Christmas 2010

For all of posterity, here is a somewhat (in)complete record of our Christmas festivities. This is the first Christmas since Man of the House and I were married in 1987 that we have not traveled for Christmas. We loved being at home! Even more we loved having Girl Out of the House (Girl 1) and That Boy visiting!

Man of the House had Christmas Eve services at two churches. It just doesn't seem like Christmas without singing God's praises and welcoming His Son come in the flesh for us.

A picture of our tree trimmed and stockings stuffed late Christmas Eve . . . or was it early Christmas morning by this point?











Here's the same shot with the flash on so you can actually see everything. With me it's either flash on or flash off. I'm a point and click kind of gal.












I made those stockings for Girl 1 and That Boy! They didn't have anything really nice, so I decided to remedy that. With many dark mutterings, quiet cursings, and a little weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth I deciphered the pattern instructions. Why do you need to know how to sew already in order to sew anything from a pattern? Gee! I do better with instructions from the internet, but I couldn't find anything I liked on-line, so I muddled through with a pattern, even making small adjustments here and there. There is a special circle in hell for authors of cryptic pattern instructions. (JK!)

Now a picture of all the presents. It does seem profligate, doesn't it, but those are for five people giving and receiving, plus a few others. It's not really so bad to give gifts to those you love, is it? Isn't that what God has done and continues to do for us in Christ? A tree overflowing with presents is a reminder to me of God's provision and blessing.












Since we don't have little kids anymore, there's no mad rush to the tree in the early mornings anymore. That gave Man of the House and me a chance to shower and dress before opening stockings and having breakfast. Here are the young'uns well-manneredly pillaging their stockings Christmas morning. I'm sure they won't mind one bit that I've posted pictures of them in their jammies on the world-wide web. ;-)









After homemade waffles, sausages, and Christmas Scripture readings for breakfast, the youngsters showered and dressed and then it was time to open presents.

Girl 1 loves scarves~












That Boy and his favorite ale (Hey, we're a bunch of Lutherans and Calvinists. What can I say??)~













Isn't Girl of the House (Girl 2) the cutest thing?












Man of the House looking very dapper in his new hat~













Even the cats got in on the action~















After that came a couple heated rounds of Harry Potter Clue in which the husbands narrowly beat the wives by the luck of the draw (so to speak). Unfortunately, Girl 2 was out of the running by the end both times. All that sleuthing worked up our appetites for the Yorkshire pudding, green bean casserole, pies, fruitcakes and other yummies.

It was a truly delightful day and we thank the Lord for His manifold blessings to us!