Christmas at HOME (preperations)

Christmas is a magical time of year that comes with so many hours of preparations to make it just perfect for everyone.  But that's just what I like to do....

Every year I write a list of everything that needs to be done thinking that John might be willing to cross a few of them off the list.  Well it's usually not as easy as I think, guys just find some of these tasks difficult and won't even attempt to help so this year it was a different list.  The list was everything that I thought he could help with.  The list was only about 8 items and he crossed them off like a champ.  The rest of the list was in my head and I got to do them quicker and with less questions since he couldn't see them written down anywhere.  

Record time....... these pictures were taken after my shower and I'm just wandering around waiting for the kids to show up.   Our family has grown so quickly and the kids are all getting bigger and need a spot at the table so this year we have to set up 3 tables to allow everyone a spot to sit.  Our house is not that big but we don't care we'll keep putting up tables.  

I like to have a pretty table decoration.  This year it's bottles, snow, trees and candles.

We are eating supper so there wasn't much time for munching before so that saved me lots of time.  This little cookie/candy area was just for fun.  

A few pine branches for a little Christmas charm.

One of the other tables with a Pear decor.

Tucked in-between the columns to help keep the traffic flowing before we eat.

My white village with too much sunshine at the moment.

Everyone's stockings

The tree complete with presents to spoil everyone.

My little house and deer from my Grandma Emmerich

This year I hung sparkly deer on every cabinet door.

Even the bathroom got a few Christmas items.

I put brown paper on the two tables and the small table for two I painted a little fun.

Time to light the candles.....

I started collecting these Santa cups quite a few years ago.  My Grandma Kellnhofer had some and I remember looking at them in her curio cabinet.  I could never touch them and I don't know whatever happened to them but now I have a collection of my own.  The two small ones are more like the ones Grandma had.

I also decorated the kids toy room into a craft room complete with lights but didn't take the pictures up there.  They talked me into that again this year....... push over!!

Now it's just time to wait for the kids to start showing up.

Sock Viewing 2015

My sister Sharon made mom Christmas stockings one year.  Mom loved them, she made a few herself with each new grandchild.  The last stocking she made was Adam's.

The many grandchildren that came after Adam were made by my sister DiAnn and Sharon even made a few more. 

When we went through mom's things after she died this was one of the items we couldn't break apart. We could have given everyone their stocking and it would have been done.... but that's not the kind of family we are.  We stick together through everything aannnnnnddddd we love reasons to get together.  So the tradition was made.  The stockings travel through all of us and the year you have them you have to invite everyone over for a sock viewing.  

This year was Wally's turn.  This is the second round, first round was 12 years and then Wally is number 6 so 18 years of sock viewing. 

My stocking is getting quite full.  

The spouse is a tiny sock on the toe.  The grandkids have their own stockings and their spouses are a candy cane, their kids (great grandkids) are a smaller stocking that hangs from their toe.  I'm not sure what will happen when those stockings start having spouses and great, great grandchildren..... 

There are 89 family members represented in these stockings....... +1 that was forgotten :)  Correction will be made by DiAnn I'm sure before Christmas.  

My dad and Joanne did come for the sock viewing even though they had a busy day. 

Elaine also had all her Father Christmas's displayed.  We used to exchange a father Christmas because that was one of mom's favorite things to get at Christmas time.  We haven't done that for many years but with that collection you can see we did it for MANY years.  

Dad and Joanne with Wally and Elaine.  

Wally and Elaine did a wonderful job displaying the socks and being great hosts.  Such a wonderful day with family.  

The pine cone wreath was also made by my mom.  Elaine got it out after many years in storage.  Now I need to send John up in the attic of the garage to find mine.   I remember the year mom made them, she made one for each of the girls.  This was even before Pinterest...... crazy huh?

Happy Sock Viewing day to everyone.  

Christmas Trees

I've heard many stories from my sisters about a white nylon net tree that my mom had.  It was something you had to assemble every Christmas and the older sisters got that task.  I was probably in their way and stealing pieces they needed.  After so many years of this tree being in the daylight and being assembled it rotted and became un-useable.  My sisters were sad, I didn't know any different.  They researched a few years ago and found a pattern to make them.  I'm still not interested.....  

This summer we had a reunion and my sister Sharon had nylon net trees to action off.  John has no idea that I know nothing about them, I'm not sitting next to him and he hears family memories of the tree and he bids until he buys me one.  So sweet

BUT I know nothing about this tree...... after 2 hours swearing like a sailor, reading directions (if you know me, you know I don't read directions) requesting a drink, calling my sister to vent, throw the whole thing across the living room..... it's up.

I changed to white curtains..... why do they put the tag on the curtain so you can see it.... are they like pillows where someone will come arrest you if you remove the tag?

Second tree is our real tree.  So many years we drove out as a family and found the perfect tree, drug it in the house, it's a mess I'm allergic to it, Lynn is worse than I am, Adam isn't to far behind Lynn but a real tree is what they want so we get a real tree every year.  

The kids have been gone for years and we still keep getting a real tree, this year I made the decision to buy a fake tree.  Our tree hunting has always been stressful and finding the days to buy it, thaw it, put it up, decorate it were few and far between.  I haven't really enjoyed the tree shopping days.... they always look smaller in the tree lot and then you get it home and it takes up half the living room.  with our new carpet the last few years the tree has been in the dining room and one year we couldn't even decorate it the needles were falling faster than I could keep up with.

So John and I head to the store to buy a tree.  We circle them over and over again complaining about the price and we finally decide on a nice skinny tree.  I seen so many people back in that section of the store that I was constantly distracted from our tree buying process.  John grabs the tree box and off we go.  

We get it home and I'm ready to set it up.  I make a small little skinny spot by the patio door for it.  The bottom 3rd of the tree in my hand and I drop it into the stand.... the branches fall down and hit me in the head, they hit the couch and I have to move more furniture..... this tree is huge.  Just like when the real trees look smaller in the tree lot.  I look up the tree on line and this is NOT the tree we wanted.  John of course says to keep it, I say NO and pack this sucker back up and take it back to the store to exchange it with the correct tree.  

We need a cart to bring this sucker in the store, I didn't know fake trees were so gosh darn heavy.  The lady at the service counter says to go find the tree we want.  We take another cart and head back to the trees.  Yep sure enough John just grabbed the box from the wrong row of trees.  We throw the tree in the cart and off we go back to the service desk.  She's scanning and punching buttons and scanning and it's taking quite awhile for this whole exchange process since they are not equal value.  

I am chatting with John and just happen to say "I wonder if the lights are cool or warm"  I look on the box and it says MULTI...... "what this isn't the tree I want...... STOP this is not the tree I want"  The service lady says "SERIOUSLY"  John says "SERIOUSLY" and I say "SERIOUSLY".  I walk back to the trees and grab a box that says CLEAR.  Remember these trees are heavy and I didn't take a cart with me.  I carried and drug and pushed that box all the way up to the service counter.....  "this is the tree I want" and the service lady says "are you sure" 

We brought it home and I put it up....... I love it and we shouldn't have another tree hunting story for many years.

By the way - the clear lights on a tree are warm.  I would rather have cool but John wasn't about to go tree shopping again.  

Titus, Bennett and Madelyn

Little Titus is 3 months and cute as a bug.

Big Brother Bennett is almost 3 years and cuteness is happening with him too.

Love his little smile.

And Big Sister Madelyn just turned 5 and she is beautiful.

A pretty smile as well...

I think they may have gotten bored with me....

Daddy and his littlest buddy

Together they make a perfect family. 

A couple more sweet photos of the older two

Snowy day up north

Snow is happening up north at the cottage.  This is a beautiful time to spend time up there sitting on the couch, painting in front of the window, taking walks, exploring or just staring out at the beautiful scenery.  

The river is starting to ice up.

We wonder why we live where it gets cold....... this is why.

Andee is 3months + a few

Little Miss Andee Lea is 3 months + a few... She's been a busy little girl and finding time to fit Grandma in her schedule for cutesy photos for the 3 month milestone has been tough.  However grandma taught her a little lesson and picked her up one morning to have some grandma snuggles and get a few photos.  She continues to be a very good girl, she rarely cries and her big blue eyes melt my heart.

Instead of going through a lot of work I just set up a little blanket in front of the south facing window on a cloudy day.  Perfect lighting for little Andee

Oh My Gosh isn't she just cute?

This set up gives you amazing catchlights.  When I put this fur around her face I got one shot and it was cranky city.  She is not about the girly stuff and Grandma crossed the line.  

A little sparkle since it's the only one.  

We only got like 24 photos but she is an amazing little girl and taught me something.... taking the time to spend one on one with her for the milestone pictures was great.  I may need to do this with each of the grandchildren.