Our trip to Alton...

We were supposed to leave on the night of December 28 to go to Alton...we were running late as usual, and were debating if we'd leave and how far we would go...my mom called us and told us that my Grandma (who was already in a nursing home) had taken a turn for the worse and they were all headed for the home...as we got in the car to leave, I called to say "we're on the road" and received the news, my Grammy had passed away before they even made it back to see her. She never met Abby, and she adored Mollie and Chloe..no doubt about that. So all of our plans changed, Christmas "celebration" took on a whole new meaning, and we all missed her terribly. She is now in heaven, resting in her savior's arms, and holding my grandpa in her arms for the first time in almost 30 years. I love you Grammy and you will be missed!!

The next morning...

Cousins!! Austin came over and the kids played as we prepared to leave, again.

Out in Alton...

Aunt Sandy holds Abby.

Our little Abby

Robyn, Mollie, Chloe, and Michael

Shawn holds Abby.

Our First Christmas, without Grandma...

Merry Christmas, Abby!

Chloe, Robyn, and Shawn

Mollie and Great Aunt Cathy

Sister...Mom and Aunt Cathy

Aunt Sandy and Uncle Tony

Uncle Tony holds Abby

Chloe opens Presents

Mollie opens Presents

A BIG present for Abby

A daisy play gymt for Abby

Finding solace in the innocence of Children...

Uncle Tony and Abby

Aunt Cathy and Abby

Grammy and Chloe

Sleepyheads

Cathy and Abby

Vicki and Abby

New Year's Eve Dinner...

Daddy and Chloe

Abby

Mollie and Mommy

Our Family New Year's Eve Dinner

Chloe and Mollie

Abby...already asleep!

Happy New Year 2009, Everyone!!

New Year's Eve 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!!

Our tradition since we began dating almost 10 years ago has been to go to dinner on New Year's Eve. We would then usually go back to my grandma's to play games ALL NIGHT!!! Since my parents moved to Texas, we now go over to their house after dinner. This year we went to a quaint little restaurant in Dallas, hardly our tradition in Jerseyville, but it was nice. We came back to our house this year so the girls could go to sleep. They were really tired and tried to stay up to watch the ball drop. 

Our last night out in 2007

Happy New Year!!