Category Archives: Christmas

Christmas Party Centerpieces

Our annual First Baptist Church Ladies Christmas Party was on Friday December 3rd. There were 13 tables in total with chairs enough for 130 gals 4th grade and up. You could sign up to do a centerpiece for one of the tables.

Mine was #7 and my favorite was #6.

There were a little over 120 ladies/girls who attended. Everyone brought a savory or sweet holiday treat to share. The party committee planned a nice program with solos, duets and reflections on Christmas. The sound of 120 female voices singing Christmas Carols together was lovely. It was a fun evening and it was nice to have longer conversations that a Sunday morning doesn’t afford.

It’s hard to see all the details on this centerpiece but they were well thought out and executed. Table #2 won the ‘Most Fun’ award.

We still have snow on the ground. This morning our low was in the teens. We will get above freezing today so some snow will melt and the roads will be a sandy dirty snow mess. I’m off to town while things are still frozen to get our Christmas letter copied. If I drive when things are still frozen my white car avoids looking like a brown car after my 6 mile roundtrip to town. Our family decided on stocking gifts only this year so all my shopping is done. Funny thing, most of the gifts we bought will not fit in a stocking. Maybe we didn’t follow the rules.

How is the wonder of it all shaping up at your place? For myself I need to pause and spend some time reflecting on the miracles of Christmas from the realms of glory!

All creation, join in praising
God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To th’eternal Three in One.

Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn king.

Be Merry Hodgepodge

Be Merry

It’s Hodgepodge Wednesday when Jo From This Side of the Pond asks the questions and we get our brains fired up to answer.

1. ‘Tis the season to be jolly….so are you? 

Yes, yes I am.

2. Do you trim a tree this time of year, and if so is yours all done?

I did and it’s done.

What’s something in your home-closet-life that needs to be trimmed in the new year? 

Oh boy! So many things including my body. I need to weed out my closet and drawers of things ‘I hope to fit in again’!

3. Are you ‘dreaming of a white Christmas’? Is that a possibility where you’ll be celebrating? According to this site the top ten places in the US you can count on for a white Christmas are- North Pole Alaska, Crater Lake Oregon, Yellowstone National Park, Winthrop Washington, Aspen Colorado, Ketchum Idaho, Mt. Washington New Hampshire, Whitefish Montana, Duluth Minnesota, and the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee California

It is totally white right now. It is a good possibility to be white again at Christmas.

Of the snowy spots listed which would you most like to visit? 

Whitefish, Montana is on my list. We have had a White winter experience in Winthrop, Washington back in the 90’s.

4. December 8th is National Brownie Day…will you be celebrating?

No.

How do you like your brownies-chewy or cake-like, frosted or plain, nuts or no nuts, a piece from the middle or give me the corner?

Give me a middle piece cake-like, plain, with lots of nuts.

As a child were you a member of a brownie troop? 

No. My parents were fresh immigrants from Iran after escaping out of Russia in the early 30’s. They did not trust any organizations involving children with uniforms. Too close for comfort (for them and their understanding) to Lenin’s Young Pioneer groups!

5. Share a favorite line or two from a Christmas carol or holiday tune. 

I have soooo many favorites and there are so many great lines. Here’s just one.

…”Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled” 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of snow…

We went to Idaho (Coeur d’Alene) for an overnight on Sunday to Monday. We returned to this view of our home on Monday, the 6th of December. The 6th of December was our 47th Wedding Anniversary. 

Our Christmas letter is tweaked and it’s ready to be copied. Time to address all the envelopes and get the cards in the mail. We have received some Christmas greetings already. So good to hear hear from far and wide. 

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus ~ Hymn

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Words: Charles Wesley

Hello December Hodgepodge

It’s Time My Friends for Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by the lovely Jo From This Side of the Pond!

1. When it comes to gift giving are you more of a ‘create something from scratch’ or a ‘buy something in a shop’ kind of giver? Tell about a favorite homemade gift you’ve given or one you’ve received. 

I am a ‘buy something in a shop’ kind of giver. My favorite homemade gifts these days come from our little grands.

2. Do you have the ‘gift of gab’? Is that a blessing or a curse? 

Simple answer is no, I do not have the gift of gab. There are times when I’m worked up that I can go on and on but usually I can be pretty boring in conversation.  Coming out with one liners is more my style. A blessing would be that I might not say more than I need to say and end up offending.

3. What’s something you have going on that you need/want to ‘wrap up’ this month? 

I need to buy some items for the church kitchen before the end of the year and submit the receipts so the expenditures are taken out of this years budget.

4. A food you love that is ‘wrapped’ in some way?

Blintzes, burritos, tacos…

5. December is upon us…share something here (quote, verse, poem, song lyric, your own thoughts) related to the word hope. 

I’ve been going through a commentary on 1 Peter after reading 1 Peter for a month and this section of Scripture on Hope is where I would focus my meditation.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

And from the commentary on this section of Scripture;

“Peter goes on to declare that regeneration results in believers receiving a living hope. The unbelieving world knows only dying hopes (Job 8:13; Prov. 10:28; Eph. 2:12) but believers have a living, undying hope (Pss.33:18; 39:7; Rom. 5:5; Eph. 4:4; Titus 2:13; Heb. 6:19)  that will come to a  complete, final, and glorious fulfillment (Rom. 5:2; Col. 1:27). It is hope that Peter later described when he wrote, “according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. This hope is what prompted Paul to tell the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain”. At death believers’ hope becomes reality as they enter the glorious presence of God and the full, unhindered, joyous fellowship with the Trinity, the angels, and other saints. (Rom. 5:1-2; Gal. 5:5)

The means of Christians’ appropriating this living hope and eternal inheritance is spiritual birth, and the power for that appropriation was demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. …Christ rose from the dead, forever securing the believer’s living hope in heaven by finally conquering death.

~The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 Peter.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Slowly, slowly the Christmas decorations are being put up here. This week is starting out slow for me physically and mentally. I’m blaming it on the turkey! Welcome December!

The Wonderful Leftovers!

For the benefit of our family and my memory bank I’m posting several more photos of our family time over Christmas. Some of these are out of order and some repeats in collages…

Thank you to Laura for all the photos!!

On the day of our Coast kids’ departure we gathered for more last minute fun at Dan and Jamie’s with a great lunch of leftover Rib Roast, creamed corn, salads and other goodies. A great clean out the fridge meal!

Such great uncles and aunties.

The day after our Coast Kids journeyed home we had seven more inches of snow at our country bungalow (Wednesday December 30th). In the next several days the temps will be above freezing and we have some rain in the forecast so the snow will become a sloppy mess with puddles everywhere.

Here’s the latest puzzle we are working on and hope to get done before Russian Christmas which is January 7th! Perfect weather for puzzle time.

Before the New Year

I posted this collage of our daughter Katie on Facebook with this birthday message;

Happiest of Birthdays to our little girl who was a special surprise from God all those years ago in Ventura, California. Your dad and I are so thankful to God for His watch care over you and for the place He has brought you to in your life. We love our beautiful, smart, kind, precise, meticulous, precious girl! We pray that the Lord will guide you continually. From Spurgeon, “There are no dilemmas out of which you will not be delivered if you live near to God and your heart is kept warm with holy love. You will not go astray in the company of God.”

Sunday December 27th was our Katie’s birthday and it was a full day of fun in the snow and then a snowflake taco dinner party with Spice Applesauce birthday cake.

The kids spent the day at Dan and Jamie’s playing in the snow and the guys helped Dan get caught up on chopping wood for their fireplace.

Santa brought JJ a new battery powered tractor.

Some steamed frothy milk to warm up before naps.

And a great finale to the B-I-B-L-E…Bible!

Now for some cuddle winding down time to calm down for his nap…JJ’s not Joshua’s. 🙂

The older crew came back to our place to get ready for the Birthday party.

It was a snowflake table setting for our winter girl. Now here’s the funny story about the candles on the table. The center candle in the table setting was a battery operated candle. All eight of the other candle holders had votives in them that needed to be lit. I asked Dear to please light the candles on the table while I finished up the taco shells for dinner. I heard some belly laughter from the dining room when everyone realized Dear also tried to light the battery operated candle. That candle looks even more authentic now!

Cake first or presents first?

A delightful birthday from beginning to end! We love you Katie!

Praying that God will increase your love and devotion to Him in this next year!

Ami the Amish Snowman

Snow!

It started snowing Christmas night and into Boxing day morning. We got between 2 and 3 inches. We bundled up and went outside and tested the snow to see if it was snowman worthy. YES!

Josh had help rolling the snow into the 3 portions we wanted for the snowman. He was placed in the back yard so that we would be able to see him from the family room.

How’s this for a fashion statement. I still had my festive jammies on!

Here’s Josh with Ami the Amish Snowman!

All the helpers.

We think Ami is going to be around for a long time…

Yesterday we celebrated Katie on her birthday. We ate tacos at a snowflake table. That will be a separate post.

Our travelers leave on Tuesday before the next snowfall that is predicted for Wednesday. That one promises several inches of snow.

Boxing Day 2020

We are all awake and Premier League Soccer is on the TV while Dear begins to make his Swedish Pancakes for us to enjoy for Boxing day breakfast. I can hear the false crowd noise while I create this post. All the photos are from Christmas Day 2020. Our Coast Kids arrived to our home shortly after noon and we enjoyed Dear’s Famous Tomato Rice Soup. Our Colville kids arrived to our home after the little ones woke up from their afternoon naps!

So happy to see their aunts and uncles again!

This “Dapper Dan” found his Baba in the kitchen.

Standing Rib Roast, roasted veggies, creamed corn and Yorkshire Pudding. The Christmas dinner tradition continues.

This year we had our first ever birthday cake for Jesus. Addy requested the birthday cake for Jesus.

Her mommy made the cake and we sang Happy Birthday and this little guy…

… covered his ears. Our singing wasn’t that bad!

Christmas Cracker Crowns all around. JJ ripped his off his head!

The artists at work.

She captured the reason we celebrate. Baby Jesus in the manger with Joseph and Mary by his side in the stable.

Thank you to Auntie LoLo for all the great moments she captured with her phone!

Hope you all had a good Christmas Day…

Merry Christmas 2020

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

С Рождеством Христовым (S Roždestvom Khristovym)

John 1:14 (ESV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

I’ll see you all after Christmas! Hope all will be merry and bright for you!

Comments are off today! Enjoy your day!

Christmas Eve Day 2020

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!

Happy Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Eve!

Comments are closed today.