HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY, ADDISON!

Miss Addison Valana Chandler

Born January 9, 1991 at 11:39 AM

Weight - 9 lb. 1 oz.

at Palmetto Baptist Medical Center.

Grandaddy gave you your middle name "Valana" which combines Valencia and Lana (your Grandmother) whom we were staying with before you were born while your father was in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf Crisis in 1990-1991. (He left in Aug. 1990 and returned in April 1991 when you were nearly 4 months old.) You were such a pleasant and happy baby always smiling and never meeting a stranger. You were a friend to everyone from the beginning.

It seems like only yesterday that you were born, Addi! You are such a beautiful girl and you always have been. You bring so much joy to your family and we all love you so much. Happy 18th birthday! You will always be the baby girl!

I love you so much, Addison. Love forever, Mom :)
P.S. For Addison's birthday present, she and I are going to be flying out to Utah then end of the month and visiting Erika and Jack in Idaho. It will be a blast!

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!