
Christmas day started quietly with just the two of us enjoying a Fancy Egg Scramble. I was able to set the table and make a few of the food preparations before the two sleighs from across the mountains arrived 3 minutes apart. Soon afterwards the Colville kids arrived and quiet was replaced with joyful chatter and anticipation of what Christmas day holds at Baba and Gramps’.
(A fair warning: This is a many many photo full post)




The centerpiece.

No white Christmas for us this year.

The birthday cake for Jesus arrived with the Bayles Mountain crew. Designed and planned by Addy and JJ and brought together by their mom. The stable, the star, Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, sheep, shepherd, 3 wise men and a donkey were all included!

Use your imagination and you’ll be able to see all the main participants. It took me a while to figure out that the marshmallows with the little bit of pretzel were the sheep!

This little guy was hungry and excited to see it was time to carve the Prime Rib Roast. He said, “that smells good!”
(A shout out to our local grocery store, Super 1, who offered their prime rib roasts at only $9.99 a pound, cut and tied. )
The menu consisted of Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, Roasted Vegetables, and Creamed Corn (not from a can).

This year the readings were from Luke, Hebrews and Philippians.

Christmas Crackers ready set Pull!



Presents and time for belly-laughs! Even though this was a ‘stocking gift’ year, the gifts seemed endless.




Time for comfy jammies or putting feet up watching a video sent to Addy and JJ from Great auntie Christina.


A Marco polo. Do any of you or your kids participate?

Here are some of our photos for our Christmas card greetings that we took over Thanksgiving weekend.








And that is a wrap of our preparing for and enjoying the day of celebrating the birth of Jesus with Angels watching over us all.

Boxing day and our For-Tea will be separate posts coming in the New Year!

Looks like a beautiful Christmas with the family, wonderful photos.
I wish you all the best in 2026, a happy and healthy New Year. Take care, have a great day!
Just lovely, Ellen. I enjoyed all of the pictures…especially the one of Jamie and you at your chair. She did a great job with the cake! Such creativity.
…the Bayles crew certainly enjoyed a festive Christmas dinner together!
Thank you for sharing your day in such a wonderful display! Looks like everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Hope you have a very Happy New Year!
Just lovely! ~ Rosie
It looks like you all had a wonderful Christmas, Ellen! Have a very happy 2026 full of many blessings.
I loved, loved, loved all your photos Ellen and was beyond thrilled to see those Christmas Crackers and paper crowns on heads. All delightful and I always leave your blog smiling. Thank you! I’ll be back to look at them again sometime. Wishing you all A Very Happy New Year!
Lovely photos of your beautiful and happy family. Many happy memories. Always a joy to see your happy family.
Adorable photos! Merry Christmas!
You write the best posts and take the most beautiful photos. Looks like a perfect day and that cake is lovely. God Bless all of you. Beautiful memories were made.
You were so blessed to be spending the holidays with the best gift of all – family!