Christmas is finally starting in our house!

Today Cheri and her friends, Courtney and Katie, got together to make Christmas cookies at my house. I think they used every bowl and utensil in the house. I got neon food coloring and the cookies looked more like Easter cookies than Christmas cookies. It didn't matter because they tasted great. They looked pretty good too. The girls also had a ball making them.

Courtney got a puppy yesterday and I am now the grandmother to the dog (hey, I'll take what I can get for now). Libby has been over to visit twice. Cheri babysat her last night and Libby came over with Courtney to make cookies. She is a sweet puppy and never had an accident in my house! Cheyenne isn't sure of her yet but she is coming around. Vader, the cat, hates the puppy but she still hates Cheyenne and we have had her for over three years.

Charlie has moved back home and I am loving have him around. Charlie took Kerri's son, Thomas, to a Toledo Walleye hockey game last night and spent the night at the ice rink. The kids got to meet the players and shoot the hockey puck on the ice. This morning Thomas came home with Charlie and spent the day with us. The girls were making cookies and I made Chicken and Dumplings so it was a busy household (my favorite kind). We intended to get the tree up, but got sidetracked with the puppy and kids so that will have to happen tomorrow. Tonight I have to get my cards addressed so I can send them out tomorrow.

Kerri came to pick up Thomas and brought Miss Natalie over for a visit. Thomas is seven and Natalie is seven months old. Kerri has been wonderful enough to share her beautiful kids with us and I spoil them like grandkids, since I don't have any yet. It is extremely fun and they are great kids. I love having little kids around again. I just wasn't happy to hear Natalie has to have heart surgery again next month. She has a narrow valve and it is closing up again. If it doesn't work this time they will have to put a stint in and that has to be replaced as she grows. She is just too little to deal with heart problems. There should be a law that children cannot get sick.

Next weekend Clint and Amanda are moving into their new apartment. The one they live in now has too many "rowdy" people living there (they crack me up). We are going up to Kalamazoo to help them move. I hope the weather cooperates. Western Michigan was closed down this week because of the snow. K-zoo is right off Lake Michigan and gets a ton of lake effect snow.

PIII is coming home for Christmas, but I don't think Jonathan is. He is working at the hospital and can't get off. It will be strange to not have him here this year. I guess we won't get a picture of the five of them this Christmas. I hope Jon sends pictures of his holiday in Denver. Will will really miss him.

Hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas!