Christmas 2014...

Christmas Eve-Eve the grandkids, minus the seven month old, 

came to our house for the annual night of dipping pretzels in chocolate and white chocolate.

A wonderful, sticky, sweet time was had by all.

Afterwards, we cleaned up and went out for pizza at our favorite old school

 Portland pizza place that has been around since 1965.

Christmas Eve evening we went to our oldest daughter's house 

and enjoyed her homemade chili and jalapeño poppers.  

We loved being there for their Advent reading of Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

 and singing some carols together accompanied by my son-in-law on the guitar.

All was not calm or silent, however.

The girls were full of sugar cookies and excitement for Christmas morning to come!

Christmas morning I asked God to keep me in His peace, as I was still not fully back to normal from last week's bout with the flu, 

and I had pushed myself a bit too hard preparing for the big day.

He heard and answered!

I had the best day.

It was hectic and happy, frantic and fun, busy and beautiful, 

crowded, crazy and Christmas-y perfection!

We were blessed to have all of our children and grandchildren home for Christmas this year.

The day began with everyone arriving and opening their Christmas stockings.

After stockings, my husband read the annual blessing that he writes for our children.

Then we had Christmas breakfast which is always-

sausage balls, (made by my southern son-in-law)

hard boiled eggs

cheese grits

and

homemade cinnamon cranberry bread toast.

Christmas breakfast is always casual with paper plates, etc.

Fancy table setting is saved for Christmas dinner.

Then comes opening the gifts!

"It's my first Christmas everybody!

Nana and Papa got me lots of fun toys and one boring outfit!"

"I'm only seven months old, but pull myself up to standing already!"

I had my good friend make our three daughters custom made chef's aprons.

I was so happy that they liked them!

Our two oldest daughters gave us professional photos of the grandkids!

Five year old granddaughter got a Melissa and Doug toy horse stable and trailer

 and real leather cowboy boots from us.

Oldest grandson got just what he wanted, a Lego Mini Cooper and a Seahawks shirt!

 Oldest granddaughter's love language is quality time, so she got two small gifts

 and a "golden ticket" for an overnight getaway with Papa and Nana.

Youngest granddaughter got an American Girl "Bitty Baby" that has dark hair and blue eyes

 just like she had when she was a born.

For Christmas dinner we moved furniture and made one long table to hold all 15 of us.

Our youngest daughter got engaged last week, 

so we were especially happy to have her fiancé and his parents join us.

Dinner was-

Lamb

Ham

Potatoes roasted with bacon and leeks, (made by my oldest daughter)

Spinach Salad with candied walnuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese and balsamic vinegrette

Roasted beets with goat cheese, (made by my oldest daughter)

Homemade dinner rolls, (youngest daughter helped me make those)

and dessert was

Homemade Chocolate Lava Cakes, (youngest daughter helped me make these too)

with

Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream, (made by my oldest daughter)

Afterwards, my daughter's future in-laws taught us a fun new card game called "Scum".

After the gang all left, I took a nice relaxing bubble bath 

and went to bed and watched one of my favorite Christmas movies, The Preacher's Wife.

And just like that, Christmas 2014 was over...

now onto wedding planning for a May wedding!

still following,