Walker Boys

Merry Christmas from Josey

Our LCBF (Sunday School) Christmas Party

Our hosts Benj & Paula Trolinger

Misty Vermillion & Michelle Kitchens
Getting ready to play Dirty Santa
John Mark Vermillion & Jason
Ready to eat
Dondi striking a nice Christmas pose
Our teachers Russell & Amy Dean

Brad & Libby McGill

Brad McGill, Jeff Kitchens, Dondi Costin

Eli & Margaret Jane with Santa

Kid Pix. No purpose other than your enjoyment.

Christmas Orphans

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is receiving Christmas cards. I rush to the mailbox every day to grab my daily stash of greetings. I love to read the family updates and see pictures of my friends and family near and far. Jason also enjoys seeing the cards and we always chat about the pictures folks send out. What we don't understand is why there are so many pictures of just the children. No parents. How sad these little Christmas orphans are. What gives with you folks who refuse to be in the Christmas picture? Hate to get your picture taken? Think you look bad? Hey, I've had two babies in the past year and a half and there is no way I can hide the extra poundage I'm toting, but I bit the bullet and got in the picture anyway. So if I can do it you can too. I love seeing your children, especially if you live far away I enjoy seeing how they've grown. But you know, I'd love to see you too! If it's too late to do it this year, make sure you're in the picture next. Let's band together and rid the world of these Christmas orphans.
Of course I know there are those of you who think the whole process of sending out Christmas cards and pictures is laughable perhaps even stupid, to you bah humbugs I say...let me know so I can take you off my Christmas card list!
And below are a few of the outtakes from our Christmas card photo shoot, the pictures that didn't make the card. Enjoy:

Eli was done with picture time:

Trying to turn Josey around:Josey loving on Margaret:
Eli wants to get down and play, I've got the death grip on his knee:
Eli spotted his grandfather, MJ is sitting sideways:

Eli had just socked Grant in the face:Josey is posed beautifully, unfortunately she's facing the street and not the camera! And both boys were tired of kneeling on the concrete:

Candyland Christmas Trees

The boys and I made our annual Candyland Christmas Trees on Saturday morning. This year Eli got in on the action for the first time! He enjoyed eating his candy as much as putting it on the tree. No surprise there. And we're not exactly sure what happened to Grant's tree (the red one) it seems to have melted. We don't know if it was a materials issue or an assembly issue, but either way I think we'll always laugh about the year all the candy slid off Grant's tree. Grant does have a broken finger, maybe that factored in somehow. As I did last year, I've put the newest picture of our trees below, plus the pics from years past. Then I've added a few pictures taken while we were in the process of making our trees:

2008 trees:
2007 trees:
2006 trees:
2005 inaugural tree:
Getting everything set up:

Hugh & Grant working on their trees:

Eli putting candy on his tree (yes, I helped him!)Mmmmmm, frosting!