Welcome to 2020!

Happy New Year! My holidays were great, and I hope everyone else's were, as well. 

Christmas 2019 was a little different this year, since we didn't have any out-of-town company with us on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. My sister Sharon and her family have spent Christmas with us here in Missouri for the past decade, but this year they opted to have Christmas at home in Mississippi. Most of Sharon's kids have never spent Christmas in their own home (or they are too young to remember it), so this Christmas was a new experience for us and for them! I still had a wonderful Christmas, even though it was different. It was kind of nice to not have to get up super early in order to get dressed, up, and ready by 8 AM. (I know 8 is rather late for most kids to start opening Christmas presents, but it takes me a while to get up and ready, so that's why we always held the kids off until 8.) 

My sister Chandra lives close by, so she and her family got up and opened presents at their house, had breakfast, and then came over to my house about 11 AM. Christian and Ruby opened a few presents from my mom and her husband, David, and from me, too, of course. After that, we talked and visited for awhile, and then our good friend Paul joined us for a late lunch/early dinner. It was a great day. The only bad thing about this Christmas, is that I don't have a single picture to show for Christmas Day! But here are a few pictures of Chandra's family on the Sunday before Christmas:

Sharon and her family came the day after Christmas and they spent a week with us. We had such a nice, relaxed visit. I just love talking and hanging out with my nieces and nephew! I seriously have some of the best nieces and nephews around. Christian enjoyed having cousins to play with, and everybody loved sweet Ruby. Unfortunately, I started feeling poorly the day Sharon's family arrived. I don't know what was wrong, but I had a fever off and on for a couple of days, a bad headache and body aches, and I just didn't feel well. I went to bed earlier than usual for an entire week, and after several days of rest I felt back to normal. Whew... nobody has time to be sick, especially when family is around!

One special thing that happened while Sharon's family was here was that her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, chose to go through the temple (where we make special covenants with God). I was so glad she chose to do this at the St. Louis Temple, so that my mom, David and I could be there. That was a special day that I will always remember.

We also got together with some of the other cousins/grandchildren on Sunday afternoon, so there was more fun cousin time for the kids. This isn't the best picture, and we didn't have everybody in it, but at least this shows some of the cousins together:

We have started a new decade and a new year, and I hope it brings many good things for me, my family, and for all of you!!