She's Home for the Holidays!

Morgan left Knoxville, TN at about 12:30pm today, and made it home to Ripley at about 7:30pm. She'll be here until January 6th. I miss her so much. Now I'm ready for the holidays. Molli is in Ripley now, but has to go on Monday and take a couple of finals, then she's home until 2009 also. I just love it when our girls are all under one roof. This is better than any Christmas gift I could receive.

She's here! She's here!
I miss seeing this face every day. I just want to hug and kiss her.

Morgans 'clean' room before she came home. (I'd rather have it messy with her in it.)

Morgan in her room after she came home and discovered that I had used her closet for my 'out of season' clothes. Didn't realize she'd be bringing so many clothes home with her.

These are models that Morgan built while at school.
God has blessed Jim and I with these girls, and I'll be eternally grateful.

Maci's Piano Recital

All of Ms. Heckerts piano students.

On Sunday, December 6th, Granny, Jim, and myself, went to listen to Maci play at her piano recital. We love to go to these. The kids can play so well, that it really is enjoyable to go and listen. Maci takes lessons from Ms. Heckert in Ripley. Ms. Heckert was my piano teacher as well, not too many years ago. She also taught Jim's sisters piano.

The kids all played Christmas music and it really put us in the Christmas mood.

Maci playing O Little Town of Bethlehem during the recital. Maci practicing the piano, at home, before the recital.

A head-on crash on an icy road

After the Christmas parade, I went with Tyler and Molli to Flatwoods Road to bake Christmas cookies with the women in Tyler's family. The roads were horrible. I mean slick. As in ice. We made it to Ravenswood, me with my eyes closed, before a car tried to stop in front of us which caused Tyler to start sliding. We missed the car, but collided head-on with an oncoming van. Since I had my eyes closed, I could feel that we were sliding, and Tyler was saying "Oh No", but he's such a big kidder, I thought it was a joke...until impact. Tyler got out, and the other fellow was standing with his back to us talking on the phone. When Tyler slammed his truck door, we started sliding right toward this fellow. Molli and I were both yelling "move, move". We stopped right before reaching him. Everyone was OK, but I was so rattled (and crying of course) that I just needed to talk to Jim. Called him up, at which point, I understand from Maci, he put me on speaker phone in Wal-Mart. Thanks alot for the support buddy. Anyway, no police could come because none were available. They were already all out on other wrecks. Tyler's mom, Teresa came and got Molli and I and took us to her sisters house. After we were there, we had a good time. I got to hold and play with Kensley. (I took alot of cute pictures of her but they were deleted from the camera somehow). When it was time to go home, CaSandra's husband Rob came and got us in his 4-wheel drive truck. Thanks Rob! It was quite an eventful day.

Tyler's truck.

The 'other' vehicle.

A Snowy Christmas Parade

The Ripley Christmas Parade was Saturday, December 6th, at 1pm. Around noon it started to snow. It got slick FAST. I wondered how the band members were going to march on the ice. I understand a few fell. Not in front of me, too bad, I would have gotten a picture. Just kidding! I parked at City Hall with a front and center view. Jim brought lunch and we ate in the car while we watched the parade. Molli and Tyler came and joined us also. I did have a few pictures of Maci marching and Maci with her friends, but somehow they got deleted from my camera. I was pretty upset. Oh well, I'll just have to commit the day to memory.

Leading the Parade. No parade is complete without the firetruck. Ripley's fire trucks were out on a run because it was so icy. Santa arrived on this fire truck, and the Mayor was riding also. Jim's in the Christmas spirit. Tyler and Molli watching the parade.

Trimming the Tree at Granny's

Since Granny moved to Fairplain, each year the girls and I along with Christie, Ivy, and Walker Shouldis go to Moms to help her decorate. Fred and Barbara bring the boxes from Moms storage garage and leave them on her porch. That's when we know it's time to decorate. This year Christie brought the pizza and Mom made apple pie and cinnamon rolls. We usually eat and visit longer than we decorate. This year my girls had other places to be (Tyler's, UT, and Emily's birthday party) so it was just me, Mom, and the Shouldis'.

This all started because before Dad died, he bought a large lighted train decoration for outside. Walker was really into Thomas the Train, and Walker and Ivy enjoyed it and believed that it was just for them (I think that it really was). After Dad died, Walker came up to me and said "Sorry about your Dad. What about the train?" It was so, so sweet. He really was sorry, and he really did wonder about his train. So, each year since then, Ivy and Walker have come to Moms to help set up their train decoration. It was so, so cold this year, that we only got the tree decorated this evening, and they are going to come back and set up the train later. We had such a good time. I love these kids! And so did Dad.

Walker in the tree looking for the cord to plug the lights in.

Ivy entertained us with Christmas music. She can really play the piano! Ivy is in the fifth grade.

Walker is in first grade.

Sweet, sweet kids!

Grand Illumination Ceremony at Cedar Lakes

Cedar Lakes, just down the hill from our home, each year at Christmas time, has various lighted displays with a total of over 725,000 lights for people to enjoy. During the month, they offer hayrides, dinner, entertainment of various choirs and plays, craft classes, plus refreshments of cookies and hot chocolate to enjoy as you drive around and view the lights. The Ripley High School marching band marched around the circle and as they went the lights came on. The lights were beautiful, the music festive, and the feel in the air was Christmas. Granny, Jim, and I sat in the car, with our mugs of cappuccino, and enjoyed the evening. Even the cold and rain couldn't dampen the Christmas spirit. Maci at home practicing. The band marching around Cedar Lakes. Maci with two of her BFF's, Ashtyn and Sarah.

The Oiler Women

Paula took this picture of us on Thanksgiving. Do we look alike? When people say that we do, I consider it a HUGH compliment, but the girls don't like to hear it (who wants to look like their mother)! When Molli was born, she looked EXACTLY like Jim. She was born in November, and when we went Christmas shopping that year, it took forever because everyone stopped us and commented about how she looked exactly like Jim. I loved it for him, he was so proud. Morgan looked like Morgan but as she got older she more resembled me, although she has the same outlook and disposition as Jim. I loved to hear her argue her point (and she did quite often), and stand up for herself. Something that I struggle with, but she and Jim can hold their own. I find comfort in that now that she 'lives' away from home. Maci looked exactly like me when she was smaller. Some of her preschool and grade school pictures I dressed her like me and fixed her hair like mine in my pictures when I was that age and you can't tell which is Maci. When my Dad and Mom would keep her, they said she looked just like me, talked all the time like I did (no surprise, huh) but didn't act like me (evidently she acted like her FATHER). She was very outgoing, witty, and funny. Well, I can't tell you in words how blessed I am to have these daughters. I'm so pleased, and continue to tell them, there will never be anybody in your life, on your side, that loves you like a sister. No matter what happens to Jim or I, you will always have your sisters. I love these girls (rather, young women)!