Christmas!

   You may be asking if it was really necessary to make 4 posts before we even get to Christmas, and the answer is, Yes, Absolutely! (also, don't ask such silly questions, gees) So here we are at last. Our white Christmas. Yes, we did get some snow. I love that the kids got to play in it.

Showing me their Christmas crackers and stocking loot.

Jaron made a wonderful treasure hunt for the kids. They had so much fun finding and deciphering the clues.

Stephen came by for a visit.

The Blacks shared a song for their family talent. The video is terrible, but I was fighting off kids.

Poor Clinton and Janet didn't get any sleep. Cara was too excited for Christmas.

Each daughter received a fairy. They loved playing with them.

The next day we (The Kiddos, Joseph, Heather and I) drove to Limon. I tried to find the same place we stayed at on the trip down, but must have taken a different exit. We found a Rodeway Inn that was a little on the rundown side, but clean and comfortable. The best part was it was in walking distance to a Pizza Hut. So we had a grand dinner. 

The next day we made it to Idaho Falls. Heather's sister was kind enough to let us stay the night in one of the empty apartments that they manage. That was nice. We left early the next morning to head home. We stopped for lunch at my favorite spot in Baker City, OR. Sumpter Junction! The kids love watching the trains.

   This last leg was the most perilous. As soon as we hit the Dalles, the rain started in earnest. It was dark and cars were hydroplaning all over the place. I saw 3 crashes. It was an intense few hours, but we made it home in one piece by 7 pm. It was wonderful to get home and see Daniel. 

Aint No Christmas Like A Bartholomew Christmas!

  Sunday was Christmas Eve. We went to church at a new building. I think we made up a third of the audience. It was nice, then we had family pictures. I have wanted a picture of Daniel's family to put on our wall for some time. There was an old one of them all in jeans, but I couldn't get a copy. I have a picture of my family on the wall so I wanted a companion one to round it out. So at last we were all together and could get a picture! Yay! A Huge Thank you to Tony and Susan for making this possible!

 All the Grand kids!

The Blacks prepared a Christmas pinata. Clinton and Daniel heckled the crowd a la Statler and Waldorf.

 

The second present extravaganza was brought to us by Clinton and Janet. They had 4 stations each kid went to to get a present. It was so fun.

   Then we had a reenactment of the first Christmas. Henry was Jesus, Lizzy and Charles were Angels and Devon was a wise man. Emily did whatever she wanted. 

 Our Bleating Sheep