12/3/17...Went to church, Peyton came with us to Tony's after church and then came to our house and decorated our small Christmas tree. We picked up Louise and went to the Boar's Head Festival. Took Louise home and Vikki, Rody and Isaac came to our house to get Peyton

Me and my sweetie Peyton

Papa and his sweetie

Peyton

Thought this was so cute so I quick took a picture

So thankful Peyton is putting the ornaments on our little Christmas tree.  Kenzie did it when she was little, then Hailey and now it is Peyton's turn.  

She sure did a great job.  The tree looks beautiful.  

Peyton put the nativity in the window for me too

Louise, Melissa, Peyton, Evan and Bruce waiting for the Boar's Head Festival to start.

We went to church in the morning.  Our row was filled with Bill and I, Stacie, Melissa and her family, Vikki and her family and Pat who is a very nice lady Vikki knows from the dog park.  The message was on Grandma Rehab.  We are learning about the grandmothers of Jesus.  Loved Pastor's message again this week.  After church, we took Peyton with us and went to Tony's to eat.  She had a kids cheeseburger, fries, and hot chocolate with whipped cream.  The cheeseburger was huge.  She ate almost the whole thing, plus all of her fries and some of my hash browns.  We went to Menard's after that to get light bulbs for the shepherds in the outside nativity.  Bill needed extension cords with multi plugs also.  We came home and Peyton did a super job decorating the little tree.  I gave her some Girl Scout thin mints when she was done.  Then she put the nativity stick ons on the sliding glass door.  What a great helper she was.  We went to pick up Louise and then went to the Boar's Head Festival.  Melissa and Bruce were already there and had seats saved for us up front.  It was amazing and everyone did so good, especially my sweet grandkids.  Peyton loved it once the play started.  She got cookies and got to put change in the mugs when the wassailers came down the aisle.  She especially loved seeing her cousins in it.    Louise loved it too.  She was happy she got to meet Ginny afterwards too.  Ginny's mom and Louise's daughter have been best friends since high school.  We took Louise home and enjoyed seeing the Christmas lights along the way.  We went the country way home and saw more lights.  Vikki, Rody and Isaac came over to get Peyton when we got home.  Bill had the nativity set up, but couldn't get them working.  Vikki and I went out and changed bulbs and readjusted plugs and all but one worked.  One more needs a light bulb changed.  We watched a really good Hallmark Christmas movie afterward.

12/2/17...Went out to eat with Melissa, Bruce and Kids, Went to Living Nativity

Dinner at Tony's with Melissa, Hailey, Bruce, Max, Bill, Jack and Evan

Eli, Adam, me, Isaac, Peyton, Rody, Jacob, Kimmy Jared, and Bill

Isaac

Adam

In the church with Jacob, Eli, Kimmy and Jared

Rody, Peyton, Isaac and Vikki

Vikki and her momma who loves her

Oh no, the Roman soldiers came into the church

We have been going for over 13 years and this is the first time I have seen the camel lying down

Adam, Louie and Eli knocking on the Innkeeper's door with Papa looking on.  

The Innkeeper said there is not room in the Inn.  He sent us around the corner to a stable

Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus....so moving

Cookies, coffee, cocoa, and orange drink afterwards.  Bill, Vikki, Peyton, Isaac, Rody, Eli, Adam, Kimmy, Jared and Jacob

Bill and I

Family picture (missing Bruce, Melissa and kids as the kids are in the Boars Head Festival)

 We slept in.  I went to the bank and got some money out.  Charlie picked Bill up and they went out for coffee.  When Bill got home we took off the all the screens of the house, and I washed windows and he blew the leaves off the deck and into the woods.  There were lots of them too.  The windows look great.  I washed with outside window sills too.  We got all the pieces of the outside nativity out, but we need to get a thing to plug them into.  We met Bruce and Melissa at Tony's and had a fulfilled dinner.  We gave them an envelope afterward.  Max and I, and Melissa and I played the dot game and had fun. We went to Vikki and Rody's after that and gave them an envelope.  Went to the Living Nativity.  We got there 20 minutes before it started but it was so full, we had to park by the road instead of in the parking lot.  There was a line out the door.  We got almost to the door when Vikki and family came.  We let them ahead of us.  We saw Amy, Dennis and the kids go by.  We let lots of people go by us while we waited for Kimmy and family to get there.  We just asked a person to go ahead when she told us there were 20 of them.  We saw a bus come in so figured that was a bus load.  Kimmy and family got there right then so we just went in and sat down.  They had Christmas movies playing while we waited.  Wes called and they were outside.  They had to wait outside 45 minutes.  We didn't have to wait too long and we went into the church.  It was fun singing Christmas songs with Adam and his bear Louie.  We didn't get to see the angel on the ceiling this year.  They added move on the walk to Bethlehem.  They all did an excellent job.  Eli was handed the money so it wouldn't get stolen.  He gave it to Adam a little while later.  Adam and Louie kept it safe.  We had to pay it to the Roman soldiers.  This is so moving and I love when we end up at the Stable with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus.  Nice that they have live donkeys and cows there too.  Our shepherd prayed with us afterwards and then we went in for refreshments.  Adam and Eli rode to our house with us and Kimmy, Jared and Jacob stopped at Kohl's to pick up pants for Jacob.  They came to our house afterwards and we gave them an envelope.  We sure love our family and thank God for them.  What blessings they are!

12/1/17 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET GRANDSON, MAX, Faith Rider's Christmas Party

Jack(holding the guinea pig), me, Max(holding Abby) and Evan

Me and my sweet birthday boy who turned 12 today!

Joel

Bill did a wonderful job reading the Christmas Story and drawing tickets and passing out gifts.  Poor Bill Smith got his ticket drawn last and he won an empty plastic bag.  Bill always makes us laugh. 

Luis giving the message

Read my Bible, got ready, baked two cakes and then waited to call Max.  He didn't have school today so I wanted to give him time to sleep in.  I called him and I sang Happy Birthday to him.   He was so cute on the phone.  He was excited that papa was going to pick him up and take him to Tim Hortons.  I went to Michaels and JoAnn's to use two 60% off coupons I had for Hailey's birthday gift.  Bill and Max were at Toy'sRus. Bill called me.  I tried to call him back when I was done shopping, but he had already took Max home.  He asked me to meet him at Charlies Philly's for lunch so I did. We had a nice visit over lunch.   I went to Jack's after that to get burger for meatballs.  Bill went to get pop and pick up some groceries I  needed.  I came home and put the pudding on the cake and made lots of meatballs for our potluck tonight.  Vikki stopped over and brought me some scrubbies she got for me from a lady she works with.  She actually came for the table for her bazaar tomorrow, which she almost forgot.  I baked the meatballs and got them in the crockpot.  Right before we were supposed to go decorate the church for the Christmas party, Bill updated something on his phone.  His phone locked and he couldn't remember his password.  It was in his phone that was locked.  He called Verizon and was on the phone with someone who helped him, but he needed his google password and couldn't remember that either.  She had me change it and then it kept messing up.  My phone was ringing, but Bill had to continue being on it so I couldn't answer it.  I told him, I had to leave to decorate for the party.  I was there for about 45 minutes and he came.  His phone was unlocked, but he lost everything.  We had great food, and a great party.  Gayla plugged her Crockpot with squash in it on the island  Lupe didn't know it was plugged in and went to move it to the other counter.  The squash went everywhere.  Everybody pitched in to help clean it up.The floor was covered.  Everyone pitched in to help.  Bill read the Christmas Story from the Bible.  Elaine and Renee led us in singing Christmas Carols.  Luis gave a message for us.  Sue a nice party.  We cleaned everything up and then came home.

Happy 12th Birthday Max!  I love you and I am so thankful for you.  I love how you read your Bible and learn about God.  You have brought papa and I so much joy.  Have a really fun day!

11/30/17...Baked brownies for tonight, Did a half bushel of apples for freezer and made applesauce. Had Faith Riders officer's meeting at our house

My apple peeler/corer/slicer broke so its back to the old way!  Glad to have the apples done!  Yay!

Got up and spent my time with the Lord.  Baked brownies with pecans for our meeting tonight.  Did my half bushel of apples.  Bummer that I had to do it the old way.  I will be getting another peeler/corer/slicer before next year.  I saw them at Aldi's so maybe they will go on sale.  I got four big bags of apples in the freezer and 6 containers of applesauce.  I got the Newsletter for Faith Rider's done.  We had a good officer's meeting.  Bill did a great job leading it.  I love these officers and their faithfulness to the Lord.  We are blessed!

11/28/17....Picked Kenzie up at Omi's and took her cat in to be spayed

Me, Kenzie, Sandy
Phyllis, Louise 

Bill told us to stick our tongues out, but only Kenzie did...She obeys her papa

Me, Sandy
Phyllis, Louise (Louise just turned 93) last week.  We celebrated today!

Me and Sandy

Silly Papa and Kenzie....she took lots of silly pictures with all of us

Me and Kenzie

Kenzie, Mocha and me

Me and My Kenzie

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Mocha in her new bed.  She loves it!

Journal Kenzie got me.  Love it!

1/28/17…Picked Kenzie up at Omi’s at 7:30.  We took her cat to the vet in Hemlock to get spayed.  Omg and Poppi are doing this for Kenzie’s Christmas and Birthday present.  Catniss kept going between my lap and Kenzie’s on our way to the vet.  Kenzie was sad to drop her cat off.  We went to Sullivan’s for our breakfast.  Kenzie was so much fun and was taking lots of nice pictures and some goofy ones.  She had us all laughing.  Wes and Gayla went to Canada to see friends so they weren’t there.  After breakfast, we went shopping at 5 Below, I went to Bath and Body Works, and then we went to Barnes and Nobles.  I got a new bed for Mocha from 5 Below for $5.  It is so soft and really pretty.  

Kenzie got a few things for Peyton for Christmas.  I got Kenzie a journal she picked out at Barnes and Nobles for Christmas and then we went to a store in the mall and I got her 3 beautiful rocks she wanted for the rest of her Christmas gift.  Saw Hosanna working at the book store and talked to her for a while.  While we were riding, Kenzie said she wanted to play her favorite song for me on bluetooth.  It was "Even when it hurts so bad, I'll praise you.  A beautiful song by the girl in Hillsong who sings "Oceans".  Loved the song about praising Jesus no matter what.   We came back to my house and hung out.  I was going to make brownies for small group and she said she wanted to make them which made me very happy.  We had so much fun spending the day together.  I made goulash, but we were too full from breakfast to eat lunch, so I sent some home with Kenzie.  

We went to pick up Catniss at 2.  She did fine and was pretty relaxed still.  We started heading to take Kenzie home and Vikki called and found the shepherds, sheep, and kings to my outside nativity for a good deal at Bethesda. She waited there and Kenzie and I headed there to get them.  Such a good find.  Thank you Vikki.  I was just looking for more pieces in the store and didn’t find any.  They are way more expensive in the store.  Vikki always has a knack for finding what we all need at thrift stores for great prices.  There was a guy working that said if I paid cash, he would let me use his discount.  Bummer!  I didn’t have any cash on me.  Vikki took the pieces to our house and tried them with Bill.  The lights worked in all but a couple.  Have to get new bulbs.  I took Kenzie home and helped her get everything in.  She gave me a beautifully wrapped package to open.  She made the beautiful bow and a sweet little card and gave me a Prayer and Praise journal.  So very sweet of her.  We sure had a fun day.  

Small group went great.  We did lots of sharing and laughing. 

11/27/17...Walked at SportsZone, Bill and I put up the outside lights

Walked 3 miles at the SportsZone.  Came home and read my Bible.  I went to Kroger and got some gift cards as they are 4x fuel points right now.  Bill met me there and we both got gas.  We got 90 cents off a gallon and filled my car, his truck and a gas can for $48.  Great deal!  I went to get a few things from the store and then when I got home we put out the Christmas lights.  Some strings of lights didn't work, so will need to get more.