Happy New Year 2014!

I'm truly amazed it's a New Year already, and 2014 at that!

I was looking at my album from 2000. A lot of people believed the world would end on January 1, 2000. I did not believe it at all, and neither did my hubby.

Here we are, 14 years later. 

2013 was a difficult year for our family, as my dear Dad lost most of his vision due to the disease of glaucoma. The eye drops, laser operations, etc. just didn't work for him. He is in the 1% range of people for which these things have no effect. Since July, the vision in his right eye has really failed. He still has a small range of sight in that eye, but he had to give up driving in July, and he said that was the most difficult thing he's ever had to do, as he drove since the age of 15. My Dad is very independent so this has been a grueling ordeal for him.

We had a wonderful Christmas together, though, with the whole family here at our house for Christmas dinner. Here is the whole clan, except for Paul P who arrived later.

My parents are in front, with their 4 daughters:

Marlene on the left with her hubby Dan behind; myself next to her in the blue top with Robert my hubby behind on the left, and Matthew our son on the right. Leona is next to me with one of her sons, Colin, behind her, and Marie is next in the red plaid with Robert her hubby behind her, and her son James in front, and daughter Ashley in front on the left.

Here is the same picture with Paul added in! 

(Leona's other son)

It was such fun to have Marlene and Dan here. They stayed in a hotel near the airport. They drove up from St. Louis MO, leaving on Wed Dec 18 in the evening, and arriving in Vancouver on Sat Dec 21 at 1:30 pm! 

I don't know how they did it. 

Here we are, about to plunge in. We didn't all fit around the 2 tables so some had to eat in the living room. But it was still a lot of fun.

My parents enjoying Christmas dinner. They provided the turkey, which I cooked and basted; I made the potatoes and Dan Morgan made the delicious gravy. I also made lemon zest brussels sprouts, corn, and a 7th heaven layered salad, plus a whipped cream and raspberry salad. Marlene made the dressing from scratch and baked it in casserole dishes. Dan also made a superbly delicious sweet potato casserole. It was so yummy.

And here are some of the luscious desserts! My Mom made the Jam Jams in the lower right, and Marlene made the painted cookies and all of the cookies on the tray next to them, and also the gingerbread snowflake cookies. I made the sugar cookies and the Santa bars.

So, here's to wishing all my friends and family who follow this little blog, a wonderful happy healthy prosperous New Year in 2014, filled to the brim with God's richest blessings, which He gives us to enjoy.

By Loretta Houben