A Little More Christmas Eve and Christmas in Fort Worth

Before I move on to Christmas Day, I want to include a couple of pics and a video of my granddaughter, Faith, singing Santa Baby for us on Christmas Eve.

Logan was especially impressed!!

She kept telling me, "This is REAL!"

Faith also played a song for us that she wrote herself.

I predict she is going to be doing some serious music in her lifetime!

I love seeing these two together!

All three kids seem to really enjoy one another.

I'm so glad I have photos. I'm sitting here smiling so big as I write just looking at them!

We were up early on Christmas Morning and drove over to Fort Worth to Nita and Mike's home.

They host the Family Gatherings now. Deanie and Charlie did that for years and years before handing the baton off.

Nita and Mike!

They make hosting look easy but it's not.

It takes a lot of work and we are so thankful to them for doing this time after time.

Brother Lonnie and his beautiful wife, Michele.

Nita's daughter, Leah and her husband, Patrick.

Summer and Gay - a cousin by marriage. Never mind they divorced - we still claim her as a relative!

Sabrina and Rayne both arrived with Summer but I cannot find any of my pics of Sabrina.

As a matter of fact, I had to go to Facebook where I had posted several the day after Christmas to snag these! I know I had them because I posted but they seem to have disappeared from my computer. Maybe I forgot where I put them. That could happen!

We all had a huge Christmas breakfast and then lost ourselves and all track of time in talking and laughing. We forgot that Sabrina and Rayne had another celebration that afternoon!

Andie kept us rolling in laughter. Just seeing HER laugh made US laugh all the more!

No better sound in all the world than laughing!

Andie is a real treasure to our family and especially to her MiMi, Deanie!

Now it was time for the Chinese Christmas Tree!

Nita let everyone pick a number out of the hat.

If you brought a gift, you got a number.

The gifts were spot on excellent this year as always.

Andie was the final winner of the Chimney Santa while Nita won the Red Cardinal and Barn.

We came away with a toaster oven, some Pioneer Woman tea towels and a sugar/creamer and salt/pepper set! AND I got a Dot that will go with my Echo!

AND Summer ended up with a vacuum cleaner (which would be hard to take to Puerto Rico) and traded it to Trish for the quilt Leah had made. THEN she gave the quilt to ME!!!!

I was so excited!! I don't have a photo of it but I will fix that soon!

Nita and Mike decorate everything up big for Christmas!

It's all so beautiful.

The train scene was new this year.

Nita's favorite gift bag goes under the tree every year.

They have more than one tree!

I'll be going back to Fort Worth on Friday and am going to stop by and take some more photos before they take it all down after the New Year.

Later that afternoon a bunch of us went to the nursing home to visit Mother.

Summer, Louis Dean and I met Deanie, Charlie and Gay there.

Mother hasn't seen Summer in a long time.

She knew Summer has been in pain for over a year now.

When we got to Mother's room, Deanie suggested we all go to the family visiting room so everyone could have a place to sit. I used the extra wheelchair that was in the room for Summer since every step she took was a painful one.

I made Mother and Lillian satin covered pillows so their hair wont get messed up!

Plus a little lap throw.

Nita gave Mother a most beautiful sweater!

Soft and silky and just the perfect weight!

Summer had a special lap cover made for her Granny - and it was the kind Mother always loved!

Then she gave us all matching nightgowns!

Mother REALLY loved hers!!

Deanie and Charlie!

Both of them looking so GOOD!!!

Deanie continues her recovery which the doctors tell her will take a very long time.

Still - she's finally going in the right direction!

I glanced over and saw Louis Dean sitting there looking especially handsome!

Be still, my heart!!!

I am still so happy he belongs to me!!

We took Summer to Sabrina's sister's place where there was another party going on.

It was a day chock full of celebrations for both of us.

We came home to rest for a little while before going over to Quadville for Christmas night dinner.

While Louis Dean rested, I was invited next door to sit around the fire pit with my neighbors.

Beautiful Neighbor Stephanie and her equally beautiful daughter in law.

I really look short these days!!

That's Mark aka Markie on the left and his wife on the right.

I love them both!

I have known Markie since he was born and have watched him grow up, join the Marines, prayed for him while he was in Afghanistan, attended his wedding and I even love his dog, Ashur! He is my honorary grand dog.

Then it was time to head to Dallas and dinner with Amber and Mike and the the quads.....

I walked right into a Nerf gun fight!

Uncle Mark (another favorite Mark of mine!) had given the kids Nerf guns and a great big box of 'ammunition!' I was handed a weapon and told to defend myself!

And thus ends our Christmas celebrations.

I have one more on Friday when my sister, Luann, and I are getting together.

Both our mothers are in homes and we will be seeing them and then seeing each other.

Louis Dean and I have been enjoying the calm after all the big get togethers.

I went out yesterday to Home Depot and bought a year's supply of lights.

Then today I stayed in bed until 1:00! I only got up then because my hair stylist worked until 2:30 and I needed a fresh hair cut for the New Year.

And now I'm off to bed!

It's really cold in Texas and will be dipping down to the teens in nights to come!

But it's even colder in other parts of the country!

For once, this weekend will be colder in Texas than it will be in Helsinki, Finland!