Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas 2012...

Christmas Eve came and our family was finally all together!
My hubs and I and our 3 daughters, 2 sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.
What a blessing to have my whole family together after being spread across the U.S. and Africa this past year!
We spent Christmas Eve at my oldest daughter's home, munching on finger foods and homemade goodies. 
Afterwards, we wore off a few of the calories by taking a walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.

Christmas morning everyone came to our house.
First we opened stockings, then we had breakfast.
Our Christmas menu pretty much remains the same year to year.
Breakfast is homemade cinnamon cranberry bread, pumpkin bread, boiled eggs, cheese grits, sausage balls and fruit.
I was so excited to have my whole family all together again, that I really overdid the baking.
After breakfast, every year my husband reads a blessing that he prays about and writes for the coming year for each of our children.
This is the most meaningful part of the day for our family.
After the blessing, we open presents.

This year I got my two oldest daughter's canvas prints of photos I took of their kids.
I'm hoping to improve my photograph skills this year with some online courses, lots of practice, and the new Nikon d7000 that my hubs got me, (an upgrade from my d5000 that I sold to a friend's husband so he could surprise her for Christmas with it)!  I've also got a new 50mm lens coming that I bought with a gift card I received.

After gifts were opened, the kids played happily with their presents and the adults got to relax for a few hours before dinner.
Here are some photos of the table all ready for Christmas dinner.
A table runner of old hymnal pages stuck together with double sided tape was an unexpected and fun touch on this year's Christmas table.
Our Christmas dinner, like our breakfast, is pretty much the same year to year.
 We always have boneless leg of lamb, (roasted after marinating all night in a mixture of honey, dijon mustard, garlic, rosemary, orange or lemon zest, salt and pepper), baby potatoes roasted with bacon and green onion, green bean casserole, mashed sweet potatoes, a spinach salad, and homemade dinner rolls.



After dinner and clean-up, we played a game together.
Then the grandkids helped me get the dessert ready-
and homemade peppermint ice cream.
(I used this recipe for the ice cream, but flavored it with 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract instead of the vanilla, and added 3 crushed candy canes to it when it was almost done in the ice cream maker.)

Dessert was a big hit!
(BTW, my hubs, who is having to avoid sugar, has done so well staying away from the goodies!
The poor man had sugar free chocolate pudding while we were eating our dessert.)
We ended Christmas by driving through the town I grew up in, not far from here, to look at Christmas lights.
It was a wonderful day.

I am so grateful to God, for the Reason for the Season, the birth of His Son.
I'm also so grateful for the blessing of my family.
I'm blessed way beyond what I deserve.

I hope and pray your Christmas was wonderful in every way.
I'd love for you to comment and tell me about it!


Still following,

12 comments:

  1. J`espere que vous avait passer une super fete!!! :0)

    Merry Christmas!!

    Bonne semaine!!
    xxx Maria xxx

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  2. Hello Elizabeth,
    Thank you for sharing your Christmas Day.Your family traditions are so special.
    My middle daughter and some friends shared lunch with us on Christmas Day.
    God Bless
    Barb from Australia

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  3. Oh, my, Elizabeth! What an amazing & beautiful time you describe...I especially like your husband's "blessing" part, the enlarged photo gifts, and the table runner....('course all the food sounded out-of-this-world)! What special memories you are making.

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  4. I love the music you have as part of your table runner! Wonderful!

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  5. Sound like an amazing Christmas! I love that your husband writes blessings for your children!

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  6. Truly a beautiful Christmas - THIS IS WHAT A FAMILYS CHRISTMAS SHOULD LOOK LIKE!!! Especially like the reading of the blessing +

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  7. What a blessing to have your whole family together! We couldn't do that this year because of my dear, little mother's health. She didn't have the stamina to handle all of the excitement and energy of everyone in our little home at one time. So, I've hosted two smaller gathering and the final one will be this evening with our son and his family. My dear mom is part of each of the gathering and it's special to be able to spend time with each of our children and grandchildren. Love your music table runner! What a great idea. The grandkids in their outfits are darling. What an incredible gift to your daughters. I'm just a slight bit jealous about that new camera, girlfriend! Can't wait to see it and hear all about it.
    ~Adrienne~

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  8. Wonderful Christmas pictures, sounds like you had a great time with every one. Thank you for sharing them.

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  9. Sounds perfect. :) How wonderful your whole family could celebrate together. I love reading of other's traditions. How special for your husband to read the blessing for the coming year. Your table looks beautiful and your menus sound delicious. :)

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  10. Elizabeth,
    What a wonderful celebration. The blessing your husband prays over for each of your children is an amazing legacy for them. The kids look adorable.
    We usually have the same foods as well...part of the tradition.
    The food sounds wonderful, and the tablescape is lovely.

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  11. I love the part about the blessing best. It is a really special yearly Christmas tradition. I love that he doesn't just speak a blessing over them but prays for God's blessing instead.

    I love the hymn table runner, and that dessert looks delicious!! My dad ate many a chocolate sugar free pudding for the same reason. I do too.

    Merry Christmas!!

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  12. Elizabeth, I have to admit to you that I was so surprised by that Nikon camera that I cried like a baby when I un-wrapped it! My hubby really got me this year! Thank you for helping with my wonderful surprise!

    On another note, your table looked FaBulouS!!! I love the bells and the table runner, very festive! You have a very beautiful family, I see love in the eyes of your family!

    May the New Year bring in ALL perfect and Wonderful gifts from our Father in Heaven, to you and your family!

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