Christmas Waffles...

...of course we got up early on Christmas morning...

...we made Christmas Waffles...because you need a hearty breakfast to make it through all that present opening...

...I've posted the Waffle Recipe before...

...I love these crispy, chewy, sweet waffles...I usually just eat mine with some Earth Balance...

...both the boys prefer theirs with some syrup...

...such a sweet and yummy start to a beautiful day...

...Jack was the first one to start opening presents...he had a lot of fun trying to get into his stocking...

...Scout opened his stocking first...as always...it was chock full of Ender's Game books...the first five...highly recommended by Karen...thanks Sis!...

...this year's gold wrapped Santa present...a Garmin GPS...just like the ones we used on the Pembina Gorge campout...

...Scout loves it...

...then the Man and I opened a few gifts...

...I'll show you some more tomorrow....

...but I love my new travel mug...it's ceramic and it holds about 2 cups of tea...and it's just begging for a little knitted cozy isn't it...?

I hope y'all had a lovely Christmas with your families as well!

Christmas Light Show...

...we all piled into the car (even Jack) and took our annual drive around the neighborhood looking for pretty Christmas lights...

...this tradition started when Scout was pretty little...as a way to keep him occupied on Christmas Eve...when he was so excited for Christmas to be here...he'd have a bath and put his jammies on and we'd strap him into his carseat and drive around in the dark looking at all the houses with Christmas music playing...and by the time we got home he'd be really sleepy...and we'd just tuck him in bed...

...of course now...none of us wear jammies...and none of us get very sleepy either...but it's still a nice family tradition...that we enjoy every year...

...we saw lots of pretty lights...

...but we're always happy to drive back up in our own little driveway and see our own cozy little home...

...be it ever so humble...

...wishing you all a very Merry Christmas...

Childrens' Christmas Program

...you'd never believe the chaos back in the Sunday School rooms this morning would turn into a lovely program...

...but somehow that magically happens every year...

...looking forward to the candlelight service tonight...

Kids Christmas Shopping

...the kids are out of school for Christmas break...

...and our LYO and the Sunday School children went on their annual shopping spree...

...and bought lots of presents for needy children in our area...

...we brought everything back to the Church and wrapped it up...

...this is so much fun...

...we have adult helpers on hand...but usually the kids want to do the wrapping themselves...

...like the presents they've picked (each one perfect for the recipient)...the wrapping is perfect too...

...we even had one little girl who was sick...she had come to Church and was so sad that she was too sick to be able to go shopping...she was crying as she left...so I asked her what she would buy for a little girl and told her we would be sure to get just what she said for a little girl on our list...her choices...a baby blue top and some Twighlight Mist perfume...so of course we found just those things...and wrapped them up for her...

...they carried all the presents into the Sanctuary and placed them around the Chrismon tree...

...lovely...

...C.G.E.S.P. ...or P.G.S.E.C...

...the Man had enlisted a few children to help with a sermon illustration at our Advent service last night...

...Called...
...Gathered...
...Enlightened...
...Sanctified...
...Preserved...

...it was adorably cute...

...Elving...

...amidst all the packing...I've been working on a few little handmade gifties...

...these have been sent on their way...I love a handmade Christmas...don't you?...

...gifts are arriving...

...every day now...the doorbell rings...

...and the postman...or man in brown...or flower deliverer...arrives...

...and we have new gifties to place under the tree...

...and brown boxes that open to prettier boxes...

...full of delicious things...

...and we have sunny fruit to brighten our days...

...and pretty greenery too...

...hoping you are enjoying the gifts of the season...

...Facebook version of Jesus' Birth...

...have you seen this yet?...

...loved it...

My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Giveaway Winner...

...and the winner is...

11:34 AM
Kristina said...
I love the Gingerbread Land template!

...this sure was a fun giveaway...I'm still loving this software package...and I'm planning on making a Christmas scrapbook right away this year...instead of 5 years from now when I get around to it...

SEW MAMA SEW GIVEAWAY WINNERS!...

...without further ado...

...the winners are:

8:35 PM
Stephanie and Carlos said...
My theme is recycled! I made some wreathes from curtain rings and they are so freakin adorable!!

xo Steph

6:44 PM
Judi said...
I love the ornaments my kids have made or given me the most - ones with a meaning behind them.


4:53 PM
bassenav said...
My favorite ornaments are the trees my 4 yr old daughter has made over the last few years. Most of them have googly eyes all over them! They always make me smile!

6:36 PM
Jeanne said...
I have to say my favorite ornament ever was the "coal shovel" that my dad used that my sister had painted in a rustic country Christmas Theme. It still makes me tear up every Christmas when it comes out for display.

...it really was a lot of fun reading about everyone's favorite ornaments...

Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

...Here we come a caroling...

...the LYO went caroling and took the cookies that they had baked to all of our shut-ins...

...we had a lot of fun...it was cold and snowy...and FUN!...

...a Post Office Tour...

...one of the requirements for the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge is to tour a Federal Facility...

...and so we chose to tour the most convenient one...the local Post Office...

...the Postmaster met us in the lobby...

...and took us behind the closed door marked 'Employees only'...

...we saw where and how the mail is sorted before it's sent out...

...and the loading dock where the trucks come in laden with incoming mail and get loaded with outgoing mail...

...and where the mail carriers do their final sorting before delivery...

...and we even got to tour one of the trucks...

...I've never been inside a Post Office before and it was certainly interesting...there's even a private walkway above the entire facility - accessible from outside that the Postal Inspector uses in secret...

...just one more thing to love about the Boys Scouts...

...a simple wedding...

...last night...as a pastor's wife...I got to be a part of something that I had only read about...

...an evening wedding...with just the couple...and a couple of their close friends as witnesses...I won't go into any of the details of the situation...but it's all very sweet...they called the Man...and asked if he could do a quick wedding ceremony for them after Church on Wednesday...

...so of course I immediately set about trying to make it as special as possible...

...I stopped at the local second chance store...and bought a couple of toasting glasses...and embellished them with some little 'Bride' and 'Groom' tags...

...then I baked a white cake (vegan of course)...and frosted it kinda pretty...

...I looked for some sort of topper...I didn't want to go with the traditional Bride and Groom toppers as this wasn't really that sort of a wedding...and I found this little ceramic potpourri holder...it says "Wishing you a lifetime of love"...sweet...

...the Man did a traditional wedding ceremony...and I played a short prelude and recessional on the piano...

...and we all rejoined in the fellowship hall for some refreshments...

...the Bride and Groom cut their cake...

...and we all toasted their happiness...

...I felt a bit like I was part of an Andy Griffith show...it was sweet and simple and fun and memorable too...as all weddings should be...

A Christmas Concert...

We went to Scout's Christmas Band Concert...

...he is First Chair...aaahhh...I remember band tryouts and how important the coveted First Chair was...I however only ever made it to Second...

...Scout said they had held a tryout for his replacement as First Chair when he leaves for WV in January...and that the teacher let him help her judge...I thought that was so sweet and made him feel special...

...and now for your listening pleasure...

...more...

...I was surprised that they actually played Christmas carols and not just generic holiday themed music...

...they take a bow...