My Cup Runneth Over!

Thursday~

We went to Grandmom and Granddad Short's house for our annual Christmas cookie party!  It was great!  We made the cookies the day before and then packed them up for travel.  We (I can say "we" because I handed ingredients, LOL) also made fudge!

 This was a regular treat in my childhood home and it is funny how just certain sounds and smells bring back such wonderful memories.  Lorilyn and I both noticed the tap-tap-tap sound when Mom had stirred the fudge and was then getting the excess off her spoon.  In that moment, it was like I was 8 years old again waiting for the fudge to be ready! :)

Lorilyn was present, just not photographed! :)

We enjoyed rootbeer or cherry coke floats with our treats too!  It was a delicious compliment!  The girls had not had a float before and they really enjoyed them!  After dinner we headed off to see my nephew, Ben, in the Christmas band concert.  Isn't he handsome?! So hard to believe he is graduating! (My other nephew, Brandon, is also a senior and shares the same Short good looks!)  

We really enjoyed the concert though I would have liked more Christmas music!  Lydia is now enamored with flutes and Mary wants a trumpet even more! :)

Friday~

It was so nice to have Daddy home!  He headed off to study at the church and we cleaned house before heading out to the pool.  Oh how we have missed the swimming, sliding, jumping and splashing!  (It is so frustrating to pay a membership and not have time/ability to go!)  Since Mary's eye is all healed and I am feeling more mobile, it was nice to go back!  That night the girls were blessed by a visit from Aunt Leah!  She brought a Christmas surprise including chocolate chip cookies, craft kit, and Kung Fu Panda 2!  She even left her copy of the movie so the parents could watch it when we came home! ;)  We were playing at Due South for the evening.  It was a great night of gospel bluegrass and bluegrass Christmas!  We met some people from Eastern VA, Vermont, Ontario, and even South Africa!  That was really neat!

Saturday~

The girls spent the morning playing Poptropica!  This is an online game they love, but it takes so long to play that I don't usually let them play except on vacations.  They were very excited! It is too hard for Ldyia to play so I signed her in to a new site she had never played called Kabongo.  She loved this!  It is also free and educational.  We then spent the afternoon watching The Sound of Music.  My family was sweet enought to put up with my signing along! :)

Sunday~

Sundays are the best day of the week!  Together with my whole family and our closest friends to worship God and to encourage each other in faithfulness and holiness!  This time of year it is also special because of the children's Christmas program and our church family dinner. Since I broke my ankle in early November, the program was quite short, but very sweet!  One of the things my girls loved to do at our former church was to play in the bell choir.  Memaw Rose ordered a set of bells and all of the girls really loved it!

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FEMMJFNU

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FEMM9CNU

After dinner we all enjoyed some delicious food and warm fellowship! 

I gave Sarah the camera and she snapped a few shots for the blog.

 

Oh, I forgot to tell her no picutres of me! LOL

Then our church did the annual "pounding" of the pastor and family.  This was a tradition started years before we came and we are so blessed by their giving.  They abundantly gave to fill our pantry to the brim!  It is even more special because we know it is motivated by great love for God and His servants.

Here is the table loaded down with the goodies!  There were even treats for our doggie! :)

As usual, I am so moved by God's gracious love and care for me and my family.  We have been blessed to be a part of three wonderful churches and feel great love during and even after we were called elsewhere to serve.  It reminds me that in Heaven we will really be united in Christ as His precious Bride.

With All My Heart~