{Thankful and Blessed}

 

Merry After Christmas Everyone!

I hope that you all had a most wonderful Christmas. It is truly my favorite holiday season. I love the lights, the music, the gift of giving and mostly the acts of "goodwill" towards others that I have witnessed this Christmas season. The Lord has surely blessed my family and we have enjoyed our Christmas season together. I have tried so hard this holiday season to not take these sweet moments in life for granite. 

I have done LOTS of baking this Christmas! Oh my! I've often said that baking and cooking was good therapy for me and I do enjoy it so much. Well, I am not showing all the pictures of baked goods this season but let me just say, my freezer has baked goods for many Sunday dinners to come! LOL! 

I so enjoyed giving baked goodies to others this season as gifts. I think "baked goodies" speak love to me and mainly because it's time consuming and you know, it would be much easier to run out and buy a small gift. But, baking for others says LOVE. Especially when LOVE is the special ingredient. 

This girl got a workout this season. Thankful my girls gifted her to me a few years ago. I have used her well. 

My girls and I went out to eat one night over the holidays and went through a drive through Christmas light show. It was a wonderful outing for us. The sweetest thing that night was seeing a young daddy with his young daughter out on a date together. They were purchasing gifts for mom. Yeah, that sorta stuff gets to me every time!

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord....

We had the opportunity to go with my daughter Melissa and her family to a wedding for a young woman that I admire very much. She has overcome family tragedy, raised by her loving grandfather and received her master degree in education and is a very successful young woman. We witnessed her marrying the man that God picked out just for her. 

We also had the blessing of being part of the grand opening of our county's first "Rock Gym", owned by my oldest daughter Kristy and her husband Jered. It was a very exciting time. 

Our county needs something that is targeted for family fun, affordable and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Please pray with us that the gym will bring blessings that are bountiful. 

My daughter Kristy, her husband Jered and their family would sure appreciate your prayers on this new journey in their life. 

I had the opportunity to share the grand opening with some family and friends and I felt truly blessed to have the support. 

Christmas Eve with the Conner family is always hosted at my Fatherinlove's home as we can all get outside since we have a large crowd. This year the weather forecast showed high winds and rain. We thought we would have to cancel our annual Christmas Eve family party but, the newly opened Rock Gym came to rescue. We were able to have our private party there with lots of room for everyone and the kids and some adults....had a grand time climbing. 

The kids and adults decorated Christmas cookies. Of course the idea was to save them for Santa but I have a feeling that some cookies didn't make it home. LOL!

We had tons of finger foods, desserts, drinks and even Santa showed up with the children a gift. 

We surely had a most wonderful time together as family.

I have to show you my two newest Christmas ornaments that was gifted to me for Christmas. Don't you just love them?

Every year I give each of our grandchildren a pair of pajama's as one of their gifts for Christmas. They open up this gift as soon as they get to nana's and it's great for the little one's parents as the children already have their baths and ready for bed by the time they leave Nana and Papa's house. I try to have something different put on their shirts each year and this year it was TEAM SANTA. Of course I was Santa! 

My family...My Heart....

After dinner we enjoyed a hot chocolate bar with all sorts of toppings. I caught a glimpse of the two year old granddaughter sneaking some chocolate chips off the bar. Wish I had snapped a picture. 

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As I have reflected over the past few days two different quotes came to mind. There is nothing any sweeter than having family gathered together for any occasion but at Christmas time it surely is a magical time. 

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The most wonderful part of Christmas is celebrating the birth of God's Only Son, Jesus. I could do without all the presents in the world as long as I have His PRESENCE. 

    Christmas is surely the most wonderful time of the year.....

See you next year and may the Lord bless you beyond your beyond. 

Hugs and blessings, Cindy