Good TImes - Christmas 2008

Christmas was great - we were all together! Courtney & Rob arrived at dinnertime on Tuesday after a snowy drive. Their cats, Cozmo & Newman settled in downstairs and by the next day all the cats were venturing into each other's space and being guardedly friendly.

On Christmas Eve morning Rowland and Rob went to the cabin, snowshoed out in the cold, cut down a tree and dragged it back to the truck. THey brought it home and set it up in the living room - first time we've had a real tree in probably 15 years! Additional lights were procured and added to the tree.

Our Christmas Eve service was at 5:00 and as special as always. Afterwards we had our Christmas Eve dinner, which was delicious, and then decorated the tree and opened one present each.

Christmas morning brought stockings from Santa, gift-opening and our traditional breakfast of waffles. In the afternoon Rob & I went snowshoeing around our yard, then over to the next street, through the park, down the hill, across the crick (frozen solid) that borders our property, and back up our hill. Courtney took lots of pictures and we had a fun time and definitely got warmed up from the exercise!

In the late afternoon we went to the Community Christmas Dinner at the Road House. This is the 3rd year and attendance has been growing each year. We had fun seeing lots of people there that we know and having a chance to wish them a merry Christmas.

The temperature was supposed to warm up on Friday and the roads were predicted to be icy, so Courtney & Rob decided to stay 'til Saturday, which was a real bonus for us! We continued to relax and snack - that's what the holidays are for, right?!

We're enjoying Mom's visit and she loves looking out the windows at the gorgeous snowy vistas.

I'm on vacation for the week and Mom & I are reading a lot of books, talking, getting out now and then and just having a good time.

Family Christmas

Christmas was great!

Finally Feeling Christmasy!

It's been quite a week (and month)! Advent was going along smoothly. We had a great turn-out to decorate the church on a Thursday this year instead of Saturday. Women of Faith took 2 vans on a Saturday trip to Duluth for the day. We had lunch at the Olive Garden, visited the Glensheen Mansion, spent a couple hours at the mall and ate dinner at the Village Inn in Virginia (MN) on our way home.

The next day after church Rowland & I drove down to Plymouth in a snowstorm to spend a couple days with Courtney & Rob. That was fun and relaxing, as always.

Thank goodness for that time because then it was crunch time to get ready for the Prime Timers' Christmas party at our house, send Christmas cards (I'm 2/3 done at this point) and get Mom's room ready for her visit!

Bruce flew to Sacramento on Dec. 13 and he & Mom flew back on the 14th. THey were stranded in Minneapolis for 2 days because of the huge snowstorm we had that Sunday. They spent one night at the Radisson and the 2nd night with Courtney & Rob, finally getting here at 4:15 on Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday night I started coming down with a horrible cold (or some darn nasty allergies). Wendesday morning was "cookies for shut-ins" at church. Thursday afternoon I had a funeral. Afterwards I called my allergy doctor's office begging for help to get through another funeral, 2 Sunday services and Christmas Eve. He put me on an antibiotic and I continued to muddle along.

Friday was more funeral prep, Saturday morning was the 2nd funeral and then I had to get ready for Sunday morning, followed by Sunday evening's Longest Night/Blue Christmas service. I could tell I was starting to improve a little on Sunday, but the cough is still nasty and I can't sing or talk too long or I have a coughing fit.

Yesterday Mom & I were to get haricuts in Canada and they ended up being rescheduled for the evening, but it finally happened & here are the results:





Yesterday was incredibly cold, but we braved the elements to go to Canada to Tim Horton's in the afternoon and back again last night for our haircuts. Today it warmed up and snowed all day, which wasn't nice because Courtney & Rob had to drive in it all the way here. But they arrived safely in time for supper and some present-wrapping and a movie. (I'm sure some of them are napping in front of the TV even as I write!)

I got the Christmas Eve bulletin done & even the one for Sunday, so I'm finally able to start relaxing and getting in the Christmas spirit! We've been looking forward for a long time to having our whole family together this Christmas - including our 3 cats & Courtney & Rob's 2 - so it's going to be a truly joyful, festive time.