I hope you each had a wonderful Christmas celebrating HIS birth. My sister from Missouri and her sweet family drove east to spend Christmas with us and her husband's family. Here are a few pictures from the various family gathering. My best gift was the time I had with my children and getting to spend a little time catching up with my sister Emilie and her husband Brent. We went and had a late lunch at a wonderful Greek restaurant "Tracks" yummy food and delightful company.
Christmas Eve we gathered at my sister Kami & husband Michael's home. There was Michael, Kami with their three kids, my sister Emilie, her husband Brent, their daughters, son and grandson, our Mother, a couple friends of the family, Marc, Sarah and myself. We enjoyed a time to catch up on what is happening in our lives, enjoy the time to fellowship and exchange gifts. I also continued the tradition of taking pictures of the "cousins". It is fun to look back and see how they have grown and changed over the years. Everyone patiently goes along with my need to document these gatherings with pictures and for that I'm very thankful.
CHRISTMAS EVE at MICHAEL & KAMI's
My sisters, their families, me and my kids and Neva (Mom & Grandmother)
Cousins; Aiden, Sarah Mac, Nadia, Katherine, Adell, Sarah, Marc, Ryan
Katherine, Adell, Sarah
My sister Emilie and her family and Marc, Sarah and I all spent the night at "Grandma's" house so we could celebrate Christmas morning together. It was fun to celebrate with them. Nadia was first down the stairs a little before 7 am. I had to go wake Marc and Sarah and they joined us a little while after gifts had started to be open. We enjoyed a traditional Christmas breakfast of egg casserole and homemade rolls. Yum! I gave my nieces portraits of themselves from pictures I took last Christmas and they seemed to like them. I like to give homemade gifts and continued the tradition of homemade ornament for friends and family. I try to remember the real reason for the season and not just give more stuff to fill closets and shelves. Especially as reflected on all the things I had given away this summer as I closed out my home here. Keeping in perspective what truly are the things that satisfy our souls. The gifts that we will treasure for years and years to come. Near the top of my list are the relationships and time spent with people building relationships and sweet memories. This is the time of year I like to think about the great gift we are celebrating and the many gifts of friendship given throughout the year to me. I am richly blessed indeed.
CHRISTMAS MORNING at GRANDMA'S with EMILIE, BRENT, ADELL, NADIA, VICKI, MARC & SARAH
Adell, Dobbie (Grandma) Emilie, Nadia, Brent, Sarah, Marc
Nadia
Sarah and her "blanket"
Sarah & Emilie
Nadia & her portrait I painted for her
Myrakulous Marc - hats his sister gave him.
Adell & her portrait I painted for her
Christmas afternoon Sarah headed off to Bedford to spend time with her father, Kit, step-mother, Cindy and grandparents. She had a time she will treasure for many many years with them. Marc headed off to spend time with friends who had come back into town for the season and I headed out to my cousin Amy and husband Mike's home. Two of her brothers came down from Staunton as well as their father, my Uncle Pete and his wife Cindy and a family friend Jimmy. It was a great time to catch up. I got to see pictures of Ian's trip to Costa Rica which I really enjoyed. My cousins are amazing people - creative, smart and funny are some of the words that would describe them. What a gift to catch up with them and hear what is happening in their lives. Mike and Amy gave their kids Alex and Amanda a Wii game for Christmas, well all the "old" folks took over the game and were playing like a bunch of kids themselves. It was funny to watch my mother and uncle get competitive like siblings always do.
CHRISTMAS afternoon at MIKE, COUSIN AMY, ALEX, AMANDA, UNCLE PETE his wife CINDY, COUSINS IAN & BEN, JIMMY, NEVA & ME
Amanda, Alex & Ben playing Wii
The "Adults" taking over the Wii game
Ian
FR: Mike, Amy, Me, Amanda Middle Row: Neva, Alex, Ian, & Ben Back Row: Cindy & Uncle Pete
I left Mike & Amy's and headed over to friends Walter and Janet's and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas dinner with them and the Herrings. I didn't take pictures for I was winding down from a fun filled day of activities. What a good Christmas with memories I will treasure for a lifetime. I hope you each had a Christmas you will treasure too.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years to you each.
Love
Vicki
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