Christmas 2011 is now past.
I am still enjoying the glow of the holidays.
The table was set for eight adults with Summer holding the youngest grandchild.
This was the GRAND children's table!
They are now 5, 7, and 9 years old.
For our Christmas Eve meal I prepared every favorite dish from other Christmas Eves in years gone by!
Baked ham.....the whole ham....NOT the honey glazed spiral cut variety!
It is the kind you have to COOK!
Green Bean Casserole
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Candied Carrots (because the grand kids love them!)
Cream Cheese Corn
Fresh Cranberry Relish
Fluffy Salad
Fruit Salad
Dessert was to be Red Velvet Cake but it bombed!
I baked it up Friday night before we went to the airport to meet Amber and Mike.
(It alarmed them to see Louis Dean in a wheel chair but DFW is HUGE and he wanted to hold Raynie. There were several empty wheel chairs so Summer snagged one for him!)
They returned from their trip to Italy just in time for Christmas.
I was disappointed in the 'from scratch' cake!
Should have used a MIX!!!
The gifts are always the kids favorite part!
And aren't we ALL kids at Christmas??
This is my oldest son and family.
Summer is always the life of ANY party!
Amber and Mike - fresh back from Italy!
For some reason I forgot to get someone to take pics of Louis Dean and me.
So I do not have any of us at Christmas Eve OR Christmas Day!
The last activity of Christmas Eve is reading the Christmas Letters.
For many years now I have written a special letter to each of my children.
Summer actually started this tradition when Amber was born by writing a Christmas Letter to her. My favorite moment was watching them all read. The room was still and and my heart was filled to overflowing for the wonderful gifts in my life.....
The gift of LIFE! The gift of CHILDREN!
No matter how old they are they will forever remain the children of a mother's heart!
And THIS mother's heart missed my youngest son, Benjamin, this year.
He lives in California and couldn't make it home this time.
So, Ben, if you ever read this.....YOU were MISSED!!
(I mailed HIS Christmas letter earlier so he would have it in time!)
Hopefully I will have ALL my children next year!
I fully understand, though, that as they grow and have their OWN children the gathering times and places can change.
As the year of 2011 closes I have so many treasured memories to keep.
This has been a Christmas to remember and I am so very grateful for God's greatest gift! The gift of life......both here and in eternity.
Thanks so much for sharing your Christmas with us. it looks like it was a lovely time for everyone. I love that you read the Christmas letters. It sounds like a wonderful tradition. And so does your menu!! The cream cheese corn sounds wonderful, can you share the recipe sometime?
ReplyDeleteNow it's time to rest up!! Enjoy your week!
XO,
Jane
Linda your Christmas looks perfect, never mind the cake, that's just a wee oops but if you didn't tell anyone they'd never know!
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your loved ones all the Best in the New Year!
So glad you had a nice Christmas...so happy the sun is finally shining again...
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful Christmas, Linda!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the Christmas letters!
Thank you for sharing your sweet story!
~Lynne
[w/L]
Mom, it was a wonderful Christmas! Thanks for posting - I love your blog! Missed Ben too - hopefully we will ALL be here next year!
ReplyDeleteI loved getting to peek at your Christmas. It was beautiful and joyful. What happy expressions on all the faces. The dinner was obviously a FEAST and the table was gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteSweet memories that will hold you until next Christmas, Linda!
Your Christmas looks delightful. How wonderful that you could have as many of your children with you, as you had.
ReplyDeleteAgain, you post the warmest of photos! They make one want to just *pop right into them,* and join in the happiness. :-)
And Re: my blog and your comment, I too am very much into "being an ostrich" these days, where the news-of-the-world is concerned. We both try to be. But.... He still reads 2 newspapers. I have to stop him from *sharing* any bad-news with me. My blood pressure won't handle it, any more.
"...Wonderful white Winter! We must clap our hands at you: You are old, and we are cold, and there is nothing else to do. You and I are glad, when the snow comes flying down, And ice-drops fair leap out of the air to hang on the branches brown! Wonderful white Winter!
Chrismas letters! What a great idea! I'm so glad you had such a nice Christmas. Family is what really makes it. I'd rather be with my family than receive the most expensive gift there is. Of course the best Christmas gift is Jesus and I'm so glad you keep Him close in your heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing now and through out the year. God Bless everyone.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful family you have! Everything looked so pretty and gauging by the smiles on everyones face, they all had a great time. Your menu sounded very good. That's the kind of meal that I like too (although we usually do a honey ham). Hope you're resting after having everyone visit now.
ReplyDeleteYour home glows with all those beautiful reds and golds and the love there adds to the light. What a lovely tradition you started with the Christmas letter. So glad that your daughter and son-in-law arrived safely from their whirlwind trip. Feel free to share more about that!
ReplyDeleteMom, it was the perfect Christmas! And a very memorable one! :)
ReplyDeleteThe food was delicious and I had forgotten to tell you how gorgeous the table was that you had set. Everything was just so pretty and wonderful. You and LD really outdid yourselves, and it did not go unnoticed.
Mike and I enjoyed every minute in the den opening gifts, watching the kiddos and just basking in the glow of Christmas. Love you very much! Here's to next year!!!
What a perfect Christmas Evening!
ReplyDeleteAnother beautiful table setting. Looks like a very Merry Christmas was had by all. I like your letter writing tradition.
ReplyDeleteHave a safe and Happy New Year!