Christmas Traditions

Most everything we do at Christmas time is a Christmas tradition. One of them of course is making Christmas cookies. I have done this for a crazy number of years first with my kids and now with my grands. This is the first year in our new house though. I have a nice huge island and I designed it that way for such occassions as this....lots of room for lots of cookie making. Lily and Isaiah liked making them the best. Noah and Jonah weren't all that interested. Oh well, they were sure interested in eating them.

Not sure how sanitary it was with the little ones sitting on the island but we won't think about that.

Finished product

 

Christmas blessings

I am blessed! Really, really blessed. I don't act like it sometimes but I am. I know I post a lot of pictures of some of my blessings and that is because I use my blog not to make money or lots of people to read it but as a journal that I print out and someday can look back and see what we were doing, with whom and when. I have always journaled, at least I tried but this seems to be the only way I am consistent with it. And I love that I can post any or all of the pictures I want and not have to print them out. Anyway, just thought I would continue with my "journaling" of our Christmas activities. Every year we decorate gingerbread houses. They may not be as fancy as some but hey, we are not designers. I also buy extra candy to go on the houses if it makes it that far. It's actually so the kids will have some candy to eat and not the candy that comes with those houses. Especially since I try to buy the kits AFTER Christmas and save them for the next year. So onto the Gingerbread house building. From the pictures it looks like smoothing sailing but that's not exactly how it went. Especially when one of the houses just wouldn't stay together. I hot glue them together and for some reason it just didn't want to work on Jonah's but FINALLY got it to stay.

Next came the Christmas Parade which we never miss. I have been going to this parade for many years now since my kids used to be in the parade with some group.

 Santa and then Christmas lights. Had a really fun time.

Merry Christmas and God richly bless you.

Christmas fun

After Thanksgiving comes our kick off to Christmas with a fun Tulsa trip. Gary and I started this way back with the youth kids and Jessica has continued it. Gary and I have also started taking the grandkids to either Tulsa or Branson and like last year, we decided to go to Jenny's. The kids love going to her house. I wonder why. 😃😃😃😊

No, she didn't make them sleep on the floor. They were playing some kind of game.

The main stop is Incredible Pizza and not really for the food. It's not bad but they love to go for the games. Including Dad.

 Favorite thing right here.

Left Tulsa Sunday morning to hurry and get back for the grands' Christmas party at church. Whew! what a weekend.

 They love their Maddie

 

Thanksgiving

Like most families, Thanksgiving is very special to our family and really begins the Christmas season. For years we have been going to my baby sister's house and eating until we are sick. The number of people changes from year to year but her and her husband are always so welcoming of any that want to come. And there is always tons of food. Most people bring something but Detra does the major portion of the cooking. She is such a gracious host. I am very thankful for her family and for their generosity of welcoming us each year.

 

 

Now on to Black Friday. Even though we don't do the shopping we used to do like getting up in the middle of the night....we do like to go the next day, do a little shopping and then to Savoy Tea for lunch. Not eveyone comes but there is still a pretty good size group and Savoy Tea tomato soup is awesome.