Glimpses of Our Family Christmas

My favorite Village pieces-

Home Sweet Home

Joy to The World!

Well, we moved, we unloaded boxes, we unpacked, we settled in, we had Thanksgiving and then we had the best Christmas ever~

Our grown children and their families were all home for Christmas, it was the greatest joy in the world!

I'd look around and ask, can it get better than this?

The very best of times is when we have the kids and grandchildren, all six of them, under the same roof-
A true blessing- I am thankful for the greatest blessing on earth, my sweet family.

Okay...sniff, if I think about it too much, I'll start sniffing and then, it's not pretty-

Christmas Eve was spent at my Mom's, my three brothers and their sweet families were all there. We had such a wonderful time!

 

Jimmy, me, Mom, Ray and Al

My favorite part of getting ready for Christmas is getting the stockings out and on our mantle. It's a special time for me to hang each one and every one and with care.

My Christmas stocking story....

 All of our stockings were made with care and yes, I made them when the kids were young- my sewing skills were truly lacking, in time, they got a bit better, but not much!

My stocking plan-
Mom and Daddy's would be green.
Randy's would be red paisley
Cari's would be red striped.
Jen's would be red checked.

In my mind's plan, when Randy married, his family's stockings would be red paisley, Cari's family would have red striped stockings and Jen's family would have red checked stockings.

My plan worked out! I love them, they are precious to me!

Did I mention....my plan worked! Tee hee!

One of our favorite family traditions is to have a Gingerbread House Building Contest on Christmas Ever. All ages participate! All shapes and sizes of houses are allowed and we have seen many through the years-

No kits-

We all start with graham crackers, each person gets a can of frosting (no need to make it from scratch)  and all the decorating stuff imaginable!

From here down, glimpses of our Christmas, no particular order at all! Hard enough finding them, getting them to where I want them, never works! Truly a challenge finding them and getting them on the blog!  I find them, then their lost somewhere in cyberspace! I had some I wanted to post, not going to happen today!

Are we having fun yet?

Grayson is 12 now, can't believe he is taller than his Nana!
Taylor is 15 now...below is a photograph of her, way back when!

Taylor, you got to 15 in a blink of an eye sweetie!

Now, what next? Decisions-Decisions for cutie pie Reilly, she's 10!

Our first flat train :)

Love the little bell!

Think she is happy!

Look at you Ellie, doing great!

The first Bunker!

Best part for Reagan - tasting "every" thing!

In years past- before grandchildren...what a competitive time, I mean competitive! We would photograph our finished gingerbread  houses ( multi-story ones) and send to relatives who lived away, to judge!

We have stopped judging, all of them are beautiful now! When the little ones get a bit bigger ...watch out!
It's been known to have some topple over in the middle of the night, no one knows how that ever happened. Ahem....

 It was warm enough to grill outdoors on December 23, 2010.

Fun looking at Christmas cards.

Computers and ipads everywhere!

Just hanging out~

 Of course, a show!

Lots of baking-yummy!

Back to Gingerbread house building!
More fun!
So, what's next, a roof? Where are the pretzels and Wheat Chex and Marshmellows?

A great little start for our Reagan!

Too cute~

Where is everyone?

 Love Jen and John's Christmas card!

Love Randy and Holly's Christmas card too! We all had such a fun time at the beach this past summer!

Taylor and Cari~

I did not get cards out this year, bummer!!
:( :( :( 

Precious angels~
Grandchildren are just the best things in life!
Oh my, missing granddaughter Taylor in the photograph!
Taylor, where were you?

Pop loves books!

 Oh no...yikes, I got Pop's feet-shhh, we won't tell him!

Watching...Talking...Waiting...

Yipppeee!!!

Okay Nana, we'll stand in front of the tree...again!

Oh, there is Nana with her camera...again!

Aunt Holly, best photographer ever!

Reilly is thinking, okay Nana and Pop, I'm ready to open!

I'm always ready to dance!

Peek a Boo!
 

Uncle Randy helping little Ellie- daddy and Garrett in tow- yes, in the hallway-

Determination-

Woo hoo!

Christmas morning...let's ride outside!

Mike is ready for Christmas Dinner!

(Yikes, Jen's kitty cat, just hopped up on his lap the moment I snapped the photograph!)

 I could go on and on with the photographs, I'll quit now!

Watch, I'll look at everyone's photographs and then...
I'll think, I should add this one-

Or, that was a much better photograph.
Or, wish I would have waited and added that one!
Oh well...
I may be back!

Yes, it was a blessed Christmas~

2010

Happy New Year!