MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas this year was so much fun! With all of our children home for the day, my granddaughter Celes celebrating her FIRST Christmas and my sister 'Lene and her family here  I do not know how it could have been any better.

Christmas Eve 2010 we started our evening off with the Oakes family joining us for our annual evening of finger foods, treats and wassail and traditional game of Christmas Bingo.

It was a fun evening and I believe everyone was in bed and asleep by 11pm!

 Christmas morning was full of excitement

and LOTS of wrapping paper!

It was wonderful to have all of our kids home in the states!

Josh, Ali and Celes arrived before I was awake so they could be here to enjoy the morning with everyone.

Children laughing and getting so excited....it was Awesome!

Sweet Celes was all about opening tearing the paper off her gifts!

Her favorite was her Sassy bouncer. I might have to add more pics of her playing in it.

We have been trying to add as many of Sergio's Argentine traditions as we can.

Where he and Kira  lived in Tucuman at midnight Christmas Morning the have a

HUGE...I mean HUGE fireworks display.

Midnight in Argentina is 8:00pm here in Idaho....

so...

let the NEW TRADITION begin!

Merry Christmas

From the mouths of babes....

What I Really Love

about Christmas

is

Nativity Sets

I have been collecting them off and on for a while now.

This is my newest collection from Seagull Books.

It is just plain cute.

 My Sister, Lene gave me beautiful one.

 and my sister in law, Karen gave me this when I was in the hospital last year.

 Though I do have my sets through out the house, even the kitchen...

I like to have the largest collection in the family room so I can enjoy them all together.

 This little family comes from an "Advent" countdown, but it has been kid handled over the years

and the best is all that is left.

 This is my very first set, They were from a Home Interior Party from the 1980's.

It is really a neat set, numbered and everything.

Celebrating Home ~ Formerly Home Interiors and Home and Garden Party

 This is the Willow Tree ornaments called Holy Family.

 I keep this little one up all year it came with Kira from Argentina.

 along with this one.

 Yep, what I really love about this time of the year is

I can display ALL of my Nativity Sets.

What is your favorite thing to have around for the Christmas Season?

No! Not Already

I never like when we take these pictures...because it means my family is leaving. My sister, 'Lene and her family came and spent Christmas with us.

Usually when they come it is for longer than a week.I believe I was in a state of shock when I realized they were really leaving. Thanks 'lene and family for spending your Christmas with us. BUT
The house was way to quiet and I miss you already!

My Greatest Chistmas Gifts

For me...well, I have to say, my favorite thing on Christmas is talking to my children.

Josh and Ali came over Christmas morning. It was fun to share part of their "first Christmas".

Kirk and I have had one child or another on an LDS mission for the past 3+ years. When you only get to talk to your missionary on Mother's Day and Christmas that phone call becomes pretty darn important. Derek aka Elder Burgess was having a nice morning and was enjoying his box of goodies that arrived via Santa's USPS.
and though Kira's Christmas had not arrived in Argentina yet...
we had so much fun visiting with her and Sergio via the computer.

I had an awesome Christmas...

with my 3 amazing gifts...

How Pitiful

Poor Itsey...

I was packing Kira and Sergio's Christmas

and the poor little thing started getting nervous she climbed on my legs would NOT move.do you think I have left her one to many times lately?

Pitiful

Le'ts ALL Say It Together....

CHRISTMAS Some 2000 years ago a baby was born, just not any baby...
But the SON OF GOD, and he was named Jesus because that is the name the angel told his young mother to use. (St. Luke 1:31)

was he born on December 25th....most likely not...because we know that the Shepard's were in their fields with their flocks of lambs (Spring time)the date doesn't matter, but somewhere in the 1800's the United States started to celebrate Christmas....with the Christ Child, Nativity sets, Family and Food.

and for me...it is a special time to remember a different time in our Saviors life...not just the 2 years that he went about doing "His Father's work", but as a little boy, who loved his mother and father, and was a beautiful baby.

Now, don't get me wrong...I LOVE SANTA!!! I believe in Santa...I enjoy all the fun that comes to little children because of Santa.

Are you kidding...I wave at every Santa in the stores..."You never know which one of them is the "REAL" one.

I love celebrating "the holiday of Lights"

Hanukkah and lighting my Menorah

(Dec. 11-19, 2009)

yes, I know a Mormon with a Menorah

Let the real meaning for the season ring in our hearts...

a Miracle...

the birth of a Child

and Magic!

Let is not forget to leave Christ in CHRISTmas...

prints from calendars I have purchased over the years from: Liz Lemon Swindle & Del Parson

All I Wanted For Christmas Was My Front Teeth

Josh asked Kirk and I what we would like for Christmas...being the smart mouths we are...I said I would like new front teeth like these This is what I got...
Kirk asked for a SPA......
and this is what he got..... Guess next time we know to be a little more DETAILED!!
Though I have to say...it is truly one of my favorite things I got!
I love Christmas!
Hope you all had a very Merry too!

Happy Hanukkah

Hanukkah or the "Festival of Lights" began last night at sundown. This holiday is also referred to as the Feast of the Dedication.

I love the account of the festival of lights. It again shows the heaven's are not closed. That our Father in heaven still performs miracles. When the Maccabee family was hiding from the Syrian army in about 165 BC they found just enough oil to light the lamp for 1 day, but the lamp burned for 8 days, until more oil could be located.

Being that I am not Jewish, I do not know what all the Torah teaches of this special day.

Several years back I decided in January we were going to celebrate as many different holidays as possible in the upcoming year.

My kids and I had a ball!

We learned the dreidel game.

and had lattes (potato pancakes)

We celebrated with food, games and stories of why this was a holiday.

Most of them came from our family blood line:

Sweden, German, English, Irish, Cree Indian

We love it in March for "Waffle Day" How cool is that!

or

1st and 2nd Day of Christmas!

or

St. Patrick's Day

or

well, lets be real here in the States just about any day of the week is a holiday.

So, why is CHRISTmas more than just a holiday?

It comes back to...

Jesus Christ was born, the Savior of the world, our Redeemer.

No matter our religious backgrounds or what we do or do not celebrate.

We ALL celebrate a MIRACLE.

SPT

SPT for December...Thanks Lelly...take deep breaths. channel your chi. don't sacrifice the small, still moments. enjoy them! and photograph them!

december 2 ~ love

december 9 ~ joy

december 16 ~ comfort

december 23 ~ joy

december 30 ~ hope
enjoy the season!

I LOVE this picture.

Art by Paul Mann

It is such a sweet reminder of what the holiday is all about...and no greater Love do I know.