Church Christmas Program....

If you're not me or my immediate family you will probably find this boring because these pictures are just of our kids....I've got a lot more so if your kids were in it and you want to see them, just let me know.

Our Christmas program was entitled "An Old Fashioned CHRISTmas with CHRIST in it".  They actually decorated the church with pine garland and paper chains with strings of popcorn hanging from the candelabras. It was beautiful and looked so authentic.  Andrea has a wonderful gift for decorating.

Jay'von saying "Happy Birthday, Jesus!"

Breanna



C.J.



The pine garland and paper chains....I didn't get the popcorn :(



This is the whole group singing at the end



Jody and Lennie singing   -  (this one's for Granny)

We wanted to get pictures of everyone while they were all dressed up for the program but it is hard to get them together.  The following pictures will show you how hard....lol.

Finally, one that worked.....C.J. (8), Breanna (9), and Jay'von (3)

 Then we tried to add Neena and Papa to the mix and had more fun.  Charlie's eyes are very sensitive to the flash and he shuts them when photographed.  We have tried all the usual remedies and still have many pictures through the years with his eyes shut.  This time was no exception but we did get a couple that were tolerable. :)

This is a prime example.....everyone is fine, except his eyes are closed.  We actually had family pictures taken once when the kids were small and he had his eyes closed in every one.  The next one is the only one that worked.

I wanted to get pictures of everyone but after all that everyone was done.  That was the best we could do for one night. 

My extended family is quite large.  I have 5 siblings plus our spouses, our children and in some cases their children.  When we are all together there are sixty some of us.  Every other year we all get together for Christmas, and guess what.  This was the year.  So my next post will have pictures of our semi annual Christmas Eve Fish Fry......coming soon!

Cookie Exchange.....

I started a post for New Years about all that happened in 2010 but it just was taking to long.  I think I'll just focus on a review of December in pictures.  Hope you enjoy them!

The first thing that happened in December was our Second Annual Cookie Exchange.  We started this last year for a fun time with our family and friends.  We expected about 20 people and had over 50 attend.  My little house was bursting at the seams.  Andrea Poston offered her BIG family room to us this year. So we packed up all our stuff and took it next door for the party. 

These pictures are just a few I had time to take during the busy evening.  Sorry, somehow I neglected to get pictures of the wonderful cookies.



Kristen's snowflake sugar cookies



My niece Jody as "Grandma got run over by a reindeer"



The ladies can come dressed in Christmas attire. We actually give a prize for the favorite outfit.  These are the ladies that dressed for the occasion.

These last pictures are of some of the ladies that attended the party.  I wasn't able to get everyone because there was so much going on.

We had a great time and an excellent turnout even though the weather didn't cooperate.  We're already looking forward to next year.

Coming up next.....Church Christmas Program.

THE JESSE TREE

I have decided to do something new for advent this year.  Since Jay'von is with us most of the week I wanted to some kind of Advent Calendar for him but don't like the whole Santa Claus thing you find everywhere.  Just today I read another blog about starting a Jesse Tree with her kids.  It needs to start today (some start on the 28 and some on the first but since I didn't get inspired until today I decided today it is). There are many ways to do it and you could google it if you want info.  Basically it tells the story from creation to Jesus birth in little 2-4 minute devotions each day.  They get to hang a picture (ornament) on the tree each day as you go through the story.  The blog that I read actually started her kids when they were 3 so we are about right.  I think Breanna and C.J. will enjoy it, too.  I actually printed all the stuff for them to make their own.

 Let's face it, it is all about traditions and this seemed like a good one to start. I'll post pictures after I get it started.

If you want to know where I got my info or the places I printed my stuff let me know.  I'd be glad to share. 

May you all know the wonder and excitement of Christmas as seen through the eyes of a little child.  You might want to do this even if there isn't a child in your home. 

God's Been Good

I saw this on someones blog the other day and it just seemed like how I feel these days. God has been good to us. Sometimes I feel like he has been better to me then most. He just keeps blessing and blessing us. Last year someone put out a Facebook challenge to post what you are thankful for every day in the month of November. It was quite interesting to do. I'm not on Facebook this year but have tried to do that each day this month. We do have so much to be thankful for. Our family has pretty good health. Yes, we have our usual aches and pains and Carolyn has had some problems with her gallbladder while pregnant but for the most part we are healthy. When I look at some of the blogs I read daily I realize we are so blessed with good health. God has given me a wonderful family. I have a husband that provides for us so that I am able to stay home and take care of Jay'von. I have three children that now have homes of their own and are doing well. I have three and a half grandchildren that are so precocious (and of course I am not prejudiced at all). I think that was supposed to be precious...lol. I have a beautiful home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have more clothes then we need and all the food we want. Our water is good, we don't have to worry that it will make us sick. We have three vehicles sitting in our driveway that we can depend on to take us where we need.

This is just what I can write as fast as I can right off the top of my head without really thinking about it. We are so blessed and God has been so good to us. I know everybody talks about blessings at this time of year and I don't want to be thankful just because it is Thanksgiving. I want to remember to be thankful every day....all year. Thanksgiving should be a way of life.

Have a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day with family and friends and remember "God's Been Good"!

I LOVE FALL!!

I love fall. The days are crisp and cool. The nights are long and cuddly. The colors are beautiful and the sunshine is nice and warm (not so hot you don't want to be out in it).  I know many people disagree with me but it is so much more comfortable then summer. 

I couple of weeks ago the kids came to spend the day and bake cupcakes and carve pumpkins.  Somehow I failed to get pictures of the cupcakes but got a lot of the pumpkins.  I'm only posting a few so you can get an idea of how much fun they had.  It was a beautiful sunny day and they worked outside so the pics were great.

They found cleaning them out to be "yucky". :0)

I think they all had to have help with the "yucky" stuff.



It takes concentration....



They used patterns that Courtney brought.

No pattern for C.J.....he just "imaginated" it!

Yay! All done.

The finished product



Jay'v, so proud of the pumpkin his Mommy did for him

 Now you see what fun they had carving Pumpkins. They really did come out well.  The patterns they used were very detailed.  They were beautiful when lit. 

Thanks for visiting with us again.  Talk to me...let me know that you think my grandkids are the best because I do....lol.

Festive Fruited White Chip Bars!

Yes, cookies. They are baked and packaged to be delivered to The Post in Morgantown this afternoon.  I did my best but I'm sure you know how it is....it never seems good enough.  This is a picture of the finished product (well, what is left after I had already packaged 2 dozen to go).  I have to say I do feel better about these then I have other years.  Last years cookie was great but I was sick the day I had to do them and they just were not the best I could do.  I should have made another batch but felt so bad I really didn't care.  :)

It is a lot of fun and I look forward to it each year.  Now all I have to do is wait. 

Hope to post some more pics soon of the kids carving pumpkins.  It takes to long to do right now.

Have a great day.

Busy...Busy...Busy!!

Ok...so I did it again.  I set myself up for chaos all the time and I have done it again.  I am in the process of making Breanna a Dorothy costume for their Halloween party at school and of course this would be the week Jay'von decides to get his first ever ear infection. Fun times but he is a sweetheart and seems to be feeling better today.  I also haven't got the cookie recipe decided on and sent to the Post. Then in the midst of all this a friend called needing help with a shower in TWO WEEKS and I volunteered to make the chicken salad and the cake for that. Am I crazy or what.  No not crazy, just my Father's daughter.  He taught me well when it comes to helping people. 

What I am posting about is not all that but the guilt I felt this morning because I didn't have time to run a stethoscope to Breanna for school today.  They were supposed to dress up like something they may want to be when they grow up.  She decided on something in the Medical Field helping people get well.  Danielle went to Goodwill and found her some scrubs and I thought the perfect prop would be a stethoscope but just could not find the time to get it to her.  I actually have a couple of them and she could have used one but it just didn't happen and I feel bad.  Now, tell me I am crazy and I will agree with you...LOL. The reason I couldn't is because I am finishing the outfit for her to wear tomorrow.  Yeah!....I am crazy.  But I also know I love my grandkids and want them to be happy.  But do you know what....she probably didn't even know the difference.  She probably went on to school this morning as happy as a lark because she had her little outfit and was fine.  I think it might be some of the ADD perfectionism coming out in me. Not really a bad thing, I guess, but definitely something I need to deal with.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  I'll post pictures of Breanna in the Dorothy dress next week.