One last Christmas post

     OK, so I know we're already into the second half of January, but it's been too cold outside (brrr, in the single digits some nights!) to want to go out and take pictures, and too busy inside to find the time. Having said that, you'll know why I'm posting a few more pictures from Christmas. These were taken by Laura - I was sometimes called upon to run Amelia's camera for her when she wanted a picture with herself in it. (She got a nice little camera for her birthday in October. It's pink -  her favorite color. We got it for $12.50 when our camera store in town liquidated & sold out. We were soo excited with our find! Her camera usually retails for $85.00, but since it had no box & the battery was dead, they had no way of knowing if it worked. We were willing to give it a try since we figured the battery was only dead. Bought a charger on Amazon and Voila! an excellent working camera with 12.2 megapixel! She was sooo excited when she opened it. She is the youngest ever in our family to own a camera, but with three older sisters who are always taking pictures, she was always begging to use our cameras. She now uses hers all the time.)
     A few snaps from Christmas Eve:

Showing mom a picture on her camera

So happy & thankful for her gifts!

Taking pictures

Yum!

A swordfight - not uncommon on Christmas Eve to have such things going on - one year it was a dart gun fight... boy did that get wild!

     Christmas morning held surprises for all.... but I think Amelia was most excited about hers....

She served everyone fruit & sweat breads that morning!

 

 

We have two nativity sets where baby Jesus is not attached to the manger. Those mangers remain empty until Christmas morning, when some of the children place Him there. We have done this for so many years - it's hard to remember just how long.

 

Yes, that's snow outside - not enough though, in my opinion!

 

     And, a few more pictures from the day....

 

Tramping down the trash

All gathered 'round looking at the book we put together for mom & dad

Boots enjoyed his present (a box full of bones & toys)

Playing games!

More from Christmas

     We sang our last concert on the 23rd, in the morning service at our church. Good friends from Edmond drove up and we had a great visit & lunch in the church basement afterwards. No one brought a camera (unfortunately!) so we have no pictures. :(
     That afternoon was spent decorating our dining room for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, plus some last-minute shopping, wrapping & cleaning.  Next day Amelia helped me set the table for supper - a yearly tradition. Laura used to help me years ago when she was little.  For the last couple of years, Amelia has helped. I've been doing it....... well, forever it seems. :))  We always do some sort of printed paper plates/napkins for Christmas Eve Dinner - nice & easy cleanup.

My place card holder

     Dinner on Christmas Eve is always the same - started some 10-15 years ago when we began having a Candlelight Service. We have the service at 5:30 just down the street from our house. Dinner cooks while we celebrate the Savior's birth, then we eat when we get home.  We often have friends over for this meal. This year our dear friend Melinda joined us. The menu: Broccoli Quiche, Turkey Sandwiches, Grapes, Apples, Asian Pears, and Carrots Sticks & Celery. We top it off with Homemade Chocolate candy & Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. Sparkling Juice is our beverage. Yum.

     When my grandmother Wilkins passed away in 2000, she left some of her Christmas Village to us girls. We set it up that year on our Christmas Eve buffet to remember her by, and it stuck. It's now tradition.

A little nativity outside the church

The Skating Pond & Warming House have been set up every single year, even though the other pieces have been rotated. This year I considered leaving it packed in favor of something else.  I did set it up however, and then Asa remarked "This is one of my favorite things about Christmas Eve - the skating pond on the buffet!" I guess I won't ever question whether to put it up or not - at this point, it's tradition!

     After eating, we open certain gifts & stockings before settling in to watch "A Muppet Christmas Carol" (tradition). Oh, here's another tradition:

Perhaps my favorite ornament. I've hung it every year since I received it from a good friend years and years ago when we were little girls.

     I spent the night at my parents' house - sleeping on the couch - much to the delight of my littlest sister. I spent Christmas night there as well, and she camped out on the living room floor to have a "slumber party". We're not early risers on Christmas Day. We stay up so late the night before that everyone enjoys the extra rest. When we older ones were younger we always got up early - mostly at the insistence of my older brother. But the younger ones never have been ones to roust everyone out at the crack of dawn. I guess they figure the presents will still be there ..... after they've had their fill of sleep!

     We always start with the sibling exchange gifts. Megan had my name this year & bought me a pretty new scarf & remote flash trigger for my camera.  I spent a little while trying out the flash trigger with self-portraits. I was pretty pleased with what I came up with - even though the trigger didn't work as I'd hoped it would.  I ended up taking it back & getting something a little different.

     Then I went outside to do some more self-portraits with the hat & scarf set my parents bought me. Couldn't decide which way to wear my new hat - which do you like?



And this post really has gone on longer than I expected. :)  I didn't even take very many pictures on Christmas Eve or Day - Laura was "photographer for the day."  I need to see what she got!  Anyway, I'll close with a few of Amelia in her Christmas gown by the tree.



More from December

Three weeks ago we were in Douglas about to start our Christmas program. That night was so exciting and the culmination of a lot of hard work. We had such a good time!  I already posted pictures here from that night, but it seems I left a few unposted!  I took these after the play & had to share - they're so cute!

Family Photos

     I've actually wanted to post for some little while now, but I guess I would just have to blame it on laziness for not getting around to it. :)  Perhaps we should say "rest" - that sounds a little better, and after all, it was a very taxing month.  For quite some time now, our unofficial "rest week" comes between Christmas & New Year's Day.  It seems as though everything slows down here at the RV park and we can take it easy. I usually save some of my vacation hours to use during this week so that I don't have to work.  This year, that meant I got Holiday hours on Christmas Eve & Christmas, let someone else work my shifts on Wed. & Thurs. (used those vacation hours) and then worked a partial shift on Friday. Then I was off for the weekend & the New Year's holiday.  The others didn't really work either - much needed & appreciated!
     We spent most of that time at home playing games, visiting, eating good food, and watching movies. Lots of old favorites, some holiday specials, and old home movies.  It's amazing how much our lives have changed in the past 10 years!  Now the new year has arrived & I am ready for it.  So much I want to accomplish this year - it's exciting to think about.
     But first, I will backtrack a little and show you some of our Christmas Card Photos.  These are some of the ones we sent out in our cards. Well, actually the first one is what we sent - the others are various poses & some messups.  Enjoy!

Our dog Boots decided to get all tangled up in everything, and Jonathan & Daniel played goofball for the camera :)

All in a row according to age

Boots was really getting into the posing thing here - on the fence with the rest of us!

Christmas Card 2012

Alleluia Religious Christmas Card

Seasons greetings with personalized Christmas cards from Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Christmas Play

One of the highlights of our year - and the Christmas season - is the annual Christmas Play.  I've always enjoyed writing & directing these over the years. I actually wrote this particular play when Laura was about 8 years old. She and another girl played the leads/narrators.  So many years have passed - and Laura is all grown up and helping me back-stage now.
     Two little girls at church played the leads this year and did a fabulous job.  I was so proud of all of them. They worked so hard learning their lines & songs and then performed beautifully last Sunday night. The night was full of excitement as everyone got into costume back stage & then, it's time to perform!

The Angel pays Mary (Amelia) a visit

.....and then appears to Joseph (Asa) too

Joseph sings of God's faithfulness

Looking for room at the Inn (Daniel is Innkeeper)

Singing a lullaby to baby Jesus

The angel appears to the shepherds (and sheep!)

The wisemen bring gifts

The star shines (and sings) overhead

Group Shot

     I took the kids downstairs for a little photo session afterwards.  Not too long - they were ready to get changed.

The wisemen & Star (isn't she adorable!?)

Shepherd & sheep (so, so cute!)

These two girls played sisters in the play - daughters of the Innkeeper. They look like sisters, even though they're not!

Along with the Angel Gabriel - friends all three

adorableness!

Can't get enough of this one. My little sibs are so darn cute!