Christmas comes and goes.



My 12 Days of Christmas!



Birdhouse from BNOE
and
Hummingbird feeder from Ryan & Nic's family



Chuck's present from Ryan/Nicole and girls.



Pretty "nest" picture from Shell



1988 German Plate on bottom right.



New corner in living room

We had a very nice Christmas even though it's not what it used to be.  Let's just say it's "different" now from all the presents under the tree and all the special foods that I used to cook.  Having two children and then a grand daughter to celebrate with on Christmas day.  Families grow and change and so do the Holidays when children make their own traditions.  Then, we moved to make our dreams come true and our Holidays even changed more.  We have made new traditions and remember all of the fun Christmas memories we have from the past.  One of the new tradition is, Shell and I do 12 days of Christmas.  Starting on Dec. 14th, we each get to open a present from each other for the 12 days.  They don't have to be "big presents" every day...maybe a package of fun paper napkins, a $5 gift card to Star Bucks or some scrap booking stickers.  Then in the middle of them all is a special present, like a pretty scarf or a framed picture.  On Christmas morning, you get to open your " real Christmas present".  Mine was three more printed books of my "Brambly Pines Blog".  Shell was the "Christmas Elf" this year and brought our presents from Ryan, Nicole and the girls, plus presents from the Blomberg's,when she came up at Thanksgiving.  We got to talk to Ryan's family Christmas morning as we opened the presents from them.That made it even more fun.  Chuck got tools and a nice tote to carry them in and mine was a pretty hummingbird feeder made from a bottle with pretty beads on the wire to hang it.  (I think a little birdie told Nic what would be a great present for me) Oh! what a special present from the Blomberg's!  It was a pretty blue German plate with the date 1988 on it, to hang on the wall.  That was the year we were soooooo lucky to be able to visit Christina and George over in Germany for 17 wonderful, fun days.  George was over there for work, for two years and we all took turns going over to see them.  Mom, us, Marina, Derek.  What a great chapter in our lives.  There was another special present under our tree and it was from Gene Johnson (Gene's Mom).  A very pretty little powder sugar sifter that you put on the table to sift your powdered sugar onto your french toast or what have you.  We had used one just like it at Gene and George's the last time we were down there and I fell in love with it.  I think I have a little birdie working for me down in Cecil too.  A few days before Christmas, we had gone over to the BNOE to take a little Christmas to them.  We came home with some great presents for each of us.  Chuck an Alabama, Roll Tide snuggie...lol and me, some nice blackberry soap with a pretty embroidered Christmas dish towel.  Then, for both of us was the wonderful cedar birdhouse!  All in all, we had a really nice Christmas but I was ready for all the decorations to all come down for another year.  It took me a couple of days to get them down, but I made it before New Years.  Yes, it is "bad luck" not to get down before New Years.  It has been proven and I have Paula Deen to back me up.  When I took the tree out of the living room, my mind starting in on the " decorating mode" and I decided to take the two wooden chairs on each side of Mom's little round table out and I had Chuck bring up the wing chair, recliner that was still in the barn.(I'm still barn shopping after two years) It fit prefect in the corner.  I know!  the fabric on it isn't perfect but that is going to be taken care of down the road.  Mom's little table makes for a great little library table.  I filled all the cubbies with books.  Now, we have a great corner for putting our feet up and reading our books or my "kindle".  I forgot to tell ya!  Chuck got me a kindle for Christmas and I LOVE IT!  I'm glad to have Christmas over with but we did have a nice one!