Our Christmas travels

I'm going to try to condense our Christmas time so that you all will not feel "bogged down" having to read all of this! We had a wonderful Christmas vacation, especially when we found out that my brother, Marc, and his wonderful family was going to get to come and visit. Right before we left we found out that Logan was well enough to have his PICC line taken out and travel. My kids were thrilled that they were going to get to be with some cousins at my mom and dad's house. So here we are clockwise... Grandma Sankey, Logan, Heidi, A. Melodie, Tyler, Papaw Sankey, Drew, Cameron, Katie and Jordan. We were just getting ready to hand out the presents.

Here we are at our Christmas dinner. We all fit around Grandma's big table. We were sadly missing Beth and Steve and their dear family. Usually all the kids have to go out and sit in the kitchen but this year we were all able to be at the table.

My Dad's dad loved trains and was employed by Bessemer in Pennsylvania, so my dad has a deep seeded love (is that the right way to say it?) for trains. Mom got him this Lionel train set a few years ago, or was it just last year? Logan and Grant were having a great time watching him play.

Now I feel really sad because I forgot my camera at my mom and dad's and wasn't able to get any pictures of Bryan Christmas. We had a wonderful time at my mother and father-in-law's, AFTER I overcooked the toffee and threw the wassal down the drain. :) We were able to enjoy time with Daryl and Laura and their family and Lincoln and Lyn and their family. Great-Grandma Bryan joined us on several occasions helping fix food, etc. All of the cousins had a great time playing with each other and getting reacquainted. We really missed Heather and Phillip and their kids but we did get to talk to them on Christmas day. We loved making new acquaintances at the Union Friends church. It was good to see some friends we have known since Guatemala days - the Paul & Steve Enyart families.

We came back to the Sankey house for a few days, my Mom wasn't feeling very well since her surgery earlier this month and had to be put back in the hospital. I decided that since I was in the lower 48, I should stay with her and send Andrew and the kids on to Tennessee and Virginia without me. I was really glad to get to be with Mom because she ended up having to be in the hospital for 10 days to get IV antibiotics. I think I was able to help her, at least keep the boredom at bay. Thankfully, she was released from the hospital this past Saturday and is still doing well.

Andrew took the camera to Tennessee with him and took a nice amount of pictures. I was pretty happy with all that I saw. In Tennessee, they were able to go around the loop in Cades Cove with G.G. Scarbrough, A. Carole, Esther and her children Austin, Alyssa and Aric. They had a great time and got some great pictures of deer and children. :)

Here is Drew, Tyler, Heidi, Austin, Alyssa, Grant, Katie, Taylor and Aric.

Here is a picture of GG with 9 of her great-grandkids. She has 10 grandkids, 25 greats and two more greats on the way.

I think the kids were trying to see how close they could get to the deer here.

Tyler is holding granddaddy's gun and Taylor is concentrating on cousin Jeff playing the guitar.

Here they are with some of the Scarbrough clan.
Grant, Christa, Drew, Taylor, Heidi, Colton, Susan, Katie and Tyler. They were really wishing they could have seen Cheryl and Martha and their families.

Here are the girls... Christa, Heidi, Susan and Katie. I love this picture.

Now the camera battery died and he wasn't able to get any pictures in Virginia with Linc and Lyn. But they had a great time together. I really missed not getting to be there with my bestest friend Lyn. But they made it without me and I made it without going. :(

All in all we had a wonderful time with all of our family. Life is good and God is better!! I don't have a thing to complain about. We have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles safely, we have had minimal sickness, our every need has been met by God's faithfulness. We are so very unworthy and ever so grateful!!