Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Ellis' House

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated with my dad and Karen.  As usual, we had a good time laughing, eating, playing games, making fun of each other, and opening presents.  

My dad and Brian

 Dad and Karen

 Dad, Karen and the kiddos

 My dad could not breathe at this point.  He really liked his new shirt.  No!  I will not tell you what it said!

 They made Jacob do a scavenger hunt to find his iPod touch

 The kiddos

Making pizza

Sleepovers and Cookies

We started our Indiana Christmas trip with a sleepover at my sister's house.  The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins.  Then, the next morning, we started making cookies.  We made lady fingers, no bake cookies, sugar cookies, rice krispie treats, buckeyes, chocolate chip and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.  We had a great time!!

Everyone at Aunt Kelly's ready for the sleepover!

Lizzie and Katie mixing up the lady finger ingredients

Zach's job was to keep Kelsey occupied!  He was a good babysitter!

Aunt Kelly, Lizzie, Katie and Jacob mix the sugar cookie dough.

Rolling out the dough

Painting the cookies with icing!

It All Happened In The Country

Today was the Children's Christmas Musical at church.   I was all uptight because I didn't think it was going to be perfect.  Then, as I took communion, I realized - it wasn't about perfection.  The only perfection in the world is Jesus Christ.  It is about glorifying Him.  Doing the best for Him in His name.

 The kids did a great job.  They did glorify God with their voices, acting, and the message they presented through the musical!  Very proud of them all!!  

Jacob had a speaking part.  He was Daniel, the city kid, who bemoaned being stuck in the "boonies" for Christmas without video games and TV.  Rather appropriate, huh?  Lizzie was in the choir and dressed as a country cousin.  Zach helped in the sound booth and ran the music for us.

Again, I am so proud of ALL the kids who participated and the adults who worked so hard at putting it all together!

Introducing the children and the musical

The "city kids" and Uncle Yule

Granny, Country Cousins, City Kids and Uncle Yule

At this point, Jacob is sarcastically making fun of the "boonies!"

 Now, that is one little cute country girl if I do say so myself!

 Love this picture!!  It is towards the very end of the musical.  The choir was obviously getting tired and  preoccupied with other things!  :)

Family Tradition

Last night, we continued the family tradition of reading the Christmas story and putting up the nativity.  Afterwards, we were asking questions and just talking about the story.  We asked the kids why the wise men did not go back to the king.  Lizzie and Jacob were thinking when Zach, who thought they were taking too long, shouts out, "Because God said 'Come to the good side.  We have cookies!'"  Made us all giggle!

Brian reading the Christmas story.

Lizzie and Sadie listen along.

IU vs Kentucky

All I can say is WOW!  That was quite a basketball game.  At one point, Lizzie looked up and said, "Seriously!  Why do you all keep yelling at the TV?  It doesn't talk back you know!  They can't hear you!"  

Zach celebrates the winning three point shot!  That kid was EXCITED!!

And just because it is fun. . . 

Lizzie's Early Christmas Present

On Saturday, I asked Lizzie if she wanted to go to the mall with me to do some shopping.  That girl is always up for shopping so off we went.  When we got to the mall, I had her sit down and gave her a card.  It said that she was there for an early Christmas present - she was getting her ears pierced!!

Off we went to Claire's.  She picked out her earrings, climbed up into the chair, they did both ears at once, and she didn't even flinch.  Although, afterwards, she got a little choked up and said they were "sore."  

Reading her card. . .

Getting both ears done at one time

All done!

 Of course, no trip to the mall is complete without a ride on the carousel!

MRI Results

This was originally a "note" I wrote on Facebook:

Today was the day of the big appointment.  When we got there we found out that the radiologist had failed to send the report as requested by our doctor.  However, our doctor read the MRI images himself.  To make sure he wasn't missing anything, he had Dr. Bane, the orthopaedic surgeon read it as well.  Everything looks GREAT!  There are no signs of hip degeneration or fractures!!  

I told the doctor that I was so relieved and that I had shed many a tear worrying.  He looked up, smiled, and said "I was pretty worried too.  But I have to admit I didn't shed tears."  I have to stop and say that Dr. Zimmerman has been great with us.  He treated us as people and not just patients.  As a matter of fact, everybody in the Carle Sports Medicine department treated us that way!  A big thank you and shout out to them!

Back to the subject at hand:  What does this mean for Zach?  Dr. Z's originial exlusionary diagnosis of synovitis stands.  Since we don't have to worry that Zach is hurting his hip joint or bone, he can bear weight now and limp around! Bye bye crutches!!!  Still use Aleve for pain and inflammation.  He can stand and shoot free throws or baskets at basketball practice.  No running, jumping, etc.  Basically stand there and dribble and shoot.  However, he was excited to hear that.  

It also means that Zach starts physical therapy on the 20th to work on that leg.  Get that joint moving and start building up strength, stamina, and flexibility.  He remains out of PE until he regains some of the aforementioned.  Dr. Z also told him that he probably will not play basketball this season, but that golf season looks good!

To say I am relieved is an understatement.  We went out to eat after our appointment.  At one point, I looked up at Zach and just started crying.  Not huge sobbing, mind you, just tears running.  Brian and Zach looked at each other, made a "what the heck" face and started giggling.  Zach, however,  was relieved too, because he leaned into me and said I love you.  Poor kid has gone from thinking he had a groin strain to having a possible bone degeneration disease all within a month and a half.  Like he said, this is harder and worse than the original thought of a groin strain, but a heck of a lot better than the other!

Thank you to everyone who has watched our other kids while we went to appointments, showed concern, prayed for him, wrote a note, listened to me voice concerns, etc!!  As Zach said today, I love you!

Can't wait to go from this. . . 

Back to this!!!!