12/24/17....The girls and their families came at 9 a.m. We had a very blessed time celebrating the birth of Jesus!

Papa reading the Christmas Story out of his Bible.  Jacob, Evan, Max an Evan in the picture

Evan, Jack, Rody and Isaac

Isaac and Evan

Max, Evan, Jacob, Eli and Peyton

Peyton, Hailey, Jacob, Isaac, Evan and Eli

Hailey and Isaac.  Isaac got Hailey a notebook for Christmas and Vikki and he had taped an I tunes card in the middle of it.  She loved that!

Eli and Peyton

Adam

Evan, Eli, Jack and Max watching Jacob open

Eli

Isaac and Jack.  Rody, Bruce and Kenzie in the background

Max, Evan loving his gift and Jacob

Max and Jacob

Kenzie and Jacob

Eli and Peyton

Adam and Kenzie

Max, Evan, Jacob , Eli, Peyton and Isaac

Peyton opening her gift with everyone watching

Max, Evan and Jack opening their lego motors

Peyton

Evan was so excited when he opened this baseplate for legos.  So wonderful that something so little could make him so happy.  All of our grandkids are so thankful and happy for whatever they get.

Jacob, Eli and Adam opening their nerf flashlights

Eli, Jacob, Adam, Evan

Isaac and Peyton

Peyton

Max

Hailey

Rody took this picture!  Love it!

Bill got me some boots!  Well they looked super big....it ended up that he told me they were his.  He did have a fit bit watch in the box for me though.  We got a good laugh!

Beautiful hat and mittens that Kimmy knitted for me out of Blanch's wool

Opening Isaac and Peyton's gift they got me

Melissa and I opened our gift that Hailey made for us at

We loved them!  She did a great job making them.  Treasures!

Isaac watching me open his gift

Me opening my beautiful mug Kimmy made for me.  I love it and I needed a big mug for my Ninja Coffee Bar

Me with my Angel from Bruce and Melissa.  I was so surprised! They looked all over and then went to Bronner's and found it.  They company isn't going to make them anymore.  I love my Nativity! 

Kenzie and Me

Jared and Kimmy

Bill sitting in his canvas camping chair Vikki and Rody got him

Peyton, Eli and Adam

Eli, Adam, Peyton and Jacob

Kenzie opening her beautiful mug from Kimmy and  Jared

Letter from Vikki explaining the picture below that she made for her dad.  It was so touching when she gave it to him.  

Bill wit h the beautiful painting she made for Bill.

Bill opening a huge gift from Kimmy, Jared and boys!   I wonder what it could be????

We sure got a good laugh.  It was the lamps no one wanted and Bill put them in Jared's van without him knowing.  Bill got them back for Christmas.  Such a good one on Bill!

Me opening my beautiful picture calendar that Vikki always makes for me.  I love my calendars...she has been doing this for me since 2010.

Mocha decided she needed on my lap.  Peyton is watching papa open his gift

I stuck a picture plaque of Bill and I that was taken the day we were engaged.  I put it in the box so  it would throw him off and he wouldn't guess that it was only gift cards in the box.  He was so funny because he said he never saw it before.  It had been on my dresser for many years and I had moved it a couple of years ago upstairs on that dresser.

Kenzie opening her journal, pens and tea lights from us

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Hailey and some friends at school did worship specials for the family service at church.  Hailey sang with the girls in red

Kenzie so cute with all of her stuff from Aunt Kimmy, Uncle Jared and the boys

What a wonderful day celebrating the birth of Jesus with our wonderful family he has blessed us with.  Bummer that Kimmy, Jared, Adam and Eli had colds, but we still had a great day.  Wish they would have felt better though.  Everyone came at 9 a.m.  Kimmy brought pies, and Vikki had made the mashed potatoes and orange jello salad.  I put the potatoes in the roaster oven with the cheesy potatoes I made to keep warm.  After that, w listened as Bill read the Christmas Story.  That's one of our favorite Christmas Traditions!  The kids always listen so good and are happy to hear it.  Then we prayed and the guys all passed out the gifts.  The kids all did their exchange first and it was cute to see what they picked out for each other and how excited they were to get each other's gifts. They always draw names. After that we started with the youngest and worked up to the oldest with one person opening at a time (unless the kids were getting the same thing, then they opened those together)  We all loved what we got and we had some great laughs too!.  The biggest laugh was when Bill opened the lamps from Kimmy, Jared and the boys.  One was cracked and no one wanted them when Bill took them from our friend Christine.  Bill sneakily put them in Jared's van and Jared discovered them when he got home.  Well they wrapped them and Bill was excitedly opening the big gift, when he realized it was the infamous lamps.  Bill tried to put them back in Jared's van at night, but Jared found them and he put them in front of our outside nativity.  Bill and I both got a good laugh when he found them.  Should have taken a picture.  Chuck, Sue, Roy and Marie came  to eat dinner with us.  They don't have children so we wanted to include them because they are like our family.  We ate a yummy meal, and then rested for a while and had our dessert.  We practiced with our google thing Vikki, Rody and the kids got us.  You ask it questions, and it answers or tell it to sing happy Birthday and it does.  I can play my worship songs through it too.  It can be set up to tell it to turn your tv on or lights on etc.  You can even get a thermostat that is compatible so you can turn your heat up or down from your phone wherever you are.  So neat!  We had a very relaxed enjoyable day.  THANK YOU JESUS FOR COMING TO EARTH TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS AND GIVING US ETERNAL LIFE!!

12/23/17...Made rolls, made pies, went to Jacks, Met Vikki, Peyton and Isaac there and the went to Tim Hortons. Got everything read that I could before tomorrow's Christmas celebration. Bill took me to Tony's

Melissa sent me these pictures of the boys reading the book about Jesus that recorded me reading it.  She said they love it!  I love that they love it and love me!  I am one blessed Nana!

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All set for our CHRISTmas celebration tomorrow.  Remembering the best gift of all is JESUS!

I got up and made dough for rolls.  Made pudding for the banana cream pie and chocolate pie.

Bill went to the Marine Corp. Breakfast at I'Hop.  He invited me, but I didn't think I would have time to go.  Then I changed my mind and told him I could.  Well this morning, I got busy and forgot about it until it was time for him to leave.  Good thing because there weren't any other wive's there.  

I went to Jack's and got some dip and shebet.  I called Vikki and she and the twins met me there.  I talked her in to going to Tim Horton's with me.  The kids were cute and we had good treat, cappuccinos/juice bagels and donuts.  Lots of fun.  Came home and got some stuff done for the party tomorrow.  At four Bill and I went to Tony's.  We wanted to beat the rush and we sure did.  There were only a couple of people there.  When we left there were lots of people coming.  Bill had a hamburg and I had a scrambled hamburg and we split an order of fries.  We had a nice talk and fun time.  Came home and got more stuff done.  Watched a couple of Hallmark Movies.

12/22/17...Wrapped gifts, baked pie crusts, Bill went shopping. It was so busy he couldn't wait to get home, ordered pizza and watched a movie

I finished wrapping the rest of the gifts. Bill braved it out to go shopping  I called him and he said it was so busy out there and the traffic was so bad, he couldn't wait to get home.  After he got home, we ordered a large pizza with half cheese/half plain from Hungry Howie's.  It was really good  "We watched movies after that.

12/20/17...Bill put in a new faucet! He did a great job. So nice to have a faucet that works right. Tried to get parts for the old one but couldn't. Nice to have the plumbing fixed and be able to use the dishwasher again.

I am remembering my beautiful, wonderful mom today and I asked Jesus to tell her Happy Birthday for me.  I miss her every day and even more so around the holidays

Nice faucet Bill put in for me....I'm loving it!

Max on the far left playing his trombone.  Hailey in the middle playing her trumpet.  The band sounded amazing.

Hailey playing her trumpet

Max playing his trombone

Evan on the left and Jack on the right in striped shirts.  They did a great job singing

Evan in back of the girl with the red dress.  He did such a great job singing

Jack singing!  He did a great job too!

Hailey (third row from the back, 5th one back)  She did a great job singing too!

Hailey in line to say her part.  It was pretty long and she did a great job.

Me with Jack and Evan...so proud of how they sang tonight

Evan, Max, me, Jack and Hailey

I sure was happy my sweetie Isaac went with me.  He was such a good boy.  Afterward, he stayed right by me.  I sure was glad because there were so many people there.  He was amazing.

Did some shopping.  Bill worked on the sink and then put the new faucet in.  It is so nice and he did such a great job.  He had to go to the Marine Corp League and I went to see the grandkids in their school program.  It was the best program I have seen.  They sang amazing, played instruments, did recitations, all focused on the true meaning of Christmas.  The Lord was glorified and lifted up.  Absolutely loved this!  The teachers and all who worked on this did an amazing job!

Tuesday,12/19/17...Went to our breakfast, Took Kenzie's makeup box to her, sent my Christmas Cards out, Bill bought a covered trailer. Bruce and Rody helped Bill move Christine's furniture, Bill and I went to Menards and to Super Cafe

On my way home from Kenzie's I was driving down Seven Mile Rd.. and this eagle was sitting in the field pretty close to the road with some other birds.  I turned around to take a picture.  When I opened my window, the birds took off flying.  I got these nice pictures of the Eagle in flight. 

We had a nice time at breakfast and a good devotion and prayer time.  Louise will be going to Florida right after Christmas, so this is the last time I will see here until she gets back in the spring.  I took Kenzie's makeup to her after breakfast.  On my way home I was excited to see an eagle sitting in a field with some other birds nice and close to the road.  Got my Christmas cards done and mailed.  Bill bought a covered trailer which is really nice.  Bruce came over to help him move Christina's and Bill's furniture.  Bill was getting the license for the trailer so Bruce had to wait for him a few minutes.  I made him a coffee in my Ninja Coffee Bar and he had some Christmas Cookies. Then he looked under the kitchen sink and was giving ideas to fix it.  Bill has to get parts for it.  He fixed one part and another part started leaking.  Melissa was so happy with the furniture she and Bruce got from Christine.  She FaceTime me to show me and it looks so nice.  Bill and I went to Menard's and then to Souper Cafe to eat.  They were going to close in ten minutes, so we took it home to eat.  Bill got chicken noodle soup and an egg salad sandwich.  I got pot pie soup and a half egg salad sandwich.  We watched a Hallmark movie and then Bill fixed the leak.  It looks great and no more leaking.  Happy to be able to use the sink and dishwasher.

12/18/17...Wrapped gifts, Charlie brought us a huge jar of mixed nuts and a smart card for Christmas today, Picked up Hailey and went to dinner and took pop cans in

Jack and Max greeted me when I got there to pick up Hailey.  It was 39 degrees out and they were making a fort

Hailey holding the drain traps so Papa could decide what one he needed

Hailey at her house

Bill went to the SportsZone.  He can't walk right now until he has his knee replaced again, but went to play Euchre.  I didn't go today as I am still resting my knee.  It is getting much better now.  Charlie came over and dropped a huge jar of nuts off for us and a Smart Card.  I made him a coffee and he had some Christmas cookies with us.  We had a nice visit.  I wrapped gifts and Bill worked on the dishwasher.  He needed my help looking to see why it wouldn't come out.  We found out there was a wire through the floor into the basement we had to go down and pull so it was looser and allowed the dishwasher to be pulled out.  I looked under the sink and saw a leak in the trap pipe.  There was a huge rusted hole in it, so that's where the actual leak was coming from.  He took it apart.  I was supposed to go pick up Hailey, but I called to say I would be a little late.  I helped him and then left to get her.  We went to Menard's and got the part Bill needed for the drain and took it to him.  Then we went to Coco Loco's for dinner and had a really nice time and a good talk.

We went to Charlie's Philly's after that to pick up a steak sandwich for Bill.  The girl asked me if I wanted it in a bag and I told her yes.  Then I asked her if it for sure didn't have cheese on it.  She checked and sure enough it had cheese on it.  She had the girl make another one.  We went to Kroger after that, and Hailey helped me return pop cans.  It is a new bottle return room that they just added with new machines.  Hailey was really putting in cans fast and I was trying to catch up to her.  My machine kept telling me my hand was in too far, or I was throwing the can.  Sometimes the can would roll off the conveyor.  Sometimes my machine wouldn't let me do anything.  I probably had $3 worth of cans I put in and Hailey had $14.  Guess that's why I take her and it's so much fun. 

She's a great help.  Kenzie called while we were at Coco Loco's.  She painted a beautiful painting.

I took Hailey home and was going to look at Bruce and Melissa's new Honda they got.  They were gone though so I will have to wait to see it. 

Sunday, 12/17/17....Bill and I Read the Advent Scriptures at Church, Taught Sunday School, Vikki and family came over for left overs, Went shopping at Kohl's, Sears and Penney's with Bill, Watched Hallmark movies

Happy 14th Birthday to My Sweet Hailey!  I love her so much and am so thankful to God for her and the joy she has brought us.  I am so very proud of her!

Max, Mikayla, Hailey, Melissa, Jack and Evan at Coco Loco's for Hailey's Birthday

Mikayla and Hailey

The Birthday Girl

Peyton and Isaac

We went to church.  Bill and I went in front of the church and read the Advent reading and then lit the candle.  Melissa and her family went to Bethlehem because the kids had something going on.  Stacie was in church and I was very happy to see her.  I taught Sunday School.  There were 12 kids in my class and we learned "That God gave us Jesus".  It was a good lesson and we had fun making ornaments afterwards.  I called Hailey to wish her Happy Birthday and Bill and I sang to her.  Vikki, Rody and the kids came over for leftovers.  We ate and then after that I made more cappicinos.
Vikki left the kids here while she and Rody took the little make up table of her's home.  The kids had so much fun with the claw candy machine of Kenzie's.  They were pretty good at getting the candy out.  They did that for a long time and then we came downstairs and played I spy, Simon Says, and Hide the thimble.  We had lots of fun.  Vikki came and got them and then Bill and I went shopping at Kohl's, Walmart, Sears and Penny's.  We got a really nice Humidifier at Sears.  Our hands are really dry and starting to crack because our house is so dry.  We got home and hooked it up and filled and and by morning I could feel a big difference in my hands. Very thankful.  Watched Hallmark movies!