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Let love be your highest goal!

1 Corinthians 14:1 (New Living Translation)

Hershey Christmas Supper

Thursday, December 30

Part 2

People love when I take pictures of them eating!

Jordan, Cerwin, Marlin, Kevin, Larry, Nathaniel

All four of our children are in this picture. Front table: Left to right – Heidi, Chris, Jeff (oldest son), Jere (youngest son), Deb (youngest daughter) who is holding Benjamin and will love this picture, and Diane (oldest daughter), and the top of Caleb’s head.

Reagan getting advice from big sister Jamie.

Molly choosing gummies

The Babies

Benjamin taking in all the activities

Benny’s cute little feet

I like all the lights glittering in his eyes

Heze and Hannah enjoying Benjamin

Something is funny!

Nancy, Clair, Kate, and Dot (holding Bella the smallest Hershey baby)

Heidi leaning over to look at my camera.

A pretty light in the kitchen window

Volleyball

“Hit it!” Jason

Mike looking like he means business

Kids Activities

Reagan

Caleb

Ashlea

Kelci

Molly and Caleb

~~~

I love watching brothers, sisters, and cousins enjoying an evening together.

~~~

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.

Romans 15:5 (New Living Translation)

Hershey Christmas Supper

Thursday, December 30

Part 1

This is the first year my sibling’s Christmas Celebration was not held in the farmhouse where we all grew up. Instead, we rented his barn which was a great alternate with lots more room.

There was a loft where some of the kids played ping pong – Josiah, Nate, Josh, and Gloria. The ping pong ball went over the railing several times and had to be thrown up to them.

Nate, Josh, Gloria

Diana, Lydia, Jana

Kate and Clair (my brother) arranging the cheese they brought for the meal.

Heidi (my sister’s granddaughter)

Bacon wrapped horderves

Delicious mushrooms

Cream cheese with pepper jelly

Karen, Abigail, Amy, Mother Hershey, and Elizabeth in the kitchen.

Fruit tray

Vegetables

A pretty candle

Gloria wanted me to take a picture of her because Deb used a curling iron on her hair.

More food

Visiting while waiting for mealtime.

Our daughter Diane and my sister, Nancy.

There was lots of room for running off energy

Kevin choosing horderves

More pictures tomorrow

Your words show what is in your heart.

Luke 6:45 (Contemporary English Version)

Cutting Down Our Apple Tree

Friday, December 30

Cerwin decided that Friday was a good day to cut down the apple tree in our yard that irritates him each summer.

Some of the reason for his decision to do it on a cold, winter day was that there were two strong grandsons here.

Josiah taking an armload of branches to the burn pile in the woods.

Hezekiah

Thanks guys for helping grandpa. He appreciated it.

You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

James 3:18 (The Message)

Sound of Music

Fulton Theatre With Our Family

Wednesday night, December 29

Twenty-four of our family members enjoyed a fabulous performance of Sound of Music at Fulton Theatre to celebrate 2010 birthdays – especially Diane & Mark’s because they are rarely with us when we do something as a family.

Camera’s were not allowed, so the first two photos are from Fulton’s website.

The Grand Old Lady of Prince Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

In 1852 the Lancaster community celebrated the opening of Fulton Hall. The Fulton Opera House, considered to be the nation’s oldest continuously operating theatre, is one of only eight theatres to be named a National Historic Landmark. Many of the “greats” of the American and International stage have performed on her boards. The list is extensive and includes most of the Barrymore family, Sarah Bernhardt, W. C. Fields, Alfred Lunt, Al Jolson, and Irene Dunne, Mark Twain, a young actress named Helen Brown (later known as Helen Hayes), Marcel Marceau and hundreds more.

When I saw people with small camera’s, I wished that I had brought Cerwin’s small one, but I did have my cell phone, which isn’t that great in a darkened room. In this photo you can see Jordan, Josiah, Nate, Josh, and Hezekiah, who were sitting in the same row as Cerwin and me. Hannah was on the other side of me, and Nathaniel, Abigail, Jenna, and Diana were in front of us.

Across the aisle were Mark, Diane, Davy (who took Jeff’s place because he had to get up early on Thursday), Deb, Roy, Jere, Kristen, and Chris. In front of them were Gloria, Jana, Lydia, and Stephanie (Nathaniel’s sister – who took Elizabeth’s place because she was home with a stomach flu).

The performance and music was AMAZING.

Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with.

2 Timothy 2:22 (Contemporary English Version)

Gifts

Our Family’s Christmas Celebration

Monday, December 27

Deb teaching Jesse to take pictures.

I think Kristen and I took photos at the same time – the reason for the interesting lighting surrounding Gloria as she opened her present.

Our grandchildren exchanged names.

Ian

Abigail

Jana

Jesse helping Jenna open her gift which someone wrapped in duct tape.

His gift was a penguin pillow

Heze

Nathaniel

Nate

Jared

Abigail made a scarf for each girl cousin and the younger boys. The older guys got Mountain Dew.

Nathaniel and Jared covering Jesse with one of the boxes.

He kept asking them to do it again.

Davy opening his gift

Mark, Diane, and Mary Jane

Silly guys! Nate and Josh modeling their gift bags.

Getting ready for an open gift game of Now-You-Have-It-Now-You-Don’t.

Jesse loved when Nathaniel lifted him to the garage ceiling.