It is in the history book. Finally. Christmas 2004! What a day what a day! We began at the bowling lanes. Nine a.m.. Krl and I had gone by Friday to make the reservation, we talked with a manager and everything was set! Nine o'clock, nine-fifteen, nine-thirty, ten, ten-fifteen. Finally they opened the door. We walked in and told them what we were there for and these rocket scientists were totally baffled. They told us that no manager would have made the reservations, that they had city youth league. Luckily, I was holding Reid (the grandson) because I really wanted to get ugly with them. This nuclear engineer who chose to talk with us didn't like it when we told him, "Sure, fifteen of us got together and said lets go to the bowling alley and tell them a bald faced lie". He told us we were taking the wrong insinuation of what he said (???? Do what?). The city youth league lady was tremendous, she told us to figure out our bare minimum needs and she would draw their lane requirements down so we could bowl (for the love of the sport). By this time I would not contribute any funds that a portion might end up in the pocket of these business icons. I told our group to load up and as we exited Rian (our soon to be school principal) told the man behind the counter that one of our favorite family activities is to drive a thousand cumulative miles as a family and convene outside a bowling establishment for over an hour just to harrass the employees inside. We be from the Kuntry! Yeehaw! Whitewood Lanes had better take care of their Senior Nude Bowling League because I plan to spread the word about any normal people's efforts to go bowling there! .........DON"T!

From there the day definitely improved! Ellen and the Mystics won(for the first time all season) we returned to Trc's house and did the finger food deal and finally had our tree. Memama and Pepa joined our group at this point. The youngest girls were having a cow! They couldn't believe how long it took everyone to eat! It was fun. After the tree a couple of groups headed out shopping (as christmas money was burning a hole in their pocket). Some just sat around visiting and Trace set up the Texas Hold 'Em poker table. Brently took some time to explain the game to some of the more naive in our group. I am sure he had this gleam in his eyes of leading the lambs to slaughter! A few hands were played before it was time to reconvene the group at Abuello's. We lost a couple from our group as Merrit headed back to Lubbock and Taylor went to help his brother build a pine box racer. Two hours later our group went numerous directions. To the mall, home, or back to Trace's for the Texas Hold 'Em Tournament. Krl went home, I went back to Trace's. Long story short, I was first out of the tournament (yes, a fool and his chips are soon parted) and almost five hours later all that remained were Trace and Brently (all the lambs had been slaughtered). Brently was the odds on favorite and it appeared he had Trace on the ropes until Trace held pocket eights and an eight showed up in the stream. Brently had gone in deep but his two pair were no match for three of a kind. The tide turned, and it was just a matter of time before Trace held all the chips! So the first Texas Hold 'Em Poker Champion at our Christmas in February was Tracy! I plan to print her a really nice certificate!

It was a tremendous day. Fun for all. Several requests to keep Christmas in February, regardless of Krl and my work schedules!

This morning Krl was sickly. I rolled over about six and saw that Krl had not set her alarm clock. I cat napped with one eye open until six thirty and told Krl if she was going to church she needed to roll out of bed. She declined (as she felt poorly) and I took a bath, shaved, dressed and went out the door. Church was good. Charles led the praise team and did a good job. Mike was back to preach. Sunday school saw nineteen in attendance. Good turnout!

Just after Sunday School ended Rian called and wanted to have lunch. We met at Golden Corral and Dandy got to spend some more time with Reidman before they went back to Lubbock. It was a good morning.

I returned home and got my comfy clothes on and sat down in my chair to watch Daytona qualifying. My phone rang and it was Pat. She, Hag and Kyle had driven over and gone to Highland second service. They couldn't find me because I had gone to first service, but I would have gone back with them. We had invited them over late in the summer and they finally made it today. They seemed to have enjoyed it. I told them if they would make their plans known in the future, I would coordinate my schedule so we could attend together. I had asked them back next week for Zoe but Pat has to work at the nursing home. The main thing I want them to know is there is more out there than what is available in some outlying areas.

FATHER, It has been a blessed weekend. Thank YOU! For all YOU do! I continue to lift up those in need of YOUR healing. YOU know our needs. I pray that YOU will fill them. Use us. This is the day YOU have made, I will rejoice in it!