We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Santa Clause made it! I was a little worried about whether he'd make it to our house or not but he made it and left everyone with just what they'd asked for! Addison's favorite gift was her new Blackberry phone and straightner, mine was my new digital camera and sewing machine (now I just need lessons!), Joey's was his new clothes (his Field & Stream deer shirt), and Ethan's was his puppy which he'd begged for. This was a favorite for all of us and a memory we'll long remember. It's a 6 week-old Jack Russell puppy which he named "Amsterdam" (huge name for such a small baby! Ha!) He's so cute and is such a little ball of fire already! Don't let his size fool you -- Ha! Ha! Addi was up at 4 AM and at 7 AM I couldn't the anticipation any longer and had to wake Ethan up for his surprise! It was a great Christmas morning!




Even Chloe enjoyed opening her favorite gift - a stuffed animal from Addison -- she knew just how to open it! It was too cute!In the afternoon Abby and Alex joined us to open their gifts and they loved what Santa had left, too! Abby's favorite she received were her LEHS hoodie and sweatshirt and Alex's favorite were his Playstation 2 games and his football.

Christmas evening we spent with Joey's parents and had a very nice time. We had great food and fun catching up with his family. They have had some sad times the past couple months. Joey's Aunt Laura lost her husband to cancer just about a month ago and his Uncle Tally lost his girlfriend to cancer the same week. Joey and his Uncle Floyd had a good time telling old stories and even a few jokes in between -- Uncle Floyd is a hoot to be around. I also enjoyed spending time with his Aunt Laura -- I always enjoy having her tell me some of her older nursing stories and how things used to be. She's a retired nurse and spent much time working in Labor and Delivery and in the Emergency Room. Things have really changed in the medical field in the past 40 years. She's so interesting.

It has been a wonderful Christmas for our family. We are all healthy and happy. We have our family and we love each other so much. It was our first Christmas as husband and wife and Joey has brought so much love and joy (and LAUGHTER!) into my life. Our children are all doing well and we have a good time together. Our first grandchild will be here before too much longer which gives a new meaning to the word "hope" to me. We have so much to be thankful for that have been given to us by a loving Father in Heaven. I love Christmas and this beautiful time of year when we celebrate the birth and the life of our Lord and Saviour. I love the feelings of Christmas and I pray that we can all carry these feelings with us into and throughout the coming year. From our family to yours -- Merry Christmas and best wishes for a wonderful and safe new year. With love, Valencia

Christmas Eve at Grandmother and Grandaddy's house!

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go.....Oh how we look forward to this wonderful time at Grandmother and Grandaddy's house (my parents). It is such a great time and the aroma of all the wonderful things Mom has prepared greets you at the front door first! This year, however, we really missed having Erika and Jack who are back home in Idaho with tons of snow and Ginger, Shaun, and the boys who were at home with pink-eye...they were all so very missed. The little ones always add so much excitement and I know Jack and Erika will enjoy a beautiful white Christmas in the west. It was a Hallmark Christmas, though, with all the Christmas joy at their home. Maddie and Will were so cute anticipating Santa's arrival later in the night and Cole, the newest arrival in the Dinkins family was so sweet on his first Christmas. We enjoyed feasting, sharing gifts, listening to Joey play and sing with the guitar and then a story of "Christmas Oranges" read to the family. Another highlight was Daddy and Mom opening up a box which appeared to be a Kitchen Aid mixer which she quickly said, "Oh, I already have one" only to discover pickled eggs, pig feet, and hot sausages for Daddy!!! It was so funny because Daddy loves these things! Ha! Then Byron took them outside to show them their other gift -- a new Van - much like their other one but in much better shape. They were so surprised! Byron always comes up with the neatest gifts and he has such a great big heart. It was such a fun Christmas Eve night and now...wonder if Santa will come????????????? I guess we'll have to see.....

Merry Christmas everyone!

The spirit of Christmas at work!

Phyllis (our Nurse Manager) and me at the Christmas Party!
Phyllis gets a treat at our Christmas get-together at LHOP!

Randa gets a neat gift during the "Dirty Santa" game at our party at LHOP!

Connie and Quincy dressed like twins for work! Are they so festive!

Patti and Micheal shagging the night away at the party thrown by Dr. Kraemer at the country club. Thanks, Dr. Kraemer for a great Christmas party!

The Women's Center Gang at LHOP!

Connie and I have a great time together -- she's so fun!

" The Christmas Scrub Club!"
Robbie is such a nut! She's a dear friend and so much fun to work with. We always try and keep the day fun -- no matter how busy it gets...

It's been fun with our group at work for Christmas. We really have an awesome group of people and I feel very fortunate to be in such great company. We do work really, really hard but the photos show that we do have a good time together, too.

Phyllis, Robbie, Beth, Mary Kathryn, and Sherrill

Without laughter how boring would life be!

Merry Christmas from the Women's Center!

Christmas Girls' Night

Karen hosted a Christmas get-together at her house. We had such a great time laughing and catching up and had lots of good "eats!" Thanks, Karen, for such a fun party -- it was so nice!

The Dinkins Family Annual Christmas Party 12/20/08

Every Saturday before Christmas my Daddy's Family Christmas Party is held. We look so forward to this each year and seeing cousins, aunts, and uncles we haven't seen in a while and enjoying this special time together. This year was especially special for my daddy -- he had ALL SEVEN siblings together! For one reason or another this hasn't happened in a few years but they were all here this year. They are my daddy (Oree Dinkins), Mickey, Garrett, Timmy, Ronella, Jane, and Teresa. What a wonderful family!

It's a WONDERFUL life in December...

December has arrived and everywhere you look Christmas is in the air -- isn't it a wonderful feeling! I absoulutely LOVE this time of the year. We've had a great week and these are a few of the happenings of our first week of December:

I was not feeling well the first couple days of the week but glad to say I'm feeling much better now. Ethan is finishing up with exams (yay!) and doing pretty well. He's working hard but had a little accident at work cutting his thumb pretty bad while slicing lemons (whew--that lemon juice had to hurt!) landing him in the ER in Florence. Luckily he didn't have to have stitches and he said the nurse was really cute that took care of him so maybe it wasn't too bad an experience for him...Erika and Jack are staying busy in Idaho working and Jack is getting ready for a new semester in school in the winter. Erika is now 17 weeks pregnant -- ALMOST HALF WAY!!! The end of the week Joey and I had a day to spend together shopping and browsing all over Columbia. He's such a great sport with shopping and we have such a good time together. Joey and I had my KCMC Christmas Party Friday night at the Health Resource Center and we had a great time. Saturday was Addison's special day as she was chosen for the Miss LE Pageant (see Slide Show in next blog entry) and she was absolutely gorgeous! We were all so proud of her and especially for her choice in wearing a modest gown -- she really is great girl if I say so myself! :) I hope it was a very special day for her getting her hair and makeup and all that girl stuff done! She and her friend, Kelsey, had fun getting ready together and Kelsey is also such a sweetheart as well as an awesome softball player! Thanks also to Jenny who helped Addison pick out an outfit for her casual wear -- sometimes it's easier for our daughters to shop with someone else and Jenny is such an awesome shopper! Love you, Jenny!!! It was also so wonderful to have Addison's extended family there for support - Grandmother and Grandaddy, Abby, Aunt Tiawanna, Ginger, Darla, Jody, Wesley and his mom (Karen), Grammy, her dad and step-mom, Ivy, and cousins Susan-Marie and Claire. This really meant alot to Addi -- thanks, ya'll!

Tonight was a very special night as we went to my parents' house to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional Broadcast. Wow -- how wonderful that was because my parents had all three of their children with them watching the devotional together. It was such a neat experience and I know they were so happy for this experience. We'd been at their house earlier in the day for lunch as we do so many Sundays and had a great day even enjoying a family movie together (Nanny McPhee - not sure if I spelled it right). It was a very good Sunday and going back tonight to watch the Christmas devotional and enjoying the beautiful messages by our beloved prophet and his counselors and the wonderful music by the Tabernacle Choir was just the perfect night with family. Yes, I love December and it's entrance into our family has been a grand one!

Miss LE Pageant 12/6/08

#40 - Addison Valana Chandler - a representative of the senior class - One word she uses to describe herself is "BENEVOLENT"
We are so proud of you, Addison! You are beautiful - inside and out!

A VERY thankful Thanksgiving Week...

The week began in a great way with the Young Women's Program for Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. It was a wonderful program and the girls did a great job. I was very proud of Addison with her talk and the song she and Sharon sang called "Walk Tall." It was especially touching for me since it is Addison's senior year and knowing this was her last year in the Young Women's program. Below is a photo of Addison with Michelle - better known to the young women as "Fabulous" who was just released from Young Women's President. The girls will really miss her and she has been such an inspiration and an awesome example to Addi.

Addison and Sharon sang so well together! And this is Sister Price, the new Young Women's President and she is so sweet! Addison and Brenda ("Sister B" as the girls call her) have fun horseback riding together and she is also a great example and friend to Addi.

Ethan was able to come home for Addison's program and he and Chloe enjoyed an evening nap on Saturday night before he and Mom had a date out to dinner. Addison was glad he came home for the program to see her and it was nice to have him as well as Joey, Abby, Alex, Grandmother, and Aunt Tiawanna come to church with us for the program

For Thanksgiving Day we had lunch at my brother and sister-in-law's home. (Thanks, Byron and Susan for your hospitality!) It was a very fun-filled day for all spent with family -- except for Joseph who had to work a 12-hour shift. We missed you, honey!

Mom and Daddy (Grandmother and Grandaddy)

They are the BEST!!!

Brandon & Jenny

Holding my newest nephew, Cole. He is Marshall and Lindsay's baby and is now one month old. He's so sweet!

The trail riding on golf carts was truly an adventure!


It was such a fun week. I missed my Erika and Jack but hope to see them over the next holiday??? Last night we had Joey's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hornsby over for dinner for delicious taco soup and a homemade mandarin orange/pineapple cake for dessert. We had a fun visit and Chloe got really spoiled by Grandma Mildred! Ha!


I am so very thankful for so many things. I am grateful for a loving family - for parents who are healthy and strong and love all us children and grandchildren so much. I am thankful for my husband who is so good to me and our family. He treats me like a queen and I love him so much! I'm so thankful for my precious children and for the example and the strength they give me. They are what I live for and I thank my Father in Heaven for lending them to me and for the love and joy they bring to our family. I am thankful for my health and for being able to get up everyday and do the things we're able to do each day -- that is a true blessing. I could go on and on about what means the most to me--friends, our home, etc. because there are so many things but I'll stop here. Most of all I'm thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who has blessed me in so many, many ways.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
P.S. See Ginger and Jenny's blogs for more of our family trail-riding adventures on Thanksgiving! It was a blast!