Christmas 2016

Christmas celebrations in our neck of the woods...we had a fairly quiet Christmas Day celebration with just our family. I had spent the majority of Christmas Eve in the ER with leg pain that we learned was caused by superficial blood clots (thankfully not deep-vein thrombosis). I missed hearing Charis play violin at our church's Christmas Eve service but arrived in time for the sermon, and Ted took a video for me! She did a great job. The winter recital had been a couple of weeks earlier, but this was her first time to play in church.

Christmas music recital; Charis with Michelle, our teacher
Taking piano lessons these days: Charis, Kenna, Lucan
Violin: Charis

Roll-out cookie dough! I have lots of eager helpers!

Decorating frenzy begins...

...along with a lot of tasting.

Yay! Sugar!!

One Sunday morning the girls discovered they were matching by accident!

Caroling at the nursing home with our church family

Christmas morning...stockings are hung by the fire with care.

Breakfast before church...homemade cinnamon rolls with scrambled eggs and sausage.
We put candles in the rolls and sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

Verity and I say, "Merry Christmas!"

Advent Book...we read this after we got Rhema down for her nap.
(We only did stockings before church; everything else waited until the afternoon.)

Star Wars blankets and buddies!

Charis did a couple of special handmade gifts this year,
including these darling Minion mittens...

...AND this AMAZING blanket for Verity!!

Christmas Dinner! Kids helped a lot with the side dishes: Kenna made mac'n'cheese;
Tobin put together the cheesy potato casserole. Ham and squash bake completed our meal.