Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Ours went by quickly, but it was nice spending time with family. I will try to make up for my absence by posting lots of pictures.

Above is the latest picture of my niece, Darling Abigail. For a baby who spent her first three months crying every time she saw me, she sure has turned into a happy-go-lucky baby who will let anyone hold her. And hold her we did! I will try to show you a few of the things we did this past December. On the 5th, we invited the XYZers from church for lunch and a mini concert. My children put on a comedy skit that went over well. We had 22 "old folks" come. It warmed my heart considerably and really got me into the Christmas spirit.

The last time the XYZers came for lunch, they had to leave quickly to attend a funeral for one of our church members. So it was nice that they could sit around leisurely after dessert. This Christmas our family get together was held at Simba and Natalie's home in Leonardtown (15 minutes away). What a wonderful time we had! Simba built the main part of their home in 1999, but recently added on a large enclosed breezeway and garage, as well as a huge workshop. As usual, it was built beautifully with lots of details.
We spent the evening passing Abigail around and loved it. There were 22 of us.

The food was superb. We felt so loved because Simba made all the food so that we could eat it. He made oysters with and without (egg), and mashed potatoes with ricemilk and fake butter. Yummy! We usually get very nervous when our friends say they will cook for us, but we had no problems the whole holiday season. Thank you, Lord!

I have a few pictures to show you of Simba's beautiful home. Natalie has a double degree in art history and architecture. Can you tell?!

I really enjoyed their simple but elegant tree.

Here's a picture of most of us. We are a fun and loving family. I have to admit I was disappointed that we weren't hosting this event as we always do, but once I got there I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Thanks so much, Simba and Natalie.

December was a busy month. Two of the girls had a piano recital. Allen tested for his Orange Belt in Tang Soo Do. Then we had our extended family over for a Graham Reunion Planning Dinner. It was heartwarming to see that my aunt's family has the same sense of humor as my Dad's...but it sure is hard on the ribs to laugh so much.

I didn't get any pictures of our Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at church, but Ruthie played violin, Lizzie played piano and violin, Anna sang, and Sarah sang. As always, I enjoyed this service.
For Christmas, my children got me a robotic vacuum cleaner. What a great gift! It works perfectly and is definitely pulling its weight around here.
My other gift is this weaving loom. Tonight we are almost finished with our first rug. We started off with a simple cotton rug as recommended for beginners. For my next rug I will weave denim strips from recycled jeans.
Here's a closeup . Yes, we made a couple mistakes.
What I like most about this hobby is that all 8 of us can do it. I keep the loom in the kitchen and it is amazing how often one of us sits down for a dozen rows. We bought this loom on eBay. Usually they sell for $500 which includes the loom and the stand. But buying on eBay is all about the timing. We paid $160 for mine. How's that for a great deal?!

The eBay seller has been fantastic. She sent me warping thread to get started and lots of information on what I need and don't need, as well as advice on the best brands. What a blessing!

New Year's Eve we had two families over for an evening of games and airsoft guns. (This picture is before the second family came.) Even though the temperature outside was 26 degrees, the children spent hours outside shooting at each other. I enjoyed being inside with the fireplace at full blast.
So that was my December...in addition to violin, piano and voice lessons, dentist checkups, chiropractor appts, allergy shots, and Maggie's slew of dr. appts. We have been enjoying the 99 cent avocados at Walmart. We even got our annual bushel of Ruby Oranges at the farmer's market. Today we bought 50 lbs of sweet onions, 2 flats of strawberries, a basket of green beans, a bushel of naval oranges, 3 cabbages and some clementines. For dinner I made French Onion Soup, so now I am the most loved Momma in the world. My family loves onion soup.

So this January I am feeling blessed. Mom and Dad are in Texas where Dad is enjoying the warmth and the beach. We are enjoying the break from piano lessons (Mom teaches my children piano), and I am thankful to have a warm, toasty home in this cold weather. Every time we get low on firewood, we always hear of another place to get more.

Have an enjoyable and restful Sunday. Many blessings ~ Kathie