Well, Christmas is definitely different this year than we ever dreamed it would be last year. These are pictures of Noah on Christmas Sunday in his little Santa suit. Noah got his first Christmas sack, a tradition that his namesake started many, many years ago. I am so thankful to God for my wonderful family and that we are all together once again for Christmas. I pray that it will always be so and that we would all continue to defer to one another. How blessed we are! Merry Christmas to you all.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Blogging

I have found so many cool blogs that Christian women write. I am so impressed by them and inspired. One of my favorite things to do is find new sites. I do want to pass on my favorite scripture in case anyone is actually reading my blog. Isaiah 43:1-2 says
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called [you] by your name; You [are] Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I [will be] with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

What a comfort this scripture is. To know that God knows me individually is awesome, that he will be with me through all of my life is incredible. What a great God I have. My husband says God is and God is good. So true.

On another note, I am so blessed. Even saying that doesn't seem to convey what I really feel. I have health, family, friends, everything and more than I could ever imagine. As my sister once said, "I love my life." And tonight I get to see and babysit my little Noah. What a blessing he has been to our family. I can't wait to have many, many more. I'm not sure I could ever have too many grandchildren. Of course I always wanted lots of children myself.

My Granny Yates went home yesterday. She was 97. We are all going to miss her so much but I am thankful for her homegoing. I can just see the reunion that went on yesterday and probably is still going on between her and my mother, Granny's son and her parents. My goodness what celebration is happening. Granny has been such an important part of my life for just forever. It's hard to believe she won't be around any longer even though she has been "gone" in her mind for a long time now. She was always there when us kids were growing up, picking up our rooms, helping Mother with the house work or laundry. She worked at the plant for years opening up early in the morning and working all day long. Sometimes it would be so incredibly hot at the plant where she worked hooking lures, but she always loved being around all the women who worked there. When Jenny and Lana were babys, she would take care of them at the office while Karen and I worked. She pushed them around in a grocery basket when they were big enought to sit up. Granny worked there 40+ hours a week until she was 80 years old. She wouldn't have stopped then if they hadn't laid her off. She loved being around people. She loved caring for her family especially her babies. I think that is why the last couple of years she constantly had her "babies" with her and cared for them so much. If you went into her room and she was asleep, her babies would be right there with her taking up most of the bed. They would be laying there on her arm just like I remember we used to do when we were little. That was one of the most comforting things that I remember as a kid was sleeping next to Granny on her arm in that small bedroom at Ma Sims' house. Granny, I love you and will miss you so much but I will see you again. Have fun at your reunion.

Wow how fast time has gone this year. With Thanksgiving over it is now time to zoom on to Christmas. I hope to take it a little slower this year and really enjoy the season. I have been reading so many wonderful blogs by Christian women. They are truly inspiring and I am blessed to have found them.
We did have a great Thanksgiving again this year. Just having all of my kiddos with me is all I could ever want, plus we have the added pleasure of having our little Noah with us this year. We never dreamed last year that this year we would have such a cute bundle of pure joy. Thank you God for your blessings we receive every day.

I can't believe another Thanksgiving is here. How do the days pass so very quickly. I got to do something different this year although long ago this was something we did every year. I got to have Thanksgiving dinner early with a part of my family that I don't see often. Karen and I went to "Ma Sims'" house to have lunch with Aunt Edith, Aunt Nan, Edie, Kay, Cassandra, Aunt Addie and various other family members. This is a part of my mother's family that we don't see much of but love enormously. Being there brought back tons of wonderful memories of many, many weekends spent there while growing up. These are aunts, uncles, cousins we literally grew up with but that my kids don't even know. I am going to change that this next year hopefully. I am going to try very hard to take my kids down there to Steve, Arkansas to meet this family and see where I spent lots of time. They may not be very interested but hopefully someday they will be. Family is so important. And much like my little grandson Noah, I can't seem to get enough of lately. This will probably be our last Thanksgiving with Granny as she seems to be going down pretty fast right now and I will miss her but she deserves to go on the be with Mother and other family members that have gone on before us. I hope everyone has as wonderful a Thanksgiving tomorrow as I know I am going to have. Happy Thanksgiving.

My sweet baby boy. Everyone was right about grandchildren. I just can't seem to get enough of him. He spent the night with us Friday night and his Papa had so much fun with him. I did too but just in a different way. Gary actually played with him. Saturday Jamie and Kacee took him for his Christmas pictures and they are wonderful. I am so thankful to God for such a perfect little boy. Our family is so blessed there are just not words enough to praise God for everything. I can't wait to have more little blessings like Noah.

Blogging. Hum. What a crazy, nice thing. I love reading different blogs and there are tons out there. Lots of good recipes on the food blogs. I have found some blogs of people I don't know but pray for because they are going through very trying circumstances in their lives. It's a great way to keep up with family and friends. I have listed some of my favorites over on the side of this. Whoever invented blogging must have been a mom wanting to keep up with her kids. This is kind of like a public diary so you do have to be careful of what you write because unlike my blog most of them get read by lots of people.

Last night at our women's bible study which is called Circle of Blessings, Pam, our leader, spoke on something very interesting. Something I have never thought of before. She taught on Psalm 23 but in an entirely different manner. Most usually this is brought up in funerals but she applied this to our everyday lives in this scary world of ours. This chapter is very comforting in the way she taught it. "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil" We have the assurance that even though in this world there is much evil or death, we don't fear it because "Thou art with me" God even tells us that he is our Shepard and we shall not want. With all of the economy falling apart around us, we, his children, shall not be wanting. He will take care of us. There was much more that with my aging memory I just can't remember but I will be getting a cd of it. It was just very good and comforting. The main idea I received from this teaching last night was not to fear, God will take care of his children no matter what is going on around us.

Election day is finally here. What do I say. I pray everyone votes for our country and its freedom. But whatever the outcome, we have to remember that God is in control not man. Thank God for that. What a mess we would be in if we controlled it. OK enough about the election. I have pictures of Noah's first Halloween. He looks like he sat in a pumpking. So cute!

No pictures this time. Just some thoughts. I am so terribly and awesomely blessed. God has given me a wonderful husband, four beautiful children, an awesome daughter-in-law and now the most handsome grandson. We are all healthy, happy, loved, cared for...I could go on and on. Each day brings new blessings into our lives. I have been reading two blogs of young women that have had severe tragedy come into their lives and have read about their amazing strength. One of them has been severely burned in a plane crash. Hers is a story of her sisters love for her. This makes me so extremely thankful for my sisters and our relationship. There is nothing like having a sister or two. I would never want to be without them. The other woman is just as strong. She has endured multiple amputations and blindness but every picture I see of her holds a smile on her face. I pray for these women daily even though I probably will never meet them but God knows them. They are his children too. Thank you God for all you have done for me and my family and for what you are continuing to do and what you will do in the future. I love you.

More pictures of our cutie pie. We just can't seem to get enough of him. Of course he is oblivious to it all.

Well, Noah is finally here. He is the sweetest thing you can ever imagine. Kacee was so brave and did so great. What a wonderful daughter-in-law I have. Her and Jamie are going to make great parents. I will be posting more pictures as I get them. He was only 7 hours old in these pictures.

ACKKKKKKKKKK!!! Not much longer now. I am so excited about little Noah. We got to go with Jamie and Kacee to their drs appointment and see the ultrasound. He is so cute. Kacee is on complete bedrest right now as her blood pressure has been somewhat eractic. I know that is hard on her, but best for her and Noah. I see all of these little babies at church and can't wait for ours. Possibly Noah will be here next Monday.

I was just looking back over the past year at this blog. Can't quite believe it has been over a year since I first started this blog. We have really had some great times with family and friends. Lots of good memories. This is better than scrapbooking. Looked back at the times at Canton, Texas not knowing that by that time this year we would have our own little grandson. What a wonderful life I lead. Thank you God for all of your blessings on our family.

Last Friday, Pam and Tim were at the house with their newest grandchild. She is so cute. Gary was holding her and got excited about our new one to come. When he was holding her I suddenly realized we didn't have a rocking chair to rock Noah in. Well, I immediately began searching for one and soon came to know that there isn't much to choose from. Definitely didn't want a recliner/rocker, don't particularly like the gliders and didn't want a stuffed one like Kacee has because it would not go with our furniture in the living room. So I decided to try to find a wooden one but not necessarily the kind on the front porch. I found one that I love and think will really look good in the living room. It is from Decor Americana. Hope it is a good one. I took a chance and ordered it yesterday without asking or telling Gary about it. I think it will be. ACK! What have I done?

I finished painting Noah's nursery pictures yesterday. I loved doing this for him and for Jamie and Kacee. It was tiring but fun. Not real pleased with the monkey but Oh well, can't have everything. Just a few more weeks until Mr. Noah is finally here. I can't wait to hold him, and kiss him. We are all really getting excited!

Here are two diaper cakes I have made for baby showers. I am also painting children's footstools. So far this is the only one I have completed for pictures and it was for my soon-to-arrive grandson. Also pictured is a frame I painted and letters that were decopaged. These pictures aren't the greatest. I love doing this and hopefully can start painting them and selling them.

These are just a very few of our pictures from our vacation. Gary, Jessica, Jenny and I went to Cody, Wyoming for a couple of days. There we went whitewater rafting (yes, Gary went also), then on to Yellowstone National Park. We saw Old Faithful geyser and the inn. Awesome! After five days there we left and went to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. The entire trip was different from anything we had ever done and was truly a blessing. Words and pictures cannot capture the grand beauty of God's creations.