Our Merry Familiar Christmas

              Merry Christmas, I trust you had a lovely day, celebrating the wonderful birthday of our King!

from left to right, the vintage paper dolls I found for my youngest,my youngest girls with their dolls from a few years ago,the outfits were sewn by big sister,hubby and oldest girl with gifts,my daughter gave me this lovely frame filled with photos she altered creatively,happy with CD,and sporting our knitted creations by my daughter. I love that they like to give as well.

We have extended family events this weekend, so Christmas day was spent here at home surrounded by each other. I so cherish these times, as it seems with older children now and the hustle and bustle of their lives, time all together is precious and rare.

I know I must adjust to this reality; as no doubt it will keep on that way for a while....(smile here)


We attended our beautiful Christmas eve service last evening at our church.It is always a very special evening,  which includes a candle light service and carol sing.

Christmas morning begins with very excited children waking up too early, and running downstairs to inspect the prospects.After suspense has reached its limit,one child is summoned to wake up Mom and Dad.
It really isn't too hard to comply, as we really are still children too on Christmas morning. (smile)

It has been a longstanding tradition in our family to read the Christmas story in Luke 2, before we open our presents.This year my youngest read it to us as she sat cross legged on the coffee table,this story always seems to bring out a new truth to me, this year I pondered the fact of Jesus being born in a barn, and how that alone is such a humble beginning to a lifetime of magnificent phenomenon.

The presents are opened, and hugs and thanks all around. I really try not to over do the gifts.A few gifts for each ,something that person will use and enjoy.
Christmas breakfast is fruit and cinnamon buns( always a hit) which I made yesterday.

The next few hours were spent engaging in any type of formal or informal activity of choice. Sometimes called chillaxing or veging or loafing , oh and also staying in your pajamas for far too long!
But really if you can't do this on Christmas; when can you?

(tiny blurp...this year I wrapped the gifts and put each person's into a plastic tote, for something different.Now they have this box to use for storage later on.)

My husband's gift to me was a KOBO reader.I am certainly NOT ready to replace books, but I look forward to learning this device. Actually I should say I look forward to having my husband learn the device and explaining it to me.( Yes, he happens to be the technological one of the two of us) I much prefer having him figure it out.(smile)
Later on in the day we played a fun new game called Apples to Apples.A gift from my daughter's boyfriend.
It is a fun way to laugh and learn,( I had fun reading the cards)and simply being together.

Most of us dispersed to the outdoors later on, no snow forts or snowball fights this year,simply clean, crisp, fresh air to inhale with much gusto.My daughter and her boyfriend took a few horses out for a jaunt, and since I had recently disclosed the fact that I had never even so much as sat on one of our horses, my daughter decided this was going to be the day! I don't have a picture for proof but I really did get up on the horse as she walked it around. Quite fun indeed. By the way, only one of the horses is technically ours, the others belong to someone else.

                                            my oldest and her boyfriend

We enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner complete with stuffing,and sweet potatoes and Christmas cookies for dessert. The red juice in the glasses is currant juice which I canned in the summer.
We all felt filled from the inside out, as we ended the evening with the wonderful,
 classic Miracle On 34th Street movie.



Tonight I am thankful for loving family and a peaceful heart and home.For many people Christmas brings much hurt and pain to the surface, as rifts in relationships are made obvious. I pray  those things  be averted here in this place; our temporary dwelling, and for healing and grace wherever they may be.