Saturday, December 17, 2016

Sibling/Cousin Christmas Gathering and Vintage Photos......

We got ready to go to Fort Worth where Nita and Mike were hosting our Sibling/Cousin Christmas Gathering. It was 72 degrees when we left!


I dressed for Christmas complete with a Santa Hat - that hat sparkles!


Deanie and Lonnie had a lot of sibling laughter going on......


he was just trying to help her get something out from between her teeth!!


Michele and Nita.....always lovely!


One of our favorite people - Gay!!
We missed other favorites - Pam and Nick and Toni and Kevin!
The more - the merrier so we are sure to see them next gathering!

Let me show you Nita and Mike's 'Christmas House!'


Going into the living room.


Nita has quite a Santa Wall of her own!


Mike is a gifted and avid collector.
This is a vintage Santa light and I just love it!!
I may use it for my profile pic on Facebook!


Everything is all ready and decorated for Christmas!


They have the coolest house EVER!!


Leaving the living room and going through the foyer.....


into and through then den and on into the best room of all!


I think they call it the 'Play Room' because it is full of TOYS!!
Vintage and antique toys!


You could look and look for HOURS and still see something you hadn't noticed before.


Mike collects vintage photos.....Christmas photos!
Christmas photos that have TOYS in them!!
See that Prehistoric Times box of toys?? This photo is from 1957 - the year Mike was born.


He purchased the photo because he OWNS a box just like the one in the photo.
Who knows??? It COULD be the very SAME one!!


This 1937 Red Aeroflite is a real treasure in beautiful condition.


An original advertisement for it!


A photo from 1927.


This one is from 1943.....interesting to see these women digging through the 'junk' toys!


Another vintage photo.
Mike can tell you the names of these toys and what year they were made and what they were made of!! He is very educated about antiques - especially toys!! And Dinosaurs!


I love this one!!!
I put the photo on my Facebook cover!


Louis Dean and I were the last to leave.
Nita and I had a glass of wonderful bubbly together.

Thank you, Nita, for hosting.
Thank you, Family, for coming to the gatherings as we seek to strengthen family ties and bonds and just have some much needed plain good FUN and LAUGHTER together!!

No sooner had we got down the street, Louis Dean developed a problem with indigestion.
I wheeled into the Dollar Store for some Tums and a roll of paper towels.....just in case!


While I was in there I spied a set of those printed gift boxes!
I am SO gonna paint this one next year!!


AND this one!! Complete with the Merry Christmas!!


As soon as we got home, I hung the special Christmas ornament Nita and Mike had given Louis Dean. It is beautiful!


It was 72 when we left.
It was 30 when we got home and now it is 27 degrees and still falling!
I have to admit that I LOVE weather!!!
While our little 31 foot camper is air tight and we don't get so much as a cobweb in there between our visits, our HOUSE is open to all the wind and critters even when the doors are closed.
Mainly - just the sewing room!
Louis Dean stuck towels in the door cracks and I hung a heavy quilt over the French doors and piled flannel sheets along the bottom.

Louis Dean is feeling better now so I think we are going to watch Alaskan Bush People.
I may make some hot chocolate. He already has a fire burning in the den.
I ordered candied fruit to make my fruitcake cookies and it arrived today.
Just maybe I'll stay up and mix the dough so they are ready to bake tomorrow afternoon.

Hope you are enjoying this last weekend before Christmas!


12 comments:

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I love the choices your family have made to go forward and build relationships and have fun together!

Our weather has been frigid but after a day of sleet we are warming up! going to be in the 50's tomorrow!

I'm enjoying Christmas!

Kathy said...

You always have so much fun at these family gatherings. It's so great that you and your siblings/cousins are able to get together so often. I hope Louis Dean is feeling better. I hate when I have stomach problems. (And I have them a lot!)

Your temperatures really dropped! Ours are going up as yours are going down. I think it might be warmer here now, then there. I have the same problem with drafts around the doors and windows. That's a good idea to hang a quilt.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Their house is awesome! Just like a museum! And kids must go crazy in it! Their trees are beautiful. And The Santa paintings must have been created by you! The ornament is too perfect for Louis Dean, a guitar! I cannot believe how much your temperature changes in the same day! Our house is drafty, but we do not get insulation or airtight windows. This is because we need to let air go through because we are by the river and inside the house is prone to mold.

Diana Ferguson said...

BRRR! Same here...dropped quickly. Love the vintage photos.

Vee said...

wow! that was some change in the temperature! i hope that you folks are going to be warm enough. (I have my door stuffed with polyester fiberfill...works better than the plastic or metal weatherstripping, though it's just a bit inconvenient for opening the door.

Your family knows how to Merry On and that is a very good thing.

Vee said...

close parens after door. Sorry, I know better.

Linda said...

I like cold weather at Christmas, 72 degrees won't cut it for me. Seems to me the weather in Texas has been very different the last few years. Nita's house is very festive with lots of interesting things to look at.

MadSnapper said...

I love vintage anything. Their home is absolutely lovely. The house we lived in before this house was the same as yours we had to put towel that doors and into the rooms we had to hang plastic sheeting on the windows for the whole winter even here in Florida because they went through. Merry Christmas

Susie said...

Linda, I love all the pictures...Your family has the most dimples when taking pictures. Always beautiful smiles. Lonnie and Deanie are looking good. I think Mike needs his own blog...I love his collections. They are amazing. Please take extra good care of LD...we do not want any of you sick thru the holiday or ever. Love you guys, blessings to all, xoxo, Susie

Phoebes World said...

Oh how I love that house...so warm and inviting and Christmasy tingely...no wonder everyone looks so happy.
The weather here in CA is a little chilly too today..Its unusual for me to feel cold so maybe Im acclimatizing..at last.
Keep warm and safe
Phoebe x

Blondie's Journal said...

Sending good healing thoughts to LD. Love your family pictures...I know how much you enjoy these times. We are currently -2 degrees. I have the heat cranking but my toes are cold. We've had the fireplace going non stop but never this late at night...never want to go to bed, even with embers glowing.

Linda, I've missed a lot but I haven't seen pictures of your mom. Did I miss something? I pray all is well.

Happy Holidays...

Jane xxx

Carla said...

Love the old pictures. I hope you can take me to Mike's Play room whenever I get to come visit you after I retire. The pictures you have shown of their house in the past is awesome.