Happy Days!

Christmas Day at our house was a very fun-filled day.   Sarah was the "bugler" and made sure we were all up by 0930 to open gifts.   First though some of us had breakfast and then we all helped Mary finish a crossword puzzle in the paper. Everyone liked their gifts very much! Thank you!  I realized this year, at 47 years old, that I now enjoy giving and watching others open gifts more than actually opening one myself! I still enjoy getting gifts, don't get me wrong, but the giving seems to be so satisfying!

Once the gifts were all opened we announced to the kids that we would upgrading everyone's phone and signing up for a one year contract.  That brought some real excitement to the house!  They have been wanting new phones for a while now. We spent time looking online at all the phones available to us, and decided we would try to find an alltell store open on Sunday and get them. Hooray!

Christmas Dinner was standing rib roast, real mashed potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie.  It all turned out tasty and  we had no leftovers of the meat, but plenty of corn and potatoes.  Didn't estimate too well.  Perhaps I will need to make a casserole to use up the potatoes!

Matthew played Wii games most of the day, Sarah watched her new DVD's and Mary read one of her new books and helped me with dinner.  I loaded up the pictures on the computer and have tried to keep my blog and photo album up to date. Jeff took a much needed afternoon nap and then worked at the office to get ready for Sunday church.  Overall, it was a lovely Christmas Day.  Happy Birthday Jesus!

Service on Sunday was very nice.  The orchestra did an outstanding job with their anthems! I am very proud of them.   Lunch was at home, taco salad!  I called All Tell to see where the closest store would be to get phones. There are no stores in our area anymore.  All Tell is being bought by Verizon and we are in the limbo area. Can't even find a store on the way to Wisconsin! So, the nice All Tell lady helped us over the phone and they have been ordered.  The phones should arrive this week. Yay!

The family did some shopping this afternoon and came home with some great stuff!  Jeff got a weather station, complete with an anomometer!  I got shoes and slippers that I needed.  Sarah got a new DVD player and a hand mixer. Mary bought some clothes and jewelry and Matthew got himself another Wii game.  Will I ever get to watch my new TV??  That was Jeff and My present to each other! No worries, we have plenty of time to watch TV and it is fun to watch Matthew play his games. Dinner was at Pizza Hut and then I finished up the laundry and took a snooze (otherwise I would not be awake to type this).  Mary spent some time at Brandon's house.

We will be heading to Uncle Bill and Aunt Bobbie's later today.  It will be nice to see some family and travel a little bit.  Before we leave I will still need to accomplish the following

1. Dog to his hotel. 
2. Trip to the bank and post office
3. Call about my car.

Yes, my car is being repaired.  A month or so ago, the check engine light would go on occasionally, so we had  the car looked at and also had an oil change and tire rotation. Well, something happened because the mileage  report shows less miles to the gallon and I smell gas inside my car first thing in the morning.  We took the car back last Wednesday and haven't heard a thing since.  Not good.  Suppose I can call about the car from a car while travelling!

Later this week, we are having a youth dessert potluck at our house.   Trying to plan activities for 2011.  Remember when Y2K came around?  Many thought there would be all kinds of trouble. Now it is 11 years later and all is well with the computers, clocks and the like. I hope that it will be a year of turn arounds, economically, especially here in Montcalm County, MI and also a turn around for our government and country to serve in a God pleasing way.

Time will fly by this week and before I know it Mary and Sarah will be back at college and we will be back to the normal grind. Sure is nice to have a break to enjoy family and friends and celebrate the best gift of all, our Savior, Jesus!

 Gracie

PS Happy Birthday Ken!