A Few More Pics

Wayne at Tabernacle in my magic Christmas hat! Notice the feet kicking!
Yes, Al got a Snuggie for Christmas...but not just any Snuggie...A HARRY POTTER SNUGGIE!!!!

Jeffery with the fam playing a rousing game of BLOKUS!!

A Really Good Christmastime

We've had a very full few days and it's been wonderful! Allie & I had a goal to really fill our time with many Christmas happenings and we've done it!

Our next event was a neighborhood gathering across the street at Bookie & Chuckie Barksdale's. There were many neighbors there we hadn't seen in quite some time. Lots of good food and drink and memories. All the Deer Run "kids" gathered well into the early morn playing pool & reminiscing.

Next was some final shopping. Then Christmas eve was a small intimate service at our little Tabernacle Church. Of course, John made it meaningful and precious. Allie sang and that was so special. And of course, the ladies had lots of goodies in the fellowship hall afterwards. We love our Tabernacle people!

Allie & I traveled Christmas eve to Richmond to Our Lady of Lourdes for Christmas eve mass. It was very beautiful and God centered....a wonderful way to end the evening.

Christmas day is always quiet around our house. We did venture over to the Scudders to exchange gifts and laughs. We hooked up JR's new "ears" to the bedroom TV and it was a big success in helping him hear the shows. He also got some books, new pants,videos and his favorite SUSAN BOYLE CD. He dances to it in the living room! Allie got some new Dior perfume, a Harry Potter snuggie, videos, boots, books and many small delights. My favorite gift....a PEZ collection from the Wizard of Oz! Happy birthday Mom....

We all napped on and off all day. Then I hit the kitchen and prepped the turkey and cassaroles for the next day. Jeff, Jon, Elaine, Jenn & Lizzy got here about 1:30pm Saturday, the next day, just in time for a big sit down meal! We had a grand time playing games and laughing the afternoon away.

It's Sunday now....in a little bit Al & I will head to Newport News to spend lunchtime with Paige & Grover...I love seeing so much family during the holidays!

Few More Photos

The first is Alicia playing handbells at Immanuel...the second is of our newest little workcamper, Grayson...and the third is of the swimming pool at our house.

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S ! ! ! !

Baking, Busch, & lots of Music!

The photos above are of our little Will in a sweater because it's 19 degrees outside and the second is of Allie & Ellen Rose at the penguin exhibit at Busch Garden's CHRISTMAS TOWN.

We are certainly celebrating Christmas in many different forms this season. Most of our evenings are quiet by the fire....baking cookies, wrapping presents and watching lots of Paranormal State. Al got to spend two hours with Ethel the other day which is ALWAYS a boost for her! We love Ethel!

I went shopping early to beat the crowds...only a couple more presents to get and I am finished. I also made a batch of the little workcamp angels out of paperclips....hard to explain....will take a photo & upload it. They are so cute.

Al & I headed to the VCU Bookstore ....Richmond was a mess....nothing had been scraped except Broad Street and they got a lot more snow than us. We grabbed a few things for the nieces & uncles & left.

Sunday evening was a fun time at Immuel's cantata. Our mission was to see Alicia playing handbells. They had a big choir and a full orchestra. All the music was loud and full on, like a Gaither concert, but it was really fun!

I had a chance to visit the Balmers. Erica & Jason are home with little Grayson. She had him dressed in his little WORKCAMP onesie...so cute! Iwill upload photos so you can see soon.

Then, our second type of Christmas experience was the "commercial" one. We headed with the Scudders to Busch Garden's Christmas Town. The park was adorned with lights & trees....so beautiful. We saw a show in the Abby Theatre with great music....had fun celebrating & drinking hot chocolate in the Festhaus....and saw a Muppet Christmas show in the Globe Theatre. It was cold and we were all bundled up. My favorite was riding the carosel.

We still have a big crust of icy snow covering the ground at home. Today we'll finish shopping, wrapping...and then we head across the street to Chuckie & Bookie's for a little neighborhood gathering. It will be nice with old friends and the neighborhood kids all together too.

Here's A Funny Photo!

So back in November I sneeked into the bathroom at St Mary's Hospital and changed into the bunny suit. I visited my friend Sally D. when she had her knee replaced. I thot I had lost the photo somewhere on the computer, but here it is!
We have homemade potato soup in the crock pot to share with the Scudders and are awaiting the big snowstorm! I found a blow up tube in the garage and the four wheeler is ready to go! I hope we have enough snow to have some fun rides and we'll ignite the firepit for some marshmellows! Now if only the weather will cooperate!

Where Has The Time Gone!!!

I have no idea where the time has gone. I don't think I have ever been so unprepared for Christmas. I STILL have shopping to do! We really want to get together with Paige sometime. We won't be having our annual Christmas gathering at her house because they have their hands full helping out Mr. Lilley now that Mrs. Lilley has passed on. Then they are heading to Tennessee right after Christmas.

We ended up not going to DONK'S. The drive that night was going to be a killer...so we helped out a little with Alicia's children's Christmas program Thus the photos....it was really quite neat. She had folks sign in with the census and then pay their tax in Bethlehem and then visit different venders.....then they ate and heard the Christmas story.

Al had a beautiful candlelit prayer service at Our Lady of Lourdes last nite. She has her first PRS meeting on the 28th.

I take the supervisor test for the census on the 28th in Wakefield, altho I am not sure that I could in reality do it and also handle all the WORKCAMP planning. We'll see.

John is busy planning the Christmas Eve service. We are supposed to get SNOW tonight into Saturday....and then again on Christmas Eve! Our congregation is older, so if that happens, there'll be no services for either. I loved it at Walnut Hill when Glenn always said that the church would hold services NO MATTER WHAT!!!! Some of those services were the BEST!

I have made the biggest find EVER in my genealogy in about 15 years. I traveled to the VA STATE LIBRARY in Richmond but was only able to be there a couple hours. Then, I found photos on Ancestry that I had never seen. The owner returned my call from OHIO and is sending me copies. One is of my g grandfather that I have never seen. I can't wait for the mailman to come!

Edyth's last day at her church is DEC 24th and then she is on leave for 2 months with pay. She is so excited....I hope we get to spend a little time with her and Cass. They would love to go to Disneyworld, but the $$$$.

Al & I gotta quit cooking chocolate chip cookies in the evenings! Oh, Bah Humbug!

HO, HO, HO!!!

Here's Al & Ben at the Prince George Parade last Saturday. Alicia , Kent & a few friends were all there.
This week really has gone by quickly. Al moved thru her finals with flying colors! Looks like May is going to be the graduating date!
The phone has started ringing....youth groups making sure of registration dates....residents wanting their homes to be assessed.
Alicia & I took the US Census exam....we both hope to work the 2010Census. After all the genealogy research, I really wanted to be part of one census!
I found a tidbit on my most distant relative the other nite. It was the first clue I have found in more than 15 years! It was a note at the Richmond Virginia State Library. A small hand written note by someone appointed in Amherst to write for ROBERT ANDERSON EAGLES....asking the status on his claim with the US Disability and Artificial Limbs commission. Apparently his application had been lost and he never received any compensation for his serious injuries in the Civil War. I could go on and on!!!!! It was dates Oct 1874. I plan to go up and get a copy of it ASAP!
There is an exhibit in old towne Petersburg tonight. Edgar Allan Poe & his wife honeymooned in a building down on W. Bank Street. An artist has done a painting and is signing prints there tonight ....would love to get one for Al for Christmas....will see.
She and another Protestant friend are going to Shabat (nite one of Hannakah) tonight at temple in Richmond just to say they have been to one! O these crazy Religious Majors.
The house is all Christmased out.....I am organizing the attic as I take things down for Christmas. The attic and the meemaw room are going to look really good after this holiday.
Praying for my dear friend Darlene in Ohio. Her sister was just diagnosed stage 3 cancer.....it's going to be a challenge for all of them....Darlene is one of my "life friends".....I love her & Randy dearly.....
Jennfer's basketball game was rescheduled so it looks like we will head to NC on Tuesday.
Well, gotta wish "Buzzy" Brian Romaine, John's brother a happy birthday today!
AND WE ARE HEADING FOR DONK'S TOMORROW NITE!!!! Ye Hawwwwwwwwwww!

Christmas Tree & A Parade

Today was a terrific day. First of all, the sun was out! JR & I headed to Tabernacle Church....his sermon was on ANTICIPATION. So good! Then it was the first Sunday of the month, so we all ate together in the fellowship hall. We all eat together every first Sunday. It's so like family.

After lunch I headed home, picked up Al and we took off for Prince George Courthouse for the BIG PRINCE GEORGE CHRISTMAS PARADE. There were lots of old cars, cub scouts, firetrucks....and Santa was pulled by a John Deere tractor.

Then back to the house where Allie & I decorated the Christmas tree, watched a little Paranormal State, the finale to THE AMAZING RACE & then Al studied for her Taoism exam tomorrow. Quite a combination of activities.

I had bought our Christmas tree from the old Petersburg Lions group at UKROPS. Epps Rainey was there! He was a handyman for us out in Dinwiddie back in about 1990. He is 85 now and on his 4th pacemaker. We sat in the trailer in the parking lot and chatted for quite awhile before he & his friend loaded up my white pine into the back of the van.

O yes.....Harry Potter comes out on DVD on Tuesday......

Long Time, No Blog!

First of all , imagine me thirty pounds lighter....Such fun! Jeffrey & I onstage at workcamp in 2008. I don't think we'll do the LIGHT & FLUFFY skit again! Jeff had way too much fun! Well....I had a bit of fun too!

Jeff came up for Thanksgiving. JR made a quick trip to Newport News to see family. The Scudders came over later in the evening for a short visit.

Allie & I have made a couple of trips to the mall to have lunch with Alicia & to talk to Santa. The two of us are considering working as census takers in the spring. It really pays well, but the big thing is the genealogy. Our family history hunting has made both of us anxious to be part of the 2010 Census.

Last nite was quite a storm. We got three inches of rain. I went to pick up Ellen from school and several of the roads were covered with water....I watched the vehicle before me to make sure that they could be forded.

I should go get the Christmas tree....not much dry time before it is going to rain again. We are planning to go to the Prince George Christmas Parade this Saturday, but it may not happen because of cold rain....we'll see.

I have done a smithering of Christmas shopping.....it's so hard to walk by the sales. Had to fork out a big chunk of money for property tax today, so shopping is postponed a bit.

Next week is Al's exams and then she is finished for the semester, with only one semester to go! So proud of her. She was really hit hard this week with some news from a "friend". I am so proud of her taking the high road. She is my example....I have to take my lead from her even tho I want to hurt some folk.

I will begin looking at houses this month for camp. I usually try to get about 5 under my belt before January. This year is going to be a fantastic summer! I am so thankful for each year that we celebrate with other workcampers.

Next Friday we hope to go see Jennfer's basketball game in NC....and then Donk's Christmas show on Dec 12.

Al has some incredibly exciting "paranormal" activity that will happen soon....I don't want to steal her thunder, so I will wait to write more.

It's all good....Now I just have to repair some "popcorn" ceiling .....ugh!