A Christmas Medley!

Our Christmas was made of many wonderful moments!

I had ALL of my grandchildren with me on Christmas Eve!

This is only the second photo of us all together ever!

I also had all four of my children!!

We had fun!

Can you tell? 

This was a night for funny faces!

Sam and Levi and I......

Christmas Eve was a good night of music and family and friends.

Sam played the violin.......

Granddad played the guitar.

I had the tables all set for dinner.

The grown children all sat together in the dining room.

All of the grands would be with Granddad and me in the den.

The older grands would sit at the game table.

There was plenty to snack on as we waited for everyone to arrive!

We even had Bacon and Eggs!

ALL the kids loved THESE!

The guest room is a favorite with the grands.

That's where the TOYS live!

The dining room was a lively place!

Amber did her 'Chubby Cheeks' routine for us!

They were all reminiscing about their younger days at the dinner table!

Funny Faces seemed to be the theme of the evening!

The story Summer started telling was when she was a teenager and our church had just called a new youth minister. She fed him a real line about having hair transplants! He accepted the call and was addressing the congregation and wanted to commend the courageous young Summer AND her sacrificing parents! You can imagine MY surprise and SUMMER'S dismay!!!

Being Summer's mother has never been boring!!!

Amber organized everyone opening their presents where we could all watch instead of everyone opening everything in a crazy frenzy!

I think Trystan likes her Elsa cap and braid.

A few gifts required a little assistance in getting them open!

I think everyone was pleased.

Summer gave me a Swarovski 2014 Christmas Ornament and a new cardinal for my tree.

My oldest son and his family gave me this wonderful album with the highlights of their year.

We could have just given Logan the bags!!!

She's a Little Bag Lady and takes right after her MeeMaw!!!

Amber gave Louis Dean a custom engraved guitar pick.

It said, "Couldn't PICK a better granddad."

Ah.......

It was a fun filled evening with lots of laughter and a little bit of singing!

Sugarplums were served before people started to leave.

A few of requested some to take home with them!

I also sent everyone home with Texas Trash, Cinnamon Rolls and......

a jar of Texas Roadhouse Butter!

I made this earlier in the day and it was super easy and super GOOD!

Whip together 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 cup of honey and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. YUM! YUM!

Amber and Mike let the kids play a few more minutes and changed them into their pajamas.

Amber and I sneaked into the hall to see what the quads were doing!

Just playing, MeeMaw!!!

My wonderful husband had washed all the dishes while the rest of us visited and played.

So after everyone left - I went straight to bed!

I did NOT pass go and I did NOT collect $200!

I went STRAIGHT to BED!

Christmas Morning was spent at my sister's (Nita's) house!

I love the way they string up colored lights!

We were the last ones to arrive so it was time to say the prayer and start eating!

Our Christmas Mornings feature a brunch and then a Chinese Christmas Tree.

We always have a lot of fun! We have been doing this for a LONG time!

Here's the way it got started!

Mother's vintage ceramic Christmas Tree.

My beautiful niece and her husband.

My TWO beautiful nieces!!!!

The scene is set for the Chinese Christmas Tree!

Everyone draws a number. 

Mother got #1!

People get very creative in their gift giving!

They also get creative in figuring out how to KEEP their chosen gift!

If it's stolen 3 times - that third person KEEPS it!

Leah made this beautiful quilt!

Nita did, indeed, end up with it!

Nita also ended up with the Santa painting!!!

She and Mike had a plan!

I actually ended up with THIS one!!!

Nita opened more gifts than anyone!! 

They kept stealing hers but she got the ones she wanted by the end of the game.

I THINK Deanie got to keep this one!

Another example of amazing creativity!!!

Cold hard CASH! Literally!

Trish ( my niece) ALWAYS brings a gift that has everyone stealing it and all of us laughing!

I LOVE this photo and the way Mike looks at Nita.

Deanie is so pretty!

A Chinese Calendar for the Chinese Christmas Tree!

I like the part where he said, "BE nice!"

Trish made these beautiful coasters for me. She is one of THE most creative people I know!

One year she made coasters from tiles. Hers were ELEGANT! I made my version and they were 'crafty' looking!

These are on blocks of pine wood. Louis Dean loved the music theme!

SO pretty!!!!

Thank you, Trish!!!

It was a great party and the Tree was a success - even if I DIDN'T get the quilt I was so hoping for!!!

The house emptied and everyone went on to their next destination - or home to go back to bed.

My sisters and I sat in the living room for over an hour just visiting after everyone left!

I said, "No one even died or got married!" 

We lingered long and arrived back home around 2:30 intending to take a good long nap!

This was not to be!!

Our power was out so I went next door to Stephanie's to see if theirs was out, too!

Of COURSE, they answered the door wearing their Santa outfits!!!

It seems our big elm tree lost a branch in the high winds that had blown in.

The branch hit the power lines and knocked out the transformer.

Power would be restored around 5:30 or so.

We were invited to party with them in their back yard!

They had me at "We have food and wine!"

It was relaxing to sip a glass of wine and gaze into the fire.

The food had already cooked and stayed warm with the lids on the crock pots.

Their back yard is like a tropical paradise!!!

So we sat back and enjoyed the evening!

The power company came out about 6:30 and turned the lights back on.

They said the tree crew would be out shortly and get the branches down that were still hanging in the tree. We lingered a little longer then came home to do OUR gift exchange!

We started with the lights on.......

but then they went out. Again.

No worries! I have candles!

So we sat cozy in the living room for awhile.

SIX men came out and they managed to get the limbs down with only a minor tear in the gazebo!

Bed felt so good last night!!!!

This morning as soon as we had one cup of coffee each and a slice of pumpkin bread - we headed out so I could buy my white lights! I use colored lights at Christmas but I keep white lights up throughout the year. Between Big Lots and Home Depot - I am now set!

I told Louis Dean we could go to IHOP for breakfast as a reward.

He had given me an iPad for Christmas and I am so backward I could not even figure out how to turn it ON! LD finally charged it and got it on but it had this big volume button pop up in the middle of the screen. I could NOT get it off!!! We ran by Best Buy and they helped me. The guy said his mother couldn't figure things out either! I told him she should be proud of him!!

My handsome husband!

Poor guy! He must have been discombobulated by the time we were having breakfast.

He poured syrup on his omelet! The waiter offered to bring him another omelet but he just wanted a fresh plate. Then he poured THAT syrup on his pancakes WITH the chili peppers!!

Just as he was pouring himself a last cup of coffee - he noticed he was pouring it from the SYRUP pitcher instead of the coffee pot!!!!

Our cute waiter brought him a fresh cup and offered to remove the syrup from the table!!!!

I guess we are a little tired! What do you think??

We came home and I went to BED!!!!Again!

I napped all afternoon and then rested all evening.

Tomorrow I will finish putting the house to rights and we do not plan on going anywhere until it's time for church Sunday morning!

The Christmas rush is over and we can just kick back and relax - and recuperate!!!

So this is where we are tonight as I close out this journal entry.

It was raining just a few minutes ago but it's mostly stopped now.

Still, it will be good sleeping weather tonight.