The Best Gift Ever Given in the Whole Wide World

Yes.

Well, Jesus in the best gift ever given in the whole wide world.

Then my engagement ring given to me in January 1978 is the next! (which meant Sam wanted me to be his wife.)

Third place? Here is what Bailey Jo Carmack gave her Grandmother-in-law (my mother Margaret) just this past week for Christmas!!
It is a blanket - with pictures of Mother's great grandchildren.

Isn't that fantastic??
(Sam took this picture of it laid out on our kitchen table.)

 

The beauty in the upper left hand corner is 14 years old today!!
Happy Birthday, Caroline!!!

On Christmas, 2014, Bailey Jo gave me this treasure...

Oh my. I was so surprised and utterly delighted.

 I keep it on a 'ladder', but need to get it out and display the whole thing,
since I love it so much.

 I may put it in the living room.
Yes!


And Mother may wear hers as a shawl,
for the world to see.
Here it is again...

Bailey Jo,
you know what makes us happy!!

Photo Album for a Different Christmas

Weird Christmas this year... but here are some pics I like!

Laura's family attended their church's candlelight service Christmas Eve. They attended at home - virtually.

I love this picture...

 

 

On Christmas Day we did a fun FaceTime party of opening our presents with our kids and their families...

 

Later that day we went and had Christmas with Mother...

 

The day before, Will's family visited Mother.

 

And the Huffman family came and saw Mother through the window also on Christmas Day, and Anna sang the song she sang Christmas Eve at her church.
Here's Anna singing to her Great Grandmother...
(Oh wait, I think that is Elizabeth!)

Mother LOVED Anna's song!

And here is the picture I got from Facebook,
at First Baptist Church, Grapevine, of Anna singing her solo..

Isn't she beautiful?
(I have trouble putting up music on this blog,
otherwise you could hear how beautifully she sang.)

 

Here's a picture of her whole wonderful family... 

And Andrew  - in the middle -
the biggest Christmas fan there ever was -
wore his fancy jacket.

I love it!!!

Soon I will show you the most wonderful gift that Mother got for Christmas.
Bailey did it all. And I cannot think of a better present for my dear mother. 

 

Stay Tuned.

Fun Bird, Rudolph, Pajamas and Liam!

Here are some pictures I really like!

First, Laura's Christmas bird - that I colored!

After...

 Before...

 

And a cute Rudolph... 

Before...

 

and after...

Isn't that cute?

 

 

Different note...

The other night I was in my pajamas,
watching some TV
and I happened to look down at my pajamas.
I've had them for years - and they weren't expensive at all... but look...

Don't they look great??

Note to self: look, really look, at stuff you're used to!
You may actually SEE IT!!

 

Finally, here's a picture I've been wanting to show you.

That is Liam, and it looks like he is ready for anything,
especially Christmas!!!
 

That is one of the most favorite pictures in my world.
(Bailey took that precious picture.)

I'm glad you got to see it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Blogging? Is it still worth it?

Everything changes.
Including me.

 

Maybe blogging is old school.
Heaven forbid if I am old school.

Ha!! I AM old school!
In a little over a year away from now I will be 70.

Does that make me sad?
NO.
Well, that is sobering, yes.
But I can remember wondering if I would live to be 30.
I did!!

Don't feel bad for me if I feel a need to quit blogging.
Everything changes.
Including me.

Really.
I'm thinking of giving blogging a big break.

It's okay!

I can be on Facebook - or whatever else is out there!!

Or not! (I don't need to be on anything, right?)
(I can just relax.)
(Yeah.) Oh yeah.

OH YEAH.

I think I'm going to relax.

😋

Flashback Friday - with some of you!

I found some old pictures - that included some of you!

Enjoy!!

Here is our Laura with some of her second cousins!!
(From left: Brad, Kim, Andrew and Laura.)

Here are some fun friends: Marcie, Laura, Meredith, Molly, Rebekkah!

And here are some fun friends: Meredith, Allison, Laura, Liz!

Here are some first cousins doing a 'play' for their grandparents - and the rest of us.
(From left: Cap, Will, Elizabeth, Laura, Granddaddy Andy!)

Here is Will (my son) with his Grandmother (my mom)!!

 

 

If you're kind of feeling down because of Covid, find some old photos... and smile!!

We moved to a house with no chimney!!

 Horrors.

We moved to Mission, TX when I was little.

We could tell it was a wonderful town.

BUT as far as we could tell no houses had chimneys or fireplaces!
Certainly not ours!

What was Santa to do???

I remember Peggy and I were so distressed. Majorly distressed. (I remember it vividly.)
Mother tried to calm us down by telling us we could put our stockings on the floor in the living room and Santa would surely see them there.
Peggy and I were skeptical.
Really. I so remember us being SO skeptical. Worried. Worried. (It was a real worry.)
Would Santa see them?????????

Ah.
But Mother was right! She was right!!!
Santa found them after all.

We were so relieved.
WHEW!
WHEW!!!

That's my story...
and how we learned that Mother knew best.

WHEW!!!


Lesson: Mother knows best.

 
And so does Linus...

Christmas Lights!!

The other night Sam and I drove around to see some lights.
And we saw some lights!!

We found a lot more than those pictures, but many (most) of my photos were blurry. Ah, but I have a good memory - and will relive them in my mind. 

 

And there's this...

For the most fantastic Christmas light show you just have to go about a mile from our house.
It is the DAYSTAR light display - which is just south of Walmart at Cheeksparger and 121, Bedford, TX.
I took this picture as we drove into the display...

 

That's grandson Liam who enjoyed the lights so much!! His family went to see the lights about an hour after his Grammy and DaddyPap saw them. (We stayed in the car, but Liam's family got out and about.)
Fun!!

Here is his sister... I'm thinking she liked the lights, too!!

.

 
 

Here are two more of my pictures at DAYSTAR...

 Look at this huge wreath! - And the people inside it...

I know those people! Do you?
Oh and I LOVE THOSE PEOPLE!!!


 

So if you get a chance, go to DAYSTAR!!
It is AMAZING!!!

 

Being with Mother...

Well, we're not really WITH Mother
but we kind of have been.
(I think that is grammatically okay?)

Mother and I visited yesterday through her window...

I meant to take some Windex and paper towels yesterday.
You can see that I needed to. 

So we're all ready for life to get back to some sense of normalcy.
I know, we're in the New Normal.
Well, I've had it with that.
I know, there's nothing I can do about it.

Ah, but yes, there IS GOOD!!
Mother is now Covid-free.

 

Many of you out there have loved ones with Covid.
Or you may have it.
Seems like more and more folks we know are touched by it.

I'm praying the vaccine will be WONDERFUL!!
And I'm taking it as soon as I can.
(Though I understand how and why many might not.)
 

That is my blog post for today.

 I better go now.
Stay safe.

 

Wednesday Whimsy

I've got what I think are some random whimsical pictures for you!

I'll start out with this...

Yes. I did get this shirt for my son-in-law...
and look! He's wearing it - with a thumbs up!

(I told Ryan that when I find a shirt
about having a super wonderful son-in-law
I would so buy it for myself.)
(Because I've been living the dream.)
😊

---------

 Different note...

I like these book benches in Bulgaria...

 

 

Here are some fun pillows of ours (that are currently in storage).

 I like this next picture I found that I'll call "Veggie Santa with Blueberry Eyes"...

And there's this...

 

And books can make a Christmas tree...

 

---------

Here's what you can do if you have a pet that messes with your tree...

Notice Superman holding it all up!

 

I'll close with these cute button trees...

That's all for today.
Have a great rest-of-the-week!