So this was Christmas.... 2016

Seasons Greetings dear friends.. 

Well, this was Christmas this year of 2016... 

And a lovely one it is turning out to be.. 

Our Christmas lasts all week this year !  

A bit one day and a bit more the next.. 

Our oldest son and his family could not be here for Christmas day because of work schedules so we are having a Family Day on New Year's Day.. 

Grandpa and Grandma are pretty excited as all 5 grandsons will be arriving on New Years eve and having a sleep over with us.. 

Perhaps their parents will be here, too or so we hope..

So nice to have all of our children under one roof once again.. smile.. 

Anyway all is well and we have been enjoying getting ready and having a few wonderful few days already.. 

Just sharing some pics of our doings.. 

Decorated the front step and trimmed our lovely Christmas tree..

That is a story in itself.. lol.. 

I guess I will tell you it as it is rather funny.. 

Last year we had a very pretty tree and I was kind of excited about it because trimming a tree just is not my forte... smile.. 

We had bought it at a tree lot and the kids all said it was the nicest tree we had for a while.. 

This year I kept bugging Terry to go buy our tree.. 

Then on Friday when we drove by all they had were a couple of small ones and I was a bit dismayed .. 

Not to worry says the dear man.. 

He will just go out to his woodlot and cut one down.. 

No problem.. 

He got right to it and a couple of hours later I look out the window and there he stands as proud as a peacock holding onto a rather tall fir tree.. 

Smiling he says he only needs to cut the bottom off and it will be great!  

Sure..... 

He sees the look on my face and gets all defensive so I just go along for the ride and say ok.............

I was talking to Shonda on the phone and she says that perhaps he felt bad because he had spent all that time trying to please me.. 

Yup... So I feel guilty and think I may as well do the best I can with it..  

To make a long story short he brings it in and cuts off the bottom and it is still too high so I say to cut the top off so that it will fit.. 

Oh dear lord.. 

We had the middle of a very sparse tree.. 

On go the lights and I spend all the afternoon trying to fill in the spaces... I even put on icicles.. Remember them?

Let's just say that I was not very successful.. 

When I went to the end of the living room and looked back I thought it looked like a drunken sailor with two arms outstretched trying to stand straight.. 

Moving over the the other side it looked like a cross in the middle of the tree.. 

I called Shonda and told her and she said well everyone will just think that you are religious, Mom.. 

Brother!! 

To end this sad story I will tell you that it is coming down tomorrow before someone sees it and won't let me forget about it for the next few years.. 

A tree has not ever been that important to me anyway as we don't even put it up till Christmas eve usually.. 

Oh and when Dustin came home he wanted to know if we got the tree for half price since it was only half there.. grin.. 

I just cannot stand to hear all the lovely comments from the rest of them so it is coming down.. lol...

Oh, I did take some pics so I could prove to our daughter just how bad it really was.. grin.. 

On with the story.. 

Prepared a few care packages.. 

Sprayed the bells copper... 

Made some shortbreads, white sugar cookies, coconut macaroons and a few pans of squares and fruit cake.. 

Making soups as usual...

Writing out cards... 

The fireplace mantel in the living room.. 

The little lighted houses are vintage and used to belong to a dear Pastor's wife who I loved.. 

Her name was Sister McNair... 

It is a lot prettier than the picture shows.. smile.. 

My old Santa that I remade a few years ago... 

Another care package for some very special people in our lives..

The mantel in the family room Christmas morning.. 

Dustin and Charlie ...

Then on Boxing Day we went to our daughter's home for dinner.. 

Some of her decor.. 

An old santa I made for her on our homespun Christmas a few years ago.. 

Her beautiful huge poinsettia.. 

Gramp teasing Carter.. 

The men just hanging out.. 

A little pose of Shonda and Dave.. 

Note the wonderful roses that David gave Shonda to celebrate their 25th anniversary last week.. 

Aren't they sweet?? 

I wonder who Matt is texting.. smile.. 

When is dinner ready??? 

It was delicious!! 

I forgot to take a pic of the food but it was wonderful turkey and ham dinner.. 

And the best apple pie that I have had since last Christmas.. 

Shonda is known for her wonderful apple pie.. 

Just like her Grandmothers... 

Today, Terry and I went Boxing Day shopping.. 

I did not buy anything... 

Just too much for me so we went and had our annual Christmas Chinese dinner... 

Then we dropped by my Mom's and had a lovely visit with her and Gerald... 

She gave me some lovely gifts but the one I loved the most was an old chocolate box filled with old handkerchiefs that belonged to my grandmother.. She thought the box was well over 50 years old.. 

I am going to go and make a cup of tea and just sit and go through the box and savour and smell each one of them.. 

So blessed to still have my mama with us... 

So dear hearts this is all for another time.. 

This is a pic of the moon out of our kitchen window yesterday morning... 

Tomorrow, Lord willing I will start getting ready to have everything ready for the weekend.. 

Hope you sweet things had a great Christmas day and enjoy this final week before we go into 2017.. 

Just imagine !! 

Take care my dears and God bless.. 

He is so faithful !!