Christmas Day Jeff, Mom and I spent a little time together -- we went to eat at Mulan's Chinese Buffet for lunch and then she opened her gifts from us. Thankful to celebrate another Christmas with Mom!💗
Jeff was up sick all Christmas night and wasn't able to go to church on Sunday morning. We suspect it was food poisoning 😞. Josh and family were supposed to come Sunday afternoon and spend the night but instead went on to Little Rock and spent the night with Rachel and family (just in case Jeff was contagious). Monday (Dec. 27th), Jeff was feeling back to normal, so we joined everyone in Little Rock. Andy and family arrived a couple of hours after we did. It was wonderful -- after a full year -- to have ALL 18 of our family together again!!
I had fixed an Italian meal for us that evening. So very thankful that Rachel and Jonathan hosted all the family in their home again this year. Since we don't even have a dining room table in our Conway home, it's such a blessing to go there where they have 3 dining room tables!!
We did gift opening after dinner
Pictures of the kids opening their stockings (which was actually the next night)
Miscellaneous pictures from our 2 days together:
It's wonderful that Shep and Copeland have now become best buddies!
Ahhhhh
On our second day together, I so appreciate Jonathan setting up his tripod and taking family pictures for me. It's such a gift!! Everyone knows pictures are my love language!💗💗
My family - how I love them!!💖💖
(there are a couple of different shots of most of the pictures and it was hard for me to decide on which was my favorite)
The grandchildren -- oldest to youngest:
Avi 17 years old
Laine 11 years old
Ellie 9 years old
Copeland 8 years old
Eisley 7 years old
Shepherd 6 years old
Gideon 4 years old
Saylor 3 years old
Mack 3 years old
And the "baby" Kipling 3 years old
The girls in the family💓
And the guys 💙
Mom and Daughter💕
The kids got me good!! The adults in our family do a "white elephant" exchange during our time together. Jeff and I took "official" gifts for this time.....what was very strange was when all the others gifts were being opened, I kept thinking, "man that looks familiar" and it finally dawned on me (took a while)--those were all things from my house!! Josh and Michelle waited til after we headed to LR and then gathered up things of mine (and Jeff's), then wrapped them all up at Rachel's and that was all the kids' white elephant gifts. It was really funny once I figured it out. but I was a little slow!
Josh's family did stay with us several nights during their time in AR (and Andy's crew stayed at Rachel's since they also spent time with Carman's family that live nearby).
Some misc. pictures of Saylor at our house. It was good to have them with us on my birthday (68th😉) Josh treated me to a birthday lunch at Marketplace as well!💝
New Year's Eve, Kaye invited Jeff and I and Keith and Wilda over for food and games. A fun evening (and a warm one--we were able to play on the screened-in patio til 10:30 that night!)
And now a New Year is upon us. 2022!! Each year brings joys and heartaches, victories and trials, happiness and sadness! So thankful that I have the assurance God will be with us each step of the way and I can trust Him!
