Christmas 2009

What a fun Christmas the kids had! 

We left Friday evening, December 18th.  By the time one movie ended, the kids were asleep.

Saturday morning we arrived in Beatrice, Nebraska.  Randy's sister and husband met us there later in the day.  They wanted to go their home church on Sunday.  While we waited for Deb and Bryce to arrive, Randy drove out to the home place, past his church and stopped at the cemetery to say Merry Christmas to his dad.
When Randy got back in the car Chip asked Randy, "Did you find him?"  What a sweetie!

At the hotel the kids were elated to find that they could go swimming in an indoor pool even though it was snowing outside!

After church on Sunday we spent some time with Randy's Aunt Grace and his cousins, Joan and Diane and Jr.  What fun they had playing games and doing puzzles.  I think they are beginning to understand family relations and how special they can be. 

Monday and Tuesday was spent playing in the snow.  There was just enough to make for perfect sledding!  After a few trips down on the saucers, it was packed and slick enough for going down on their stomachs.  I sat on the enclosed, heated sun porch and laughed and laughed at their fun.

Wednesday brought wind and snow - an old fashioned blizzard.  With wind gusts up to 50 mph, we stayed inside and played games. This lasted until Saturday evening when it snowed so hard that we could not see to the next block!

Christmas morning FINALLY came! 

Some favorite gifts were: 

Spongebob pajamas

A new Nutcracker for Marquel's collection

A Dallas Cowboy shirt

New dolls

Special ornaments for their Christmas tree

Chip would say "oh, that's what I've been looking for!"

We spent time with Randy's mom at the nursing home, played games, read books, played more games, watched movies, played more games - and had a great time.

On Sunday we ventured out to see the snow.  The snowplows piled snow in the middle of intersections (that is me at the bottom of the hills and a 2 story building in the right back!)

This is our 3rd Christmas in Nebraska with the kids.  They are finally resigned to "bundling up" before they go outside.

Marquel helped shovel snow for several hours - and loved it.  We don't know how much snow we got from Wednesday through Saturday, but this picture of Bryce and the snowblower give you an idea.  We figured at least 15 inches on top of what they already had!

Randy's sister had the kids working on a surprise project.  All we could figure was that it had something to do with hands, because she asked Randy to take this picture of the kids.  At the school they worked on a really neat calender with pictures made with hand prints for each month.  It is a very special gift that can be re-used from year to year.

So from us and the kids - Thank you so much and Happy New Year!

Randy and Stephanie, Marquel, Annie, Charlie and Chip