Our Christmas week

I didn't mean to take a whole week long blogging break...but if you're like me, things can get a little busy at this time! I hope each of you had a very blessed Christmas!
We truly did.

But let me go back to Sunday afternoon, when the four of us attended the Oregon Ballet for The Nutcracker!
My husband and I went to the very same Nutcracker production fourteen years ago (wow...was it really that long?) when we were first dating.
What a joy to be able to take our daughters this year for the first time and see their faces light up as sugar plum fairies danced to the familiar music they already knew and loved.

Before it began, they walked to the front with their daddy to gaze down at the orchestra pit. (Little did my eight year old know that she would actually receive a gently used violin for Christmas!)

The four of us absolutely loved our night on the town.
When I laid my head on the pillow that night, I could almost still hear the music as I drifted off to sleep...just two nights before Christmas...

Christmas Eve we attended an early candlelight service at our church, and then home for carols at the piano and our Advent devotions.
We watched just a bit of the Christmas movies on TV and dined on our traditional Christmas Eve lasagna. (And no, we're not Italian...)
After the kids were in bed, their daddy and I also fell asleep... but woke just in time to sneak around with packages and things just before midnight.

And bright and early, Christmas morning, it was stocking time.
Digging in, exclaiming in excitement though you're still half asleep, and- spreading- the- little- tiny- toys -all -over- the -floor- time.
Because that's what you just do.

In our family, we do the stockings first thing...then eat breakfast and Mommy and Daddy each take a turn in the shower... oh, and Mommy has coffee. Strong coffee.

The girls survive this delay because they have all those stocking trinkets to keep them busy. And after our quick showers and breakfast, it's present time at last!

We've always enjoyed seeing the excitement on their faces at Christmas, but this year the new thing was to scream with excitement.
I think our oldest started this first, but soon they both would literally scream when they'd open an exciting present. It was pretty funny... I was soon tossing them a gift and quickly throwing my hands over my ears...;)

Can I just insert here that I was completely surprised to see that Santa knew to bring them High School Musical toothbrushes. Toothbrushes that literally sing when you brush. I didn't even know they made these.
As long as you keep those toothbrushes moving, Troy and Gabriella will sing to keep that plaque away.
I don't know whether to be a little frightened... or to ask for one for my birthday!

In all seriousness, it was a wonderful Christmas morning. And my 80 year old mom was actually still able to drive the hour to our house, arriving before noon to exchange more gifts with us.
She's been here for three nights and leaves today, and it's been a true blessing to have her here!
And to make things even more special, it honestly started snowing! Huge, beautiful flakes started falling right on Christmas Day!
Christmas snow around here is very rare, so it was very exciting to say the least!
(The picture didn't turn out well, but hopefully you can see a bit of the snow falling...)

Christmas afternoon, it was on to my husband's brother and his family's home to open more gifts with those eleven siblings and offspring!
So much fun... but it's no wonder everyone's still recovering a bit from all the festivities!
And now that I'm coming off this little unplanned break, I'll be visiting all of you to find out about your Christmas celebrations.

And resting...

And eating the chocolate I got for Christmas...

And thinking about exercising.

Blessings!

A Show and Tell Variety Addition

I guess because Christmas is just about upon us, my Show and Tell today is just a bit different.
I'd like to show couple different types of things...OK, a hodge podge! But you'll understand more as you read on...

First of all, a more traditional show and tell item...


This tall, lovely doll was just given to me by my mother this year while she began downsizing. I believe she is about 24 in. tall, and as you can see, she holds her own little doll in her arms!

Before I was married, both my mom and I were consultants for House of Lloyd, and while I began collecting a lot of Christmas items, she collected dolls.
Of all of hers, this was one of my absolute favorites!

You can see two sweet little dolls standing beside her...my mom bought those for my girls last Christmas, and I love their little old fashioned attire and sweet faces.

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Like thousands and thousands of other moms this week (and dads, too!) I baked some sugar cookies today with my children.

I have to admit, I am not a true expert in the kitchen...
I usually I grab the P*llsbury dough from the refrigerator section, pop them in the oven, and then pretend their home-made. "Nothin' says lovin like something from the oven!"

But at least once a year, I actually bake from scratch, along with my little helpers...


We did both plain, round sugar cookies, and then made a new batch of dough for using our cookies cutters.

Here are some of our shapes before I took them out and baked them...


And here are our round sugar cookies with sprinkles...all ready to eat! Want one?


We have never known most of our neighbors, sad to say...so this year I made sure we made several dozen so that we could share.
After dinner, my husband even went with us as we made rounds to eight of the homes closest to us.
In years before, I might have given something to one or two special neighbors...but nothing like this.

Some we knew, some we didn't.
We carried our basket around door to door in the very nippy air, and it was fun to get some of the reactions. At one neighbor's house they peered through the window, not sure if they should answer...a family with a basket? Were they selling mistletoe or something?
But most everyone seemed warm and friendly...if not a little surprised by a simple act of giving for no reason...
except it was Christmas.

One last thing I want to share...

My five year old Lil Cherub drew this last night.

I realize that all of us who are parents and grandparents also have artists just as gifted- or even more so! But if you click on it, you can see how much work and detail her little hands put into it.
She loves to draw...and in our Advent candle devotions, we talked about individual talents and gifts, and how they can be used for Jesus.

And this is her gift...giving it right back to Him.

For more Show and Tell participants, visit our gracious host, Kelli, at There is No Place Like Home.

Wordless Wednesday..."You better not cry..."

Christmas 2003

One wails, one grins, but Santa just remains stoic...

Christmas Tour of Homes!

It's time for the Christmas Tour of Homes, hosted by Boomama!

Welcome, and please come on in!


You may remember that last year during our tour, we were having a pretty wild wind storm outside! But aren't you glad the weather is better this time...just a drizzle. Still, you must come in and...yes, if you don't mind you can slip your shoes off here, with the new carpet and all.

You'll notice I did add a little greenery on top of the inside of the door...and why yes, that's our new door, too!


Right here, on the end table, is my crystal Nativity votive...I acquired this, and many other Christmas items back in the days when I sold House of Lloyd (also known as Christmas Around the World.) It's one of my favorites!


And of course, here is our Christmas tree...the one we all chopped down at a tree farm last week.
My flash was giving me a bit of trouble this evening...either that, or our tree was feeling rather camera shy... it was hard to get a good "pose"...but this one was one of the better ones.

Notice our new multi-colored star that hubby brought home!

And here is the best I could do by the twinkling lights...


And to the right we have our Nutcrackers, which my mom gave the girls and I the past couple of years...


Over on the other side of our living room, our stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

(Normally, we wait until Christmas Eve, but the girls were very anxious this year so we hung up theirs- and their grandma's.)

And here is one of my favorite collections. My mom and I each started collecting years ago, before I was married.
It's my "It's a Wonderful Life" village.

My husband gave me an official It's a Wonderful Life train set a few years ago...it's suppose to go around the village but we currently don't have a table big enough for Bedford Falls and the train, so for now, it's resting in front.

I tried to take a picture of it lighted...it came out a bit blurry, but I think you get the idea.


Sometimes the girls just like to sit and gaze at it!

Why don't we step into the kitchen\dining room. I can fix you a cup of hot cider....or I do have a few flavors left of my the hot chocolate my sweet husband brought home a few weeks ago...
(there were eight I think...but there's still some great ones left!)



Here in the dining room I have a little table dresser decorated for Christmas.

That old world Santa we won at my husband's Christmas party last year and I just love it!



And up close you can see a musical decoration (courtesy, House of Lloyd again!) and my treasured "It's a Wonderful Life" ornament.
(Are you starting to see a trend here?)

On the other side of the dining room is our Advent calendar.

Now, bring your hot chocolate and step in this way to our...well...office, family room, grandma sleeping quarters, laundry area. (Amazing how a room this small can have so many purposes!)

But on the piano I grew up with, sits our Nativity.


Let's walk over for a closer look...


It's been so wonderful having you stop by. I know you have a lot of other homes to go visit, but can't you just sit down for awhile? We were just watching an old Andy Hardy movie on TV. You know, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland?


Oh, good! I'll make popcorn! So, you'll be a little late visiting all of the other places...just relax and kick back and we'll throw another log on the fire...:)

Show and tell #11

I can't believe it is already show and tell Friday again so soon! You may have noticed I'm not posting quite as often this month...but since a lot of you are also busy these last weeks leading up to Christmas, I know you understand!


Today for Show and Tell -since I didn't get in on Morning Glory's Christmas Tree Treasures- I would like to show one of the special little ornaments which hangs on my tree and the story behind it.

As some of you know, when my husband and I were first married, he was in the Navy and we had just moved clear across the country where he was stationed in Virginia.

Just four months after our wedding, he had to leave me for a half a year.

A half of year.

And let's just say that as I watched his ship sail into the horizon, the six months loomed depressingly long to this bride...and especially daunting was the fact that I had left all of my friends and family behind on the other side of the continent.


I'd like to say that it flew by faster than I feared, but it really didn't. I missed my new husband desperately.

Christmastime was especially hard, and if it wasn't for my mom flying out to be with me, it would have been unbearable.

One day, as I was wandering through a mall that Christmas, I decided to stop by H*llmark and splurge on an ornament for our first married Christmas...even though we weren't even together!

I fell in love with this one...


I loved the face on the clock...it reminded me of something old-fashioned...a familiar image of something I had seen as a child.
But it also represented "time"...how he and I were counting the weeks...the days...the hours...until we were back in each other's arms again.

And of course...the romantic mice...well, that's self-explanatory!

Since that Christmas in 1995, this little ornament has hung on our tree every year.

And when things get testy between us, or we simply are too busy with daily life and responsibilities, it helps to serve as a reminder that there was a time when the days went by agonizingly slow because we were apart...when we longed for one another so much that it almost seemed like an impossible dream that we would ever be reunited.
But we were...one incredible day, my ship came in! :)

But that's for another post...


For more Show and Tell, please visit our gracious host, Kelli, at There is No Place Like Home! (And join in the fun on the 17th many of us participate in the Christmas Tour of Homes, hosted by Boomama!)

Portraits, and shopping and trees...oh my!

This was one of those packed in weekends of Christmastime for us...

Would you like to hear about it? It's not like most of you don't have your own busy weekends right now, also... ;)

I promise not to make it too long...and what if I throw in some pictures?
OK, good...


It was actually a nice weekend over all. Just very, very busy!

It started Friday night, we saw a beautiful Christmas program at a nearby church.

Then, while hubby had to work on Saturday, I threw some ingredients into the slow cooker... and hurried to help bathe and dress the girles to make it to the mall in time for their annual Christmas portraits. (And of course, I had the bright idea to not only pick a Saturday, but to pick the busiest Saturday of the year for this!)

The girls did an incredible job waiting and being patient, though. So I rewarded them with a trip to the golden arches inside the mall...
We sat by a flock of little princesses obviously there for a birthday party. They were adorable...and seemed to be having a grand time.
But not sure I would have picked the mall at Christmastime to host a birthday bash! But the only two moms present were probably not a day over 25, so their nerves were still young and unjangled.

I, on the other hand, was none too glad to escape the noisy fast-food land, especially when a worker began mopping under my feet as I took my last bite of yogurt parfait.

After all that, we did a bit of Christmas shopping and then finally came home to collapse.

And then there was Sunday!

After attending church, then help out in a class the next service, pose for some portraits being taken at church....we set off as a family to hunt down a Christmas tree.
Sweetiegirl spotted the perfect Charlie Brown tree...
No, let's keep looking...

I kept finding the "perfect" tree, I'll have you know...but every year it's the same thing. Hubby doesn't want to get one right away, he wants to get good and cold first or it just isn't the same. ;)

But even I was happy when it actually started snowing as wandered through the trees!

Finally, we all found one we loved.
Quick, hold onto the tree so Daddy doesn't change his mind!

Yes, this was it, alright.
It was true love.

Daddy cut it down, and then the girls helped to carry it back to the car.
Five year old cherub helped by touching the tip of a branch while walking...

But my eight year old actually was carrying the top! It's the first year I didn't even need to help hubby lug it! I guess having your child get a little bigger isn't all bad!

As the tree was being carried off, some very noisy geese flew overhead...I don't know why, but I always get excited at the sight and sound of them flying south with such determination.

So with that, and the little flakes of snow falling gently on us, I have to say, it was a magical time.

Not all of our tree hunts have been H*llmark moments, mind you...there's been rain, cranky babies, or even strong disagreements about trees...but the last couple years it's been fun tromping through the hills together.

So we brought it home and even managed to decorate- well- most of it!

But I'll save those pictures for another time.

And what about you? If you get a real tree, how do you go about it? I'd love to hear!

In the meantime, have a wonderful week as we go about our traditions in celebration of His birth!

Show and Tell # 10

Today, I'm joining in on the fun again for Friday's Show and Tell, hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home.

And I know ideally, the rules are to post pictures we've taken of items. But in this case, I am bending the rules just a tad, to show pictures that have recently been sent my way.


I don't know how many of you are fascinated with genealogy and learning about your own family trees... but I think I have been from the time I was a little girl.

I knew a lot about my mom's mom side of the family. We have old photos and tin types that go back 150 years!

And I know a little about my dad's mom (my special grandmother whom I called Gammee) and her side...not a lot, but a little.

But as for my father's dad's family? Only that my grandfather has two brothers, one being an extremely successful aviator engineer. Other than that- Nada.

Well, this week I got a little surprise when I received an e-mail from a gentleman I never even heard of- out of the blue- who said he was at the genealogy website where I had posted some family tree info.
I had almost forgotten I had done all that last year! But to make a long story short, this stranger turned out to be, indeed, related to me and in fact, we share the same great-grandmother!

This new-found cousin is related on my father's dad side, and within the past couple days has sent me numerous pages via e-mail of our family tree, photos, and documents!

He even included a photo he had of my own daddy at about age 12, standing with my grandparents. It was one I think I remember seeing before, but so amazing that it was in the possession of someone I hadn't known before!



But the great thing about this for me is that it has closed a big gap in my family tree. I was always so curious about this side of the family and knew virtually nothing.

When my dad was alive, he would sit down with me and say things like,

"You know, I really wish I could have my grandparents all back so I could ask them questions about how life was like. So, be sure to ask your Gammee lots of questions- and me, too- while we're here and can answer them."

But for some reason, not much was said about my dad's dad's family.

But now, I know names going back this line in several directions- including one line that goes back to a soldier in the Revolutionary War!
And more recently, of the great-grandmother, Jennie, whom just recently has become known to me.

I couldn't figure out how to copy the two close-up photos of her he has sent me for some reason.
But here's a sampling of what I received this week...


A photo of a store my great-grandparents owned in 1914 (when my grandfather would have still been a boy) :
My great-grandparents, I believe, are posing in front... and notice the advertisement on the side "CocaCola relieves Fatigue"... :)

And with the scanned, typed letter that my great-grandmother wrote to her sister in law in 1939, I get a tiny glimpse of who she was....and of the pre-war fears - especially of mothers- that prevailed at the time...
(I'm showing just the last page here.)


I'll quote a small part, starting on page 1:
(She is widowed by this time, and living with one of her sons- my grandfather's brother.)

"...he wants to get to back into designing and building, but I'm afraid this war will spoil a lot of things for us. Surely hope the U.S. can't get in it, it would take the best we love. I would like to get a chance at H*tler- it would be worth one's life to save our boys.
I have three of war age, God spare them.
Seems that we no more than get a new crop of boys, then along comes a nasty war to take them off."

It was amazing to read this piece of history- and from my very own great-grandmother's heart.

As we all know, just two years later we would be attacked at Pearl Harbor- on our very own soil- and the patriotism that prevailed was inspiring.
And as it happens, today is the anniversary of that day which will live in infamy.

I don't know about you, but it's fascinating for me to think about the fact that our ancestors- everyone who came before us- were real people with real feelings- not just black and white images in gilded frames. It's interesting to wonder who they all really were...what they were like...

And to sort of get to know one of them for the very first time.

A chilly Wordless Wednesday

In the meadow, we can build a snowman...

1968-ish:



And right after New Year's- 2007-ish...


Stay Warm, Everyone!