Christmas Giving by Cheryl Parvin

Christmas is for giving, like Christmas gifts and cards.
And giving smiles and hugs, and giving help with things too hard.
Why is there so much giving? Is it just for fun?
We give gifts of love because God gave to us his son.

That sums up why I love to give gifts to my family.
It was such a joy this year to give our sweet four oldest granddaughters their own lap top computer. We hope to read lots of news as they work on their blogs this year. To make sure the two little girls were not left out we gave them a Leapster TV game system to enjoy with a Kindergarten game to interact with. Rachel and Perry IV will be sharing a Little Leaps Grow with me Learning System. Since we could not be with them to see their delight in opening their gifts their dad has preserved it on a movie that we can't wait to see. To make sure the girls could get online we sent Kim a router to make their house wireless and Perry a Bluetooth headset so he can talk hands free while he makes the hour commute each way to work and back.
Our son Benjamin was here for Christmas and he and Thomas and Abigail helped me shop til I dropped on the day before Christmas Eve and then we had a nice quiet day on Christmas eve and ended it attending the fourth Advent Service at Dr. George Grant's Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin. Dr. Grant made the message of Christmas so alive while he preached and we could not help be excited to celebrate the most wonderful gift ever given to mankind, the birth of our Savior.

Why is there so much giving? Is it just for fun?
We give gifts of love, because God gave to us his Son.
Amen

My Two Perry's

After seven precious granddaughters we now have another Perry in our lives. He looks just like his grandpa and dad. When he was only two days old we flew to Texas and looking at him was like going back in time to when I held his dad as a baby. Now the girls can't keep their hands off him and he is truly spoiled. If he lived closer there would be no hope for him indeed. 

Happy New Year! 

Merry Christmas
To all of our family and friends

Christmas Joy

For the first time since 2002 we spent Christmas at home. It felt so funny being here and not being with our grandchildren. We stayed at home this year and traveled to Texas instead at Thanksgiving and Perry and Kim and the children joined us for Thanksgiving with our families. We arrived the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and stayed until Saturday morning and headed back to Tennessee. We had Catherine and our sweet little Byson with us as well. He was quite the traveler and slept most of the way to and from. Since we made the trip then our son promised if we stayed home at Christmas he would bring the family to Tennessee after his work slowed down after the first of the year. We can't wait until they get here. Our son Benjamin came and spent the holiday with us, but it still was quiet without our little sweetie around. They are visiting his other grandparents. Perry took his sons and Abigail along with two friends to see the new Rocky movie and I shopped for last minute gifts. After the movie we talked Dad into joining us at TGIF for a late lunch and then hit the mall for more last minute shopping. Considering the day before it was not very crowded at all. We had a quiet Christmas day eating our traditional turkey and ham dinner and watching the DALLAS Cowboys get stomped to death. We just could not believe how badly they played. Just when we think they are back to a winning streak they lose. What a day. We finished it watching George C. Scott's "Christmas Carol".