Good December Memories and Encouraging News....

 Amber and Mike left for Aberdeen, Scotland on August 9th, 2009 to live and work there for one year.

On December 8, 2009, Louis Dean and I flew there to visit them for a month!

That was thanks to my son, Jesse, who works for American Airlines and allowed us to fly on his D3 status. This is one of my favorite photos of Amber and me together.

And this is my next to favorite scenery photo.

My very favorite was one Amber took while walking dogs......that's one of the jobs she did in Aberdeen. One of several jobs she had and they were all so interesting.

Here we are in front of their flat door.

It had been four months since I had seen her - on the day I said goodbye at the airport.

That may have been the longest period of time we have been separated - ever.

I just love to look at my Facebook memories every morning!

Now this is not a memory but a pic Summer sent me today!

She and Rayne made cookie dough!

Can you tell they are having fun??

While I am missing Summer, I am so happy that she is there.

I heard her voice on a message she sent me last night and we communicate nearly every day.

AND I am leaving all my Christmas House in place until after she returns!

I'm thinking a Family Dinner will be in order to welcome her back.

Another happy Facebook memory - this time just one year ago today.

We were in Midland to celebrate Kaitlyn's birthday and an early Christmas.

We were meant to be there this Friday but our plans had to change.

They now own a home in Snyder, Texas and we hope to visit them as soon as we can.

 I just mailed off all my packages today and they will arrive before Christmas!

One to Snyder (the rest will ship straight to them) and one to Montgomery, Texas and one to Maine and one to Missouri and one to Puerto Rico! No more post office lines for me this year!

While I was out doing errands, I stopped at the grocery store to buy ingredients for Taco Soup.

My sister Luann is coming for lunch tomorrow. We always get together every December....as well as several times throughout the year. It's been cold for Texas and I am enjoying the fireplace and thought soup would be perfect! I think I'm going to make a banana cake, too. I went through two of my old recipe boxes and found a couple that brought back memories.

I guess I am feeling a bit nostalgic.....

I am now officially decorated!

No more! I stopped.

I used to think I overdo all this decorating but after watching these Hallmark Christmas Movies - I think I still have room to grow!

I do have at least one Christmas tree in every room.

This one is in the former guest room now called the Kitten's Room!

Sometimes Louis Dean will say, "Let's put the kittens in their room while I go in and out the door!"

And they are as happy as they can be in there.

But normally, they have free run of the house all day and go to their kennel at night.

I took a nap Sunday and they were walking all over me and peering at my face while I tried to snuggle under the covers. Sunday was cold and rainy and a perfect day to spend a good part of it in bed.

It's hard to take a pic of the hall Santa wall......

So far Louis Dean has not knocked any of these down. So far......

A tiny tree in our bedroom.....

and a bigger one over by my closet.

Even a tiny silver tree in my tiny bathroom!

I put these lights and wreath up last year and never took them down.

Now I have good news about my brother, Lonnie!!

Michele sent us sisters this pic earlier this evening.

She was there when the doctor came so she would know what's going on.

Instead of pneumonia, Lonnie may have COPD.

His sodium levels are still down but they are slowly coming up.

Not sure when he can come home but we are not nearly as scared as we were.

And we were scared!!

AND I talked to Lillian tonight and she is doing better.

Apparently, she and her roommate were not very sick with the Covid virus.

Today she said she was really really tired but she had been busy putting all the stuff  up they had taken to the other room she was in before they moved her back to her regular room. 

She is continuing to receive cards and today she even got a  gift box of candy!

I can't tell you how thankful I am for all of you who have prayed, written, or encouraged us.

I talked to Amber (by text) and no news on the test results for Mike but none of them are showing any symptoms. Once they are clear, she and I are going to watch Love Actually together and wrap presents or something. That's a Christmas tradition.

So my world has definitely been more cheerful today!!!