December 31, 2009 - New Year's Eve

Our heavenly Father, thank you for all the blessings you have given Jerry and I this year. We thank you for giving Jerry better health this year. We thank you for helping us find our beautiful new home in Dalton Gardens, Idaho. We ask that you will watch over and protect us as we pack up and move from California to Idaho. We ask for your continued blessings as we begin our new life in Idaho. We pray that you will help us to continue our wonderful friendships that we leave behind as we learn to build new friendships. We pray for our family and friends that you will protect them and bless them with good health and happiness in the coming year. We especially pray for Aunt Betty as she celebrates her 87th birthday today. We ask this in your name. AMEN.

CHRISTmas Eve, CHRISTmas Day, 2009

CHRISTmas Eve started visiting Randy & Stef (Orange, CA) and exchanging CHRISTmas gifts. Randy is recovering from surgery (mid Dec.) so we didn't want to stay long. The short time was nice, but too short. We will catch up sometime in January, 2010. Then off to Debbie & Stig's in Old Town Orange. Stig's daugher, Malin, is here from Sweden along with her husband, Lars, and daughters Emma and Sofia (born 08/01/09),
Deb's daughter, Yvette and grandson, Jake, Deb's son, Scott, and wife, Stacy. A wonderful dinner (Ham, Swedish meatballs and all the trimmings). Later, we celebrated with a Swedish tradition of GLUG! Then enjoyed exchanging gifts and opening stockings. CHRISTmas day started with 10:00AM mass at Church. After Church we walked two doors down to celebrate with Jake (8), Zack (6), Dawn & Mike. We took pictures with the boys and then let the boys open up their gifts from us. Of course, Jake & Zack were excited and thrilled about the Lego sets they received. Zack's best gift was a bike from Santa (pictured)! Lime Green! We'll be able to spot Zack a mile away!!! Our CHRISTmas day ended at Deb's sister, Denise and husband, Pat's home in Cypress, CA. Where about 20-25 of us gathered for fellowship and dinner. The evening ended with a $20.00 gift exchange where when your turn came around you could either grab a gift from the table or steel a gift from someone who went before you. It was crazy fun! I ended up going home with one of the two gifts I brought... a "CHOCOLATE" basket which included a $20.00 gift card to SEES candies, chocolate sauce, hot coco mix, chocolate covered pretzels and a large hershey's chocolate bar where I removed the original wrapper and decorated it with a festive CHRISTmas card, ribbon, glitter and rinestones. It was a fun basket to make... but, I can't eat any of the chocolate inside. Maybe I'll share it with friends on New Year's Eve!!!