Fourteen Days of Family

Our Christmas was exactly what we prayed for -- special memory making time with family.  God gave and gave and gave!!!

It's the longest we've been away from home in forever!!!   Can't remember when. . . Keilah Obert-Thorn agreed to be our dog/caregiver - house sitter and we always feel confident when she's watching over our dogs.

WARNING: WITH THIS MUCH TIME WITH FAMILY -- LOTS OF PICTURES ARE A GIVEN!!!

Christmas Pinata for Uncle Marshall and the girls

Shopping in OKC on Saturday - helped me to add to my Christmas crazy gifts.
This took up sooo much space in the car!

Christmas shopping was complete by Thursday and Christmas morning we breakfasted at
Marshall and Katie's with Jim and Jan.  Marshall and Katie featured their Scotch Eggs

Three of our four bright heads (brains)

Marshall built a fire pit for their backyard earlier in the fall.  He spent lots of time getting rid of the Christmas boxes and excess wood from their apple tree










Bethany and Mat kept us updated with hourly reports as to where they were along the way as they headed to Denver on Christmas day.  They loaded up lots of ski clothing, snacks and activities to make it the 700 miles from Tulsa.  (There are 3 kids in there also!)

Their expressions changed as they logged more and more miles.

This Super Mom  hosted two Christmas breakfasts and worked four 13-hour shifts while we were with them.  Katie and Marshall set up the most comfortable rooms for us while we enjoyed their home for 12 days.

We had Christmas with the whole Bell/ Good Clan on the 26th at Marshall and Katie's - Mat and Bethany made certain we all had Ugly Sweaters for our favorite teams!

Our 3 beautiful granddaughters

and one handsome little guy

I wanted a picture of us with our grands -- Sydney didn't want to give up her chair and Jack wanted to be anywhere but there. 

We got to babysit Clara on her 4 month birthday Sunday.

and we tag-teamed baby sitting with Marshall.  He's a real hands-on daddy!  

Monday morning sledding just up from the cabin where their daddy used to sled as a boy.

Lunch in Vail

group hug -- these 3 LOVE each other!!!  

The 3 Bears:  Papa Bear, Baby Bear and Big Black Bear

Sydney lasted both full days of ski school.

The girls loved ski school and the instructors couldn't believe Campbell had never skiied before!

Mat has skiied since he was a preschooler.  All 3 enjoyed a great day - Tuesday.

Mat and Bethany were able to take in a 2nd day on the slopes - breaking for lunch in the lodge.

We enjoyed their stories of skiing --

C's first words -- "I fell down, I cried, I got back up"  They were super excited to have conquered that mountain on two skinny boards!  Sydney loved it and enjoyed the lunch.

Wrapping up two days of skiing with cocoa!

In the meantime . . . Jack had the undivided attention of his grandparents 

reading with Nana

Playing Chase with Grammy
The giggles and laughter flowed!

The J T GOOD game of chase

Friday morning it was time to kiss this little gal goodbye
 -- missed her the whole trip~

We were packed to the roof -- thanks to Marshall and his Dad's expertise -and spent New Year's on I-70 / 35

New Year's Sugar Bowl with Daddy while Mommy worked.

Everyone gave their utmost to make this Christmas season delightful.  It was vastly different than Christmas 2014.  This gracious woman was hostess to so many meals during our time together.

She has come through so much in this last year and we celebrate with her good health and many more family times together!

I love sharing grandbabies with this delightful lady!

My Christmas Wishes

A certain little 3 month old yanked on Santa's beard pretty hard as momma was lifting her off his lap.

It's been a perfect start to our holiday season --
Starting with Beka Hyde and Trenton McVicker's wedding in Yukon, OK   We enjoyed being with both families as this special couple began their lives together.

Elizabeth and Glen hosted a beautiful weekend for the 200+ wedding guests.  She is an expert event planner!

Maddie, an accomplished vocalist "rocked" Ave Maria as Beka and Trenton lit their family candle.

We've watched Beka grow up - Terry baptized all three of the Hyde kids and we loved getting to know Rebecca's beau, Trenton as we did their premarital counseling preparation.  Rehearsal went effortlessly.

We LOVED staying at the Skirvin, a historic old hotel in downtown OKC.

Terry was under deadlines to complete grading for his 19 OKWU pastoral counseling students ordination class.


As the ceremony ended we headed off to Colorado country -- and made it as far as Salina, KS before bedtime.  We dropped in on Katie and Clara early afternoon and then yesterday got to Nana / Papa sit while mommy and daddy worked.

Clara is one happy little girl with lots
 of expressions and loves to talk back to ya.

She is pretty "chill" about everything 
and the best little shopper --
 Katie and I introduced her to it today

When we arrived in Denver there was snow on the ground and the promise of intermittent snow throughout the rest of the week.

Our Tulsa kids are driving all day Christmas day so that we can have Christmas dinner together --
I'm getting my Christmas wish -- all my family together in one place for the holidays!  Jim and Jan Good are hosting the whole crew with the Whelan's from Kansas (Jan's sister-in-law and sons).

. . . now to get them to pose for a group picture!  I'll have a lot more cell phones ones I'm sure!

'TIS THE SEASON .. . .

Sydney's Mothers' Day Out - Role Playing the Best Story Ever Told

Our holidays got even brighter on Wednesday when T and I got to go to Campbell's Christmas performance at Redeemer preschool.  I launched the semester review in my 3rd hour life skills class, sent them to my co-worker's room and hurried down Hwy 169 (sorry Lord, for speeding) and arrived just in time to see these sweet little ones walk in for their performance.

C has been all about getting to be Mary this year and was singing "Away in a Manger" - with Sydney chiming in - the other night.  She came to the part "the cattle are lowing" and T asked her -

T: What does lowing mean?

C: That's the cow's name.

She had told her momma that she was going to ride in on the donkey (which would have been on the back of a little 4 or 5 year old-- clearly didn't happen -- but several of the little ones thought it would also.)

My favorite was a FB post that Bethany shared of C pointing to somebody on the stage with a stern look. Don't know how much the real Mary was in to power and control -- but -- she wanted it all to be like they'd practiced and somebody must have missed their cue. 

Campbell looking like her Momma at that age.

Looking Back

Dying has never been an option as we faced this cancer thing 12 months ago . . .

I wasn’t going there in my thinking . . .we have adopted the “we are KICKIN’ it” mindset. 

I read somewhere at the end of cancer treatments – patients sometimes have sort of a panic feeling – wondering if the cancer is really under control.  It doesn’t help when I find e-mail posts offering reduced prices on cremation and burial plots –it sort of gives me pause.  One funeral home sends me junk mail at least once a month on advance planning.. 

A friend on FB the other day said, “Thank you Lord, for leaving Jannie with us a while longer.”

BAM!!! That jolted me  .  . I hadn't planned OTHERWISE!

Living each day – loving my people – making the day count for good has become dominant in my thoughts.

Worrying if I am meeting somebody else’s expectations drains the reduced energy that I do have and doesn't help the dizzy feeling I have every morning.  (God sent me an interesting e-devo on that very thing this week- I needed that one).

I expected to be bouncing back right now (in my usual hyper-energetic mode- not quite like Tigger – but you got the picture) – Truth is: my energy gives way about 4 pm and some days doesn’t return ‘till the next morning.  I seem to catch more “bugs” than before – and this season the usual holiday activities and closing out the semester have left me feeling overwhelmed most days. All that frustrates me.   My radiation doctor on Monday said to consider what my body has been through in the past 12 months -- sort of changed my thinking -- but didn't give me any more energy at the moment.

Another morning devotional last week on ENDURANCE - helped my "why am I always feeling so fatigued?" questions)  HE is a Good Good Father as we sing alot at Life Park.

When I get this tired I can’t remember where I put things (chemo brain?  or just getting older???)

Case in Point:  I lost my dress shoes Thursday night packing for our holiday trip--- looked for the longest and finally found them packed in the suitcase when we arrived at the hotel last night. hmmm- thought I'd checked there already!!!!

Soooo. . .
 I’m learning a new pace. 

. . . more patience with myself and others

. . . choosing peace over drama

. . . thankful  . . . Thankful . . . THANKFUL!

. . .realizing“perfection” isn’t what it’s cracked up to be – but relaxing and enjoying the moment are vital.

The Word says that God knows the number of our days – for me that will suffice.  I’m happy – lovin’ Jesus and lovin’ on all my people this Christmas Season. 

I’m grinning all the way down to my toes when I found out yesterday that Mat and Bethany will be joining the whole Bell/Good clan on Christmas night for dinner.  Lots of pics with grandbabies to follow soon.

Ready, Set, It's Christmas Already at Our House

I know it's early - but we started family Christmas this weekend.  Bethany and Mat had his Oklahoma Heart party  Sat night so we had a sleepover with the 3 little Goodlets and tonight we had our family Christmas dinner and tree with the kids.  OK, so it's early - but we leave on Friday to head to Denver by way of a wedding in OKC this weekend.  Long story short - we don't see them until after Christmas day, when we meet up in Vail to visit with Mat's parents;

My rush to decorate early and even decorate at all was to see the kids take it all in.  I have to admit that with lower energy - I almost didn't put ANYTHING up outside.  .  . but I wanted to see the kids faces looking at the lights.

We have a lot of horns and trumpets on our tree every year - and the kids do the usual undressing the tree -- Jack went for the lower ornaments that were all the dogs from the past -- Campbell the big horns and she blows them all over the house. Sydney wasn't so sure that you should take things off the tree.

This year we added indoor snowballs and have the most fun with snowball fights with Papa.  

It was  so delightful hearing Campbell yell, "A microscope -- just what I always wanted"!  
Sydney asked where her 3rd present was -- she liked the thrill of anticipating what was in the box.
Jack just played with the boxes -- he loved them best - but did take to his school bus of people.

Terry and I are giving each other the trip to CO for Christmas so that we can spend time bonding and loving on sweet Baby Clara -- we get to keep her during the time that Katie works her RN shift at the hospital and Marshall is on call.

And then hopefully we get to spend at least 24 hours with all of our family together in Vail.
Marshall works most of the holiday and we're hoping they can catch some time off.









So much to be thankful for this holiday season. .  . and family is the best place to spend our time.  Jan Good and I have reason to rejoice -- God has given us a year of healing!!!  

All I Want For Christmas . . .

My list is pretty simple . . .

I don't NEED anything . . .

I have more clothes than I can wear in a month . . . 

I trip over all the shoes I have in my closet . . .

. . .  don't need any more cookware . . . I don't cook or entertain as much

. . . don't need any more cutsies to hang on the wall . . . my house is "busy" enough

I just want time with my family -- all together -- or family by family -- however I can get it.

In a little over two weeks, we'll kick off the season with this little gal.