Baby Byers (aka B.B.)

Most of you have seen these already, but if not...




We had a great Christmas this year. It was very different making the trek to AR from Wisconsin, instead of Branson like we were used to. We had gotten used to making that trip over the course of the four years we had lived there. We had a little trouble getting Nic back to WI, but I'll write more about that later. We made it to AR just in time for Christmas Sunday. We took Abi to church, which she loved to participate in, and she only went to the nursery for a little bit. She spent the whole time in there playing with a cozy coupe car that she was getting for Christmas, so we knew right off that we had made a great choice in gifts! We got to spend a few days in Mt. Ida, then it was time to let the Christmas whirlwind begin!

Christmas Eve, my Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Randy had rented a cabin at Iron Mountain on Lake Degray and the whole Cloud clan met up for a steak dinner and gift exchange and had a great time...I don't have any pics though, so Robin, if you read this, e-mail me some! Then we went to Mom and Dad's where we had a house FULL! Mom, Dad, me, Nic, Abi, Kaci, Clint, Kory, Kyle, Kody and Grandaddy -- 11 total!!! We set up everything, and then went to bed, because we knew we would be up early...and we were-- 6:30!! It's so fun to wake up early still for Santa, and it won't be an adjustment when Abi starts waking up early for him too...we will be used to it!

Then we headed to Mt. Ida for the Byers Family Christmas celebration. Abi was spoiled with more gifts at Papaw's and Bebe's house, and then we went to Mimi's and Granny's. Then we had to rush off so Nic could fly home to WI. Right before we left, we got a phone call saying that his flight had been cancelled and could he be there for an hour early for another flight. We knew we would have to rush, but we had to try, since Nic was supposed to be at work early on Friday.

We were about halfway to the airport when we realized we had lost Nic's ID somewhere along the way. We searched the car and all the bags as best as we could (we were pretty loaded down with all the goodies we got in Mt. Ida) and called everyone to see if we had left it behind somewhere, but no luck. We turned around and headed back to Mt. Ida, since that's where Nic thought he'd had it last. After tearing up the house and emptying the car, we finally found AN id. Not THE id we had been searching for, but another license Nic had lost a long time ago, in my console, that was still good. Nic had another flight booked out of LR on Friday, but early Fri morning we got another cancellation phone call. They offered him a flight on Sat, but Nic had to make it home to get to work! So, they found him a flight out of Texarkana going to Dallas and then home to Madison. Upon his arrival in Dallas, he got some great news--you got it -- CANCELLED! Thankfully, his aunt and uncle live in Dallas (HI Rick and Jeanie!) and they picked him up at the airport, gave him a place to sleep, and dropped him off for his flight the next day. So he gets to the airport on Saturday and everything looks good. He even gets to take off for Madison, and then...you guessed it -- CANCELLED AGAIN!!!!!! The flight landed in Chicago instead, which is a good 2 1/2 hrs from Madison, and if you will remember O'Hare had been having a lot of trouble with getting flights out, so there wasn't a rental car to be had anywhere! He, along with most of his flight, hopped a bus to Madison, which, of course, didn't drop them off at the airport, then took a $10 taxi ride to the airport, and his car, and finally made it home...2 days after he planned! I don't know that he'll be flying home for Christmas next year...but we'll figure something out so that he'll be there!

Abi and I had one more Christmas gathering with the extended Hamlin family at my mom's house after church on Sunday. We had great fun, great food, and Abi had to learn to share some of her new Christmas toys...and she did not like that!

On to the pics!!
This is Abi in her Christmas dress that DeDe (my BFF Windy) bought for her.


This is Abi singing (LOUDLY) during church, during the offering, when NO ONE else was talking. She was singing her little heart out. I couldn't stop laughing and didn't even bother to try to stop her. Then it was time for preaching and she wouldn't quit singing, so we had to leave. It was super cute though!!!


Abi checking out her booty that Santa left for her...


Waving bye-bye in her new car!!!