Christmas This and That 2015

In between Christmas parties, dinners, decorating, wrapping gifts, entertaining, cooking and baking, I went to work at the museum.  The Lynden Pioneer Museum is a fun place to be in December.  It's all decked out for Christmas, the shop is busy with Christmas shoppers, and  the docents bring in homemade cookies.  It's great when work is festive and fun.

 

 One morning I had several appointments in Bellingham, a cut and color, taking care of my Dad's estate, last minute shopping and some groceries.  But before I left I did a little crafting.  When I sent Hubby a picture he texted back, seriously, are you crafting?

Possibly...

 I really had no time to craft this Christmas but I couldn't resist a paint job on a trailer ornament to add Huaka'i Annie, our '57 Aloha, to my trailer park.

Tami's Trashy Trailer Park is having some growing pains and will be relocating for next Christmas.  I got a tent trailer in my stocking from Santa and a few more trailers to "restore".

 We had a party at Mom's place.  Good food and fun games and a gift grab bag.  The hot gift this year was dryer sheets. I came home with my favorite scent!  Seriously, you have to smell these dryer sheets.

 I made Green Bean Bundles for Christmas dinner at Bill and Jodi's house. We had such a nice time at their place, and after dinner we watched old Christmastime movies of our family.  Seeing my Dad dressed up as Santa with all of the little kids warmed my heart.

 I snuck out and did a little thrifting.  I know, I really didn't have time to be crafting and thrifting this season.  It's therapy!  I found Pokerkub with all of its pieces, no instructions though.  I've googled for rules and I found out that people love this game, it isn't made anymore and and people want to buy it. It should be fun, once we have the rules.

 I helped my baby sister, Jodi, celebrate her 50th birthday with the sisters.

I love my sissies!

 Hubby's sisters came to Lynden for a day.  We had a nice visit with Cherie and Laura.  They ended their visit at Kulshan with family and friends.

One of the highlights for me this Christmas season was a random meeting with a dear friend.  A friend that I had never met in real life.  Michele Jansen and I have been friends through our blogs for many years.  We send each other snail mail, we are facebook friends, we are prayer partners but we had never actually met in real life.  I was so excited and I think she was too.  It was so great to know that she is as warm and sweet in real life as she seems in her posts.  After Michele left her sister and brother asked me... so who are you?  Uhmm, I'm one of your sister's best friends, we've known each other for years just had never actually met in real life.  Ooohhhhh, gotcha.  Hahaha I am still laughing at the way they were looking at me.  Next time Michele and I need an outing all of our own.

Michele, we should have taken a selfie!

So, yes Christmas was different but in so many ways it was the same and it was good.

Happy New Year my friends!

Edited to add: I just saw that Michele wrote about our meeting too. 

You can read it HERE.  We pretty much wrote the same thing!  

Soul sisters!

Christmas Eve 2015

On Christmas Eve we celebrated Christmas with our family.  Danny wasn't home this year. We missed him. A lot.  Next year, kiddo!  We went to the candle light service at church with Max and Kassie at five.  Sam and Angela came after work.

Hubby grilled flank steak, I sauteed a big batch of baby bella mushrooms to serve a long side the steak.  We had ranch potatoes, Caesar salad and snow salad and berries with dinner.

Mid afternoon I went up into the attic to get the napkin rings and spotted a box of English Christmas crackers.  I added them to the table.  If you aren't familiar, crackers pop when opened and have a hat, a riddle and a prize inside.

This time the prizes just happened to be mustaches,

Angela had never had a Christmas cracker before and was a tad frightened.  She thought it was another crazy Dutch tradition.  Uhmmm, no, it's English.

Everything is more fun with a hat and a 'stash!

And then there was the uni brow...

After dinner we opened gifts. 

Max had Sam close his eyes and then reached behind the sofa to surprise him with his gift.  It was wrapped in zip ties.  Many, closely woven zip ties!

Hubby and I gave each couple a Whirly popcorn popper, with popcorn, toppings and games.  Sam and Max started cranking, it's the sound of their childhood.  I got our popper for a wedding shower gift and it still makes good popcorn.  Hubby has made a lot of kettle corn  over the years.

After gifts, we had Creme Brulee for dessert with little holly candles on top.  Nothing is better than a flaming dessert.

Hubby and I learned how to play Dutch Blitz with Sam and Angela.  It's a fun game.

We were blessed with a fun family night, good food and thoughtful gift giving.

My Girls

 Tradition!  One of my favorites during the Christmas season is the annual girls night with SherylShellyDoreen.  Since 1983, whether we need it on not, we have dinner and gifts.  This year we started at Doreen's house for the annual photo shoot, then on to Keenan's for dinner(it was delicious) and gifts, and then to Sheryl's house for a nightcap and goodies.  We love this tradition and try to make it last as long as possible.

Since Shelly is always painting something on the farm.  I gave her a book all about paint colors.  She found her favorite color, orange.

Sheryl loves french fries so this little sign about being happier that a bird with a french fry reminded me of her.

I gave Doreen an assortment of goodies involving her love of wine and her little red VW convertible.  Sheryl gave every one a beautiful scarf, which became a sarong for our beach gal, Dor.

Shelly gave Sheryl and me the Christmas Farm Chicks book, to celebrate our trip to the Farm Chicks Show that we took in June.   The books didn't come in the mail in time.

Bummer... So we had to get together again last night to pick up our books.  There was a lot of laughs and we totally overstayed our welcome.  Nothing new there!
You know you have good friends when you can mark your inheritance on their treasures.
Tacky?  Possibly.  Good friends? Definitely!

And It's Okay

 This Christmas will be different.  December was different this year as we began the month planning my Dad's funeral.  We won't celebrate Christmas where I grew up because my folks moved to town in May.  Danny came home to be with family in early December and to celebrate his Grandpa's life so he won't be home for Christmas.   And it's okay.

I didn't put up all of my Christmas decorations this year, time and motivation were factors.

And it's okay.

 I  didn't get my Eddie Bauer snow globe collection displayed this year.  The stockings aren't hung, the Santa pictures of the guys are not hanging in the hall.  There is no garland on the stair case. The Hallmark Merry Miniatures are still in the attic.

And it's okay.

 Not all of the shiney brites are on the tree.  I find myself focusing on the ones that are on the tree and really enjoying them. Taking pictures of the tree and seeing what's on instead of focusing on what is not.  

And it's okay.

I didn't follow any lists from the kids this year.  I just listened for hints and thought about what they maybe needed and didn't even know they needed it.  Yesterday, I wrapped gifts and had time to enjoy the process, choosing paper, ribbons and tags with some thought.  No homemade gifts this year.

And it's okay.

 Last night Hubby and I should have been in town running errands, finishing shopping and loading up at Costco.  Instead, we slowed down, we sat in the sitting room and enjoyed the lights, each other and a cocktail.

And it's okay.

Sometimes the less, the slower pace, accepting the different, the just okay, is fine.

It's given me time to slow down, and to be present for what is right in front of me, my family, our home, my Mom's grief and for the Christ in Christmas.

And it's okay.

Always Learning

On Saturday I went on the Bethany Holiday Homes Tour with Shelly and Jean.  The homes were beautiful.  Since I have been there, done that regarding the tour, I really appreciate the home owners.  It's a lot of work and vulnerability on their part.

We saw a lot of creativity and I like to learn from others so I'll share some decorator tips I learned on the tour.

1. A vignette in an old aquarium is beautiful.  I also learned that though I thought I'd thrown our old aquarium into the garbage, Hubby saved me from myself and took it out. 

 2. Take the cabinet doors off of just one cupboard and add depth and display to a bank of cabinets.

 3. Christmas peeps on a stick are really cute in the hot cocoa bar.

 4. To hang a poster use an old yard stick and clips.  This is an easy way to change the art and keep it fresh.  It's also much less expensive than framing.

5. I can finally use some of the old window frames I have to frame a group of pictures.

 6. Clear picture corners exist.

7. Modern and vintage can be mixed tastefully, and no one does it better that my Aunt Judy.

8. Tricia knows how to make lighted marquee signs and I want to make one.  

I'll be calling her for tips.

 9. I have hung garlands and ornaments on antlers but not lights.  I like it.  I have some antlers I've been thinking about painting and these green ones sealed the deal.

 10. We are having a mild December, so why not add poinsettia to outside pots that are in protected areas?  Easy and pretty on the porch.

 11.  Nothing new here, just that I have good girlfriends.

12. The ollie bollen on the home tour is amazing.  It's the best!