie spent all of it plus some of her own while Owen didn’t spend a penny and saved it instead.
This was one of the things she got—fruit flavored if you were wondering.
And this was what I got—it was interesting.
Then we went to mom’s favorite place for dinner—The Happy Clam. And of course I had to try their infamous Blueberry margarita!
Katie was enthralled with the old school playground so she spent most of her time out there! After dinner we took pictures!
Then Owen got involved!
Maine, I am in you.
My mom said this was probably going to be their last trip to Maine—so I took both kids out of school for a week and off we went!
And with my mom, the reason for the vacation!
Two-pound lobsters for dinner? Yes, please! Katie hated it (color me not surprised) and Owen liked it. Tomorrow we’ll have lobster rolls.
Katie wasn’t thrilled with any of it.
Owen tried everything—from cracking to eating.
After dinner they surprised me with a birthday cake—complete with 50 candles!
Friday Fave: Then & Now recreations
Admission: I loooooove then and now photo recreations!
I do them with my kids…and my entire family! I think this is the one I did with the biggest year spread—22 years!
Seriously, Lansing?
We decided to stay the night in Lansing on the way home so we wouldn’t have to drive the full 6 hours at night…plus we’d get a chance to stop and visit with Beth and Jim and shop at our favorite Horrocks in the morning.
And then we noticed this when we were heading to dinner. Ughhhh. It wasn’t like that when we left Reese… So in the half hour we were in the hotel room, this happened in the hotel parking lot.
AND THEN! I realized that someone stole my unicorn magnet, too! Like, seriously?!
The Len Christmas in July is over!
It’s now just a gathering with food (lots of food!) and catching up…and euchre!
Plus we get the chance to get the kids together for comparison pics!! (They were all really good sports about it, too!)
Friday Fave: Pysanky with mom
My mom is here visiting…so that means it’s time to do Pysanky! I haven’t done it much since we went to the workshop last October. Because it’s so time intensive, it’s eggs or reading. And y’all know what I’ve been choosing! But I’m taking advantage of her vast experience and making memories…
Our first hosted Thanksgiving dinner!
I was so busy with a houseful of guests and dinner prep that I barely had time to look at my phone (so most of these are from everyone else)! But it was so worth it to have everyone together — from Georgia (Filipek), Michigan (Schwalm & Coe), and Illinois (Schwalm & Hudson). And our best friends joined us, too…and fit right in!
Then we did some reenactment shots!
I can’t believe it was 22 years between these photos. But we all still look the same, right?! Also: no kids in 2000, six kids in 2022!
Let the family festivities begin!
We excitedly volunteered to host the Schwalm side family thanksgiving this year—Filipeks usually host in Atlanta but they’ve recently downsized and didn’t have room. We had plenty of room for everyone (most even stayed with us—kicking the kids out of their rooms of course)!
Everyone had varied arrival times, but by Wednesday afternoon everyone was here! It makes my heart so happy to see my kids having fun with their cousins.
Dinner for 21 is served! Charcuterie that takes up our entire kitchen island!
POTR, Day 4
I bought $20 worth of raffle tickets and put them in a variety of things. Imagine my surprise when I got out of class to discover I won this ostrich egg!!
In case you thought I was kidding about wanting to do Pysanky now… I present my purchase — 10 dozen blank eggs! Already fully blown out and cleaned!! They were cheaper than actual eggs (she wanted to get rid of them so put them on sale!) so definitely worth the cost!! I’m actually debating getting more because they don’t go bad!!
(Yes I know there’s not a full 10 dozen here. Some are still being worked on!)
SURPRISE! A visit with some family who only lived about 20 minutes away from where we were staying!
A beautiful wedding day!
An outdoor wedding in Michigan on October 1? It was a daring move but it was the most amazingly gorgeous day to watch my cousin’s daughter (I googled and that makes her a first cousin once removed or I can call her a niece) Jessica marry…a marine!!
And then playing and relaxing…
It was hard, but we did it.
It was a loooong and emotional day to be sure…but it was good. It was healthy. We grieved. We celebrated. We were extremely proud of Owen as he read one of my dad’s poems at the service. We visited with family. We heard some good stories. We got hugs. We ate cookies (y’all know my dad was a cookie fiend!). And we laughed.
And then my stepmom and I had a Thimbleberry margarita after everyone left.
And then the kids went kayaking and I took photos and just enjoyed the perfect weather sitting on the dock with my feet in the water.
It was hard, but we did it.
And we’re off to the UP!
It’s time to pick up the kids from grandparent camp!
First, my traveling face. LOL
We had to drop Olive off at the sitter’s (we’ll take her next year once she’s more potty trained). She loves car rides!
Stopping for lunch at a gas station! They opened the side of the RV and we had a quick non-fast-food lunch!
The last 15 miles looks like this.
We’ve arrived!
And Lin had bought Thimbleberry margaritas so that happened first thing!
My first Father’s Day without my dad.
My first Father’s Day without my dad around is a little more emotional than I thought it would be. Lin sent me these pics this morning.
I still can’t believe he’s gone. I still feel guilty I wasn’t there at the end. I still can’t believe he’s not going to be there for grandparent camp. Or see his grandkids graduate high school or get married.
Hug your friends and family. You never know when might be the last time you see them.
Gabby is now an Eagle!
We all traveled to Normal for our neice Gabby’s Eagle Scout promotion! But first, dropping Olive at the sitter’s!
And then lunch, because we were at a Mexican restaurant!
The call you never want.
It is with great sadness that I tell you my dad passed away (somewhat unexpectedly) earlier this morning. He and Lin were in Florida for the winter so plans will likely be to have a celebration of life this summer in the U.P.
One last super cute photo.
It’s like she knew I wanted one last super cute photo of her in her bed.
I posted it on Facebook and my aunt made me cry again with her comment.
