Our Little Family Christmas
On the night of Christmas Eve we slept by the fire again.
The kids are so excited to wake up Christmas morning and open their stockings.
Reilly was thrilled with all of his presents. I managed to keep them all a secret!
Sarina with her own Pinky (piggy) Bank and a new cradle for Little Jen.
Look who's ready for snow!
Daddy got a new cookbook...and I got SHARP knives and some wooden spoons!
Reilly wrote this fancy, hard to read Christmas card for Mommy and Daddy. It was so sweet.
What an awesome Daddy...He took Reilly out to try his skates...
He fell A LOT but never complained.
I'm pretty sure he knows now that they are harder than they look.
Saathoff Christmas
In the evening on Christmas we went to Grandpa and Grandma Saathoff's.
I'm so glad it worked out for Grandma to come home on Christmas...Her last one with us.
She was thrilled to see everyone! Looking back on these pictures makes me tear up...
on January 4th Grandma was carried by the angels to her home in Heaven.
It is so hard to say good-bye to someone you love SO much!
Grandpa served up his delicious hamburgers again off of his grill in the basement.
Opening presents.
Cuddle Puddle with her Daddy!
Reilly is really looking forward to starting piano lessons. He has learned a few songs from
cousins and friends that he wanted to play for Grandpa and Grandma.
We will always remember our Sweet Grandma Thelma.
She was a Godly example...always ready to hear about our day...and her cookie box was never empty. She will forever be in our hearts.
After singing Christmas Carols together as a family the kids opened up their stockings.
While Mom and Aunt Debbie took Grandma back to the Nursing Home, Grandpa showed
us how he used to help his Dad make rope.
My Great, Great Grandpa made this rope maker with gears from old threshing machines...
and MY Grandpa made the box that it is sitting on.
I've obviously never seen such an apparatus! It was pretty cool to watch.
keeping the gears turning...
...getting tighter...
...burning off all the fringes. I love hearing Grandma's stories from his past....and seeing the
real tools that he's talking about is even better.
Again, we had a very Merry Christmas.
We are thankful for all of the memories we made this year and look forward...Lord Willing...to
the ones we'll make in 2015.
The birthday girlies.
AND...that's our 3 year old Puddle! Where has the time gone!!! She's so big and loads of fun! 
