Christmas Leftovers

Brooke was incognito or a rock star after emptying her stocking.

These Christmas leftovers have fewer calories than the extra snack mix and cookies sitting on the kitchen counter. And that's a good thing.

I shared the annual Christmas Eve photos of my mom, the grandchildren and the great-grands earlier this week, but I still have some photos I want for my personal memory "box," also known as my blog.

I didn't spend a lot of time taking photos. I spent more time playing with the girls' new toys and Jill's old Barbies. I also read plenty of books to the girls. Uncle Brent was duly impressed when I made it through the nearly 200 pages of the Amelia Bedelia storybook collection he gave to Kinley in one sitting. I love Kinley's full out belly laughs at Amelia Bedelia's misunderstandings, so how could I quit reading?

Grandma hit it out of the park with these favorites. Brooke got a Kitty Surprise and Kinley got a Puppy Surprise. The surprise is that they have puppies inside them. (We are on a farm after all). The box says there could be "3, 4 or 5" babies. The adults were all hoping for the same number. Thankfully, they both had three offspring.

Grandpa was equally impressive with his live cat exhibit. Brooke, especially, was enthralled with Cozy the Cat. Kinley has claimed Cozy as her cat for the past year, but it was Brooke who was more attentive to the four-footed friend this time. 

I was just waiting for Cozy to reach out and take a swipe at Brooke's face when she got up close and personal. But Cozy behaved well with the house guests.

Grandpa, of course, was happy to share his lap with both.

Kinley did eventually take her turn with Cozy.

It was a lovely reunion for a girl with a cat shirt. 

The girls also played their rendition of Jingle Bells.

The girls took a quick trip to the pasture to see the cows. There was a lot of "moo-ing" going on, most from the pickup. 

On Sunday, I spent a little time after the worship service capturing the beauty of our sanctuary.

I seem to take photos at Christmas every year at church.. The decor doesn't change. But I am always looking for new angles to show the Christmas finery at Stafford United  Methodist Church. 

It's a beautiful place to worship - whether during holidays or on regular Sundays.

On Thursday, I packed up the Christmas decorations at home for another year.
Down come the twinkling lights. The treetop angel is tucked away in the shoebox. I'm always a little sad to pack it all away, though I need to remember not to pack away the Christmas' message. But, as Jill says, if it was up all year, you wouldn't appreciate it. I suppose that's true.

Photo by Kim Adair Photography, Topeka, KS

And we have another important event to celebrate anyway. Kinley is 5 today! We are looking forward to celebrating with her on Saturday. FYI: Grandma and Grandpa will not be tumbling or bouncing on the trampoline along with a dozen of her friends, sister and cousins. They won't let us, which is just as well. We don't need to ring in the new year with broken bones.

Thank you to those faithful readers who continue to follow Kim's County Line, year in and year out. Happy New Year to each of you! I appreciate you!