Clown washing Potatoes with Eggnog

[This post was also sent via email, but some people didn't get it. Read it if it's new to you, ignore it if it isn't.]


Weird subject, huh? Well, that's what these pictures are about.

It's Christmas time, which means eggnog for me. I bought a 1/2 gallon as a treat, and shared it with Abby (Randy won't touch the stuff!...it has the word "egg" in it!). She loved it! See her eggnog moo-stache?

The clown was mentioned in an earlier update as a companion for Randy when I went to a ladies retreat in November. Well, this time it found its way into Abby's bed. She loved it! (Yes, we did remove it so she could sleep without suffocating herself).

Abby LOVES standing on a chair to "help" me with cooking, washing dishes, and washing clothes. She helps throw clothes into the washer, throws dirty dishes into my sink, and is starting to help stir when I'm cooking. She doesn't play with her toys much anymore...she is only happy if she is on her chair with Mommy. This picture was taken a couple weeks ago when cousin Emily was here for the day. Abby taught Emily the joy of standing on a chair/laundry basket to watch the washer do its thing. You should see Abby's "washer dance"! Abby sure was having a bad hair day, wasn't she?!

And then there's the potatoes. I had brought the bucket of potatoes in to prepare some for dinner, and Abby found them to be a delightful play-thing. First she played with the potatoes by themselves, and then she came up with the idea to get my pans out! She had such a good time putting the potatoes into the skillet one at a time and then enclosing them with the lid until the pan was full. That pan was too small for her, so she got out a bigger one, and filled that up with spuds. This whole activity entertained her for the better part of an hour. I had dirty pans in the end, but it was well worth it!

Merry Christmas

[This is the Merry Christmas email that I sent out two days before Christmas. Most of you got it already; some of you didn't. I decided to duplicate it here on my blog for those of you who didn't see it before Christmas]



As I laid in the bathtub this morning, I considered some of the many blessings God has bestowed on us in this past year. We are so grateful for our cozy home during this cold weather, for a heater that works, for indoor plumbing and hot water, for our little family of 3, for our extended family and friends, for clothes to keep us warm and an abundance of food to keep our tummies full, and for our jobs and the physical health and mental capacity to be able to do them. Most of all, we're thankful that we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that we can trust Him to meet our daily needs, to provide peace and assurance of His faithfulness during these uncertain times, to faithfully forgive our sins and still love us despite the wrong that we so often do, and His assurance of eternal life with Him when we die. What is there to worry or fret about when you are a child of God? And Christmas time is a time to remember the fact that God became flesh and came to earth as a baby in the form of Jesus. He lived here, He experienced life on earth with all of its wonder and ugliness, yet He never sinned. Since He was sinless, He was the only One who could pay the penalty for my/our sins, which He did on the cross. If you haven't done so already, will you PLEASE "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved"? Don't put it off. The opportunity for salvation will not always be there. The reason I/we write this is because we love you and care about you. We certainly can't force you to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; it's your free-will choice from here on out. I just have to make sure I share the "good news" and give you a chance to consider it.

It's cold and snowy here, just like it is for most of you around the USA. Abby and I have stayed inside for the most part, but we did venture out for a bit the other day while Randy was out shoveling a path thru the drift on the west side of our house. Abby enjoyed the crisp, cold air and new look of her surroundings for maybe 15 minutes, but then her hands got cold and she became very unhappy. She couldn't tell me why she was crying, but there was no consoling her and she didn't settle down until we got back inside and she got warmed up. One of the few words she says is "hot", which she uses for anything that is warm, or when she sees steam. So, when she saw the snow blowing outside, she pointed and said "hot, hot, hot". It was kind of funny, especially considering that it certainly was NOT hot!


Randy watched Abby while I went to town yesterday, and he took some cute pictures. We commented yesterday that "Abby is growing up before our eyes!" Doesn't she look cute in her new pink sweater?

We have a little 4 ft fake Christmas tree this year. It's perfect for Abby! She loves to look at the lights, and says "ball" when she sees the round ornaments. Randy taught her to kiss the tree, which I'm sure he was trying to photograph when he took this picture. She normally looks at the tree first thing when she gets up in the morning, and kisses the tree good night before she goes to bed.

All for now. Have a WONDERFUL CHRISTmas!

Love,
Judy, Randy, and Abby

My first Blog

My most recent family update via email went awry, so my cousin-in-law suggested that I start a blog or Facebook account or something, rather than use email. I decided to try it out. I really like another cousin-in-law's blog, so I'm following in her footsteps. Mine won't be nearly as fancy as hers, but hopefully it will get the job done.