Here's December 2013.
It's nice when then kids get big enough to help put the tree together.
We have a stack of Christmas books we get out every year. The way they keep reading them over and over it's like, uh, Christmas every time I get them out again.
Check out my cool outfit! A girl who has her own style.
Here are the finished glasses cases Amelia made for her friends for Christmas.
Or pencil cases, if they don't wear glasses.
Ah, mid-December, time for the annual Trash Rebecca's House With Sugar Crystals That She Will Never Be Able To Get Entirely Swept Up, aka Gingerbread House dinner night!
I'm a little afraid of this one.
Ah, the cozy Himstedt home all decorated for the season.
Our gingerbread masterpieces.
Some more random Lego creations. I believe these guys are on break (?), or maybe they're Himstedt kids demanding their lunch...
Some times there's a random warm day in the middle of what should be a cold month. The kids never fail to ask if they can go outside in their swimsuits when it's raining.
Here's a not great photo taken with my phone of four of the Himstedts just beore going on stage for the Christmas production at church. We were part of a scene where families visit Santa and stroll around a park while singing. Just like real life! We did six performances over five days.
Strange, strange children.
On Christmas Eve we headed to McDonough for the holidays. We started the week with a joyful occasion, the remarriage of my Aunt Angela who lost my Uncle John to cancer two years ago. This giant sleigh is on the McDonough square.
Cousins came too!
Adam, her son, gave her away.
We watched, clapped, cheered, and did what we could to stay warm!
My last words to Avery before walking out the door were, "It's really cold. Make sure you have your coat." So, he ignored me and got to wear my mom's coat! So attractive.
My folks and the grandkids.
Afterwards we had a breakfast reception at my Granny's church.
My cousin Gary's kids with Granny. Gracyn, Bailey, Abi, and Kendel.
Granny with Ernie and Aunt Angela, and Adam and Jessica who were expecting twins! I'm really glad we have these pictures. Granny passed away in June.
Mom with Cody and Jesse, nephews who are quickly outgrowing her.
Later on Christmas Eve day we headed to Nanny's. It's been a tradition for as long as my folks have been married to do Christmas Eve with that side of the family.
Nanny's chicken and dumplings make everyone happy. Seriously, they're locally famous.
Jonathan and Uncle Don.
It's a good idea to wear sparkly shirts around granddaughters.
Nanny's tree isn't beautiful but it's completely covered with memories. Some are 70 years old.
Jaidyn, Casey, Shannon, Dad, and Aunt Jackie.
The handing out of gifts. Nanny always has something for everybody, and all the great aunts and uncles do gifts for the kids. Having the kids continuously hint that they're ready for the gift opening part brings back memories from when it was me and Jonathan and the cousins doing that to our folks.
Aunt Dawn got snow cone makers for the kids.
Impressed, this one is!
Nanny always enjoys her annual photo calendar of the great grandkids.
Amelia made Nanny a pot holder.
Cousin sillies.
Christmas morning at Grandmom and Grandad's!
It was a Disney year for the Adams girls.
The breakfast break between stockings and presents.
EWW!!!
Legos!!
The Year of the Kindle Fire.
Jordan got an American Girl doll.
Reagan got an American Girl Doll like doll.
Let the assembly begin!
Mimi made the kids scarves and hats, Aunt Jeni made them pillow cases.
For lunch we headed over to Granny's house, another annual tradition started when my folks got married. Christmas Eve at Nanny's, Christmas morning at home, Christmas day lunch at Granny's for as long as I can remember.
Again, I'm so grateful we were able to do it again. It was her last one. It's so cool to think that she now sees face to face the One whose earthly birthday we celebrate this day.
Here's one who stayed up too late helping with Christmas the night before!
As I write this blog post I am in Missouri for a week with most of the folks in these pictures. What fun it is to hang out with them all!
The guys started a remodel job that afternoon back at my folks' house. A few years back Mom found an abandoned doll house literally on the side of the road. She thought it would be fun for grand kids but it definitely needed some repairs.
A few months later Dad completed the job. He attacked it with the gusto and detail he puts into real houses. It got new trim, repaired siding, a paint job, and real asphalt shingles!
We had some nice Christmas week weather for playing outside.
Now this one is CUTE!
Amelia always gravitates to her favorite dress up. She ended up wearing it for Halloween this year.
There is always a show of some kind thought up by cousins and performed in the basement for parents and grandparents.
Mom keeps this elderly treadmill solely for the purpose of kid gymnastics.
The Adamses had to head back to Marietta, but we stayed an extra night and took Mom to dinner. Her birthday is December 29.
Five year olds make the rounds to every lap before a meal is finished!
Meanwhile, back at home...we had to put away Christmas! Here's the annual Eating of the Stale and Disgusting Candy off the Gingerbread Creations.
Geez, you'd think we'd let the kids have some candy every now and then so they didn't have to be so desperate.
After.
Yes!! Candy right before bed!!
Back to Rebecca's for New Year's!
Bringing in the new year with fire!
Telestrations
Cheers!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y'all!
Let me make a prediciton- 2014 is going to be awesome! (As I sit here on December 30 of 2014. Hindsight is 20/20- and yep, it was a great year!) One of my resolutions for 2015 is to catch up on this infernal blog!
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