Merry Christmas to All!!

Hope all of you are having a wonderful Christmas Celebration!  We have loved this holiday season!

Monday evening was our annual Christmas Eve service (our church had 6 services between Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evening) and we chose to go with our daughters family and her in-laws to the 5:15 service.  Then we were invited to her in-laws for a light dinner that also included our daughter's close friends who are also their next door neighbors.  We had such a good time and feel very blessed that all of us enjoy being together and that Sue and Dan treat our daughter like she was their own.

Our immediate family (our 2 daughters and their families) have decided to celebrate Christmas every year on Christmas Eve day, starting with brunch and ending with a tradition Christmas dinner later in the day.  This year it was a 12 hour day, ending with Sue and Dan joining us around 7 as well as the neighboring friends - Matt, Nicole, and their son Ethan.  What a special day!

Today, Christmas, Ken and I left at 9:30 to visit Jamie's family to see what Bria and Cali got from Santa.  Then on to Lanie's house to spend time with her family and check out Sam and Katelyn's gifts from Santa.  Another very special day.  We are truly blessed!

All the toys and "stuff" regarding the movie
"Frozen" were a big hit this Christmas!

Katelyn really enjoyed opening presents this year!

The men, plus Bria, deep fried the Christmas turkey outside
and it snowed some of the time.  It was cold, but nothing
that a beer couldn't help!

Cali shared her new dolls from "Frozen"
with her sister, Bria.

Today was a very cold day reaching only about 30 degrees, so Florida is looking better and better.  We plan to be on our way south on Sunday, Jan. 19th, spending time at Lazydays to get familiar with our new Motorhome.  How exciting!

We hope all of you have a very happy holiday season and a special New Year filled with memorable moments and fantastic adventures.

Another Busy, but Good Week!

It really is a very short time from Thanksgiving to Christmas this year!  Seems like I am having trouble deciding what needs to be done 1st.  Also, I love to make gifts for people, but this year that isn't happening.  We did a craft show last Saturday and again today (only found out on Monday that someone cancelled and I was able to get a spot at Wilson Middle School).  It was a good show and we were very pleased with the outcome.  Actually signed up to do it again next year!

Wednesday we had a very special visit with my mother and father at Masonic Homes.  We played cards all afternoon and we had such a good time.  They were so happy to see us after we were away for 6 weeks and they hadn't played cards during that time.  They enjoy playing pinochle and are such good players.  It really is a fun time and we are blessed that we are able to do that with them. From there Ken and I went to the Dutch Apple Theater for dinner and a musical version of A Christmas Carol.  The food and the show were excellent.

Last evening we enjoyed having dinner with our Life Group from Church and did a gift exchange playing now you have it now you don't.  Rick and Joyce were great hosts and served us delicious lasagna , both regular and seafood.  What a wonderful group of friends.

I also spent most of Thursday at Kitchen Kettle in the Village of Intercourse, not far from our house.  The Curvettes, my fellow exercising gals went there for lunch and to check out the shoppes.  I am very blessed to be a part of this group too!

Right now I am in our Family Room enjoying the fire that Ken started in the fireplace, the 1st one for this winter season.  It is relaxing and WARM, much better than the cold temperatures outside.  Tomorrow they are predicting some snow.  Florida, take me away!!!!!!

A Hectic Week In PA

Well, we have been home for 1 full week and it has certainly been busy! 

Tuesday we went out for breakfast since there was no food in the house.  Then off to buy groceries.  Plenty of mail, things to put away, etc., so the afternoon went quickly.  We did visit our daughter Jamie and her 2 girls whom we hadn't seen for about 6 weeks.  We were all excited to see each other.

Wednesday was back to our routine with me going to Curves, then cleaning the house, and starting to put out the Christmas decorations.  Ken enjoyed breakfast with his friend, Gary, and then spent the day at his desk going through all the mail and making necessary phone calls.  Welcome back to the "real world".  We finished decorating for Christmas before calling it a day!

Thursday, Thanksgiving, was a delightful day.  We were at Jamie's house from 10:30 to 7:30 enjoying spending time with her family and her in-laws!  We had a delicious meal including a turducken ( I don't know how you spell it) from New Orleans that was filled with cornbread stuffing.  It was positively incredible.  Jamie is such a great cook and hostess and Bria and Cali are such good girls.  They played together so nicely!

The bowl contained foam leaves that
Bria and Cali had written on each day
of November with something they
were thankful for.  So cute!
 

All ready for the delicious meal!

Looks good enough to eat!

Friday morning after Curves, Ken and I did just alittle Black Friday shopping and ended up at Costco getting a few more groceries.  After lunch, Ken loaded the car for a craft show on Saturday while I prepared food and set-up for card club at our house Saturday night after the craft show.  In the evening we joined our camping friends at 10,000 Villages to enjoy a light dinner and some great music.

After a short night, we were up at 5:30 to go to the craft show.  I was excited that my sister, Cindy, had the space next to us and we were able to spend time together.  After a successful show, we were on our way home by 3:30.  Unloaded, took a short rest, and then out for a light dinner with the card club couples and an evening of card playing at our house.  Another very late night.

My sister, Cindy, and her magnetic broaches for
attaching scarves, name badges, or glasses!

Sunday was Church, a relaxing afternoon, and then a small group meeting in the evening.

Today, Monday, we drove to see our oldest daughter, Lanie, and our granddaughters, Sam and Katelyn.  So good to finally be with them.  After a nice visit, we were home for lunch with more work on the phone and computers - seems like there is so much to "catch up" on.

Not a fan of this cold weather here in PA.  Love being with family and friends, but the warmth and sun of Florida sounds good!

Just signed up for another craft show this Saturday!  No rest for the weary, but I guess that is how we like it!!!!