2011

If you read my blog, a little window in to our world, you will most likely already know the things that this post is going to recap.  There have been changes, heartbreaks, hopes dashed, miracles, answered prayers and unanswered prayers mixed with wonderful, breathtaking, beautiful moments that made up the past 12 months.  

-We have attended many. many musical events and were in awe of Maci's gift of music.  We've watched parades and band festivals that she has led, listened to her sing, and shared in her excitement when chosen for All-State Chorus, All-State Chamber Choir, etc.

-We have watched Maci play tennis matches.

-We have prayed Morgan through trips to and from TN and for her safety on school trips she has taken.

-We have attended and watched Marshall University ball (basketball and football) and participated in the cheering and the booing as a family.

-I have traveled for work.

-Jim and Maci went to Disney World.

-Both of Jim's parents passed away this year.

-Mom moved out of the nursing home and in to an apartment.

-Jim and I celebrated 25 years of marriage by flying to the beach for a short, much needed, get away.  I loved this man 25 years ago when we got married, but I had no idea how very much more I'd love him in 25 years.

-We've seen boyfriends go, and new boyfriends come.

-We've celebrated birthdays, weddings, and babies being born.

-Maci entered her last year of high school, so there have been lots of "lasts".  Molli entered her last year of college (this seems to be much more joyful than Maci's last year of high school).

-Tyler has hunted, hunted, and hunted.  Along with worked, worked, worked.  He is one busy fellow.

2011 is almost over, and we expectantly look forward to 2012 and all that God has planned for our lives.

Happy New Year!



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Another 23rd Birthday Party

Tyler turned 23 years old on December 27th.  

His choice of "Birthday Dinner" was Jim's famous spaghetti and bread with a Dirt Cake as his Birthday Cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!

We Love You!

Merry CHRISTmas!

 

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

On CHRISTmas Eve, Mom, Tyler and Molli came and spent the night with us.  We snacked, talked, and watched TV too late, then got up at 5am to open our gifts to each other.  I always feel so very blessed on CHRISTmas morning to have our children here in the house with us. 

We each open our gifts one at a time beginning with the youngest to the oldest.  We like to see what each person got, and who got the gift for them.  I love to watch our kids expressions as they open their gifts.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler had one more gift in the garage from Molli.

After everyone had opened their gifts, Fred and Barb came by.  Jim fixed breakfast of eggs and sausage and Molli fixed cinnamon rolls.

Maci started filling up her days in her new planner.

 And, Tyler was worn out.

Molli and Tyler then left to go home and get ready for church.  Mom, Fred and Barb left to go to my Grandma Hall's, and we started getting ready for church.

What a wonderful blessing to be able to worship the Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty King, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace on this CHRISTmas morning with my loved ones and church family.

 

 After church, the girls and I went to my Aunt Janice's for CHRISTmas dinner and to visit with the cousins.  I didn't take any pictures while there, just visited and talked.  Alex and TL were there, and it's always nice to have a "little one" around at CHRISTmas time.

Jim didn't go with us because we had a couple of appliance problems......on CHRISTmas Eve our new washer quit spinning and then on CHRISTmas morning the refrigerator wasn't cooling.  Jim stayed home from Janice's and fixed the fridge and is calling the repairman for the washer on Monday.  Oh well.

After the fridge was cold again, we went to Jim's sister's house in Millwood.  Since both of Jim's parents passed away this year, it was the first CHRISTmas without them.  We visited, reminisced, and played with Riley and Graci. 

Once back at home Tyler and Molli came back to the house.  Also, DJ came over and we watched movies and went through some things that Jim's sisters had given him of his Dad's.

DJ's parents got DJ and Maci these Underarmour Ripley Viking t-shirts.

 

When Tyler came back over, he brought a toy that he had gotten from his parents for CHRISTmas.  He and DJ had a good time with it, but Maci and Gidget were scared.

 

Jim enjoyed going through all of his Dad's things that he was given.  He spent lots of time on the computer researching....

 

Tomorrow, I plan on spending lots of time "playing" with my new things....

 

I'm exhausted, but in a good way, it has been a wonderful, blessed CHRISTmas 2011!

Oh CHRISTmas Tree, Oh CHRISTmas Tree.....

Maci and DJ

When you have two people so cute and so photogenic, it's hard to not take tons of pictures. 

This is CHRISTmas Eve as they were headed to DJ's grandparents.

 

 

This is the snack food item that Maci took with her....a snowman cheeseball.

A Look at the Lights

Each year, at CHRISTmas time, the family puts on their PJ's, loads in to the car, gets takeout from McDonalds, and drives around looking at all the CHRISTmas lights.  This year it was raining so I didn't get pictures of any of the light displays, but we had a good time anyway!

Jim and Tyler with their PJ's on....
(Jim did not actually wear this~thank goodness. Although, I think that Molli did make Tyler wear those grinch PJ bottoms that I suggested.)

All loaded in the car.

Santa driving us around.

A quick stop for food.

Beef O'Bradys Bowl

We found out a couple of weeks ago that Marshall was headed to the Beef O'Bradys Bowl in St. Petersburg, FL to play FIU on Tuesday night.  Jim and I wanted to hop on the first plane out and take the family with us to the game.  Jim checked the flights and hotel arrangements, but.......between work schedules and school schedules and vacation days left, and it was so close to CHRISTmas.....we weren't going to be able to work it out.  

So, we did the next best thing....we had a Bowl Party!

We were all here (except for Gus ~ if we had decided to go, we were getting him a ticket and meeting him in Florida).  

Everyone wore their Marshall attire....

We used our Marshall dinnerware along with our CHRISTmas dinnerware....

We had lots of good food.....cheese fries, wings, BBQ smokies, chips and salsa, and party mix along with an assortment of candy.  

Tyler fried the bacon for the fries (while he talked on the phone ~ of course ~ ha!).

Gidget had a good time at Honey's house too!  She loves party mix!

Then it was time for the BIG game!!!!!!!!

The game was intense....lots of yelling....lots of booing.....but, in the end......

Marshall was the 

WINNER!

We had such a good time ~ always much better when we win :)

Next year though, if Marshall goes to a bowl game (especially to a warm, southern state) we are so going!  Jim said so....