The Place is Crawling With 'Em!

Snowmobiles...everywhere you look. You can see them better if you click on the pictures.

Christmastime with Family

The Hostess with the Mostest--that's Betsy! She knocked herself out getting ready for a houseful of company. After the holidays, this girl deserves a rest. She worked so hard making sure everything was nice for everybody! We had a great time. Thank you, Betsy!

And thank you to Anthony for letting his home be overrun with in-laws! There were a lot more people there than show in these pictures, but I'm trying not to use pictures that have the young children in them--that really limits! If you want to see more pictures, look in the blogs of Ben, Betsy and Kate. The only pictures I got of Josh had children in them.









As much as I would love to show off my grandchildren on this blog, I will resist the urge. Just let me say that I really do have the cutest grandkids on earth! It was just great being with so many of them this week and getting lots of hugs.





Karen made this cute gingerbread house for the kids to eat after Christmas dinner. It was just one of the many desserts...we had 11 pies, 2 cheesecakes, and a pistachio dessert besides. And that was to top off a huge Christmas dinner of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied sweet potato casserole, 'Green Stuff', 'Pink Stuff', rolls, veggies and dip, two kinds of stuffing, and all kinds of relishes.



The kids had lots of fun swinging a big stick while blindfolded--just hoping that they'd be the one to cause this pinata to burst and release the candy!



These pictures commemorate the "Official Grand Opening" of Betsy's new Clue game. The little tokens look like the people they are supposed to represent in this new version. Really neat!





Here's what happens when our family gets together...

Once Upon a Time...

Two became One...



And they lived happily ever after!



Happy Anniversary to my Honey!

Addiction Confession

I'm very afraid I've become addicted to those Surprise Package Cookies, the ones that contain Andes mints. I just can't leave 'em alone!

UNO

Some of us like to get together for a rousing game of Uno. Dale doesn't care for games, so he's the official Popcorn Meister. (Thanks to my folks for providing the popcorn in 50 lb. bags!)

Christmas Program

Our annual Christmas Program was Sunday night. Preceeded by a panicky prayer (practices had not gone well) , the play went very well.

Christmas Caroling

Sunday night, after the Christmas Program, a bunch of us went caroling. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died, so I didn't get many pictures. I wish I could have snapped this one a little sooner...before Sharon was helped up! It was so funny. My little grandson got into a snowbank and couldn't get himself out, so Sharon went to get him--and she fell in and couldn't get up. It was hilarious!

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After we carolled at several homes, we went to Eva's for hot soup and cheese bread, then on to Jim and Edna's for a splendid array of cookies and candies. We had so much fun.

It was the first time Brooke and Derek had been carolling, and they thought it was just great!

Christmas Cookie Baking

With the aid of my "Helper Elm" (that's Helper Elf to those of you who have never seen "Ernest Saves Christmas") Kate, and my trusty stove, and after many, many hours of work (two whole days), our Christmas cookies were made last week.

Grandma Duty

I had the pleasure of being on Grandma Duty for a few days this week. Brooke and Derek stayed with us while their parents took a trip to Tennessee. We had so much fun--and I learned some things that I had never realized before: the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem was named JoJo, and that the trash receptacle(ash tray) in the door of the back seat of our car would be a good place to keep a worm. Have I ever mentioned how much I love being a grandma???

They Said It Couldn't Be Done!

...But I caught the fellas doing kitchen work today!

Church Building Progress

Looking from the addition toward the old foyer. You can still see the old stairs.

The picture below was taken today from the same spot as the above photos. You can see the rafters for the ceiling over the new stairwell. Scaffolding is set up in the stairwell. No stairs are in it as yet.

The picture below is what you see now when you enter the church through the old foyer. From this point, you used to be looking straight at the stairwell. Now you see the nursery door on the left, with (what will soon be) a coat rack and display cabinet.

Parties

Last night was our adult Christmas party at church. That is always so much fun--good food, good fellowship, and lots of laughs--especially during the White Elephant gift exchange.

This afternoon, I had a gingerbread men decorating party for the kids who were in Sunday School for 6 of the 8 Sundays in October and November. They really got into putting the frosting on their cookies. Some of those gingerbread men were very well 'insulated' indeed! When some of the kids were done, the cookies were a couple inches thick in places. Ugh! Pity the poor stomachs that swallow them. The kids had fun, though, and that's the main thing.