Christmas Eve Has Arrived

Merry Christmas to All,

It has been a wonderful holiday season with many joyous occasions and now the big day is just about to arrive. Although I enjoy the festivities and fellowship with friends, one thing I particularly enjoy is just being home to enjoy our decorations and slow down just a bit. I thought I'd invite you on a Christmas tour of our home. Welcome and come on in. Some of my decorations are rather old, some are newer, and most all are filled with a story or a tradition, and many were gifts from friends and family which are pleasant reminders of good times, days gone by, and shared love.

















One tradition I've begun is to have Christmas Eve Brunch with my family. Some years, we've been interrupted, but it's a time that we can just be together without gifts and simply enjoy each other. This year, Rhyne's parents, Glen and Diane joined us along with Mom and Dad.

Our Christmas Eve will be somewhat quiet tonight--just Collin, Bryan and myself. We'll have the dinner hour together. I've already got the ham in the oven baking. It's really ugly outside, but our home and our hearts are warm and joyful. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Marcia

A Little More Christmas

The second week into the holiday season has just about come to a close. It's been another busy week, but not like the last one.

Monday night was very nice. Collin and I went to the Riceland Banquet at the ASU Fowler Center. We had a wonderful dinner of ham, turkey, broccoli rice casserole, green beans, carrots, tossed salad, macaroni salad, rolls, and German chocolate cake along with tea. Every chair had a goody bag of rice, notepads, and pens. Collin received a very nice jacket as a safety award, and a DVD player for 15 years of service. He also had a winning ticket for the door prizes and won $10. We had a great time and enjoyed visiting with his work associates and their spouses. Here is a snapshot of us at the banquet.

Thursday night, I hosted the Mary Kay girls in my unit. We were few in number, but it's hard this time of year to find a night when everyone can attend. We enjoyed chicken wraps and chicken salad sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A with chips and dip. We had a vanilla almond dip along with cinnamon crackers for dessert. Along with the soft drinks, I made some cinnamon cider. We had a good time and a nice visit before everyone had to begin parting their separate ways.

I'm kind of in wind down mode tonight, but I have Christmas plans for tomorrow. It's time to wrap packages. That's a big job and takes quite a bit of time. I don't plan to venture into the city tomorrow for I know it will be hustle and bustle. I'll take some afternoons next week to finish my shopping. I prefer to stay warm while enjoying the tree and a little Christmas music on the stereo. Um, I might even just have to have a warm cup of cappuccino.

Marcia

Holiday Festivities

What a week! The Christmas season has definitely arrived. This week has ushered in a variety of activities that can only resound that the holidays have officially begun and although a little tiring, I have enjoyed every minute.

Tuesday evening, I attended the first party of December. I was invited to a Sunday School party at the home of my dear friend, Vera, and what a wonderful time I had. The girls had a dinner meal which was great; chicken and dressing, two unique recipes of green bean and corn dishes, escalloped potatoes, rolls, appetizers, and desserts. We had a gift exchange and I received this gold, glittered Nativity scene. I absolute love it. The girls played "Dirty Santa", and I feel fortunate that I got to keep it.

Thursday afternoon, I entertained the ladies I work and teach with from the career and tech center. I prepared the food and drinks so they could come and relax a little while. Here are all of us in front of my Christmas tree.
Here is our table of goodies. I had chicken cheese puffs, chips and salsa, vegetables and dip, and a cheese ball with crackers that one of the other ladies actually made. For sweets, we had baby turtles, peppermint bark, and German chocolate brownies. Along with our soft drinks, I made cinnamon apple cider. The cider is a favorite for us at work and the party would not have been complete without it.Take a look at my veggie tray. It should look just a little like a Christmas tree.

We played a game to exchange ornaments and again, I received a beautiful one. I was so pleased. The angel was a hostess gift to me from one of the ladies.

The Living Christmas Tree at church began on Friday night and I'll share more about it later. On Saturday, we had the Deacon/Ladies Luncheon at noon, a LCT performance at 2, and then we went to a Christmas drop-in at the Davis home (our close church friends) for snacks. They traditionally give home-made ornaments each year. I have a collection of several that are very special. Here is the new one.

Well, again, it has been a very busy week. Friday and Saturday nights, I slept really well. Wonder what made me so tired?

Marcia