Highlights of Christmas 2011

As pastor and wife, the Christmas season is always an extra busy one for us. 

But it’s also a very blessed season!

 

  The second weekend of the month was my Mom’s side of the family Christmas dinner.  Cousin Randy & Kimbra Brunk from Arma hosted the event for us.  It was a delicious meal and fun fellowship.  Here is a picture of my cousins & I that were present (several weren’t able to be there) Randy Brunk, Sandy Vinardi, Christie Parrish and Joseph Nicoletti.

My Mom and her remaining living brother, Uncle Harry Brunk, and wife, Aunt Betty and Mom's sister, Aunt Mildred Nicolleti:

On Sunday, December 11^th, I joined others from our church as we presented the Christmas musical, “Mary Did You Know.”  As I told the choir members the first night I showed up for practice, “I’m not here to add any musical contribution but just to add support” J.  I did receive a blessing each week joining others as we practiced and then presented it to our church family. 

On Monday, December 12^th, we got the exciting news that we are going to have another granddaughter!!  Can’t wait for Ellie Kate’s appearance around May 3^rd!

 Just had to include this cute picture of Laine and Santa.  So far, she’s not afraid of him – yeah!

Enjoyed a delicious meal and sweet fellowship on the 17^th with my S.S. class at Bill & Judy Hall’s beautiful home.

 On the 18^th, our children’s choirs sang for us in the morning and did a great job.

That evening was our Annual Family Christmas fellowship.  The theme for the night was “A Baby Changes Everything” and I was asked to share my testimony about the birth of my children as well as how Jesus changed my everything.

On the 19^th, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Red Onion with our staff and then dessert and fellowship at our house.  We are so thankful for the staff God has given us at First Baptist! Left to right:  Kel Ryan, Youth Leader; Paul Mooney, Associate Pastor, Leigh Ryan, secretary (and so much more!) and Jeff, Pastor.

 Love these two gals!  Leigh Ryan and Mary Mooney

Jeff and I celebrated our 39^th anniversary on the 22^nd.  God has been so good to us and blessed us abundantly throughout our marriage!

We received an extra special blessing of being invited to join the Mooney family on Christmas Eve for their family Christmas.  Everyone was home which was very special for Paul and Mary.  Here is a picture of their family:

And here is a picture of Jeff and I and Paul and Mary and their kids.  Before Jeff & I even married, we started attending a little mission church in Pittsburg, Kansas, where Paul was the missionary pastor.  It was here that God got a hold of Jeff’s heart and totally changed his life. 

Paula was only about 3 or 4 when we started attending the mission and was my “first” little girl and often went home with Jeff and I on Sundays.  Now she’s all grown up and a mother and grandma!

Sunday, Christmas Day, we enjoyed a sweet celebration of Christ’s birth with our church family.  Then a delicious lunch with the Hall family.  We are so thankful for being included in their fun family meal & stocking time.

Bill and Judy Hall, along with others in our church, have been so good to us and feed us on a very regular basis.  Thank you!!

We are also so appreciative of all the sweet Christmas wishes, cards, and gifts from so many in our Church family as well as anniversary and birthday wishes and gifts.  FBC sure do know how to spoil their Pastor and wife.  Thank you!!

After lunch on Christmas day, Jeff and I packed up and headed to Bella Vista, AR to spend the week at a lakehouse that my sister and brother-in-law own.  The first of the week, we relaxed and just enjoyed some down time as our kids were all with their spouses’ families.

We didn’t intend to do this while in Arkansas, but on Tuesday, we went to a car dealership in Fayetteville and bought a new car.  So thankful how God directed our path that day and worked everything out and also provided the means to pay for it!  I had driven my Envoy for 11 years and it was 14 years old.  It had proven a good car to us but was nearing the end of its usability.  We’ve only bought a “brand” new car two other times in our marriage, so this is a major blessing…..a 2012 Chevy Traverse:

Wednesday, Carman, Laine and I drove to Alma, AR to meet Mom, Kaye, Adrienne and also meet Ad's precious new baby boy, Graham (wish I would have taken a picture but didn't think to).  We were "exchanging" Mom as she was now going back to NWA with me to spend time with my kids.  This is the first time in our family history that we didn’t all get together as an extended family at some point during Christmas.  But with our children having babies and all, it just makes it really hard for everyone to gather together.  So Mom instead booked a flight from Joplin to Tyler to spend a few days with Bev and her family and then from Tyler, flew to Little Rock to spend time with Kaye and her family.   Unfortunately on the flight from Tyler to Little Rock on Christmas afternoon, she had to change planes at DFW in Dallas.  She inadvertently thought they called her name and jumped up too quickly to see what they wanted, and fell………hard!!  Even though it really hurt, she told the airline personnel she was ok and didn’t have time to see the medical folks as it was time to board for her next flight.  However, by time she got to Little Rock, she was in a lot of pain.  So the next morning, Kaye and Rob took her to a doctor friend who did x-rays and found that she had a bone broken in her shoulder.  Dr. Martin sent her to ER at the local hospital who took more x-rays and confirmed that diagnosis; gave her pain meds and put her arm in a sling and told her to see a bone doctor as soon as she got home (which wasn’t for 8 more days).

Mom is receiving therapy as of this writing and slowly improving although still isn’t able to use her right arm so is definitely inconvenienced.  We are very thankful it wasn’t a broken hip or leg!  Thank you to many of you who have been praying for her!

Lainey-Bug got to spend the night with Papa, DeDe and Mamaw (Laine's name for Grandma) at the lakehouse Wednesday night and we loved it!  Nothing sweeter than waking up on my 58^th birthday on the 29^th to hear my granddaughter jabbering in the next room and then so excited to see us when we went in to get her up! 

 Best birthday present ever!

Andy, Carman and Rachel came out during the day and then we all joined Josh, Erika and Jonathan at P.F. Changs that evening for our traditional Christmas meal and then back to the lakehouse for our gift exchange.  A wonderful day and evening!

 

 A family picture with Mom

 And one of us with our kids

The kids were with us Friday and Friday night too.  My nephew, Matt & Kristin joined us Friday evening for tacos and fun.   The grandkids with Grandma.  Erika was home with a migraine :-(

Andy, Carman and Laine stayed with us Thursday and Friday night as well, so we got some real good “Lainey-Bug” time and loved it!  Saturday morning, we loaded up and headed home!

Other than Mom’s injury, it was a wonderful Christmas month for us!  And now a new year lies ahead.  2012!!  Wow, it just seems like yesterday, it was the year, 2000.  We are anticipating God’s leading, strength, and blessings for yet another year.   We pray that it will truly be a great year for each of you!!