12/24/24, Tues. Christmas Eve, Kimmy and family came over, Vikki and family came over, Melissa and family came for a garage visit, What a nice Christmas Celebration

Such a fun family celebration of the birth of Jesus. I got up early and put the turkey in, made the stuffing, got the ham in, baked cheesy potatoes and then kept them warm in the roaster oven.  Everyone got here before 9:30 except Kenzie, Travis and Rehvyn.  Kenzie set her alarm for 8 pm instead of am.  Kimmy made the punch for me when she got here.  We all snacked on peanut butter balls, banana bread, and cookies with a kiss in the middle that Hailey made and brought.  We also had lots of Christmas cookies (baked by Kimmy and decorated by the Russells and the Monroes.  Yum.  I also put some chocolate crackle cookies out.  After that, Bill read the Christmas story in Luke 2.  We all love that!  We started opening gifts and took turn.  Kenzie and Travis got her right after we started.  Rehvyn was sure happy to see Vikki and go to her.  He was so cute.  Kenzie and Travis joined in on opening presents.  We all really liked all the gifts we got and the thought that went into getting the gifts for one another.  Kenzie gave each of us girls basket, with homemade candy in them, and the cutest little glass birds that you put water in, tilt it back and whistle.  It makes the birds sound then and other nice stuff in it too.  We finished up right as Melissa and Bruce, Jack and Evan got here.  We all went out to the garage and the kids did their gift exchange.  Melissa and Bruce were sick so they wore masks.  It was fun just being all together.  All the kids were happy with the gift from the person who drew their name.  Melissa loved the snowman Vikki and Kimmy made.  She also loved the wax melter Kimmy made.  Now we all have one.  Max loved his butterfingers and ate them right away.  He was so cute and had a really big smile.  We visited a little more out there, then they left and we all came and and started getting the food out.  Jared and Kimmy mashed the potatoes as usual and they were yummy, I made the gravy, Bill carved the turkey, Vikki warmed the rolls, and Vikki brought jello for us.  Everything turned out really good.  Rehvyn ate really good in his highchair.  Sue didn’t come because she was afraid of slipping on the ice on her deck and steps.  After we finished eating, Rody, Isaac and Jared went to the Jeep store and also picked up a twin mattress from Vikki’s for Eli.   Kimmy packed up food for Melissa’s family and sent it with Hailey and Evan.  Melissa said Jack was so happy when he saw we sent food. I packed up food for Sue and took it over to her.  She was happy to get it and called when she was done eating it and said it was so good.  The kids and Jared played a game Hailey brought.  Vikki and Kimmy cleaned up the kitchen and put away all of the food. They are amazing helpers.  We ate pie for dessert and then Kimmy, Jared, Vikki and I were in the family room and all took naps in our chairs.  We didn’t sleep long, but it sure helped.  It was just the best day!  Rehvyn was as good as could be and crawled all over, but didn’t get into anything.  He found the Fisher Price Nativity I put out in the family room and had fun playing with it.  He also loved his stuffed bear we got him and kept hugging it and making such cute faces.  After everyone left, we relaxed.  I talked to all three girls again.  We stayed up until after midnight, so told each other Merry Christmas.  So thankful for Jesus, God with Us!             

Monday, 12/23/24, baked rolls, baked pies, made cheesy potatoes, made squash from the garden, Wrapped Rody’s present, put presents under the tree, Kimmy and Adam stopped over, went out with Pastor Ken, Joan and the elders and their wives

Put worshipful Christmas music on.  Busy baking day, getting ready for Christmas Eve with family at our house tomorrow.  Put ingredients for rolls in the nreadmakers.  Made pie crusts, and vanilla and chocolate pudding. made some cheesy potatoes and cooked a squash from the garden, and fixed it so it would be ready to bake tomorrow.  Got cranberry sauce out of the freezer.   Kimmy, Adam and Eli stopped over for a couple minutes after Adam’s doctor appt, which went very well.  Eli had sent me a song, but I forgot to play it.  Kimmy and Vikki listened to it and called me to tell me to listen to it.  It’s called come out!  Very powerful song.  Thank you Eli for always sending me great songs.  I forgot to take any pictures while they were here.  They left pretty quickly because it had been sleeting out and everything was icy and slippery.  Adam had to get to therapy too.  I was glad to get his text saying that we’re home.  Bill and I read out Bibles.

In the evening, it was still snowing and was very slippery out.  Bill and I, went to Sullivan’s to meet Pastor, Joan, Tina and Chris, Brenda and Justin and Debbie and Jeff.  They took us all out for Christmas.  We had a very nice time and the food was really good.    We came home and I wrapped Rody’s Christmas gift which arrived today. I talked to Melissa and Vikki and texted with Adam.                               

Sunday, 12/22/24, went to prayer, than church, then to Vikki’s while Rody and Bill went to help Wes with his Blink, finished wrapping presents

Peyton and I relaxing at Vikki's

Bill and I eating our cherry pie and ice cream

Me above and Bill below trying on the cute apron Peyton and Isaac got me.  They gave it to me now so I can wear it on Christmas Day while cooking.  I love it.  So sweet of them.

-2 degrees this morning.   Brrrrr!   We went to church to pray, then went into the service.  Great worship and a great message from the Word of God.  After church, Bill went with Rody to Wes’s to hook up his Blink camera.  I drove the Jeep for the first time and came home.  I liked driving it.  I parked it and then drove my car to Vikki’s.  I sat with Peyton at their new booth, while Vikki cooked sirloin burgers for us and yummy broccoli, onions and peppers.  She didn’t want any help making it.  It was so nice eating at her new table land booth and her food was so delicious.  She sure got good qualities passed down from my Great Grandma Daisy.  She knows how to make you feel comfortable and well cared for.   She always brings comfort by the kind things she does, and she makes the best food.  So did my grandma.  I sure am blessed with the best daughters.  The guys let us know they were heading home, so Vikki cooked their burgers up and made fries and green beans.   The guys ate at the booth, while Peyton and I hung out in the living room.  Isaac cooked himself some Raamon Noodles.  Vikki, Peyton and I played a game kind of like Apples to Apples.  After that we played 3-13.  It was fun playing at the booth.  I was the winner.

We headed home after that, but stopped at Meijer to get some tape so I could finish wrapping gifts.  I picked up a pair of soft jean looking pants.  I got home and they were too small so I went back and got the right size.  I wrapped gifts and then Bill and I carried them downstairs and put them under the tree. I texted with Kenzie, talked to Melissa, Kimmy and Vikki.  Texted with this morning and tonight Adam too.   Bill and I had some apple cake and then 2 tiny Milky Way candy bars.  

Saturday, 12/21/24, Bill went to The CMA Lapeer chapter’s Christmas Party, Finished Christmas shopping, got some Christmas cards mailed out, went to Melissa, met Bill to get gas,

 I didn’t take any pictures today.  Bill got ready and went to a Christmas party one of our chapters was having.  It was held at the Harley Davidson dealer.  I went to the bank, then went to the Maple Grill and got a couple of gift certificates.  Then went home and got the gifts Melissa and the kids ordered for Bruce and took them to her house.  I went to Walmart after that.  Bill called and wanted me to meet him to get gas for $1.00 off up to 35 gallons.  He was in Frankentrost, so I had time to go home and get the big empty gas can so he could fill it too.  I haven’t been using much gas because we have been taking the Jeep.  I had only used 1/2 of a tank of gas in three weeks, and most of that was the running  I did today.  On my way home, when I was about 1/4 mile from out driveway, an eagle flew right over the road in front of me.  It was so low and just beautiful.

I got most of my Christmas cards done and put them out in the mailbox.  Bill worked out in the shed for a while.  I made burgers, mashed potatoes and green beans for dinner.  Gayla called and put Joel on the phone because he wanted to thank us for his Christmas gift we left at there house last night for him.  We talked to all three of them for a while  We’re so thankful God put them in our lives,  We have gone on many trips with them and also camped lots with them.  They are like family.

Bill and I watched the movie, My Christmas Hero which was very good.  Talked to Melissa for a while after the movie.  

Friday, 12/20/24, Happy Birthday to my mom in heaven, baked more Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, made an apple cake, Bill volunteered to collect money for a children’s hospital with the Marine corp. League, Went to Wes and Gayla’s for dinner

Woke up to everything covered with snow.  There’s a cardinal on the left in the tree that was so pretty

Isaac tightening Bill’s chair yesterday

Wes and Bill trying to figure out how to set up the Blink Wes got

New Comforter on the bed upstairs.  Vikki got one like it and told me how nice it was.  It sure is a lot easier to make the bed with this one

 Got up early to check and see if any schools were closed.  None of our grandkids schools were closed.  I looked outside and everything was beautiful covered in white snow.  Vikki called and said she didn’t think Kimmy would come over today because of slippery Roads.  They were both coming over again today, but decided not to.  I didn’t want them driving on slippery roads either.

We read our Bibles and devotionals. then Bill went out to snowblow the driveway and side walk. I made another batch of Chocolate Crinkle cookies for our Christmas Eve family Celebration.  I also made an Apple Cake using a recipe out of my Bronner’s Cookbook to take to Wes and Gayla/s later.  

Bill and I hooked up the Spectrum modem.  Bill stopped in and told them he might be changing to Verizon and the lowered the price by $40.  Yay! They said it is faster than the one we have.  Bill took that one and turned it back in to them.  

When Bill was done collecting money at Pat’s for the Marine Corp League, he called me and I got everything ready to go to Wes and Gatyla’s for dinner.  The cake was still warm when we got to their house.  We took Cool Whip to put on top of it.  I also packed up some cookies in a container Gayla had sent cookies to me in.  We had a really nice time.  It is good to see Wes walking with the boot on.  His foot is healing nicely.  We ate delicious chili, rolls, and corn bread that Gayla made,  Then we had apple cake for dessert.  After that, we played 3-13.  Bill was the happy winner.  We played a game called Frenzy Match.  We competed with each other to see who could match the card flipped over and put our cubes with different things on them in the same pattern as the card.  I won the first time and Bill won the second.  We visited more and then headed home.  Vikki FaceTimed me while we were still there and showed me her kitchen booth she got.  It’s really cute.

Here’s a picture of it