NEW Year NEW LOCATION

http://aurora-marissa.blogspot.com/

this is the new blog address for everything Aurora. Mabes Love and Happiness will remain online for your viewing pleasure - but will no longer be updated.

please 'follow' the new blog, or email me and I can try to add you to the new mailin list for auto updates.

thanks
-M

New Year - New... Everything

This is the last Mabes Love Update of the year 2010.

The blog will become just about Aurora, as a means to keep her distant family (and even the geographically close family) up to date on the day to day happenings.

Updates about John and myself will not be included any more, as John has decided that he no longer wants to be included in this family unit.

~M

Christmas with Aurora

Bear with me on the photos... I am having image storage issues online!!
Images that go along with today's entry - for now - can be found here: on PhotoBucket

Christmas was great! Aurora opened one gift before bed, and then her letter from Santa! We left reindeer food outside before going to bed.

Christmas Morning, Aurora wakes me with "Momma, do you think the reindeer ate their food?" and we went downstairs to see MORE SNOW!!! hooray for a white Christmas!

Aurora was so pleased to see that Santa had left her a musical jewelry box, and some Waskly Wabbit DVDs!

We opened presents before breakfast (John cooked some great eggs and bacon and biscuits!!) and Aurora was so pleased to get trains and legos, and a vet kit, and a magna doodle board!! John got a new restaurant grade cappuccino machine, a super duper high tech wrist-top computer watch, and a 1TB(that is a LOT of storage!) hard drive. I got the DELUXE, leather bound, limited edition, super ornate only one of like 100 copies printed... Tales of Beedle the Bard (from Harry Potter!!!) I also got a beautiful Camio made in Naples of a mother, father and child!! I picked it out because I thought that it was a perfect moment in time and it reminded me of Our MabesLove Family!

It has been a very emotional Christmas around here, with such big changes happening so soon (Deployment and yet another Move) But Christmas was very special for Aurora.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!

Changes Fast Approaching!!

John has gotten orders for Deployment in the New Year, that makes for big changes in every one's lives. We have decided that it will be best for Aurora and me to move back to Alabama during this time. Keep up with us and our adventures here as we get big changes underway!!!

love you all

and don't worry I will put pictures up soon.

-M

Merry Christmas

This has been a very busy season for us, I haven't been able to sit down and add photos or make a meaningful update online, But I did want to wish you all a very merry Christmas from us.

My prayer for this Christmas,:

Dear heavenly Father;
thank you for the Air I breathe and the breaths I take.
Thank you for my family near and far, keep them safe as they travel.
I pray that in each of our hearts a seed of love, hope, and faith has been planted and is being nourished.
I pray for Patience, a virtue which many in the world do not embrace.
I pray for our soldiers both home and away, that they are safe, and that they are well taken care of.
amen.

The Big Event of Our Trip

We originally planned this trip with the main attraction being the Retirement Ceremony for John's dad. All the rest of our activities have been a grand bonus to the plans!

On November 29th, John Mabes Jr. retired from the U.S. Air Force after 39.999999 years of service. Of this his son, John Mabes III remarked,

"I’m awestruck and speechless with the service my father has
rendered to this nation. Today he retired after 40yrs active duty service in the United States Air Force. That’s pretty significant seeing how the AF has only been a separate active military component for right over 60yrs. Most people cannot commit to a job for 5 years, and he serves through 4 decades & takes part in every major Air Campaign since the Vietnam War. I will always hold myself to the example he set and will consider myself fortunate to have half the career he had."

 I think that about says it all, don't you? The rest I will say in photos.....

See You ... and there's a J

I asked how to spell the name of the city where we went to visit the largest flea market ever in existence.(maybe not EVER, but it sure is the biggest I have ever been to.) and Bev said you spell it.... C, U.... and there's a J.

I'll ask Granddad when he comes in.

But we spent the day looking at all the junk and John spent the day buying junk ;) Here are a few photos of what I saw and found interesting....

This was really neat, I saw this plate full of coins from all over... so I snapped this photo.(above) and for good measure I snapped another pic.... and looked at it - to see... a nickle. I had to laugh. because the lady was selling each coin for 0,15Euro (around 25 U.S. cents.)

 It was pretty chilly, even inside the building, so we bundled Aurora up and let her get warm and take her nap.

John bought this airplane for Aurora just before we left, she loves it! (of course!)