Christmas with Mom and Dad

Wondering how many Christmas posts I am going to have?  Haha!  This is the last one, and that is only because we weren't able to make it out to Illinois this year to celebrate with the extended Heap family.  Mom and Dad came down on the Wednesday after Christmas and brought our cousin Ellen with them.  Ellen is such a great girl.  Patient, helpful, thoughtful, I really could go on and on!  And guess what???  It just so happens that my kids LOVE her and she loves them!  We had a lot of fun during their stay.  On Saturday we got together with my sister's family for our Christmas.  Since it was New Year's Day we made sure to incorporate pork and cabbage into the meal so that we could prosper in the New Year!  Carlie has been crying that she misses Ellen since she left.  And I really don't need to explain the love that we have for Mom and Dad.  The kids are nuts over them, and every time they leave I get choked up.  This time was no different, especially when Casey says "Grandma, I want to go to Coolville with you and Grandpa.".  He said it in his sweet little Casey voice.  I am sure it's even harder for Mom and Dad to hear than it is for me.  I love you Mom and Dad.

Christmas morning

After staying up waaaay too late wrapping presents the night before, we were finally ready for Christmas morning.  Carlie was the first one to pop her head out of bed, followed by Clay who then went in to wake up a very grumpy Casey..... grumpy because he didn't want to get up yet.  I could hear Clay saying "But come on Casey, you  have to get up, it's Christmas morning!".  It was so sweet, and those words must have been music to his little ears because he got right up!  After they opened their presents we had a very lazy day.  We enjoyed leftovers from the night before, the kids enjoyed playing with their new toys, and I even got to enjoy a little nap!

Carlie's Christmas Party at Mars Hill









Carlie's last day of school was on the 18th of December. My friend Carey came over and watched the boys so that I could attend her party. Her teacher Mrs. Stollberg likes to make it really special for the children. The kids went out in the hallway to hear a story while their classroom was transformed. The desks were pushed back, decorations were hung from the ceiling, a table was placed in the center of the room and beautifully set with real china, crystal and glass goblets for drinking, cloth napkins, and candle light. This was all a surprise for the kids, the only thing they knew was that they would be having lunch. After the room was transformed, the kids were invited back into the classroom. The looks on their little faces were priceless! They were invited to find a place to set at the table and then the parents served them their food. They dined on pizza, salami and cream cheese roll-ups, veggies and dip, fresh fruit, cookies, and cupcakes. It was a very special day for them!





Christmas Eve with the Heap's





On Christmas Eve Josh's parents and siblings came to our house for dinner.  Every year Billie, (Josh's Mom or Mimi as the grand-kids call her) likes to do special things with the kids to reinforce the true meaning and importance of Christmas.  She comes prepared with sing-a-long sheets, christmas bells for the kids to ring, she has the grand-kids sing songs and recite scripture, and we always have a birthday cake for Jesus.  Gracie got to come up and spend a couple of nights with Carlie before Christmas.  The girls had a wonderful time together and we all had a great time celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Christmas in Coolville, Part 3



Annie, Grady, and Tena



The whole gang



Bob, Rena, Josh and Joel



Gam

On Sunday morning Gam and all of her children, and their children, and their children (ha!) gather at her house for Christmas. This tradition was started so many years ago, I have no idea when it began or how long we have been doing it, but for as long as I can remember we always have breakfast at Gam's for Christmas. Gam prepares all of the food.... and it is so delicious.... everyone always looks forward to it! Her breakfast includes biscuits and gravy, pancakes, egg casserole, hashbrowns, fruit salad, ham, sausage, and typically any desserts left over from the gathering the day before! Gam is such a wonderful and loving person. She is so special to me, and to our entire family. She is so generous with her giving, and spends so much time preparing all of the food for all of our gatherings. I am so thankful for her! She has been such an important person in my life and always will be.









Christmas in Coolville, Part 2



After returning home to Mom and Dad's from the party barn we began making appetizers for our gathering that evening.  Dad's Mom, Mama as we call her, and her husband Glenn came down with gifts in hand.  We had an enjoyable evening with them as we ate meatballs, shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, chicken wings, and a bunch of other goodies too.  One might wonder where in the world we put all of that food after eating all of Gam's food earlier, but we always find room for it!

Christmas in Coolville, Part 1



Gam is behind me in the red.



Papa with Mom, Carrie, and Tena

On the weekend before Christmas we went in to Coolville to celebrate. During our visit we managed to squeeze in 3 Christmas get togethers! The first one was on Saturday afternoon with my Great-Grandpa's family. It was held at the 'party barn' beside my Grandma's house. His daughter, my Grandma (Mom's Mom), or Gam as we have always called her, did all of the cooking..... she always does all of the cooking and loves every minute of it. She made ham, turkey, homemade noodles, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, green beans, cranberry salad, a veggie salad, and a whole array of desserts, which she does allow for others to bring. As usual we had tons of wonderful food and a great time visiting with family.