2026

Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to JULY. My header picture this month shows America's 250th Birthday. God's Blessings to YOU for an awesome JULY. God Bless AMERICA!

Monday, December 28, 2020

What I LOVE about CHRISTMAS --even in 2020!!!!

We all need to remember the true meaning of Christmas.  Jesus Christ was Born. Hallelujah!!  (The Creche in our home)
Dear Blog Friends,  A belated Merry Christmas to you.   I hope that you had a good Christmas --even though it was probably very different this year.  George and I have stayed healthy --and we work hard to continue staying healthy!  

Today's post will show all of the JOYS and BLESSINGS I have experienced  this Christmas Season --even in 2020, with all of our changes.  The key:  STAY POSITIVE!!!!  

I hope you enjoy this post --as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.

On December 6, 2020,  George and I drove to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to have lunch with George's daughter, Kelly, and his sister, Janet.  We had a wonderful lunch and great conversation at Cheddar's Restaurant.  (NOTE: This picture of George and Kelly was taken in  December, 2019--because, in my excitement,  I forgot to take any pictures of this year's visit... ha)

On Dec.14 and 15, we visited the Biltmore Home and Gardens in Asheville, NC for their marvelous  "Christmas at Biltmore".  This has become a tradition for us--and it  'makes' our Christmas --if you know what I mean!  (This picture was taken in the Antler Hill Village area when we were walking after dark and enjoying the beautiful lights/decorations in that area.)

On December 20 ---two of my sons (Bert and Mark) and Mark's sweetheart, Robin, came to our home to celebrate Christmas with us...   (Thanks to Robin and George for remembering to take pictures of their visit.)

Robin and Mark,  feeling great after struggling with Covid last month!!! Prayers for all people who have been and are being affected by that wicked Virus.  Most of us know people who know someone who had/has it.  Right now,  I have a Granddaughter in Texas who has the virus,  and a good friend,  also in Texas,  who has Covid....  SCARY and SAD!

Robin is like a daughter to me.  She's the most caring/giving person I know. Mark is SO lucky to have her in his life.  SO AM I!!!!!!

On December 21st,  George and I drove to Chattanooga to see my 3rd and youngest son, Jeff, and his beautiful wife,  Dawn.  We met at Jeff's workplace, and then drove to Panera Bread for lunch and conversation.   It had been a long time since we have seen them --so it was FANTASTIC to see them on the 21st.  TWO AWESOME PEOPLE!!!!  (Picture was from Christmas 2019 --since again, for the millionth time,  I was too excited and forgot to take a picture... Geeshhhh.)

If these little Cuties in their Christmas "Jammies" won't make you smile at Christmas (even in 2020),  then nothing will!!!!  These are my Great Granddaughters:  Roni --age about 1 1/2,  and Vivian --almost age 3!!!!  They live in Eastern Virginia... Aren't they adorable?

I have about 27 Willow Tree figurines in my collection --but I've never had nor seen this one.  This is a music box named  PROMISE. See the little video below  (if it works)!



On Christmas Eve --and most of the day on Christmas Day---we had snow!!!!!   SO --for the first time since 2010,  we had a WHITE CHRISTMAS...  (Talk about making ME happy!!!! ha)

Do you see our SHIRTS?  They are SO appropriate for 2020!!!!  This will be a year that most of us will talk about for many years to come.  BUT--as you can see from the pictures in this post,  we always managed to find some JOY this year even when we had to drive to find it!!!!!!  Merry QUARANTINE Christmas to you!!!!!!

I thank God every single minute for this wonderful man in my life.  He makes every day like Christmas for me!!!!!   May God Bless my awesome husband, George.

 WELL--enough for today!!!!!  When I began working on this blog,  I knew that I couldn't possibly talk about ALL of the things I loved about Christmas this year,  (yes---even in 2020)...  SO --I just hit the 'highlights'...  First and most important:  The Birth of Jesus Christ (which is why we celebrate this holiday)...  Then comes my love for George Adams, my HUSBAND for almost 20 years.  Next is my love for  FAMILY...  I'm glad we got to see all of our family except George's son in FL.   

I hope you had a MERRY Christmas --even in 2020,  and I hope you stayed FAR AWAY from the terrible Covid Virus.  Instead of having family ALL together this year, the 3 different SMALL groups we saw gave us the opportunity to have THREE Christmas Celebrations with Family instead of one. 

George and I have been SO careful --due to Covid --and we have always worked hard to find joy through this unbelievable year.   

 Hope all of you had a very special Christmas --whatever you were able to do this year,  and let's all PRAY that 2021 is a much better year (although they are saying that the Covid Virus will be with us until late spring)... Let's stay patient and careful!!!

Hugs,

Betsy💝💛💚💕

   


Monday, December 21, 2020

Childhood Christmas Memories

Not a very good picture since it is SO old,  but this is a picture of one of our Christmas Trees I remember as a child;  I think I can still smell that CEDAR tree!!!  I do remember how prickly it was to decorate though --but I still loved it!  I also loved the little village at the bottom of the tree along with the 'fake' snow,  which would almost cut my fingers!!!!  Remember that?


Dear Blog Friends/Family, I found a little time to go back through some old pictures from my childhood at Christmastime.  SO---today I'll take you back to the 1940's and '50's  and share some photos that mean so much to me.   SO MANY MEMORIES of a happy childhood!!!  Hope you enjoy today's pictures.


Growing up in Big Stone Gap  (southwestern part of Virginia),  I remember seeing and playing in lots of SNOW.   I have loved snow ALL of my long life!  We used to make "Snow Ice-Cream" --and I would collect it in my bucket and take it to Mom to fix!!!!!!  YUM.

I love this picture of my sweet Dad, me and my beautiful Mom --taken about 1954 at Christmastime!!!!

My Dad always put up outside decorations at Christmas every year--and Mom used to say that we were the first home in our hometown to have outside decorations.  I loved that big Santa !!!!  AND --I have such fond memories of all of the big evergreen trees in my yard back then.

Mom joined us for a 'family' picture--Christmas, 1946  (My brother, Raymond, was visiting --so he must have taken the pictures.  In the previous picture,  that old Pontiac was Ray's car.)

This is my favorite of this group of pictures taken by my brother, Raymond, in 1946.   Betsy was probably saying:  "Enough of the pictures!  I wanna go and play in the snow!!!"


Dad may have decorated the outside of the house --but Mom was working just as hard decorating the inside of the house!!!!!


Christmas in about 1957;  Mom was dressed --but I had my bathrobe on!!!! ha

I certainly looked happy on Christmas morning that year (1957)...  Maybe Santa was good to me!!!????  Ya think????   (NOTE:  See that chair on the right side of the picture?  I have that chair in my home NOW.... So Special!)

My Family after Christmas Dinner in 1959:  Brother Raymond,  Brother Jimmy,  Dad, Mom and me

I added this recent picture  taken in 2010 to show you our snow on Christmas Morning.  That year was the LAST year we had snow on Christmas Morning.  SO in 2020 (10 years later),  can we possibly get some snow on Christmas?????????????     I am HOPING!!!!!  (But the chances keep getting less and less as we begin Christmas Week.)
 


 No matter where you live or where you are,  I am praying that ALL of YOU have a blessed Christmas Week--leading up to Christmas Day,  which is the day we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ.

With the Love of Christmas in my Heart,  I wish you LOVE, JOY,  and FAITH.

Merry Christmas!

Betsy💝💛💚💕