Ralphie, Silas's Bearded Dragon, got to come out of his cage and sit close to our woodburning stove with Eric and Silas for awhile one evening. He seemed to like it and got a little energetic moving around a lot on the floor and around near the warm stove.
Our dog, Gus, is such a good boy! He listens well and loves our family. Normally he sleeps on the floor in our bedroom at night, but likes to sneak into the girls' rooms and lay on their beds when they are in there during the day or early mornings.
Sarah got to experience her first snow in while in college. She sent me some pictures she took while walking to class on campus of pretty trees with snow on the ground around them.
Eric helped me make a new Christmas flower bouquet for my Mom's grave. As I was wandering around Hobby Lobby one day, feeling sorry for myself, and missing my Mom terribly...my thoughts were 1. don't cry in Hobby Lobby, you wimp. 2.You are not the first one to lose your mom. The holidays are hard when you miss someone you love. 3. What do you get your dead mom for Christmas? Well, the prettiest Christmas flowers that you can find. For the record, I did ALMOST cry about 5 times that day in the aisles of Hobby Lobby. I was able to keep it together, like I usually can do, but dang it, I've had a hard few months and I wish my Mom was HERE like crazy. We ALL need her. Our flowers turned out beautiful. The kids and I also wood burned an ornament to attach to the flowers. I did one side, and the girls did the other side.
Phoebe and I went to the movie Wicked For Good on December 6th. I thought it was excellent. Phoebe liked the first one more than the second one. Going to this movie and Zootopia 2 were on her birthday list. We knew we would have to go to them later (after her actual birthday) because they came to the theaters later in November. We checked this one off her list and had one more to go later in December.
Silas and his Silverback choir put on a great Christmas concert. The Silverbacks, especially the boys' section, sound SO GOOD this year. The last song of the evening was Peace Peace/Silent Night. All former choir members in attendance were invited to join the current choir to sing this song with them. Phoebe joined the choir, and it sounded so beautiful with all of the voices together.
Sarah and I discovered on a Facetime phone call that we were twinning that day. Grinch sweatshirts for the win!
Sarah and Owen spent time together in Manhattan. They went to a KSU basketball game together and went to the top of the Manhattan hill to look at the lights of the city.
One evening, Silas and Phoebe went to dinner with Popee at Jimmy's Dinner. They like to go there. They love the choice in food and picking music (oldies) from the jukebox. Thanks Popee!
Sarah attends Christian Challenge once a week in Manhattan. She has a small group that she meets with too. Below is her CC group.
Phoebe and about 9 other girls from her basketball team stayed after practice one evening, ate dinner together, and helped build wooden vehicles for Toys For Tots.
Silas won a pizza party at school and he picked his Pre-Algebra class to join him.
Sarah got to come home early in December to start her Christmas break from college. We were all glad to have her back at home with us... Phoebe was extra happy! The first morning after Sarah arrived home, I went to make sure Phoebe was awake for school and I couldn't find her in her bedroom. A short search later and I found my girls both asleep in Sarah's room with a cat curled up between them. They had a "Sister Sleepover". AAAAHHHHH! Phoebe WAS SO HAPPY to have Sarah home and Sarah missed her sister too.
Silas had his Christmas orchestra concert.
Silas and Eric went to Central Community Christian church's annual big Christmas production. They said it was good and all seats filled.
Eric and I had a fun time with friends at his Hutton Christmas party on December 13th.
The same night as the Hutton party, Silas's choir sang at the Gazebo in town. Owen, Sarah, and Phoebe went with him, and our friend Ryan from church met them there to support Silas. It was a VERY COLD night for being outside singing at a park.
Silas got to be in our church's Christmas play on December 14th. He did an AMAZING job memorizing his lines and giving the gospel to everyone in attendance at church that morning.
Phoebe and I helped Eric with the outside Christmas lights and decorations again this year.
We had a good time together decorating "Cheryl's" cookies that Eric's cousin, Venus, sent to us for Chrismas.
We saved some of my Mom's button-up shirts, just for this... Day one of driving to Oklahoma to cut, pin, stuff, and sew with some of the best family friends and the most patient sewing instructor in the history of ever, Gayla. Gayla has a fabulous big sewing room that she shares with neighbors, friends, and family. She works on her own projects and teaches others with love and gentleness. Her heart is big, and her smile is one of the most lovely in the world. We set out to make bears out of Mom's shirts. Sarah and I worked hard. We were able to meet and make new sewing friends, use new tools, learn, tell stories of Mom, share a special time with Gayla and Larry, and complete 2 bears. We had 4 more to go so at the end of our night before saying good-bye we set a date in one week to head back to Oklahoma again.
Sarah spent part of a Thursday with Popee. They went out to breakfast, Nifty Nut House, and Estate Sales.
The last basketball game before Christmas was a home game for Phoebe. Santa was there posing for pictures with spectators so of course I needed the kids to get their picture taken with him.
Gus has still been following our cat, Lucy, around the house (more than normal). I saw Lucy on the stairs one day with Gus down on the floor eyeballing her.
We got to go to Zootopia 2 one evening prior to Christmas and afterwards we drove around to look at Christmas lights together. Finally, all of Phoebe's birthday items on her check list were completed.
On day two of going to Oklahoma to sew bears with Gayla, the girls and I went to McGuire Cemetery first. Eric had helped me make another beautiful Christmas flower bouquet to place on my grandparents' grave.
Phoebe, Sarah, and I arrived at Gayla and Larry's house by about 9:30 am (December 22nd) to start our second day of sewing bears. We had a big goal - to complete 4 more bears. I was pretty confident that with the things that Sarah and I had learned on day one, and Phoebe there to help us this time we would be able to achieve our goal. We did it! And we also got to enjoy another good lunch that day together, make new friends, and visit with old friends. I was happy to see Gayla and Larry's son, Clint and his family, that day as well. THANK YOU, GAYLA!!! I am excited to come sew with you again.
I got a birthday gift in mail from Lindsee, EP, and Will...some new kitchen towels.
Eric and Phoebe had their annual Grinch cooking day the evening of December 23rd.
Owen and Sarah had their gift exchange on December 24th.
We opened our gifts from Grandma Sharon on Christmas Eve.
We had our annual family Christmas movie night on the 24th this year...better late than never. (WHY is December ALWAYS so busy?!?) We watched ELF and The Nativity before heading off to bed that night.
Christmas morning I had the kids (and the dogs) pose for a picture for me before we started unwrapping.
Below, later during the day on December 25th, I found the dogs and cat on stairs like this. It was as if the cat was telling the dogs to "STAY" and teaching them a lesson.
On December 26th our family headed for Branson. We were able to stop and see our friends, the Stovers, on our way there. We had a great visit with them! Then we drove on over to our hotel, got checked in, and headed to Silver Dollar City for the evening. We spent the next two days slowing down and enjoying being away and the beautiful Christmas lights and sounds at Silver Dollar City.
Eric was able to win his family Fantasy Football league again this year and secure the "Nickelfritz" trophy (weiner trophy, as I call it). I will get his name added on as the 2025 winner soon.
New Year's Eve was an extra special and exciting one for Sarah this year! Owen proposed and she said "YES"!
As for Eric, Phoebe, Silas, and I - New Year's Eve was spent at home watching the ball drop in 3 different time zones.
