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.