Mom's Christmas on January 3rd

 Mom hasn't been feeling well, so she didn't join us on New Year's Day when we celebrated our Christmas.  January 3rd, I took her gifts to her for her to open and enjoy.

 This ornament was from Benjamin.  He had picked it out, bought it, and wrapped it.  Lindsey didn't even know about it!  That made it all the more special.  We're putting a picture of mom and Benjamin in it.

 The photo wasn't ready, but Lindsey and family gave Mom a frame for their picture, 

which is in it now.

 This was another very special gift for mom.  Joshua gave his Saddie a lump of coal!

We had it in her stocking.

 She said she loved that he would kid with her.

After opening the rest of her gifts, she spent some time looking through the Johnston calendar for 2019.  

Like I said in an earlier post, it wasn't our typical Christmas, but we are thankful for what we had!

January 3rd at the Train Museum

 The train museum was the destination on January 3rd.  Lindsey and I had seen the sign for it the day before.  I told Donnie about it and he had also heard about it.  

 Off they went, with Ron.  I told them to take plenty of pictures since I didn't go.

 Ron fulfilled his duty with the camera!

I'm not sure how much Lindsey and the boys loved the train museum, but Ron and Donnie certainly liked it.  

January 2, 2019

 This was a sweet morning!

It had snowed on New Year's...so I guess since we celebrated Christmas on that day, you could say we had a White Christmas!

 The sun was out...some of the snow was quickly melting, but not before William and Benjamin built a snowman.

 Addison, Soo, Remy, and Yuna had been in town.  They left January 3, so Soo and Yuna came over to say bye.  Addison and Remy were at a hockey game.

 Yuna is so adorable!  

 Lindsey was making some chicken soup...delicious!!!

 The guys were all in the TV room...

Later, we started a puzzle.  I love having a puzzle out...we'd work on it a little bit at a time.

I can't remember what the temperature was this day...but I don't think it even got to freezing.  It was a perfect day to stay inside making soup, working puzzles, and watching TV.

New Year's Day, 2019, was our 'Christmas'

 It wasn't our typical Christmas...

but it was wonderful...

and sad at the same time.

Wonderful because those of us who were here loved being together..

sad because of those who weren't with us.

 Sullivan was patiently waiting for his presents to open.

 There were a couple of stockings missing from the 'grandkids' section...

this was part of the 'sad'...

 William was SO patient!

He kept asking...when are we going to open presents...

One time when I walked in the living room, he had his gifts set aside!

 Stockings come first!

 Thalia was here from Florida!

 Lindsey and family were here from California.

 I was handed this package.

Um??  From William, Sullivan, and Papa...to me?

Well, there were several like this.

Finally, Ron told me the story.  William had wrapped all the gifts Ron had bought me.  William also wrote on the packages so, of course, it was from him...and how sweet that he included Sullivan!

I loved this!

 Brody had wanted to come over to play.  I told him William probably wouldn't want to play since he was working on Legos.  He came anyway.  William WAS working on Legos, but he would take a piece, show Brody that piece in the book, and explain to him how to put it together.  

 One thing in William's stocking was a magazine...I think it was Scooby Doo.  In there were directions on making this owl out of fruit.  So that was a project he and Donnie did together.

Donnie was proud of his middle son!  The owl definitely had an engineers influence.

It was a sweet New Year's Day Christmas!