So Very Merry…

My sister took this photo of my dear old Pop with his youngest great granddaughter on Christmas Eve in California. Christmas Eve happens to be her birthday, too. Happy first birthday dear one!

These are Pop’s grandchildren and great grandchildren that were able to gather together this year 1200 miles from us.

Our kids from Eastern Washington made it over the pass and to our home in time to attend a Christmas Eve service with us.

Katie treated us to a whole lot of laughs when we woke up to see her donned like this for our Christmas morning festivities.

We checked out what Santa had left in our stockings and then had Dear’s Swedish Pancakes for Breakfast. When breakfast was done we crossed hands to pull apart our Christmas Crackers. Our nutcracker themed crackers had whistles in them and instructions to make music together. Katie directed us and we laughed so hard as we each blew our different toned whistles to create some popular Christmas Carols.

We had our annual after Christmas walk and yes Katie was still in her wild cat onesie. Some of us wore our crowns.

I have not uploaded any of my regular camera photos. These were all taken with other peoples phones. We are still celebrating together and it will be awhile before I recuperate from all the fun. The girls are thinking about doing a little Boxing Day shopping today.

Joy to the World ~ Merry Christmas

Joy to the World

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her king;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719.

Christmas Eve Day 2016

Today we are anticipating the arrival of all of our kids from different parts of Washington and the U.S.A. That makes it sound like we’ve got lots of kids. Our youngest ones, a daughter and son in law are traveling from Florida back to Washington State arriving at SeaTac Airport at 6:30 pm. We are driving their car to the airport in the morning and parking it for them so they can hop in it and drive themselves to our home to spend the night. Katie and Andrew live on our side of the mountains just 20 minutes from us and left last Sunday to visit Andrew’s father and step mom. Because we didn’t want to miss the arrival of our middle son and daughter in law from Eastern Washington or our Christmas Eve service dropping the car off at the airport was a good option. Dan, Jamie and their dog Rayna are driving over the Cascade Mountain range and will arrive sometime in the afternoon (a 5-1/2 hour drive). We will head to a Christmas Eve service with them and then come home and wait for Katie and Andrew to arrive. Dear is making his yummy Tomato Rice Soup (a Julia Child inspired soup) for all our tired travelers. Our oldest son and wife will be spending most of the day and evening with our Daughter in love’s family whom we love, too. They will be celebrating just 15 minutes from our home. Josh and Laura will arrive late on Christmas Eve and let themselves in since Dear and I will be fast asleep by then. For the record we love and get along with all of our kids and their families. A rich blessing for sure.

So thankful to our God in the Manger who left His throne to bring us salvation by His sacrifice on the cross. Thankful, too, that our three guest beds will be occupied tonight and tomorrow morning we will enjoy a full day of celebrating all that Christmas brings to us. This old house will be overflowing with God’s blessings to.

Praying God will bless your gatherings with His presence and peace today and tomorrow!

Christmas Past…

This is probably Christmas 1957.

Christmas 1958. My brother Tim was 11 months old. I was seven.

In December of 1959 our brother Steve was born. This photo was taken at my Uncle Paul’s home in 1960. My babushka lived with them and we would go and visit on Christmas. My dad has his Molokan shirt on (think Dr. Zhivago) but I’m not sure if this is before church or after church. We would have two more siblings added to our family in 1963.

Christmas 1968 is my guess for this one. Me, Kathy and Vera. Look at those shoes.

Christmas 1969. Tim is eleven, Steve is ten, and the twins, Lana and Leonard, are six.

At my little babushka’s house for Christmas breakfast before church.

Christmas 1974 in our apartment on National Blvd. in the neighborhood of Mar Vista, Los Angeles. We had been married for two and a half weeks.

Our oldest niece Jenna, 1974.

Our first home in Huntington Beach, 1975.

Christmas 1977 in our second home in Huntington Beach.

Christmas 1978 in Huntington Beach. I am pregnant with our firstborn Josh and Chris is pregnant with Jenna’s little sister Annie. These are Dear’s mother and father.

Christmas 1981. Josh and Dan are almost 3 and almost 1.

Christmas Eve 1982 reading the Christmas story with the Bagdanov side of the family.

Christmas tree 1986 in Ventura. Josh is almost 8 Dan is almost 6 and Katie is almost 1.

I think this one is from 1988 in Bothell. Our first Christmas in Washington State.

Late 1980’s in Bothell Washington.

Christmas on Norway Hill 1992 in Bothell, Washington.

PM1912 Postmarked 1912.

We are moving along with all things Christmas at this old house. Food shopping mostly done. A few things to add on Friday. I also am waiting to see if I’m inspired to bake one more favorite that my mom baked for all of us every year. My Bagdanov family had a cooking day today making my mom’s Vareniki for their Christmas Eve celebration.

Hello Winter Hodgepodge

1. What’s left to be done on your Christmas to-do list?

Buy the ingredients for our Christmas Eve and Christmas day menus. Dear will be making his famous Tomato Rice Soup for Christmas Eve and then on Christmas day we will have Swedish Pancakes for breakfast (Dear makes those, too) and Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding for dinner. Oh my, looks like Dear will have the lion’s share of cooking duties since he’s throwing the Prime Rib on the Traeger this year, too. I’ll work on the sides. Daughter in love is bringing the homemade pies.

2. The Hodgepodge lands on the first day of winter this year. What’s your favorite thing about winter?

Since we moved to Washington State from Southern California twenty eight years ago I have enjoyed having 4 distinct seasons. I appreciate different landscapes throughout the year. Winter isn’t my favorite but I appreciate it’s difference. Winter clothing is my favorite thing about winter. I like comfy clothes.

3. In what area of your life are you immature? Feel free to elaborate or not.

First I’ll choose this definition of immature; not fully developed. I am not fully developed in my life as a follower of Jesus. I still have lots to learn about trusting God in this daily walk. Obedience does not come naturally and easily to me. So in this I am immature. I thank God He loves me and doesn’t abandon me. He will never leave me on the side of the road and drive away like I threatened my children I’d do on some of those road trips when they were little.

4. What was the most (or one of the most) important lessons you learned in 2016?

I can live with my husband under foot every day and still have joy. He’s been unemployed since June and from January till June he was a consultant working out of our home.

5. It’s Fried Shrimp Day…are you a fan? What’s your favorite way to eat shrimp? Will there be shrimp somewhere in your holiday feastings?

Shrimp is not a staple in my culinary world. My favorite way to eat shrimp is coconut crusted as an appetizer at a restaurant. No we will not have shrimp in our feastings.

6. What sound lulls you to sleep?

The lack of sounds is what lulls me to sleep.

7. What one word best describes your 2016?

Unemployment

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Good tidings we bring to you and your kin, Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thank you Joyce for asking the questions. To see more hodgepodge click over to From This Side of the Pond.

Happy First Day of Winter y’all!

The X in Xmas…

PM1909 (postmarked 1909)

X has a long and sacred history

The idea of X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show any disrespect for Jesus. The church has used the symbol of the fish historically because it is an acronym. Fish in Greek (ichthus) involved the use of the first letters for the Greek phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” So the early Christians would take the first letter of those words and put those letters together to spell the Greek word for fish. That’s how the symbol of the fish became the universal symbol of Christendom. There’s a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect. (from Ligonier, R.C. Sproul)

These are both antique postcards from Dear’s great great aunt Emma. I’m posting them to share with ABC Wednesday for the letter X.

X is for Christ. Thank you to Mrs. Nesbitt and her helpful elves, Roger and company for keeping our ABC meme moving along.

The Xmas news from this old house is that what is done is done except for preparations for our meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and some baking. I will wait to shop for the meat and side dishes early on Friday. On Wednesday I will do a little baking to make cookies to take to some neighbors with an invite to our church’s Christmas Eve services. I am also spending time adoring Christ and all He has done for us.

Vintage Christmas

Well, I do believe I’m done with any shopping I’m gonna do. Hope our adult kids enjoy their stocking stuff. I’m thinking about baking some cookies on Wednesday to take round to some neighbors with an invite to the Christmas Eve services at our church. It will be a wonderful mix of fun and wonder focusing on Jesus. A couple of the staff members from church donned in old time Christmas garb made a video in a neighboring city seeing if people could add the next line to Christmas Carols they prompted. If they could they earned a dollar. Can’t wait to see the whole video. Do you go to Christmas Eve Services?

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary, who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of Heaven,
And to the endless day!

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)

Words: 15th Century carol (Es ist ein Ros entsprungen); verses 1-2 translated from German to English by // Theodore Baker, 1894. Verses 3-4, Friedrich Layritz, translated by Harriet Reynolds Krauth, 1875. Verse 5, translated or written by // John C. Mattes, 1914.

Mystery Tree 2016

This year while I was having fun downtown with our oldest, Dear did the honors of picking out the mystery tree and bringing it home. He set it up in it’s designated spot this year and waited for me to come home from gallivanting and to cut the string while I watched the reveal. Another stress free tree that will serve our purposes well.

Dear put the lights on and then I added the ornaments.

This will be the room that we discover what things are in our stockings and where we open the gifts from under the tree. This year our immediate family decided to draw names instead of buying gifts for each one. Dear is unemployed and has been unemployed for 6 months now. Our daughter Katie and Andrew are not employed. Andrew is going to school full time in Aeronautical Engineering courses at the University of Washington and Katie hasn’t found a part-time job yet. Dan and Jamie are moving into a new to them house right now. They are financially stretched and with the new baby coming Jamie will be quitting her job and staying home with our new granddaughter. Josh and Laura are still both employed and doing well. We all decided it makes sense to cut down on the gift buying. We will still have a wonderful celebration but with less wrapping paper to deal with.

Hope you are all in the midst of joy and wonder during this great time of the year. If not I hope you find that joy and wonder soon.

Sky of Blue, Sea of Green…

This is another one of those posts that is all about the history of my soccer enjoyment. For a Seattle Sounders Soccer fan and season ticket holder our 2016 season ended with our boys capturing the Gold Cup. The thing that makes it amazing is that we were in last place in the middle of the season with any hope of making the playoffs questionable. Then from the bottom we had a turn around, a new coach, a new player, a new inspiration. Injured players recuperated and came back strong. The team had a strong determination and new vision. On Tuesday December 13th Josh, Laura and I drove downtown to be a part of this history and enjoy the parade and rally. Josh and Laura just got back from Toronto on Sunday and were able to be at the final game and cheer on the Sounders with 2000 or so fans. It was now time for the Washington State Fans to come out and give the team the thunderous appreciation we wished they could hear in Toronto!

15492219_10154179358653589_437076264013511389_n This photo above is from their victory celebration in Toronto, Canada.

We found our spot close to Seattle Center and waited for the parade to come to us. Josh bought this flag to take to Toronto with him and Laura since it has a likeness to the U.S.A. flag.

I turned around at one point and saw some of our friends from Northshore Community Church.

This little guy was so cute. By the way Stefan Frei, our goalie, was the MVP of the game with his save of year that will go down in soccer history, too.

Finally the trolleys with the players approached with all the fans along the route joining in the procession.

Nicolas Lodeiro holding the MLS Cup out the window for all of us to see. The added flag is from his home country of Uruguay. Lodeiro is a player who came to our team at our lowest point and with his playing ethic and spirit helped our team make a turn around.

Some past players that the Sounders fans always enjoy seeing, Kasey Keller (former goalie) and Roger Levesque, a fan favorite for many years who is now retired from soccer.

We met up with more friends and joined the throng headed to the Seattle Center for the rally.

Look at that green beard! This is part of the Sounders band.

Walking under the monorail tracks to the center.

The Trolleys stopped and our team captain Osvoldo Alonso raised the MLS Cup Champions flag next to the statue of Chief Sealth (Chief Seattle), whom the city of Seattle is named after with historical controversy. Alonso is a Cuban born soccer player who defected to the U.S.A. and is now a citizen of the United States.

Our group selfie amongst the sea of green! You might be wondering how all these people were able to get off work to attend this parade and rally in the middle of a work day. Brad Evans issued this for all the Sounders fans…

Our daughter in law actually submitted this to her boss to fly to Toronto last Friday. He said it was a very compelling reason to miss work. This excuse form was used by some for the parade and rally, too.

This is Zach Scott, another fan favorite who has been with the team from the beginning. He led the crowd in the Jingle Bells Song the team has always sung in the locker room after an away victory. This was Zach’s last season with the Sounders. He will be missed.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to see Seattle win away, hey! It was fun to hear a crowd of thousands sing along.

15401060_1200744436629254_9196882971506577376_n 2016 Seattle Sounders MLS Cup Champions! Look at that sea of supporters behind them!

15390679_10154194292473589_572307301539503003_n The following day the Sounders flag was raised by Coach Schmetzer and Governor Inslee at the capitol building in Olympia, Washington.

It was a fun event to attend and we were happy to brave the crowds and the cold to be a part of history. For the record and in case anyone out there is concerned, I do not worship soccer or soccer players but I enjoy soccer and have an appreciation for the skill and stamina it takes to play this sport. Since watching our sons and daughter play soccer in the 90’s I’ve grown in the understanding of the game and have learned to appreciate the development of play between the players on the field.

Now I’m headed to the kitchen table to finish my Christmas cards so I can get them in the mail tomorrow! We are below freezing in temps here on our hill in the Seattle suburbs. Brrr. Good day to stay inside and work on our Christmas greetings. Hope you all are cozy and warm.

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Author Archives: Ellen

So Very Merry…

Joy to the World ~ Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve Day 2016

Christmas Past…

Hello Winter Hodgepodge

The X in Xmas…

Vintage Christmas

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Mystery Tree 2016

Sky of Blue, Sea of Green…