CHRISTMAS WITH THE GRANDPARENTS

                                 Stephanie and Alanna

                                   Doug watching football

                                        Jacob and Alex

                                Grandma's very first, ever, artificial tree

                                               Grandma and Grandpa Harold

                                    The boys posing in the, "line up".

                                           With cousins Jacob and Katy

                                        The whole gang (minus the parents)

                                                Dinner

OUR CHRISTMAS

                                           Christmas morning:

               

 

                              Rickey enjoyed the boxes:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

  



  I found something that I needed when I was doing my Christmas shopping this year.  So I bought it.  I need to be reminded of this, because this is so very true:

    God must just shake His head at our tendency to make our lives so complicated. We didn't get that from Him.  He is a God of simplicity.  He chose a simple, ordinary couple to be the earthly parents of His Son, the KING.  He choose ordinary shepherds to spread the news of His long awaited arrival in a lowly, and probably smelly, manger. We can't impress God with our idea of accomplishments; we can only honor Him by serving Him, humbly, on His terms.  Most of us have many more blessings than we deserve.  We do.  Here are a few of them:

                                     The little ham in the middle is our latest blessing!

                               

 

            We were also blessed, in May, with a new step father/grandpa.

                                 And 7 months later he's still hanging in there!

   We certainly have had struggles, frustration, sorrow, and pain this year, but we also have a God who never leaves us to deal with it alone. 


                                          We also have animals to provide comic relief:

We hope that the coming year provides you with all the blessings you deserve and even some that you don't.
We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year of being TO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

                            
                              HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

THE SOCKS

 28 years ago Mandy received a personalized, hand knit, Christmas stocking.  With each addition to the family, my mom has made sure they received their very own stocking before their first Christmas.

  Thankfully, the lady who made them is still at it.  Alanna received her sock for her birthday, just in time for her first Christmas with us.

The kids kindly obliged when Grandma suggested they put them on and pose with them around the tree.   I told them not to worry; their faces wouldn't show.

           Sorry, guys, the camera slipped, but I think I found out how to get you all to smile.

                                         I'll just tell you your face won't show!

                               Like Tyler said, "Now she's really a member of the family"

HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY, ALANNA!

       Happy birthday to OUR precious, beautiful, sweet, DAUGHTER, Alanna Jessica Snow J.

 

The first of many many birthdays we will celebrate together.

You now have a family to  sing you happy birthday for the next 100 years!

                                                  We love you, baby!  FOREVER!

WE ARE FAMILY!

   It's legal!  She's really our DAUGHTER!  FOREVER!

                                 After anxiously waiting, Guinea Pigs in hand (yes, Guinea Pigs),

 

and visiting with two very special social workers who were there for her every step of the LONG way home,

                 We finally had our turn in front of the judge, Guinea pigs in tow.  Doug and I raised our right hands and said, "WE DO" to all he asked!

    Then Alanna asked the judge if he would sign a decree for her to officially adopt her Guinea pigs.

   So the judge asked Alanna to raise her right hand and promise to be responsible for the love, care, and education of her Guinea pigs.  She said, "I DO", and the judge signed.

   


                                    Now we are legally a family, Guinea Pigs and all!

                            


         With a very beautiful little girl who will celebrate her 11th birthday, next Wednesday, finally HOME with her FOREVER FAMILY!

      So what do you do after you finalize an adoption?  Well, you go to your dance class (where the  teacher already knows because Stephanie has put it on Facebook), then you come home and decorate a gingerbread house,

                    and have tacos for dinner with banana splits for dessert!

                                 WELCOME HOME FOREVER, ALANNA BANANA!