Making Santa cookies

The children made some cookies to leave for Santa.

Merry Christmas 2008

Lots of our family was not in the United States this Christmas. We missed Chris, Ginger, and Tekoa, and Courtland and Xiaoya. It was still a great celebration of Christ birth, and we had Jim, Tisha and the kids, Ian, Mia, and Aidan here on Christmas eve. Ian wasn't feeling well that day, but he did well. We got calls from both the missing families, and cherished that too. Here is my Christmas collage. Click on the picture to see it full size.

The Ornament

I brought a special ornament home with me from the lake. It was given to me by Sandy, my friend and neighbor at the lake. She painted a blue ball with the South Carolina palmetto and crescent on it. here it is on my tree. We had a very enjoyable evening with them. They (Gary and Sandy Moore) treated us to some Mexican food, and pound cake. You can't ask for better neighbors than that.

Snake at the Lake

Eddie and I went to the lake Wednesday night. I am so glad we didn't wait until morning, because waking up at the lake on such a beautiful day was so pleasant. The sun was shining and it was WARM! How is that for the week before Christmas? We worked in the yard, and while we were talking to our neighbor Gary Moore, he noticed that we had a snake sunning himself on our front stoop. None to soon Eddie had killed it. It looked like a poisonous one to me with its viper shaped head and colorful marking and about 40 inches long. After looking it up on-line, it turned out to be a brown water snake. Eddie had guessed it right.

I am including a picture of this kind of snake. I didn't have my camera with me so I borrowed this picture.

Ian and Mia's Christmas guitar recital

This past week Eddie and I had the privilege to attend Ian and Mia's Christmas guitar recital at Converse College. They have been working hard all this semester to learn these selections along with many others that are not Christmas songs. I have included a collage of the evening, and one video only 1 minute long if you would like to watch.

Putting up the Christmas Tree.

Yesterday Eddie and I had the kids over for the evening, and we all worked together to put up our Christmas tree. This has been the first year ever since I have had so much help. It was wonderful, and they really did work.

Eddie is in a play at Church, and this is his attire. Spiffy isn't he!

Back at home

Well it's been about a month now since I got back from Brazil. All looked great when I returned. Eddie and I were glad to see each other. We have tried to make the most of some of our time, but of course there are road blocks, like work to do at the lake and also here. Then there was the problem I have been having with my tooth. The one that I had to have a root canal work done on while in Brazil. It was OK until about a week ago, then it started to feel a little touchy. Starting about 3 days ago it got worse. I was hurting last night, so I took some of Eddies pain medicine he had after his hernia operation. It helped, but I didn't feel good this morning, so Jim called a doctor friend of his, and he (the doc.) called me back and said to come see him this week. He also called me in a prescription for an antibiotic. So here I go again! Go figure.

Everyone except Mia has been doing OK. She has had a problem with her kidneys every now and then. I hate that for the little thing.

We are now getting ready for the Christmas season. I hope I will get through it without to much stress. I wish we could just stick to "The Reason for the Season". I would get more out of it. I don't mind the gift buying, but it is getting harder to know what to get for people.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to all.