Christmas 2011 at the Lutheran Hen's

It was a special time for me and Papa to spend 4 days with our oldest daughter and family just before Christmas. We also enjoyed attending Tue morning Matins and the 4th Wed evening Advent service with them. It warms my heart to hear their beautiful voices praising and worshiping our Lord and Savior. We also had devotions to the lite Advent wreath, baked cookies, went shopping, drew pictures, played Wii, and just plain enjoyed every minute with our family.

Papa and 14 yr old granddaughter work hard to make a big pot of beef veg. soup. Measuring and weighing all the ingredients to count the carb's. You can tell the dogs think it will be for them or maybe they think something good will drop to the floor.
Youngest granddaughter, 3 yr old, shows Papa something cute on her mom's smart phone. It is amazing how these little ones know how to work the phone. She loves her Papa!

Youngest grandson shows his missing tooth and new glasses since the last time we have seen him.
Youngest shows off the pink Elmo "t-shirt" that I bought her while we were shopping.
Our handsome oldest grandson from their family as he is in deep thought over a tv program.
This was so cute as they all played a Wii game of Dance II.
Often the piano was occupied with just-for-fun or practicing their piano solo's for the Christmas eve program. It was great getting to hear all the beautiful music and Christmas tunes.

I was thrilled when the 2 youngest granddaughters tried on their new Christmas dresses for me. I had purchased the look alike dresses a great after Christmas sale last January.


Our 9 yr old granddaughter looked so lovely as she modled her new dress.



We celebrated a day early as we had to leave on Christmas eve day to be able to spend Christmas with my parents in ND.
Magnet paper dolls. Four little girl dolls will keep the 3 yr old occupied while the other children are being home schooled.

Ready and anxious to open the gifts from us and Great Grandma and Grandpa Hanssen.
Papa was busy at work in his workshop to make this oak penguin jewelry hanger for our oldest granddaughter. No more stick pins in her wall to hang necklaces!

12 year old grandson will be a good "CHESS" player.
Youngest grandson got a Lego watch. WHO KNEW they made lego watch's?
The Lutheran Hen and the Rooster, prepared a wonderful turkey meal and the table was lovely with the Christmas settings. It was a great way to celebrate with the family, our #1 of 3 Christmas meals.
Very proud of her new toy princess computer. Below is mom and daughter apron, oven mit and pot holder. " Lets cook mom!"

Wow, 9 yr old admires a large art set and other gifts she received.
Always, always so excited to open the gift from her Baptismal sponsor.

Just look at that pretty smile!
Here we are, our daughter the Lutheran Hen with her husband, the rooster.
I just couldn't resist giving them these cute hen and rooster ornaments on their packages. They look great on their tree.


12 year old grandson got a chess set and the game was kept very busy while we were there.

Annual Christmas Party

We enjoyed our annual Christmas party here at our home. the theme was "JOY TO THE WORLD" The traveling gift was changed into a beautiful JOY with a wood cut out J and Y and Nativity for in the center. This had been a Ellephant for the last years White Elephant party. You can search the 2010 Christmas if you want to see it. It was a great evening with lots of good friends, food, wine and gifts. A blessed Christmas to all filled with the Joy to the world, the Christ child born for you and for me.

Memorial Wreath Day at the Black Hills National Cemetery

Saturday we drove to the Black Hills National Cemetery to watch the presentation of wreaths in honor of each military branch and all those who have fallen while protecting our country. It was a beautiful day and the program only lasted about 20 minutes or so.
The Veterans were dressed very nice with their feather hats, shinny swords and satin lined capes. If anyone knows what these hats are called, please let me know. We thought maybe "cocked hat".
It was a different group of presenters for each military branch. I also don't know if things are always presented in the order they were here or why? Maybe each branch according to the age.
Here you can really see the Ostrich Plumb and also some who had very special wreaths for important graves. One was a beautiful cross shaped wreath of fresh greens.


This 4th wreath was in honor of all the US Air Force.

These are all the people who were there taking fresh donated green wreaths to either graves of a loved one or someone else per tag on some of the many wreaths.
This is a pile of the fresh wreaths that were there for the taking to be placed on someones grave.
I thought this was beautiful with the glistening white snow. Some areas had a good foot of snow to trudge through.

Some wreaths were layed under the cremation Niche, they are a newer addition to the Black hills National Cemetery.
Always lots of flags!
The USAF memorial wreath.
I took one to place on my cousin's mother's grave. Irene "Behm" was my mothers first cousin. Her birthday would have been today and she past away on Christmas day 2009.


Her grave is now adorned with a beautiful green live wreath, reminding us of the Life eternal we will have after God takes us home.

John 3: 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
Christ came down from Heaven as a infant baby boy that first Christmas day. It was His very blood that cleanses us from all our sin that we might have life eternal in Heaven with Him.

Merry Christmas and take time to Prepare the way of the Lord. Prepare our hearts for Jesus.