Christmas in review

We had a GREAT Christmas! In addition to celebrating the birth of the Christ child and enjoying all the hullabaloo that comes with Borders/Brown Christmas traditions, we rejoiced in seeing our children and grand-children. A side note-I hope my children noticed I put them first :-).

Chris, Jaz, Kate, Cile, Glenn, Kari, Jonathan and Alec

Ever since our kids were little ones in Ivory Coast, we have made Christmas cookies as a family. I'm not talking about the slice and bake kind, but rather, sugar cookies cut out in all the familiar Christmas shapes and then delicately and artistically painted (using children's kindergarten brushes) with dripping colored powdered sugar and heavily coated with sprinkles of all kinds. (My favorite sprinkle topping is Red-Hots!)

Through the years as our kids grew up, we've continued our tradition of decorating cookies, inviting our younger nieces and nephews as they got old enough to handle a paint brush. They're all grown up now but we continue the fun! At this years Christmas cookie party of 18 people, not counting our two new grandchildren, the ages ranged from 18 years of age to 79!!!

Chris, Kate, and Jazmine flew down from New Jersey for a week. Chris graduates as a P.A. in May and then will be looking for a job. Wonder if there is an opening at First Med Center here in Budapest???

She was the most beautiful present under the tree!

Such cute expressions!

Kari, Jonathan and Alec flew in from Senegal and spent two weeks with us in Marietta before going to visit Jonathan's family in Iowa.

Alec has a quick, beautiful smile!

Both Alec and Jazmine were into the full drool thing! No teeth yet, just lots of "liquid sugar".

They return to Senegal on Monday, the 11th.

We are so proud of our kids and love their spouses as if they were our own. It was so hard to say good-bye to our kids and their families.

We didn't do much running around during the holidays but we did get to visit with extended family. Jazmine sat quietly in Glenn's mom's lap (Queenie) one afternoon.

Both of our grand babies are swaddled before they are put down to go to sleep. Little Alec likes to play for several hours before he finally collapses! My Dad took a few turns at holding Alec while his mom was getting dressed.

As I mentioned earlier, we didn't do much running around. With two grandchildren, one or the other was either nursing or napping! Aren't my girls beautiful?

In between holding the babies, we let them have some tummy time on the floor. They enjoyed playing together, and six years from now, they will love this picture!

My girls, up close.

My sister Karin and her daughters Corrie and Morgan helped us with the babies. They are both good with babies, but Morgan has decided to be a great aunt to CORRIE'S KIDS.

My sister above is the one who got me hooked on Starbucks' no fat, with whip, white chocolate mocha with an extra pump! She gave us a Starbucks gift card that was "filled to the brim" (if you're old enough to recognize the coffee jingle) that never ran out. Just about every day we would go with the kids down the street to Starbucks to enjoy some sweet, hot java! Thanks, Karin!

Grampa Glenn takes a break with Jazzy.

I had to fight with Chris to hold his little girl!

The grandkids had a blast playing together!!!

We never succeeded in getting the "perfect" Christmas photo because it was impossible to get all four of us smiling and looking in the same direction at the same time but we loved holding them!

We managed to get out one afternoon to visit a few friends, such as Mr. Chupp, our next door neighbor on Big Oaks Drive. He is very special to our family.

I was able to visit with Amanda, one of my favorite students from North Cobb Christian School, and her cutie son. She is very special to me. Thanks, Amanda!

I managed to get by Walmart once or twice and was floored by the new size of marshmallows! Can you believe the size of these things???

The house Glenn grew up in all his life is being remodeled by Glenn's nephew and the foyer is about to get a covering of wallpaper. While all the family members were in town during the holidays, Stephen asked everyone who had ever lived in the house to write something on the wall that is being covered.

100 years from now when a new layer of wallpaper is being put up, the new owners will find and read the messages we left in 2011. Cool idea, eh?

Yes, it was a great Christmas and the best gift of all was getting to hold and play with my two grandchildren all day long! Of course, growing to love them so much just made it that much harder to say good-bye so we're just going to have to schedule another visit to see them this summer :-)

Hope you have a wonderful new year and that 2012 is the best yet!