December is always such a busy but happy month.  We left the lake on Sunday the 1^st and headed home.  It will be so great when we no longer have to worry about going back home and back to work.  Our day will come!

    On Sunday, the 8^th, our choir did our service at church.  Their beautiful music always helps put us in the Christmas spirit.  It was a beautiful service.

    On the 11^th, Ann had an appointment with a cardiologist.  It was determined that she would enter the hospital on the 12^th for an angiogram.  Millie went to the hospital to be there when they performed the test.  She, Mary and Frank were able to talk to the Doctor after they were finished with the test.  They discovered that Ann had a blocked artery and performed an angioplasty.  She had to stay in the hospital overnight.  She was released the next day and is doing just fine.  We were all relived to be over this hurdle. 

    Due to Ann’s procedure, Millie was unable to attend her Sewing Guild Christmas Party.  With the house on the market and a trip planned to spend Christmas in Dallas, Millie was not the hostess for the party this year.  We did not even do much decorating but Millie did put up the tree in the den.  She was sorry to miss the party but very relieved that Ann is fine. 

    On Sunday, the 15^th, our church service was done by our Sunday school students.  The youngsters presented a beautiful version of the Christmas story.  After church we came home and Millie worked on baking.  She had started the day before and made several kinds of cookies.   We had someone want to see the house, so we headed to the RV for a while.  Millie took the cookie dough and things to the RV and baked out there.  After the folks toured the house, we headed back in and fixed dinner. 

    Monday, the 16^th was the Christmas party for Millie’s office.  We met at Benihana’s and enjoyed an evening of good food and companionship.  The young man who cooked for our table was really a showman and made for an entertaining dinner. 

    The week of the 16^th we also began packing the RV for our trip.  We went to Debbie’s on Thursday evening and delivered their Christmas gifts.  Richard came down one evening and brought gifts for us and for the Dallas family.  We also delivered gifts to Ann’s for the family gathering on Christmas Eve.

    Saturday morning, the 21^st, we were up early and finished packing the RV.  Our granddaughter Amanda was dropped off by her mom and the 3 of us headed to Robert’s in the Dallas area.  It was a nice day and the drive was uneventful.  We pulled in the Destiny RV Park in the afternoon and got set up.  Robert drove up and picked up Amanda, then we rested for a while before heading to Robert’s for the evening. 

    Sunday we began decorating for Christmas.  We had a tree and we got it put together, then put up some garland and other trimmings.  Millie has a collection of Lemax houses which fit nicely on the cabinet behind the sofa.  After we finished, we drove to Robert’s and fixed lasagna for dinner.  After dinner, we visited , watched some TV and Millie helped Lacey do some Christmas decorating.  Millie had brought several boxes of decorations to give to Robert’s family.  About 9:30 we  headed back to the RV Park for bed.

    Monday afternoon found us at Robert’s again.  Millie made a meatloaf and Robert fixed side dishes to go with it.  We again watched some TV before going back to the RV Park. 

     Christmas eve we spent the morning at the RV Park, and then went to Robert’s and Millie baked the pumpkin pies and dinner rolls for Christmas dinner.  JoAnn, our realtor called in the afternoon to tell us the couple who looked at house the weekend before had made us an offer.  Dick talked to her, told her we would give it our consideration and let her know.   It was a quiet Christmas Eve night,  and we were back at the RV and into bed early.  

     Christmas day we were up early and headed to Robert’s for gift opening.  We received three pairs of binoculars!  Millie and Dick had purchased them for each other and Robert gave us a set that also has a digital camera in them.  We decided to keep them all.  Sharing is not really a good option with binoculars, so the ones we got each other will be for hikes, etc.  The ones from Robert we will carry in the truck so we can use them while traveling and be able to snap photos of whatever we are watching.  We also received a gift certificate from Camping World.  We  talked to JoAnn and gave her a counter offer on the house.  The biggest thing is that the buyers want to close no later than January 17^th!!!

    Millie and Robert prepared dinner, we had ham and all the usual fixin’s.  It was a good dinner and we were all stuffed.  Lacey and Amanda cleaned up the kitchen and we watched a couple of movies, then back to the RV and bed.

    Friday brought a trip to Camping World to spend our gift certificate and get a few things we needed.  We discovered that the patio rug and hitch pin stabilizer that we wanted were catalog only items, so we will order them when we get back home.  We also had lunch at Good Eats, they have great food.  JoAnn called and the buyers took our counter offer, but we still have to close by the 17^th of  January.  We are in a state of shock, never believing it could happen this fast.  Robert took us out to dinner at the Black Eyed Pea.  After dinner, Amanda and Lacey headed to Kohl’s to spend the gift certificates they had received and Robert, Dick and Millie went back to the house and spent the evening watching TV.

    Saturday we took down our Christmas decorations and got them packed up.  Then, we headed to Robert’s.  We called the All Star RV Resort in Houston and reserved us a space starting on the 15^th of January.  We are going to be really busy the next few weeks.

    Sunday Robert dropped off Amanda and the three of us headed back to Richmond.  We got back about 6:oo and Amanda’s mom picked her up.  Dick and I went to eat, then came home and rested for a while, then off to bed.

    Monday Millie went back to work, Dick had the day off.  Dick and Phyllis Davis came mid-morning in their Allegro Bus and Dick got them set up on our driveway.  We have been planning this visit since July and were so glad to have them with us.  The neighbors are really turning their heads at our mini RV Park!   That 40’ Allegro Bus nearly fills the rest of our driveway.  Millie found a lady to conduct our estate sale after the kids all take the items they chose.  After Millie got home from work the 4 of us went out for a BBQ dinner, then back to the house for a nice long visit. 

    New Year’s Eve was a workday for both of us, but we did get off early.   Phyllis made a wonderful dinner for us and we really feasted.  After dinner, Phyllis and Millie began cleaning out the kitchen cabinets in the house.  Phyllis was such a great help in determining what items we would probably use in the RV and what ones would just take up space.  Then we headed for the RV, where we cleaned out the cabinets in the kitchen and rearranged, bringing out the things from the kitchen in the house. After we finished that, Phyllis brought in some pumpkin cheesecake and mulled cider, which we enjoyed as, we saw the New Year of 2003 in. It was a pleasure to spend the evening with such good friends.   HAPPY NEW YEAR!  This is going to be an eventful year for us.  We hope it will be for you too.