Christmas Passed
01/11/2023
The Christmas decorations are packed away for another year, but I'm still savoring so many fun moments from a couple of weeks ago...
It was one of the COLDEST Christmases I can remember, with temperatures hovering below zero degrees for about 3 days and the most wicked west wind imaginable.
On Christmas Eve, we braved the frigid temperature to eat lunch with Kim's dad Kenny. Kim, Kenny, and Kent looking all festive in their reds (Kenny was eating a piece of fudge, hence the strange expression...).
That evening, despite the record cold, we had nearly 200 at our traditional Sulphur Springs Christian Church Christmas Eve service. After the frantic few days beforehand, I always love going to that service to get my focus and heart back on the real reason for the season.
Early Christmas morning in the cabin...blustery cold outside, but inside our cozy cabin all is calm, all is bright...
I had a cup of coffee and sat with Kim by the fireplace while he read aloud the Christmas story from the Bible, like he has for the past 42 Christmases. It's a tradition I treasure!
Then we waited for the phone call from next door to join Kristoffer and Dana's family for Christmas breakfast. This year the phone call came from our almost-13-year-old grandson Kaden, on his new iPhone (Santa knows what an almost-teenage boy loves!), with a follow-up call from his brother Karter. Special notice!
Kelsay and her Santa stash...
Kassie...
Kaden (with his new phone!)...
...and Karter.
The girls also got new bicycles!
We had a delicious Christmas breakfast feast of egg casserole and Dana's famous scones.
After breakfast we left to go home to get ready for church. We had no sooner walked into the cabin when the phone rang...it was Kristoffer. Right after we left their house, water had come pouring into the kitchen onto and around the table where we had just been sitting from the bathroom in the floor above...a pipe had burst! What a huge mess!!! But Kristoffer was able to crawl underneath the house and shut the water off to that bathroom until it could be repaired. They have lots of water damage and repairs to be made, but they took it in stride and still made it to church that morning. It takes more than a little big water leak to derail this crew!
God gave us a gorgeous sundog in the sky on Christmas morning!
Instead of attending our church in Sulphur Springs, Kim and I went to Harvest Bible Fellowship in Pendleton where Kamaron is the pastor.
The children of the church sang some beautiful Christmas hymns.
That's our sweet Juni...
...and Krew in the middle. They did a great job singing!
A Christmas morning family portrait of Kamaron and Anique's family...
Then we headed southeast, a 2-hour drive to Harrison, Ohio to see if Santa made it to the Ohio Grays' house.
He sure did! Abram's new bike...
Daniel's writing board...
Lucy got a new camera! A girl after my own heart...
A BIG remote control car for Abram...
Lucy's new doll wets her diaper!
Daniel's new "weapon"...
Their welcome sign worked!
Baby Ada got in on the action too....
...looking as adorable as ever!
A special Christmas gift from Ada...she even let Papaw hold her on Christmas Day!
Love our Ohio Gray clan!
Back to Middletown for supper with the Emily and Zach's family...
Despite the sub-zero temperatures, Zach was grilling steaks inside the garage!
Ellie was super-excited about her new Bible...
Santa came through with some special mints for Koda...
Both children got a Yoto (which this old school granny had never heard of...) which plays music and books with a picture. I'm not quite sure how it works, but it looks fun!
They also got 3-D printers (another gadget that just blows my mind)...
...and some cuddly critters (now those I can relate to!).
We enjoyed a great Christmas dinner with the Whaleys...
...and then decided to swing back into town to Kamaron's house before heading home.
Krew is a Lego connoisseur and engineer extraordinaire!
Juni loves her furry critters and got a few more to add to her collection. Her newest robot kitty is perched on the chair, watching the children play Twister. I used to play that game long, long ago when my body pieces were not so creaky...
It was a beautiful Christmas Day! But the best was yet to come...tomorrow I'll post about our wonderful family celebration on December 26.
Looking at these photos makes me smile with gratitude and love at the countless blessings God has given me.
Another Christmas passed.
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