I wanted to post a few highlights of our Christmas week.
The night before Christmas eve, Jonathan and Sam were both gone late, and to cheer us up and deter further squabbling among the little ones, I picked up an old book I'd found downstairs recently,
Guideposts Favorite Christmas Stories.
So while Rose knitted by the Christmas tree,
I read story after story.
It worked. It was such a cozy, fun evening, the girls knitting or reading another book while listening to mine (that's called multi-tasking, I guess!)
And Hannah made up a bed right in the middle of the living room floor to curl up in while listening!
Christmas Eve, we had a spontaneous candlelight supper.
Afterward, Jonathan helped me in the kitchen, stirring up the nuts and sugar/honey mixture for Rustic Nut Bars,
Here are the bars, along with a little wood-burned cardinal that Timmy had made for me from scratch.
We opened part of our gifts Christmas Eve, interspersed with Christmas carols. In between a round of gifts, each person took a turn choosing whether to sing a carol, read a Christmas poem or story, do brain teasers, play a game, "sit silently for three minutes," (Sammy's choice who doesn't care to sing) or whatever they wished.
That is how we did it this year.
We like spontaneity as well as predictability.
Below, sorry it is fuzzy, is Christmas morning breakfast. We made sausage patties, and Jonathan and I like avocado slices alongside our scrambled egg.
As usual, the most delight is over home made gifts such as the apron Carrie made for Hannah, to match her own.
Carrie and Rose had knitted socks or slippers for four of us, and Jonathan had bought me a pair of slippers, so we had to get a picture of our delightfully cozy feet--
with someone's big bare feet stuck in there real quiet like.
Danny is totally thrilled with the train engine Timmy cut and woodburned for him.
Hannah was thrilled at the bathrobe I'd found somewhere and saved.
Carrie had made this apron for Crystal.
Jonathan found this drawing easel for Danny.
There were a number of skirts for the girls, and this winter sweater which Crystal and Carrie both tried to get into all at once!
I had ordered a few embroidered towels from my niece, Amaris, who is making these to sell
to earn money for nursing school.
The girls had found this lovely deviled egg carton for me.
I was totally surprised and totally delighted.
I was totally surprised and totally delighted.
They had also knitted me new dishcloths and scrubbie, and sewed me new hot mitts.
I hadn't been able to resist this lovely popcorn can for Jonathan, with the red covered bridge,
something we remember from where we had walked near my folks in Pennsylvania just before we got married, and then where we had wedding pictures taken.
Sam breaking the ice at the pond Christmas morning, for our steers.
Eating that popcorn.
Rose wanted a cowboy calendar rather than anything fun!
I tried to make absolutely sure--did she really want a cowboy calendar and not something like--
well, something more girlish?
No.
Decidedly not.
This expensive cowboy calendar from Big R was what she really wanted.
So, okay, cowgirl! Here it is!
And all this Christmas season, the Lord had blessed us with the gift of a batch of
five baby bunnies that most of the time the children kept in the house--
or in their pockets!
Sunday evening, our family played a game I'd gotten a long time ago and saved for this Christmas.
It's called "Ungame." And it's recommended by Focus on the Family.
There are piles of cards of questions about Biblical values and applications to our personal lives.
It was a great Sunday evening game to help with discussing spiritual things.
We will spare you the details, but despite the mishaps, we had a good time and got to meet at least two new neighbors, plus cheer three others.
One called the next day to thank us, and another came outside her door and sang with us--
under the moon!
It was a very, very happy Christmas season!
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