Christmas 2012

 I never get pictures of me by the Christmas tree,  Melissa our youngest daughter were here so she got my camera and HERE WE GO!   Pictures of me and also pictures of me and Jeff.  Christmas Eve 2012.

 So now for pictures of them,  our youngest daughter, Melissa, husband Tim and son Ansir.  It was easier said then done,  I bet i took a good doz pictures but I did get a few good ones   some were quite interesting!

 Jeff got a binder filled with Melissa and Tims music so he could play with them.  Here he is trying out one of the songs with his mandolin.

 Tim got  his gifts from us in this cute Christmas mail box.

 Even Baxter dog got to open a gift.  It was delicious treats of-course!

 My big gift from Jeff!   YES, I actually tore the paper!
WOW!   A magic bullet to make fast, great smoothies and many other things with.  

 Ansir got a coulple sets of ear phones since he goes through them  way too fast. LOL

 Hey, Jeff found some very special paper for this gift,  he must think I am his princess!

 I can't let a Christmas go by without remembering and thinking of my brother.  Notice the special ornament on the tree in his memory.  I know without a doubt that Christmas is very special in heaven.

 Jeff opening his Naughty or Nice gift.  Box after box, smaller and smaller.
  I think he was convinced it was coal.

 His gift was a 250 piece puzzle, the smallest puzzle made and even comes with  tweezers to help with assembling it.  It was named Naughty or Nice. LOL

 Melissa and Tim opening their gift from Grandma and grandpa, A nice picture of Jesus with the cross carved in marble and in a frame.

 Answer loves tea and thus he was thrilled to getseveral kinds of tea and a tea holder from his grandma and grandpa Sutton.

 He was excited about the soft fleece lounge pants from Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Hanssen.

 Jeff and Melissa made some beautiful music together on Christmas eve.

 Ansir with his dog Trixie on Christmas morning.   Below he is checking out all the goodies in his Christmas stocking.

 YES!  We did have a white Christmas and here Ansir helps his papa shovel some of the 5 inches new snow.

 My cousin Melissa Haugen came over on Christmas day after Church and she loved Trixie.  I think the feelings were mutual.  My next blog may be dedicated to her with Trixie.

 We can't leave out out grand-puppy Rosco.  He is getting older but still runs around like crazy and begs Nana for treats.  and yes,  Nana just has to give him a few treats.

 Melissa Haugen opening her gift.  She loved the old fashioned 6 pack of glass bottles with coke cola. It was very fun to have her spend part of her Christmas day with us.

 Papa measuring his tall grandson.   They just grow up so fast.

Christmas evening we enjoyed a fun game of LIFE ON THE FARM!   It was a great day to celebrate Jesus birth with 10 AM Church,  a nice meal of ham, potatoes, corn, rolls  beans and pie, the whole week of great time with our daughter and family and my cousin Melissa spending time with us.
I hope that your Christmas was great and filled with God's great love in sending Jesus.  Let us forever celebrate that love.

Dec 21st, Our Annual Party "AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS"

 Every year for the past 20 years at least, we have had a Christmas party for our group of friends to wish them a Merry Christmas and also providing an opportunity for all to get together to visit and enjoy our friendship.Every Year the party has a special Christmas theme and this year the party theme was "AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS"   The party was on Friday evening, Dec 21, 2012.  The party begins and everyone had a great time visiting and catching up on the past year.

 The group of friends gather for a picture and the reading of LUKE 2 before singing the blessing and then pigging out on all the good food that was brought by all.

 Our youngest daughter's sweet dog, Trixie laid patiently under the table hoping for someone to either drop something great or offer to feed her a treat of so.  

 The candles on the Advent wreath were lit.   

 Old fashioned, homemade chokecherry and Beet wine from half gallon mason jars.   

 Some thoughtful person even brought all the ingredients for making good OLD FASHIONED COFFEE.
Make sure you read the labels on both the Coffee Water and the Coffee Grounds.  

 Notice the worm in the bag with the grounds.

 The stringing of the fresh cranberries.

 Everyone did a excellent job at stringing cranberries. After the cranberries were all strung, they were tied together and strategically placed on the Christmas tree to add to the Popcorn strings, big candy canes, ribbon candy, crocheted snowflakes, and other Old Fashioned tree decorations.  

 Everyone took a number for the gift exchange.  Each number had a question to answer about a Christmas past or memorie from a childhood Christmas.  Example,  (Did you ever get to go to your grandparents for Christmas?)    (Were you ever in a Nativity program?)  (What was your favorite food at Christmas?)    Needless to say this really did stem some interesting and sometimes emotional conversation.

 This was just one of the very unique gifts that our daughter Melissa had chosen to open.  We were all surprised when it was a re-gift of 2 crazy coconut people recreated into a Coconut  Nativity with a coconut in "swaddling cloths laying in a basket.  It was very cute and she actually LOVED it and said it will be part of her Christmas decorations from now on.  

 Another gift was a Christmas sock filled with nuts, fruit and candy.  YEP, Old Fashioned I would say so.

 Old fashioned Paper dolls were a big hit.  Other old fashioned gifts were paper straws, old fashioned or vintage whistle,  an oto harp, old fashioned "Shiny Bright" Christmas tree ornaments and many others.  

 I had a larger number so I got the big package that everyone thought just might be that  traveling "BEE" that has been remodeled for over 8 years to go with our party theme.  Well, as you can see the box was well padded with much crumpled news paper.     WOW!  what a special "OLD FASHIONED" gift.

 I know it is hard to believe, but yes this really is the "BEE"     The TREE is the BEE.

 Below you can see the very creative artist who created this work of art.  He glued many tree branches all over the "BEE" turning it into the Christmas tree.  He made the old truck out of cut and glued plastic and even filled it with cut fire wood and a tiny ax.    VERY CUTE IDEA!   If you want to look at the "BEE" from previous parties,  just look back in my blog archives from each December,  you will find a picture of it.  LOL  

It was a very fun party and I am so glad that everyone could make it.  Next years theme is "PEACE ON EARTH"