Christmas 2011

Several years ago when Mom and Dad wanted to go to a Christmas Eve service and we did not, we decided to stay home and put our presents out while they were gone. It was such fun that we unoffically decided to make it a yearly tradition.

Eric and the boys played Chess.

The back of the couch is the only place we can fit our stockings. I didn't get a Christmas morning picture of them like I usually do. They were much fuller.

Christmas Eve after we brought down our presents:

As our unoffical tradition of several years, having cinnamon rolls for breakfast, wasn't done, Christmas morning Melody and I decided to make Cinnamon Swirl bread. (We do have traditions, but mostly they are not official.)

However, it finished baking right around the time we needed to leave for church, so we ate it when we got back and had a late afternoon dinner after presents. It was good, evidenced by the fact that the four loaves we made were all gone before the end of the day, and that Dad told me, basically, "You can feel free to make that again."

I think everyone enjoyed Christmas being on Sunday. It was good to see people and sing on Christmas morning. I don't think I'd mind if we did that every year.

Dad read the Christmas story and then we opened presents.

 

Kristen's reactions were the most fun:

They took the camera as they sometimes do:

The wrapping is something Dad always does, one for each of us. It's fun to see what he'll do.

Someone was super excited about her present from Deanna, The Road to Memphis, the last book in the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry series:

This someone spent much spare time on Christmas and the next day rereading it. Nothing got a bigger grin!

If something did, it was this:

Kristen was very happy with her pink mitt. "I never had one before!"

I made Kristen a hat, and she liked it as I knew she would. "What are you making, Jeannette? Who is it for? Is it for me? I want one." Unfortunately, though it turned out much better than previous attempts (my hats for the boys several years ago are...embarassingly bad), it's too big.

Our gift to Dad; more about that later.

Three of my favorite presents, two Ludy books and NKJV audio Bible.

Another favorite, a small alphabet stamp set. Melody got a smaller, small case one.

We found a Raggedy Ann doll for Kristen.

The boys (Tim and Paul) made everyone ornaments. They were excited, and our tree is quite full of them.

 Kristen's hat (as you can see, it fits Deanna better than Kristen).

After cleaning up and enjoying presents, we played games. Uno Roboto, the latest Uno game, was a great success and our favorite Uno game. We took turns as only six can play at once. We also tried out Melody's new game from her birthday, Sour Apples to Apples, which in my opinion is better than the regular Apples to Apples.

The day ended with Euchre, unsurprisingly. On Monday, we went to Aunt T's, to which I sadly forgot to bring my camera. It was a wonderful extention of Christmas with lots of good food and fun games, especially Uno Roboto-if you know my mom and aunt, you know that a game in which you record your names in a robot voice was fun!

I decided that day should have a name. There's Christmas, and Christmas Eve, and Christmas Eve Eve, and Christmas Eve Eve Eve, and Christmas Eve Eve Eve Eve, if you're in my family, and I heard there's Christmas Adam, the day before Christmas Eve. In that case, you could have Christmas Adam Eve, which would be Melody's birthday, the 22nd. I like that. Christmas Adam Eve Eve gets you to the 21st more easily thatn Christmas Eve Eve Eve Eve. Anyhoo...shouldn't the day after Christmas be recognized? Christmas Post or something?

Which reminds me of the names we were using for Uno Roboto. I started one of many rounds with, "The Ghost of Christmas Past." Now, you cannot understand the humor of this if you do not imagine being already in an amused mood and your voice being changed, as my aunt said, three octaves higher than what you said, and hurrying to say something as long as "The Ghost of Christmas Past," before the recording stops. Knowing my grandma helps too.

So, my aunt says her name, fast and low: "The Ghost of Christmas Present." Funny, but you'd have to hear it or be able to imagine how she'd say it. Then, when it comes to my grandma, what comes out of her mouth? "The Ghost of Christmas Future," you say?

 Nope.

"The Ghost of Christmas Intermediate."

We all burst into laughter. "You'll never read The Christmas Carol the same way again," my aunt said. "You'll keep wondering, 'When does the Ghost of Christmas Intermediate come on the scene?'"

Okay...if you know my aunt T, you understand...I want to say, "Moving along..."

I hope your Christmas was wonderful. You probably didn't laugh about going to the hospital for hoarse throats...or many other things that we did...or spend four hours opening presents or name fish (more on that later), but I hope yours was wonderful in its own unusual way, and that you're still in the Christmas spirit.

Intermediate Spirit. Just kidding.

Merry Christmas...past... :-)

Christmas Thoughts

This is a sort of random post of things I've been considering the past few weeks leading up to Christmas. May it turn your thoughts in thankfulness to the Savior, the reason for the season.

The sermon two weeks ago gave me an appreciation for His sacrifice in coming to earth. "Why did Jesus go away to pray?" he asked. After dismissing the possibility of Him needing power, he asked, "Do you know what it is to hunger for a Father?"

If you have, imagine a perfect love between Father and Son and then, the giving up of it. Think of your closest, most wonderful relationship. Now, imagine leaving that person for a lifetime. It's not much time in eternity, but you understand. "Christ is praying because He is separated from His Father and He must speak with His Father and His God. ...If our hearts do not hunger to cry out to God, then our hearts are saying, 'You are not my Father.'" He then read Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane and it struck me powerfully. This Son, perfectly beloved of the Father, gave up His perfect communion, His fellowship, for us.

This quote is taken kind of out of its original context, but it is thought-provoking: "There was only One who was dumb as a sheep before her shearers, who answered not a word; and He was silent because the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and to be made of “no reputation” was one part of the penalty He was enduring."

Isaiah 53:4-5

4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

"The chastisement for our peace was upon Him." You could ponder that for a long time.

The words of Christmas carols, so familiar, often slip past our lips without any thought to the words. Have you ever considered the words in We Three Kings?

Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.

That second line impressed me powerfully as we sang it last Sunday. Arise, King-ruler, sovereign, Lord of the earth-and God-divine, all-powerful Creator of the universe and...sacrifice? Bloody, unpleasant, smelly, humiliating...just the sounds of the words tell the difference. The Glorious King and God of the earth and skies arose from becoming the sacrifice for sins! Alleluia, indeed.

A recording which sort of summarizes my Christmas thoughts, a seldom heard Christmas song.

Generally I don't have favorites, especially in something there are so many that I like such as Christmas carols. But if I had to pick one, I would probably say the following rather neglected hymn, with a similar message to what we have been considering, is my favorite. Of course, then there's O Come, O Come Emmanuel, which at least people have the sense to sing-in fact, just about everyone does-and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and...you can see why I can't pick favorites.

(Since this is already a randomish post, here's a link to a Straight No Chaser-reminiscent version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel which I'm putting on just because I mentioned the song and like a cappella: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4vmP9IX5Ss&feature=related. And I realize randomish isn't a word, but it makes sense to me and I like it.)

Now, if you've forgotten why I'm putting this up, you'll have to review the previous paragraph, or just enjoy the song if you don't care. (I don't know if it's because I'm so used to writing photography or not, but above I typed "paragraphy". Now that is not a word and it doesn't make sense.)

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

When the heav’ns shall ring, and her choirs shall sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”

My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Decorationing

Last Thursday we (the seven oldest minus one, all that currently fit in Eric's car) finally went to get our Christmas tree. We found one we're happy with. As it was late, we didn't do any more than put the tree up in its stand.

"Are we going to wait and then decoration it?" Kristen asked.

Little Missy got her hair cut, so it's finally all the same length after her self-haircut early this year. It is cute, but so short! It makes me sad. I'm glad it's so cute, or I'd be upset.

We "decorationed" on Friday morning.

  I am not the only shutterbug; this little guy had fun: "Smile, Santa Elf," he kept saying.

Taking pictures of ornaments is fun:

Aunt Mel's ornaments are our favorites. Authentic sea animal men!

Beach Property ornament I made Mom last year. Unfortunately, we're losing the water. Hopefully the one I made Aunt Mel fared better.

This year, Methusaleh gets his own little tree. They even added a mini manger scene and some angels later.

We hung lights in both bathrooms this year. Upstairs were multi-colored:

They looked cool and inspired some self-portraits:

I decided that the lens I most want is the 50mm, or some lens that has low aperture, down to 1.8 or so. I missed it most of the day as the majority of the pictures were low lighting and I didn't want to use flash, so I had to up the ISO, which makes them grainy, and they tended to be blurry.

There were more pictures like the following, but the ones with her eyelids flipped inside out were disturbing, so I won't post them.

In the afternoon, we made cut-out cookies.

Such an adorable cookie baker!

Time to decoration cookies!