STILL IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

As I mentioned before, it's becoming more difficult finding some down time to blog but this evening I am making some time or more like, I'm stealing some time from somewhere to blog. The weather has been not so friendly lately and today was no exception. It's been snowing and the wind is blowing and at night time, it's still snowing.

Christmas is only a memory now and the wallet a bit thinner but that's OK. This year I had a difficult time choosing gifts for everyone. So I gave gift cards and money,  and I did bought some other small gifts. So everyone are going to choose how they will spend their money.

This year wasn't the same as it used to be. We all missed Nicole and Christine, her husband Joe, My son Vaughan and my oldest granddaughter Jordyn. Hopefully they will all be with us with a new grandson.

 My grandson S, sporting new pajamas and new hat playing his cool musical instrument.

   Here's a close up shot of a Kalimba which has it's origin from Africa. If you look at the numbers , you can see the number 1 on the right and the 2 on the left, the 3 on the right and so on and so forth. A neat little thumb piano.

Here is my other grandson, L.  assembling his catapult.

Here is my youngest granddaughter N. proudly sporting all her missing baby theeths.

                              My daughter Jackie, the artist, sorting out the puzzle.

The finished puzzle.

My granddaughter M. sitting with her Papa, my son in law. He's getting my husband's Mac Book all set up for internet hookup while M. is working like a pro on her school home economic sewing project.

 I gave a lot of my wine for Christmas gifts. I bought lots of smaller gifts for the present games that the kids loves so much and the highlight of the game was a penguin and a sheep candy dispenser. You guessed it, they pooped candy. The kids and the adults love to play the Yankee swap game usually after the Christmas dinner. Sorry, no pictures of the pooping penguin and sheep.

                                                         Some of my gifts  (notice the clay  heart ornament in the little box)

A poinsettia that I received from our part time employee.

                                                               A rooster calendar

                                            A Holstein cow ornament


Every year I tell my kids, don't buy anything for us as we are older and don't need anything. As long as every one is happy, we're happy. They don't listen and this year I got a nice pair of warm sinfully soft pair of pajamas and a puzzle, a rooster calendar, lavender bath salt, a clay heart ornament, an electric blending whisk and chopper attachment, a pair of heavy duty looper that can cut a 3" branch. It has telescopic handles so I can reach high,  a large pink poinsettia, a cow tree ornament. So you see I have things to relax in and things to work with, and some  decorations,  a good balance.

                         My husband showing off his jacket from the Penk boys, employees.

 My husband got a Black and Decker Bread Machine, a pair of insulated work gloves, a pair of wool work socks, slippers and a small  13" Mac Book laptop and a jacket.

I leave my tree up until the Epiphany, the feast day when the three kings comes to visit Jesus in the manger and that is the time our church also takes down the Christmas decorations. I just love to look at my nativity scene and trying imagine how it was for Mary to travel the long journey just before giving birth to our Savior. How uncomfortable she must have been traveling the rough roads and terrains by donkey even if she got to sit in the wagon along the way. I can't imagine...

After supper I cleaned the turkey meat off the bones and boiled the bones to make a yummy turkey soup base for days like this.

Time is flowing like sand as I get older. The faster it flows the faster I'll see my new little guy in the new year.   Happy Blogging everyone and thanks for dropping in.  JB