Christmas on New Year's Eve

Taylor coming in from sledding outside. Sam got a two week leave from the army. He has changed so much since he left in September. He is so confident, respectful (not that he wasn't before, but even more so), and talkative. He talked so much the first couple days he was home that he was really hoarse. We all loved listening to him tell about his life the past couple months. He is such a hardworker, and so dedicated. Everytime I sit down to write him a letter or lift him up in prayer, I am absolutely amazed and inspired. Thanks for being such a great cousin, Sam!

I (Julie) made a peppermint cheesecake for the night. I melted semisweet baking chocolate and drizzled it on top, then I mixed Cool Whip with hot chocolate mix and piped it on the top. Since I had leftover melted chocolate, I drizzled it on a piece of wax paper, and then when it dried, I broke it into little pieces, and stuck them in the Cool Whip. To top it off, I sprinkled candy cane pieces all over. I'm not a big cheesecake fan myself, but everyone else said it was edible. :-)

Our cousin Ross and his wife Brittany came up from Lake Charles, Louisiana. We hadn't seen them since their wedding in August.

Cousins Carson and Taylor sporting their festive hats.

L-R: Amy, Brittany, Julie, and Hannah. Brittany fits right in, doesn't she?

I'm not quite sure how we made it through the night without wasting away. :-). Not in this picture were the grilled chicken, the cheesecake, and all the pop you could want.

This year we celebrate Christmas on New Year's Eve with our mom's brother and sister and their families. We had so much fun! What a blessing it is to have a loving family that enjoys being together.