Remember--the explanation of the pictures is ABOVE them. I just find that easier to manage.
We were all pleased and blessed to be all together for Christmas, the first time for all of us since last Christmas in India.
On Christmas Eve, our dear friends, Kevin and Amy Offner and David came over for brunch. David is
very attached to
his dear friend, Annie.
Thanks to my dear family, we all piled into a rented van (since as you remember we sold the last of our vans last summer) and on December 29 drove to Kansas (all 21 hours of it) for the first time in a long time. Since Pittsburgh was on the way, we stopped for breakfast with our dear mom and Grammy. Here are the three generations of Elliott/Garber ladies.
We left at 4:00 a.m. Washington time and arrive in Perry, Kansas at around 1:00 a.m. the next morning. We woke up to a cheery and sunny visit with those we love dearly for the next 5 days. Here's Steve in the big chair.
Here's Abe (my sister Kathy's son) rocking beside the Christmas tree chopped off the Kansas prairie and decorated by Abe. Okay, he is unpracticed. But the tree endeared itself to all anyway.
My dear sister Kathy on one of the leisurely mornings.
Uncle Ron (married to Kathy for those who don't know and father of Abe) in the big chair.
Dinner at the Waltons was a treat. Here are Steve and Uncle Frank (my sister Nancy's husband).
A partial table full...
Oh, yes. The mutual antagonizers of each other (within the bounds of huge affection), Uncle Frank and Jessica.
Nancy doing her magic in the kitchen, as always :)
David at hearth side. . .
. . . and Jonathan
And Abe (okay, I no longer say, "Abie-Baby)
I do love my jokester!
A quick run to Winchester for some of us who wanted to once again see "the house that Granddad built." It's different now, yet the same too. So many happy memories come from in and around it.
On the last evening we had a great prairie bonfire (even though the wind picked up and the temp dropped about 35 degrees in 3 hours) with as much of the extended family as could make it. It was very special. Thanks for everything, Kansas Elliott Clan!
And of course, sunset and moonrise from Kathy's kitchen window. We'll have to live on that memory for a while.
Over this past Christmas Jessica made a bunch of cookies to take on an overnite with a bunch of church friends to someone's cabin. This evidently was thought to be a special one :).
