~Our Christmas...part 2~

With less than 24 hours until we head to the airport...we still have several loose ends to wrap up, but Jesus is helping us.   Please keep praying!
Also, little Elijah is struggling to breath today. =(  
Prayers appreciated!!
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We were SO DELIGHTED that it worked out for my whole family to get together!!! That would be 28 of us...Well...there WERE 28 of us...but...we found out that there were actually 29.  'Cause while everyone was here we found out about our precious baby Jesus is sending us!  =)
~We all met at our Christian Nation Church on Sunday evening, Dec. 29th., and went to church that evening.  Then everyone came to our house for a snack.  Jesus helped Laura and I put together "quite a spread" and I don't think anyone went away hungry.  =) ~

~There were people everywhere you looked.  =) ~

~The Ladies sitting in the kitchen.
I knew I was so Tired...that night (and lots of days before that), but didn't know WHY.  =)  I didn't know that I was helping a tiny little baby to grow.  =) ~

~We kept the girls at our house (all except Natalie...not sure WHY she chose to stay with her husband Keith instead of with all the girls.  ;-) And Laura kept the boys and Gramp and Gram at her house.~

~On Monday afternoon we had Christmas at Daryl and Laura's house.  Isn't their tree and mantel and stockings Brittany made so beautiful?!
Gramp and Gram did a neat thing!  Since they have had to down-size to a smaller house...They gave us Christmas from their Nice treasures that they didn't have room to keep or neat things from Grandma (who just spent her 2nd Christmas in Heaven.)~

~Here Heidi is showing Gramp, Gram, U. Phillip, and Kimberly something on the computer.~

~Keith and Gramp visiting together.~

~Mary, Heidi, Darla, and Grant.~

~Aunt Lyn and Mary and U. Lincoln~

~Visiting around Laura's table.  Laura was such a DEAR and served breakfast each morning from her house.  It was SUCH a blessing since Monday morning I started getting morning sickness with baby. =)  THANK YOU, LAURA!!~

~Gramp and Keith...his oldest grandson.~

~Then we all went to Skyline.  The Poor Skyline...that we invaded...but they did a great job keeping up with our orders and everything.~

~Natalie and Keith and Elijah.  Keith had stuffed his mouth full...so of course Elijah HAD to try it.  =)  Elijah and Mary got quite spoiled and L.O.V.E.D. while everyone was here.  =) ~

~My oldest brother Andrew (9 years older than me), his wife Vonnie, Grant, Mary, my youngest brother Lincoln (6 years older than me) holding Elijah.~

~Having family devotions together before we opened Christmas.  L to R: Heidi, Sarah, Drew, Brittany, Kimberly, Katie, Kelsea, Daryl and Darla.~

~Brittany, Kimberly, Kelsea, and Katie.~

~Taylor, Heidi, Sarah, Darla and Drew standing behind.~

~Some of the boys sitting on the floor...Tyler, Bryan, Grant, and Noah.

~Kimberly opening up her gift from Gram.~

~On Tuesday Phillip built a fire in the fire pit and we all went to our back yard to watch the kids swing on the rope swing Phillip had hung.
Our boys LOVE our woods behind our house.  They feel like Winnie the Pooh...like our woods are the "hundred acre woods!"  =)  We love our woods...'cause it makes us sort of feel like we are in the "country" in the heart of the city. =D~

~That fire was so fun...and helped keep us from FREEZING! =) ~

~The boys roasted some marshmallows.  Here U. Lincoln and A. Lyn are watching Elijah look at his marshmallow...that he got B.L.A.C.K.!!! ~

~Trying to eat it.  Nasty!~

~Like I said...we are now 29...but here's the original 6!
Our Precious Daddy and Moma, Andrew, Lincoln, Laura, and Heather.  (I'm the baby....I'm sure you could NEVER tell by the way I act.  =) ~

~Cousins all piled up to go to CiCi's pizza.  It was so FUN for the cousins to all be together again.  The last time we were together was Dec. 2010.  Mary was 3 months old.~

~In CiCi's pizza.~

~Then we parted ways from here, for Vonnie and Heidi had to fly back to AK, Lincoln and family left for VA, and Gramp and Gram headed back home to Indiana.  =(
Here's Gram with her 3 Grand-ones which Gramp calls  "the triple O's" for they were all born in 2000. =) ~

~Emily took our family picture Sunday evening after church.~

PLEASE PRAY FOR US AS WE FLY TO ARGENTINA TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29th)!!!  
We fly all night long and arrive on Thursday morning, Jan. 30th, in Buenos Aires.  
Our Dear friends U. Charlie and A. Jolie are picking us up.  =)  What a blessing!!!
Remember we may not have a way to update my blog for a few days.