THANKSGIVING AT CHRISTMAS

How can we separate Thanksgiving from Christmas? We love Christmas & it brings so much to be thankful for. A quick & short recap.

1- Dale is safe & his platoon has had no deaths so far. A few injuries but no deaths.

2- Shalene & the girls are moving within 3 hours of us. No more New York & snow.
a new addition for them - a brown lab named Oscar - what a cutie!
Rebekah is spirited, talented & an actress in the making. - She is so like her Mom
Leah is quieter, more reserved but loves to join in the fun. Yep, that is her Dad.

3- Stacey & her family are growing up too fast. The boys are great students & scouts. Dallin is an excellent student & has tons of interests. thanks to Grammer it includes a cell phone. Sorry! He is in scouts. plays sports, taking piano (doing very well) & enjoys friends & video games. He has gotten so tall - it is just a matter of time before Grammer is looking up to him.
Parker is so different than Dallin & Gretchen. He is quieter & more reserved. He likes to watch before joining in. He is a great video game player thanks to his memory. He is a good student & cub scout. He likes to be alone (hey - he sounds like Papa & Dale) but enjoys family trips esp. to DollyWood & Black Bear Jamboree.
Gretchen is a princess with brains & has learned the joy of shopping. That is Grammer's girl.
She gets even more beautiful every day. She is a sweet & loving child.
Richard is prospering in his job & life in general. Not a single complaint about him (well, minus his driving - lol) His emails keep me laughing.
Stacey is beautiful & a great teacher. Her dad & I knew she would be a great teacher, she is smart, compassionate, & giving - what every teacher should be. Stacey is enjoying her shopping trips with Gretchen. Mother daughter bonding at its best.

4 - Dare & her 3 boys are really growing. We love have them close by. This week everyone has been sick in her family & ours & Grammer has been so lonely without them.
Ryan is doing great at work & is very respected by his customers & employers. He has worked hard to help his growing family.
Owen & Elijah - yes I know they are 2 people but they often act as one. The twins turned
2 in September & they are wide open. Papa & Grammer are often laughing so hard we cry. Usually we are being glared at by Dare during this laughter time. We try not to laugh but even being mischievous they are just too funny. They are smart & inquisitive these days.
Dare grew a lot this year & then shrunk. Yes, she had a beautiful baby boy on the day after Thanksgiving. She was sicker with this pregnancy but was a champ & busy to the end. 2 yr old twins & pregnancy makes for a busy year. She looks amazing for such a young baby - I wish I looked that good.
The newest star of our family - Hudson Noah . Yes named for our sweet Noah who passed away. It took Dare weeks to build up the courage to talk to Jeff & Jean. She did not want to make them cry. He is beautiful with Dare's dark hair & complexion but Hudson must have Ryan's personality as a baby. He is such a good baby - almost never cries. We hope it last, so Dare is not run too ragged.

5- Mark & I are grateful for each other. After 34 years of marriage, our love is stronger than ever. We love traveling together to the weirdest places. We are trying to see all the places that we heard about but never thought we would go. Strangest so far - Atlantic City. I am truly grateful to be married to my best friend & the love of my life.

6- Did I mention Dale is safe?? OK, I really am - people shooting at your Son makes you forgetful I think.

I am grateful for all my family & friends. I am grateful for Jesus Christ & his healing spirit. Merry Christmas & may everyday be a day of Thanksgiving.