~Christmas with the Dickinsons, and in TN with GG~

I'm feeling very icky and have no energy...but I made myself update my blog. =) Thank you to each of you that left a nice comment on my blog.  I was delighted to hear from all of you.  Baby and I can't do much right now, but I do check OFTEN for a new comment. =)
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And Yesterday ...God sent an "Angel" by the name of Nathan to help the girls and I take down our Christmas.  THANK THE LORD and Nathan.  Before yesterday I kept laying on the couch wondering HOW I would get our Christmas taken down, and now it's mostly all done now.  =)
Here's some pics of when Dad and Mom D. and Michael and Beth and their family were here with us.
~Here's my Moma meeting M and Beth's little Joshua.~

~Here's Sophia helping me cook.~

~Grandma and Jeremiah having a tea party.~

~Working in the kitchen together.~

~One of the days Michael and Beth made biscuits and gravy, eggs and sausages for breakfast, and then made a soup for lunch/dinner.  It was a HUGE blessing to me, and so yummy.~

~Grandpa was a big blessing with little Joshua.  Here they BOTH fell asleep.  =) ~

~Adorable little Joshua.~

~All the kids had such a fun time sledding together.  We were so HAPPY that Jesus sent us snow.  Dad LOVED the snow...since they are from AZ and don't see much snow.~

~Phillip and I the Sunday before Christmas.~

~We went to TN for Christmas.
The kids and I made lots of treats and took them to TN to my GG's house for everyone to munch on.~

~Noah took his BB gun and Elijah took his machete to TN to go "hunting" in the woods behind GG's house.  Elijah said that GG could use Noah's machete and go hunting with them.  The mental image of GG "stalking through the woods with her walker" made all of us smile!~

~Kimberly doing dear GG's hair.~

~These pics are a little out of order, but here are the kids helping me make the treats that we took to TN.~

~This is one of the new recipes I found and made this year.  Here's the recipe. ~

~Sarah the Sunday before Christmas.~

~Kimberly did her hair.  I thought it was so pretty.~

~Noah and Mary.  (Elijah wasn't feeling the best so he and I stayed home that morning.) ~

~After having my devotions, I wrapped some gifts for my family.~

~And here's all 4 children after they came home from church...with little Elijah, not so dressed up.~

 ~A gift I wrapped for my Moma.~

~Little Mary in her fun little dress we got for Christmas day.~

~The stockings are ready to be passed out.~

~Mary LOVED GG.~

~Gramp and Mary.~

~Gram and little Mary.~

~Our 3 "youngest" (we didn't know about our newest little baby yet =) with their stockings.~

~GG with her brother Uncle Walter.  It was so precious to see them together.~

~GG with her neighbor Ms. Osie.~

~We gave GG a warm wintery nightgown.~

~We enjoyed a yummy meal together.~

~Then we all rode up to Townsend, TN, to a cabin that Uncle Carson and Aunt Linda and all their family were renting.  It was so FUN all being together for a few hours.~

~Original there were 10 of cousins...only 5 of us could be there that night.
Back row L to R: Melinda (recently adopted into our family =),  and Christa.
Front Row L to R: Martha, Susan, Heather, and Cheryl.~

~A goofy pic. =) ~

~Grandmother (GG) and her children.
My Moma (standing), Aunt Carole, and Uncle Carson.  Pop Pop went to Heaven back in 1997. =( ~

~There was lots of visiting going on that night.~

~Playing games.~

~Playing music.~

~And more music.  Jeff joined Kimberly and played the guitar and David played his sax.  I played the piano in the corner.  We had a lot of fun singing and playing together.~

~Phillip told me to hurry and say goodbye...but it was SO HARD to tell all my family goodbye.  So, we stood at the door for quite awhile for everyone kept thinking of yet something else that NEEDED to be said. =) ~

~Saying Goodbye to GG.  We were so GLAD we got to spend Christmas with GG, Daddy and Moma, and Uncle Dan and Aunt Carole.~

~We came back to Cinci on the day after Christmas and got home around 6:30 or so that evening.  We quickly finished wrapping our gifts and opened them that night.  We had a very nice Christmas.~

~Opening gifts.~

~Mary loves her doll.~

~Elijah is happy with his Legos.~

~We got Mary a toy kitchen from Goodwill.  She loves it when someone will come cook with her.  Her brother Elijah loves to cook there too. =) ~

~One of my gifts from Phillip. (I decorated the box for him with burlap, fresh greenery and a pinecone. =)~

~Here's what was inside.  A beautiful off-white coat that was part of a super sale.
He had purchased me a gorgeous off-white coat our 2nd year of dating and I LOVED it.  So, I was thrilled to get another one. =)~

~Elijah took this picture of Aunt Laura and I on Sunday, Dec. 29th.~

 ~Our table for that Sunday afternoon meal.~