Bridges Christmas 2008 Christmas 2008 was different in many ways, but the same in others. For 25 years we have gone to The Bridges to have our Christmas on Christmas Eve! This year was a little different. With Grandma Wisenbaker so ill, the daughters are taking turns tending to her! Each one of them have their family Christmas on the 24th. Well, this was not possible as someone had to stay with Grandma. First we were going to have lunch, but everyone seemed to be doing it earlier this year! Then Jerry & family decided to come on Friday....well, that is Jenny's birthday & the day she likes to go to Red Lobster at lunch and they could not be here that early anyway! Friday night, the Williams family had planned our get together. Oh my, just trying to find a good time for all is a major task as everyone knows who have family! Mike Armstrong died right before Christmas, God be with all of them during this sad time, and his funeral was Sat. at 11:00, which was when Martha had decided to have her Christmas. Time must change again, we will attend the funeral!! Well, usually they come over Christmas morning to watch Kylie, our kids and have breakfast with us! But it was Martha's time at Grandma's!!! Emmett also came down Wed. with the virus that Jenny & Martha had...oh what a Christmas!! Since they could not come for breakfast & Kylie was at her Spencer family, we were having Kylie's Christmas in the afternoon & I had planned to cook Christmas night, I invited them to come over & eat with us & we would just do our Christmas here this year! I know Martha was disappointed, as we were, that we did not get to do this Christmas Eve....you should have seen us...we did not know what to do with ourselves!!! Winston and I went golfing!!She loves to cook & have her Christmas at her house! She is such a great host!!! But, we got through it. We had our family Christmas the morning of the 25th. We saved one gift to open with Kylie when she got home! I made a breakfast casserole & rolls....very informal! I worked most of the day making a cake, setting the table, cleaning up the morning Christmas mess! We were all waiting for Kylie to arrive home!! She arrived around 3:00. She took my finger & took me straight to the tree. She wanted to know who's presents were where? Which ones were hers, where is mine, Cole's? We told her she needed to take a nap so Santa would come. When she woke we had her Christmas, then.....time to clean this mess up!!! We decided to have a low country boil for dinner. Winston cooked this down at the barn. We poured it on a platter in the middle of the table. It was so good! The only problem was that Jenny had never seen such! She was hungry until she saw all of it mixed together! She wanted to know if that was all we were having!Ha! I had asked Martha about this earlier!!! She does like shrimp! After she saw that you could separate it on your plate, she did eat! I do not know if she peeled any of the shrimp or not, but she did eat the sausage...which was a little hot!It was funny....she probably wanted to go through McDonald's on the way home!!! Oh well, we are making some funny memories! (Poor Emmett did not get to eat because he was sick....so far Casey & Cayla have gotten the same bug!!! Just waiting on the rest of us to get it!) After eating we opened gifts, visited a bit, cleaned up the kitchen and I was tired!!! What a big, blessed, happy day! Yes, Christmas was a little different this time, but we still had fun. Sorry for such a long post, but if I do not put this down I will forget the events of Christmas 2008! I will post about the Williams Christmas later!

Merry Christmas Kylie!

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Make a Smilebox scrapbook

We had a fun afternoon watching Kylie just enjoying her Christmas! She got home from her Spencer family around 3:00. She took a nap and when she woke...Santa had been by! We feel so blessed to share this special day with her and Casey. Cole, Cayla and Austin were ready to share this special day with her also! They were very helpful with videos, opening the packages...that are tied up so tight it takes a rocket scientist to open them! Kylie was so funny!!! After she opened a gift she would take it to someone to show it, or get them to open it! She was happy with everything! Before the day was over, she had played with most of them! What a blessed day!

All of our hearts and prayers are with the Mike Armstrong family tonight. It is so hard to loose a Dad. They are such a source of strength and protection. I always just felt safe and secure as long as my Dad was living. Like a security blanket! They give the best, big ole bear hugs! Kari & April, we love you and understand your loss!

Friday night as Kylie & I were taking a bath, I noticed the hot water seemed to run out quicker than usual. I did not say anything, I figured the girls might have just gotten out or something. Sat. night...same scenario . When WB got home I told him he might want to wait a few minutes before he showered...unusual for our house.....large water heater. He decided it must be the element. After an hour & bringing out the big tools he got the element out. We flew to Home Depot, arrived at 8:45! They had them, thank goodness! We ate & came home. The top was easy, the bottom...not! Winston, Cayla & myself all tried to get it out. Cayla sat on the floor, put her feet on the water heater & pulled & pulled, it was quite funny!!! Winston finally got it! It was ready to go around 11:15! We have hard water so......after 12 years, the bottom one needed to be replaced. We have lots of repairs that are beginning to show up!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We had a fun day of making cookies. Cayla & Kylie & me really enjoyed decorating the cookies. Kylie really go in to it, along with the water from the frig button! She also tried to read the directions for Mema J! We did not do a lot today, but have them baked to finish decorating another day. Mema J is tired! But want to make memories for Kylie!

When you have a grandchild it makes Christmas fun all over again! They will make you get your halls decked! A few of my favorite things!

Our Church Christmas party was Sunday night after church. Kylie had been at her other families house for the weekend. She got home early today so we thought we would go on to church. When Casey opened the door & she was crying should have been the first indication of what was to come. We got dressed, made some food & headed out. OH boy, she was so exhausted that she was crying about anything and everything!!!! We did attend the party for a short time. When it got time for Santa, she had acted up so bad that we just had to go! That baby was so exhausted. All I can say is that we did try, and tortured ourselves in the process! She is usually so good, but as of late she really needs a nap sometime during the day! I did get a couple of pictures .

Winston and I took off to the golf course around 3:30 and got in a few holes of golf. I had not played in so long, well....it was not pretty, but it was funny!!! We had a great time!

• This is the conversation between Cayla and Kylie a few minutes ago! Cayla did not have class today.

• Kylie: CaCa, Are you going to school today?

• CaCa: No

• Kylie: Why not?

• CaCa: I quit.

• Kylie: You can't quit CaCa.

• CaCa: Why?

• Kylie: Because all those people will be mad at you.

• CaCa: Why?

• Kylie: Cause you can't be stupid.

• CaCa: Laughing!!!!!

• Kylie: CaCa, you can't show them your stupid!