I Heard the Bells on ...

The last week before Christmas and a lot got done. The week started with lunch with my friend Shirley where we exchanged gifts.

Meanwhile back at home Dad spent almost the whole day working on downloading my old phone onto my new phone.  It was frustrating and in the end quite simple...

Here is her sweet gift on the mantle that I took later in the day.  She is such a talented artist.

Then it was off to see Adi's Hip Hop performance at her School  She is second from the left.

I also went over to Eli'S class room.  In the hall outside the art classroom is this dissected work which has panels painted by the 7th graders, I love it, and adding Eli to the picture makes it perfect.

Here I am with Adi in front of the school.

On Tuesday, Spencer sent me this picture of their 3rd day celebration of Hanukkah.  I just loved seeing Cam eating her potato latkes.

Wednesday was our oldest granddaughter, Kim's, 24th birthday.  Of course this is Dad's FB collage.

Also, on Wednesday Dad went to Darby's and started tearing down the old kitchen cabinets.

Note the yellow oven.

Now the oven in gone ...

The cabinets on the sink side are also minus their doors.

Somehow that same day he took pictures of most of the rooms in the house, and posted them on a  Utah old house/abandoned house Face Book page. It has now had had 2200 likes.  He's pretty happy.  Its also turned up a few people who have had relatives live in the house.

On Thursday I worked as usual, and I thought this little girl was the cutest when she asked her mom to buy her these tourist painted wooden shoes, to wear.  Cutest thing ever.

Dad came and traded me cars so he could go and get the yellow oven, he had posted it his page on FB.  We were both surprised when a gal he used to work with asked for it.  Its just amazing that he got it in the car.  She wants to see the house, so she will come and get a tour and a yellow oven too.

Friday was Bri's birthday, they had a nice short birthday trip. Of course, again, Dad's facebook collage.

I had turned on the Christmas music and the tree lights to sit down and write out some cards. Dad ran some errands for me, thankfully.  I got a text from my friend Julie, from Mosida, and we visited back and forth sharing pics of our Christmas decor, then I snapped this picture so she could see my real life.  Then I texted Terry Kew for her new address ....

and we chatted for a bit too, while I was writing out cards.  I sent her this picture so she could see how I am using several ornaments, she left in my keeping when she moved back to Maryland.  Still enjoying the music and the lights on my tree, I got a text from Sam showing a beautiful and cheap historic house (Built in 1893) and teasing me that they were considering the house, and a job in the town.  They are casting about for openings for vice principal in surrounding towns, and then if the town is too far for commuting, they are looking at houses, so they can figure how expensive it would be to buy in the neighborhood.  Then Emily came on and texted about their hopes and expectations.  Heck, now I'm ready to go and buy this sweet house.  Abbie liked the 'Rapunzel Tower', But Bekie took a more Cinderella approach, saying there would be too many rooms to clean ... Between writing,  remembering my wonderful friends, texting with friends and my daughter, and checking out a wonderful historic house... I realized this was my favorite Christmas moment this year. (Its something I look for, as my Mary Engelbreit Christmas Journal suggests I write about that moment. )

These are my ministering sisters baskets, which contain what is needed for a holiday breakfast, including home made Buttermilk Syrup .... (Nell makes it for us on occasion) everyone likes it.  on Wednesday night in line at Cafe Rio, a cute young couple in front of us was talking and I was surprised to hear he say, "I love buttermilk"  I, as I am want to do one occasion, turned to her and said ... "I am surprised to hear someone of your generation say they love buttermilk."  then she said, "I said, I love buttermilk syrup" ... then we visited, they were so nice to the funny old lady) 

Since these three sisters are Dad's and my sisters to minister to, he did the deliver work. 

Dad also went to help a neighbor by getting out a Triple A guy to come to get her into her car, after she locked herself out. He also finished our shopping for the lunch on Christmas day.  Yes, he is my hero.

Then we took our basement renter, Lillian, to lunch for her birthday before...

 we went to see this movie, which I thought was really wonderful.  I wept through almost the entire movie.  But it was the 'feels good' kind of weeping for the most part.

On Saturday morning I painted the green frame on the far right, and added the small painting I had gotten at Rose Datoc Dall's home gallery show a couple of months ago.  And while I had the paint out, I also did a green wash over the white door to the bathroom, which I have never really loved the finish on.  Now I love the finish.

Dad and I shopped, delivered goodies to my ministering sisters.  Then we took treats to the Andreasons with whom we worked at Mosida. Last of all we picked up some sushi and went to take a Christmas stocking to aunt Cheryl.  We watched the exciting finish of the Vikings and Giants football game. She seemed to enjoy the goodies in the sock, and we had a nice visit too.

At church this morning we had several short talks about Jesus Christ, and an Insta choir, which of course meant me sitting alone.  Our former Relief Society President, gave me a new way to look at Matthew 7:7 ... its the seek and ye shall find, scripture, which most of us think of as if we search the scriptures, we will find the answers to our questions.  She said she heard someone say that they thought it could also be thought of as, you see what you look for.  So if you look for good in others, you will find it.  If you look to find fault, you'll also find that ... and if we look for Christ, you will find him everywhere.  I really loved this slant.  

We got home around 9:45 and had plenty of time to make a couple of dishes for our Christmas Linner ... kind of like Brunch, but a cross between lunch and dinner, at 2:00.  I had set the table  the night before. Then when we were  cooking Kai called to chat, and Dad was between procedures for the funeral potatoes, so he got to talk to them

When Becca's family came Titan showed off his vintage mail carrier's pouch that Santa had transformed into an art supplies carrier.  He follows an artist on You-tube, who has a World War II medics pouch for this purpose and had asked Santa for it.  I thought it was just amazing!!

Here is part of the interior, which had pouches, and pockets.  

Brady and Reagan get to hold Spencer and Brittney's adorable new puppy, Moose.

Here are Brittney and Cam, she's getting to be such a chatterbox.

and here they are with Spencer.

With the table set for 14, and a high chair for Cam, we were all able to sit at one table.

Spencer loving on Van's

 Dinosaur stuffed animal.

Becca relaxes with  Max.  He's been choosing shirt and pants that are the same color, so he can be a ninja.  So Santa bought into that, and got four sets of matching tops and bottoms.   

Scott and Hannah joined in the fun too.  We so love it when they come.  I mean they have two other families to visit, so we feel so blessed to have them join us.

More puppy holding.

and the artist in action.

Van gives his dinosaur and Dinoback ride.

Spencer and Brit are plum tuckered out.

more Ninja hugs.

and that is pretty much all of us.

I laughed at this view of Cam helping her Dad play the guitar.

Here's Dad view of the same.

Darby gets a turn.

And here are some Mitko grands as they celebrated in Idaho this morning. 

We hope you all had an amazing day spending time with your wonderful families as well.

 

Painting in order to party

It's Monday and time for my annual book club luncheon.

Here we are at table.

Then its time for the book exchange game where you can take a book that already been opened and reviewed or choose a wrapped one.  

And desserts, we had a plum pudding and marmalade tarts, all recipes were from a book called "What Shall We Have for Dinner, published in the mid 1800's and written by Dickens wife.  Since Mr. Dickens and His Carol. I made curried salmon for which there was actually a recipe.  I called for 2 middling onions, and stuff like that.  So fun.

Charley was partying too.  Here she is at The Nutcracker with friends.

and her family.

Dad worked on painting the rest of the hall that day, and again on Tuesday finishing, and rehanging all the pictures, right before...

The 12 days of Christmas that I spent all day on Tuesday preparing.  I know have enough dinner plates in this pattern to seat 12.  The bread and butter plates are a different set, and half of my salad plates are a third set.  This year I also found the 12 days of Christmas glasses.

I bought the goose a couple of months ago for just this reason.

I also worked on cleaning my craft room because I thought Ross and Julie would come, and I wanted them to see the new home of the Murphy bed they gave us.

Alas due to snowy weather and his job shoveling snow for his son Rudy, they were not able to come, but then, a clean craft room is always a good thing, right?

I made my first Charlotte Russe cake, and did it without a springform pan,  I was very proud of myself.  Instead of hard to find lady fingers, I used twinkies, So the cake represented Lady's dancing, Lords a leaping (Grasshopped pie filling) with whipped cream for the maids a milking.

My brothers and their darling wives are such good sports, because after a few hours of vacillating, and trying to change the date to another before Christmas, I decided to just push through, but they paid the price as the drive time was double during rush hour and snowy freeways.  Nina and her friend Kenny almost made it, but accidentally got turned around and decided to give it up.  We missed both them and Ross and Julie, but managed to have a wonderful time with those who were able to come.

Jo, Clark, Bruce, Dianne, Doug and Shirley.

I also ran across this picture that Dad had been wanting for use on patriotic holidays only line, so I thought I would put it here to help him find it next time he wants it.  He is writing a letter, before his mission, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, probably to Deanne his high school sweetheart.

Spencer and Brittany were also having fun getting together with family.

I worked on Wednesday and Thursday, but there was evidently nothing interesting that happened those days.

On Friday Dad headed up to work at Darby's some more.

I worked on cleaning our garden house, and decorated it for Christmas at the request of a friend who doing a Decorated She Shed strand on Insta.  I was amazed at what it took to clean out the vines, etc, but like the craft room it was nice to have it done after a four house investment.

I set up a tea party, as part of the decor, with the intention of inviting the grands out there when they came on Sunday.

I put up a tree, and a few other things.

Saturday morning we went to my friend Lyn Wright's funeral.  I was surprised to find out she was 5 years older than me.  She has so much energy.  I met her doing a 3 Dotters' Market in PG 8 years ago.  Such a great lady.  I thought this glamour shot from the 80's was fun.

I found out that she was a painter, I shouldn't be surprised she was super creative.

I also ran into my cousin Jesse Ann, as I had hoped I would, since I knew she was in Lyn's ward.  I had also hoped to run into Lisa Jones, Briahnna's mom who is also in that ward, but it was not to be.

This shows you how fun Lyn is ... and I would like to note that it was Lyn who was wearing the red Mary Janes with the cut out flower toes, that got me started wearing them, and this I have done since we met.  You will be so missed Lyn, but I know you are with your beloved husband again, and I know that is what you wanted.  You are truly my favorite mermaid. 

So since there was a funeral, there should definitely be 2 weddings, and there were. Unfortunately one of them was up by our Brittany in Idaho, and there was no way to go to both. So we stayed home and went to Brittany Ramirez's wedding.

Dancing with her Papa.

and with her groom.

Nancy and Gustavo with their youngest, who is taller than Nancy now.

Here are a few of my old miniature houses.

So sweet.

Meanwhile Davin and Bri's family was going incognito to deliver Christmas goodies to neighbors with doorbell cams.  I thought that was clever.

and Charley was photo shooting.

on Sunday I subbed for Aubrey's husband who was sick, and she brought play dough for the kids to make nativity scenes, the kids had a ball.

Then home again to set the Bethlehem dinner tables..

In the midst of the fun, Blair Andreason stopped by to drop off goodies.

Becca's was the first to arrive, and I scooted the kids out to the garden house to partake of some tea goodies.

This was my favorite picture of the Grands and their tea party.

The garden house looked magical.

Brady had taken over cooking the Latkes.

Here is Brittney with Van.

and Spencer with Cam.

Dad and Spencer working the music box with records, that play some 40 songs.

Madi, Brady and Van.  

Mack playing trains with the duplo.

We sat down 15 to this table, if you count the baby in her high chair.  It was an all time high.

With another 9 in the parlor.

Everyone brought food to complete a menu of Roast Beef (Fatted calf), grapes, grape juice, pomegranate  seeds, many types of cheese and various loaves of crusty bread.

The cheese worked well for entertainment as well.

Funny girls.

after dinner the kids played the dreidel game, while their mom's managed the game.

with help from Scott, who remember the moves for all the letters.

While the rest of the adults sang along while Trevor played first Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song, and then other old favorites.

at the end of the evening, noisy though it may have been, when all the fun was had, Trevor presented the new Cell Phones for Dad and me.  It was such a lovely gift.  Thank you to all,

 and to all a good night.