Here it is January 3…Christmas is past and the new year is here already!  It has been a busy year for us…lots of ups and downs and lots of blessings to count! Here is a little run down of our festivities!

Our season started off, of course, with decorating the house and the porches.  Then we had our annual craft day with John Thomas and Levi.  They were full of crafty ideas and ready to work!  They both made snow houses and ornaments for their trees and to share.  Below: my mantle, using antique boxes, and accents of white…Levi’s tree of red trucks and cars carrying trees.  We have been collecting these since he was 2 and we manage to find new ones every year.  Several he has painted or built himself…then a tree for our new grand baby, Ella, born in November.  Her tree is filled with cuteness all in pink!  Finally, the boys and I after the crafting was done!

Our first gathering was with our complete family.  Oh, how wonderful for us to all get together again.  With Covid standing in our way, we never had a chance to celebrate together last year.  This was at my house, on the Sunday before Christmas, for lunch!

Below: Suzanne and Adam…Lori, Tonja, Tara…Tonja and Adam…Samantha with Baby Ella…Tara and John Thomas.  Then out to the bridge…Just a short walk…Joy and John Thomas…The boys and I acting silly, Levi, Hudson, John Thomas…My sweet sister, Joy and I.

Below:  Adam, Levi and Suzanne had a private meeting with Santa…I took a little day trip to do a little more shopping with Tina and Shirl…and Sweet Hudson posed for lots of pics with Miss Ella.  John Thomas tried out his new kayak on the River…with Aunt Lori along for the ride!

And, it’s Christmas Eve!  Our immediate family all met at Ian and Samantha’s this year.  And, What a blessing…Alex was able to go with us!  They had prepared a light meal complete with fruit cake and pecan pie!  Yummy!  After filling our tummies, we sat and read those precious verses from Luke together and we thanked God for blessing us all this year and adding a new one to our family.  Then on to presents…such lovely gifts from everyone!  Another sweet night to remember.   Below:  Adam, Alex, and Ian with Miss Ella…Adam and Levi in matching shirts…Alex and Hudson…Miss Ella on Adam’s shoulder…My precious daughters-in-love, Samantha and Suzanne, as sweet as they are beautiful…Hudson and Levi posing and playing on their new games!  And our new family of four!

We left early so parents could do what it is that parents do on Christmas Eve…and little boys could get to bed early!

Below:  Levi is all set to welcome Santa in a big way!

And each in our own houses, we spent Christmas day…playing with new toys, figuring out a new phone, testing out fishing lures…planning ways to spend that Christmas cash, or just reading and napping.  No rushing here or there…just a relaxing day!  I heard some of us stayed in our Christmas pajamas all day!!!

To round out the year, on December 30, Don and I celebrate 49 years of marriage!  Joy and Tommy celebrated 46 years on the 28th!

God has richly blessed our family in so many ways.  We thank Him for seeing us through the difficult times, leading us through uncertainty and giving us joy in our hearts through it all.

Wishing you and yours the very best in 2002.  Friendships are what God gives us to help carry out His goodness to us!  Some of us are friends in real life and see each other often.  Some of us have met once or twice, but live far away,  some of us are friends who live in other countries, and some of us are friends who have never met…only online.  Isn’t that a wonderful thing?  Feeling a kinship with those you only know through the WWW.  It’s the body of Christ…the family of God.  Thank you for your friendship and love!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!