Along with the turkey, we enjoyed mashed potatoes & gravy, dressing, sweet potatoes, broccoli & cheese, sweet potatoes, mixed fruit salad, & homemade bread that Susan Hawkins made...and of course sparkling apple cider to drink, in goblets. Even though we were short on numbers this year, we still enjoyed our nice relaxing time together.
Seth, Janica, Janece, & Coriann ready to enjoy our Christmas feast, with my best china & silver/gold wear.
Our scrumptious Christmas turkey ready to be carved by Jay.
This was after our traditional puzzle contest that we started a couple of years ago. Janica won the $10 prize. Seth gave her a hard time, thinking she had an easier puzzle, but Janica is normally really good at putting puzzles together.
Seth with his new jacket that Janica got for him & a church history facts book, that Jay & I gave him.
Coriann with her new 'Y' shirt and shorts that she really wanted. Janica is being a "goon" beside her.
Jay & I with his new shirt & vest & earphones.
Here's Jay opening up one of his gifts. Coriann, Janica, & Seth are in the background.
We are opening our presents on Christmas day. Janica is trying on a pearl bracelet that she recieved from Dad & I, from Hawaii. Coriann & Seth are looking on.
Here's my patriotic santas, my music box nativity, & a new Disney Christmas tree that rotates & has a little train that goes around it, as it plays Christmas carols.
Here's my outside Nativity which often has straw bales around it for effect & a big star on our entry column. Jay got out the lighted sleigh (but never plugged in the lights), & did not get out the reindeer that go with it & the sign that says, "Santa's loading zone".
These next snow pictures were actually taken on Jan. 2nd, but I decided to include them in the Christmas series.
On the couch table in the family room are my bear santa & a sleigh full of toys & gifts with the paper mache? reindeer that I painted a few years ago. There is also a pillow & wooden star candle holders that I made, that are in this picture. Some 'Willow Tree' figurines are also displayed.
Here's later when I did put my nativity picture under the village.
This village set is on the ledge between the dining & family rooms. It was made by Vicki Solbrack about 18 years ago. I added pieces over the course of a couple three years. There is another little 'Precious Moments' nativity on display with this village. Another thing I really love is minature things of all kinds. I usually have had a framed nativity picture below this village, but the one that is there, is of Coriann jumping for the ball at the beginning of a game at state basketball in Yakima, of her Senior Year. Her Connell High School team ended up getting 3rd at State, & Coriann was MVP of the tournament.
This is the nativity which is on the piano. I painted this ceramic set with gold & an antiquing black type rub, many years ago in Relief Society.
This display is in our entry on a little accent table in front of a mirror. It is my 'Precious Moments' nativity along with 2 other minature ones & some other ornaments that normally have gone on the tree. I have loved 'Precious Moments' figurines since I was a teenager, I think. I know it's been years & years. I have a curio cabinet which has several of them in it.
I tried to simply my tree more than usual this year because of the wedding etc., & I think I've decided to keep it more simple every year. I guess we'll see. I also simplied many of my decorations from what I would normally do. I just put a nativity on the piano in the background, which usually has a village on it.
Above: Jay & I (Janece) in our Christmas Eve robes. Below: Seth, Janica, Coriann, & me.
On Christmas Eve, we did some baking & made my traditional Cinnamon Crumb Cakes to take to our neighbors. We added some hot chocolate or spiced apple cider packets & candies, to put with them. After we went caroling, & had some carolers who came to us, we ate some of our rolls, bread, jam, cider, tamales, & other treats that were given to us. We added some soup & hot chocolate to warm us up. We watched "The Nativity" movie & read about the birth of the Saviour. Then we opened our traditional p.j.s (which were robes this year) as pictured above, & opened a couple of presents given to us by some friends.
Along with the turkey, we enjoyed mashed potatoes & gravy, dressing, sweet potatoes, broccoli & cheese, sweet potatoes, mixed fruit salad, & homemade bread that Susan Hawkins made...and of course sparkling apple cider to drink, in goblets. Even though we were short on numbers this year, we still enjoyed our nice relaxing time together.
Seth, Janica, Janece, & Coriann ready to enjoy our Christmas feast, with my best china & silver/gold wear.
Our scrumptious Christmas turkey ready to be carved by Jay.
This was after our traditional puzzle contest that we started a couple of years ago. Janica won the $10 prize. Seth gave her a hard time, thinking she had an easier puzzle, but Janica is normally really good at putting puzzles together.
Seth with his new jacket that Janica got for him & a church history facts book, that Jay & I gave him.
Coriann with her new 'Y' shirt and shorts that she really wanted. Janica is being a "goon" beside her.
Jay & I with his new shirt & vest & earphones.
Here's Jay opening up one of his gifts. Coriann, Janica, & Seth are in the background.
We are opening our presents on Christmas day. Janica is trying on a pearl bracelet that she recieved from Dad & I, from Hawaii. Coriann & Seth are looking on.
Here's my patriotic santas, my music box nativity, & a new Disney Christmas tree that rotates & has a little train that goes around it, as it plays Christmas carols.
Here's my outside Nativity which often has straw bales around it for effect & a big star on our entry column. Jay got out the lighted sleigh (but never plugged in the lights), & did not get out the reindeer that go with it & the sign that says, "Santa's loading zone".
These next snow pictures were actually taken on Jan. 2nd, but I decided to include them in the Christmas series.
On the couch table in the family room are my bear santa & a sleigh full of toys & gifts with the paper mache? reindeer that I painted a few years ago. There is also a pillow & wooden star candle holders that I made, that are in this picture. Some 'Willow Tree' figurines are also displayed.
Here's later when I did put my nativity picture under the village.
This village set is on the ledge between the dining & family rooms. It was made by Vicki Solbrack about 18 years ago. I added pieces over the course of a couple three years. There is another little 'Precious Moments' nativity on display with this village. Another thing I really love is minature things of all kinds. I usually have had a framed nativity picture below this village, but the one that is there, is of Coriann jumping for the ball at the beginning of a game at state basketball in Yakima, of her Senior Year. Her Connell High School team ended up getting 3rd at State, & Coriann was MVP of the tournament.
This is the nativity which is on the piano. I painted this ceramic set with gold & an antiquing black type rub, many years ago in Relief Society.
This display is in our entry on a little accent table in front of a mirror. It is my 'Precious Moments' nativity along with 2 other minature ones & some other ornaments that normally have gone on the tree. I have loved 'Precious Moments' figurines since I was a teenager, I think. I know it's been years & years. I have a curio cabinet which has several of them in it.
I tried to simply my tree more than usual this year because of the wedding etc., & I think I've decided to keep it more simple every year. I guess we'll see. I also simplied many of my decorations from what I would normally do. I just put a nativity on the piano in the background, which usually has a village on it.
Above: Jay & I (Janece) in our Christmas Eve robes. Below: Seth, Janica, Coriann, & me.
On Christmas Eve, we did some baking & made my traditional Cinnamon Crumb Cakes to take to our neighbors. We added some hot chocolate or spiced apple cider packets & candies, to put with them. After we went caroling, & had some carolers who came to us, we ate some of our rolls, bread, jam, cider, tamales, & other treats that were given to us. We added some soup & hot chocolate to warm us up. We watched "The Nativity" movie & read about the birth of the Saviour. Then we opened our traditional p.j.s (which were robes this year) as pictured above, & opened a couple of presents given to us by some friends.
