Getting Caught Up....

Ok....so I just wrote out this long, looong post about our Christmas, I saved it...then "tried" to post it. I hate those little "We're sorry but there was an error..." messages! I have counted to 100 and am trying to post it again. Unfortunately because of time now, you'll end up getting a more condensed version of the first post! Oh well.
So anyway, the week before Christmas, Jacob made the 8 hour trip by himself to visit with my Mom and Dad. My dad had planned to take him on a trip to my hometown of Graniteville, SC. He introduced Jacob to aunts, uncles, and cousins....many of whom Jacob had never had the pleasure of meeting before. He got to see some of the places where my Mom and Dad grew up, and he also got to see the church where Matt and I were married almost 29 years ago! (this is the same church my Mom grew up in also) Here are a few pictures of the church...it's very beautiful and old...
After their 2 day visit to Graniteville, Jacob stayed with my parents for a few more days. Just look at this big ol' starfish he found on the beach...
After enjoying a few days at the beach, Jacob and my parents then journeyed over to our house to spend Christmas with us. What a treat that was! We had so much fun and enjoyed their company so much.
A brief synopsis of Christmas gifts this year...for Katie they included games, books, jackets, a stocking full of stuff, and cowgal boots...
For Rachel, she requested money, a few special music cds and some much-sought-after violin accessories...
For Jacob, he was surprised with an ipod shuffle, some size 13W boots that were too small, and totally bowled over with a Sony Vaio laptop computer (from his grandparents)!
And guess...just guess what I got!?!?! I got my long-awaited-for butter churn! It's just what I had been looking for...not sure how old it is, but it has the handcrank and the wooden paddles and it works like a charm!
All you have to do is add fresh cream....
Convince an energetic 10 year old how much fun it is to turn that crank....
Check on it in about 15-30 minutes....
Then before you know it you'll see that rich creamy fresh butter floating on top....
Isn't that just the neatest ol' thing you ever did see in all your life?
The only "down side" to Christmas this year was that Amy didn't get to come in. But we're hoping for a visit soon...and then we can have Christmas all over again! :O)
I hope your Christmas was as enjoyable as ours and that you got to spend it with those you love.