Delayed Christmas!!

Our Garner Family Christmas got delayed until January 1st due to snow fall earlier in December. We had to have it out at the rehab where Mark's mom is recovering from a broken hip. It was a joyous time and a sad time. Mark's mom won't be coming home after rehab this time. She will be going to assisted living. It felt a little awkward having Christmas there instead of their great room or the sun room, where all 22 of us Garner's find ourselves gathered every Christmas holiday. No big spread of food laid out by Grammy or lots of fruit and candy that Peepa had bought. There was no festive Christmas tree and none of Grammy's handmade Christmas items decorating the house. But once our family arrived and all the little babies and kids got there the awkwardness was forgotten, and the true spirit of Christmas filled the room. Little children still squealed with delight over their goodies and we all still got to spend time with each other. One heart breaking tradition was broken this year...Mark's dad didn't give out the presents. This was the first time in Mark's 50 years that his dad didn't call out the names on brightly wrapped gifts and bags. I got that honor this year....and I did feel honored as Jim (Mark's dad) asked me to do this. He has dementia, and he realizes his limitations. I felt honored, but also sad that he was relinquishing his title of "Santa" to the family to me. Along with Jessica and Anna (two of our nieces), we handed out our presents to each other. What great time we had opening and watching others open the gifts they received. The little ones were such a joy to watch, as they brought out every single item out of their bags. Mark and I fixed each great niece a huge bag of goodies. I loved watching them examine each thing that we had carefully picked out for them. They are all such a joy and delight. We have a wonderful family that just seems to take over for each other when we get tired and weary and everyone just rolls with the changes of life.

Mark's parents, Jim & Nell Garner with their great granddaughter Makynlee. Nell is still at rehab recovering, but she has a great outlook, and never complains.

Makynlee with her daddy Timmy.

This is a baby doll. No really it is our great niece Madelyn. She is so sweet. I could just eat her up. Isn't she the cutest thing you have ever seen.

Jim...my father in law and my buddy. We stay with Jim during the week, and he is so funny despite his dementia. It is sad at times how much the disease robs him of some things in life, but I hope is that Mark and I are giving him a fuller life with us staying with him. I just love him to death. Peepa is in his official Christmas attire. Green sweater vest and red socks (I should have gotten a picture of them) This was my 18th Christmas in the family and this has been his outfit long before I got in the family. Everyone expects him to be dressed this way.

This is Anna (our niece) and her family. Mitchell, Mikaylyn and Autumn. I wanted to have a picture on this blog of all our great nieces. Mark and I have so much fun buying for them through out the year. Mitchell is our hunter and I give him deer reports of what I see in the back yard around the pond. I don't know why he hunts in the woods. He could just sit on the porch and see more action than he sees in the woods. LOL

Uncle Mark holding Baby Madelyn or has her daddy calls her "mini me", because she looks just like her daddy. She is the sweetest baby ever....always smiling.

This is my Sweet Cheeks, Kate. She is such a doll baby. She pulled out a book from her bag, and before I knew it...we had read it 2 times. In all the things in her bag....the "suckas" as she calls them were her best thing. She loves suckers and I just kept buying them and putting them in her bag of goodies.

Anna helps me pass out all the gifts. She is such a good helper.

Our niece Courtney...doesn't she look beautiful. She is just too sweet. We just love her so much. She is so much fun to be around, and she loves to cook. We got her lots of cookie cutters and a decorating bag with tips. Plus a couple of cookbooks. One was Rachel Ray's Kids Cookbook.

Our niece Jessica put together a family cookbook for all of us. She gathered family recipes from all of us to compile this book. It is something that I will treasure always. I can't believe she found the time to do the cookbook for us. She is married, works full time and just graduated with her 4 year degree in Business.....along with other concentrations attached to the degree (in other words, she is really smart). I love you Jessica and thank you for doing things that helps us treasure our family. Our family is unique to say the least, and not in a bad way...in a GOOD way. WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!