Christmas with my clan

Fun times on the lake!

The gingerbread house turned out delicious!

Blassingame children in the loft of the cabin. They had such a fun time at the cabin - playing games, rowing in the canoe, playing in the woods, and just visiting with family.

Granny and Lauren chatting

Daddy, Loretta and Lindsay

Front porch philosophy

The cabin was so pretty and peaceful and relaxing.

Sisters

Jim and Cat

Newlyweds Lauren and Joseph

Jerry, Rosella and Jay. The children love Aunt Rosella!!

Hule and Loretta

Jeremy and Lindsay

Claire is all smiles next to her stash of presents.

Love this face :)

John had sooo much fun opening his many gifts.

Claire and Ben received Red Ryder BB guns from Aunt Cathy!

Cathy and Anna

Cathy( a huge Memphis State fan) gave Hule ( a huge Kentucky fan) a Caliperi doll stuck full of pins!

I am thankful for Mom and Dad and their 58 YEARS of marriage. Daddy turns 80 in less than a month!

After we open presents we have a little party. Some traditional favorites for this are lime sherbert punch, rotel, cocktail weiners and Cathy's christmas cookies (they did not make it until this party this year - they were all consumed at the cabin)

Ben playing the Wii that the children received from Granny.

Granny wearing her scarf that Anna made and Jenny

I am so thankful to the Lord that He allowed us to all be together this weekend for Christmas with my side of the family. We started the weekend at a wonderful cabin on the waterway. Everyone was able to be there and spend the night. We had such a good time playing games, eating, walking the hills, eating, laughing, eating, watching a wonderful DVD made by Cathy of our family, eating and having a wonderful time! Sunday we packed up and went to Mom's for huge feast and then later that afternoon we gathered around and sang Christmas carols and Anna, Ben, Claire, John and Bailey recited from memory the Christmas story from Luke 2.

We opened gifts and then had our party. We stayed up late visiting and talking and then the guys in the family took Daddy to Pinson mounds on Monday and the girls ate out and played Wii and then tonight we sat outside around the blazing chimnea and talked and talked. As I said before, I am very thankful for this precious time with all my brothers and sister and their families and of course with Mom and Dad. It was a wonderful weekend!!