Merry Christmas Chris

Jessie and Rachel went to Panera Bread for a different breakfast - bagel and cream cheese. As you can see from the picture, it got a 2 thumbs up! And, she got pop, too!

Jon and I took Darla to school, had breakfast then went grocery shopping. We had about an hour and a half when we got home before we left for Diane and Randie's house to see all their decorations and have lunch. We played a couple games before we had to leave to pick up Darla.

When we got home Jon suggested I make home made mac and cheese with ham for dinner. Chris came after work and she ate with us then her and I exchanged presents. She left around 8:30 p.m.

Jessie didn't go to sleep last night until around 12:30 a.m. Thus, today was a crabby day for her. She willingly went up stairs at 8:15 to watch "People Book" before I come up and tell her to go to sleep, which will be pretty soon.

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It was my intention to go back and highlight our fall with pictures of our several vacations before I have to make my book for September - December. That's not going to happen. I'm sure no one will care but me in years to come when I look at this book and find several months "unaccounted for".

I've really enjoyed blogging and having these pages put into a hard bound book. I've kept diaries and journals of my every day life since I could write. I take after my mom. I still have all her diaries from when she was even a little girl right up to the time she couldn't see to write. But, what do I do with them? I guess I could read them one day, but I'm sure she wasn't expecting anyone but herself to read what she wrote. If I read them, I might find my mother was someone different than I thought, or I might have done something to hurt her feelings and there certainly isn't anything I can do about it now. I know I don't want anyone reading my numerous diaries and journals I've written. My blog, well that's a different story, since it's gone world-wide, so to speak.

I've always felt that if I didn't put down somewhere what happened in a day, then it was a lost day, because I'd never remember years from now what happened. Reading something written or looking at pictures jogs the memory, especially mine. Poor Jon. When I'm gone he'll have scores of picture albums to deal with and rubbermaids full of my past.

Well, here's to making more memories ...

Merry Christmas Jane and Rachel

Today was our celebration with Jane and Rachel. We met at the new Big Boy Cafe (that used to be Benny's) for breakfast. The original Big Boy's is one of Jessie's favorites. This Cafe is supposedly the only one in the nation. I guess we're guinea pigs. It's only open from 7am - 3pm and has a high end menu that is really good. We all enjoyed our meals.

I couldn't decide which picture to post, so I put them all in. She's such a character lately with picture taking, well, except for the pictures with the Torres' the other day!

Jane came back to the house and we exchanged presents:

Christmas With The Torres'

Today's celebration was with Doreen, Brianna and Shiloh; Jessie, Rachel and me. We had Christmas Day left over appetizers for lunch then exchanged presents and had dessert. Doreen brought a peanut butter pie that was too good.

If you look close enough, you'll see Jessie behind me on the floor in her corner. She refused to take more than 1 picture and it didn't turn out well. Oh, well.

Christmas With "Aunt" Lois

Today we celebrated Christmas with "Aunt" Lois. We opened presents, ate lunch, then we, except Jessie, watched the movie "Christmas Eve", that I had watched before. It was hysterical. If you get a chance, watch it.

However, while we were watching the movie, Jessie got in to her stocking candy and ate quite a bit. No wonder she was a bit off later today.

Below is a picture of Jon's beautiful tree. Unfortunately, as it is every year, lights go out. It's still really beautiful.

Christmas Day

Jon worked so it was just Jessie and me to see what Santa stuffed in our stockings. She was just excited about the stocking as she was with everything she got yesterday. We sat on the couch for a bit after and took selfies and sent them to Jon and Diane and Randie. They were terrible, but oh, so funny!

 Diane and Randie came for dinner after Jon got off work. We had store bought appetizers for dinner. Then we opened our presents:
                                       
For some reason I can't get these pictures to line up next to one another!



















Then it was time to rest. Well, for some of us. Jess sat with Bailey, Darla took a nap and the 4 of us played a game. In all, it was a very nice day.

Happy Birthday, Jesus !!!

Christmas Eve

What a nice day. We slept in, got cleaned up and ate breakfast (my mom's Prize Coffee Cake that I rarely make because I'd eat the entire thing), then opened presents. (Jon has to work tomorrow.) It was great watching Jessie open her "ten presents" and exclaim over each one like it was something she's wanted for years. However, after that was done, she was back on the floor with her Apples to Apples cards and iPad. Oh, well!

The picture on the right is Jessie getting out the presents, reading the tag and telling Jon who gets the present.

Later in the afternoon we had a delicious duck dinner, Jon and I watched "Finding Dory" and then we had pie for dessert. I asked Jessie which one she wanted: pumpkin or peach. Her answer: "apple". Needless to say, she didn't get apple.

Merry Christmas From Darla

I'm A Great Mom

Another baking day ...

Apples To Apples

I've posted many pictures of Jessie in her part of the family room surrounded by her Apples to Apples cards. She spends most of her days there on the floor. The other day I came in to the family room and Jessie was on the couch and Darla was in her spot! I wonder if she's guarding the cards or if Jessie has taught her a few card tricks!

Cookie Making Day

I asked Jon what one thing he'd like to have and one thing he'd like to do during the Christmas Holidays. One was to make my mom's sugar cookies and the other was to go see Christmas lights. Today was cookie making day. It was a good day to do it, as we had another small snow storm last night.

Chris had trouble with her car after work, ended up having to have a new battery installed and by the time she got done it was too slippery to travel so far. She came and spent the night. That was fun, as it always is when she comes over. She left before we began making cookies.

Jon pre-measured the ingredients so that Jessie would just have to dump them in the bowl. I thought that was pretty nice of him. I rolled them out and Jessie cut all the sugar cookies. We still have to frost them, but that's for another day.

We also made gingerbread cookies and decorated them.

I don't think I mentioned that this is the first time in YEARS that I've baked cookies. I know I haven't done them from 2011 to now. Can't remember the last time I made them. I am looking forward to eating them, that's for sure.

Special Christmas Lunch

In our early married years, Bill and I would go out for a special Christmas lunch or dinner. Many times Chris and Larry joined us. When Larry passed away, it was just Bill and me. Now it's just Jon and me. Today we went to Fillipa's for lunch. It was super crowded and the noise level did not lend itself to conversation. However, the lunch was, as always, excellent. We both had chicken baci. Mine was accompanied by a Michigan salad and hot rolls and Jon had the lobster bisque soup and rolls.

Our Darla is such a sweet dog. Very photogenic.Tomorrow she goes to "school" for evaluation and to set up her 2-weeks of daily training. 

One Of The Nicest Days I've Had In A Long Time

Jon and I had already decided last night that we wouldn't go to church because they were predicting a big snow storm to begin around 4:00 a.m. Even though we're only about 2 miles from church, it's still too far in bad weather.

We slept in, the 3 of us ate breakfast together and Jon and I watched "A Bethlehem Christmas", a 4-session DVD series by Max Lucado. It was very good and was a great start to our day.

Jon spent most of the day in his office painting miniature figurines for his winter project. It is always cold in that room so he made himself a DIY heater he saw on FB one day. It really works and warmed up the room. I just hope we don't have to use it because the electricity is off one day.

After watching the DVD I continued to sit in the recliner and took a small nap. Then I made us turkey salad sandwiches for lunch. I finished my kitchen tree. It's a 5 foot pencil tree that has kitchen ornaments on it, as well as my mom's old red handled kitchen utencils. If you click on the picture, you might be able to enlarge the picture and see the ornaments.

I put in a doTerra order, finally responded to an e-mail I received in November, then Jess and I had home made Chex Mix for an afternoon snack. I looked at FB for an hour or so then took another nap!

We had a nice dinner of home made turkey noodle stew and salad. It made a thumbs up from Jessie! She even asked for more of the stew. It was just the drippings from a turkey I did on Friday, turkey meat, noodles and stuffing (Jon said it was like eating miniature dumplings).

I wanted to take a picture of some of my around-the-world nativity sets that I set up this year. There are sets from Africa, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Jerusalem and Haiti. The wreath holds "the Heavenly Hosts" - my angel collection.

It's still snowing outside. Jon and I split the cost of having our property snow plowed this year. Tonight is one of the nights that it has paid off. We have quite a bit of snow and they plowed the front and back driveways, shoveled the front walkway, steps and porch, as well as a path from the back porch to the back driveway. I feel so blessed. A weight was lifted off my shoulders. Snow falls always seem to come when Jon was at work, worked 3 12-hour days together and was physically unable to do it. I love to shovel, but I can't do it anymore either. It was hard finding someone to shovel, or Jon had to shovel hardened snow.

A Bunch of "Have To's"

This past week has been filled with many small things that had to be done, like:

have the oil changed in the van and have tires rotated,

go to the bank to exchange Christmas Jar coins for currency,

blood work for Jon and Jessie,

wait in a long line at the post office to get our mail that didn't fit in the box,

Christmas shopping,

get gas in the vehicles,

watch Darla poop, pick it up, and take it in for worm testing, (she's clear!)

set up a training interview for Darla,

more Christmas shopping,

paperwork,

food shopping and getting extra in case we're stuck for a few days,

(big snow storm supposed to be coming tomorrow night)

complete Christmas decorations in the house,

continue to prepare for our SM Christmas Dinner, 

get my hair colored and cut, and

finished emptying the garage so the van can be cozy at night.

Actually, that's about all I can remember tonight that I've done this past week. Right now I'm ready to go upstairs and rest, but I have bills that need to be paid and in the mail tomorrow before the snow falls. I'm sure we're going to get something, as both Jon and I have had achy joints all day. 

Jon began a new medication for his joint pain about 3 months ago and it has worked very well. Unfortunately, because he has responded so well to it, the doctor believes he has rheumatoid arthritis.
That's really not good, but at least there's an answer to his pain.

Decorating For Christmas

We finally got the family room tree decorated. I had my ornaments on it last year so this year was Jessie's turn to put all her ornaments on. She has a couple rubbermaids full and almost all are on the tree.

As you can see, if you will enlarge the pictures, you'll see ornaments that she made in school, some I made and some that are small toys or stuffed animals that fit well in holes in the tree. The close up one has her baby comb on it, a first year ornament and a baby picture.

Jon decided he'd put his tree up after I twisted his arm. He hasn't put it up in a couple years. He, too, has ornaments he made, I made and baby and child toys that became ornaments.Jessie unwrapped all his ornaments and handed them to him to place on the tree. She did the same with hers.

Celebrating Christmas

Thursday evening, December 1, Chris, Lois and I went to Shepherd's Gate Lutheran church (where I go for Bible Study) for their Ladies Advent event. The entertainment was 3 women who acted out Parables from the Bible. Refreshments in their gym followed the funny, audience participation drama.

Tonight I met Chris at her church (Woodside of Romeo) for their Annual Ladies Tea. It was really nice. The food was good and plentiful and the lady who spoke was excellent.

It was different being in their sanctuary turned into a tea room. Thirty-three years ago I was married in this church, then First Baptist Church of Romeo. The structure has changed a lot since we left there in 1990. Bill attended there since he was in the nursery. Chris has been there since she was in high school.

Happy December 1

On Thanksgiving I put down my regular books and grab the Christmas books that I buy all year when they're a lot less expensive. This year I began about a week before Thanksgiving. I have read 6 Christian Fiction Christmas books and 2 non-fiction Christmas books. They are ...

The Angel Ornament Project by Melody Carlson

A Stranger's Prayer by Davis Bunn

Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

Starry Night by Debbie Macomber

The Christmas Town, by Donna VanLiere

A Christmas Snow, by Jim Stovall

A Bethlehem Christmas by Charles Swindoll

On This Holy Night - The Heart of Christmas by M. Lucado, D. Jeremiah, 

J. Hayford, R. Warren, J. Maxwell and B. Hybels

When it comes to fiction, I practically inhale the stories. For non-fiction, I need to slowly meditate and "chew" on the words. I underline phrases or paragraphs then share them with friends. I REALLY liked A Bethlehem Christmas, by Charles Swindoll. He told the Christmas story through the eyes of Mary, Joseph and the angel Gabriel. Being a Christian for as long as I have (since I was 5), I enjoy learning new things about "the old, old story". It makes it fresh again for me.