Christmas Day

It was such a blessing to be able to have my whole family together, including my parents, this year.   We ate, opened presents, ate, visited, ate, enjoyed showing off our presents, ate, I think you get the picture :)    In spite of colds, croup, and an emergency room visit, our day was pretty great.  Maybe it was due to the chaos, but we didn't take very many pictures this year.  I thought I would post a few of Rachel with her Princess tent.

This is me sitting in the Princess tent with Rachel.  She wasn't happy until everyone had a turn sitting in there with her.

Uncle Caleb had a turn in the Princess tent with the girls!

Can't forget Uncle Heath!   The look on Rachel's face makes it worth all of the contortions it took to get in there.

This is a hat and scarf set I made for Rachel.  I tried to get a picture of her wearing it, but couldn't keep her still long enough for a good shot :)

Poor little Ellen was feeling really bad so we only got the one picture of  her.   She did enjoy playing with the wrapping paper later though.  

Plans & Preparations......Finally!

For some reason this year, I have, for the most part, NOT had the Christmas Spirit.  I don't mean that I'm not grateful for the birth of our Savior, or that I don't know the real "Reason for the Season, but that I just flat out have not had the energy to focus on all that goes along with it.   In the past we have always decorated within a day or so after Thanksgiving, but this year I seriously considered not decorating at all.  I might not would have if it had not been for little Rachel's excitement whenever she would see someone elses decorations.  I just couldn't let her come to "RoRo's" house and not have a tree.  So we finally decorated this past week. 

Usually by now I have already done a lot of baking and menu planning for Christmas Day, but so far I have done NO Christmas baking and have only today figured out (sort of) what we'll be having Christmas morning.  I still have all of my gift wrapping to do, but have thankfully finished all of my shopping (I hope).    I am praying  that somehow I will get a mysterious burst of energy today and will be able to do the gift wrapping and that while I am wrapping I will begin to feel a sense of excitement that will carry over until Christmas Day.  That could happen, right?  Well, anyway, here's a look at our simple Christmas Day Menu.

BREAKFAST

Ham & Bacon Quiche
Mini Ham & Biscuits
Cinnamon Rolls
Cranberry Bread
Sausage Balls
Applesauce Muffins
Fruit
Juice
Spiced Cider
Coffee

LUNCH & SUPPER

Chili
Potato Soup
Tortilla Chips
Ham or Turkey Sandwiches

SNACKS

Chex Mix, Pudding Cookies, Haystacks, Brownies, and Fruit

As I mentioned in a previous post, we just graze for most of our meals on Christmas Day.  I put the food out and everyone helps themselves whenever they get the notion.  It makes for a much simpler and relaxed day for Mom. 

My Christmas shopping is now complete! Well.....almost!

I am happy to say that my Christmas shopping is now complete!  Well, not completely complete, but so close.  I have been slipping the last two years.  Up until then I would always have all of my Christmas shopping done by August with the exception of a few stocking stuffers and  a few homemade gifts.  The last two years though, I just cannot seem to get it together.  Thankfully, I finished up the last of my "necessary" Christmas shopping online yesterday.  I will probably still pick up a few little things here and there and since I also have a precious grandaughter with a birthday coming up at the end of this month, I'm looking for a few bargains for her special day.

We usually have our family Christmas on Christmas Day before lunch.  Everyone (Amanda and her family, as well as my parents) come over and I have a variety of breakfast foods, along with a variety of finger foods and several crockpots of soup.  That way everyone can eat whenever they want throughout the day and we aren't spending a lot of time in the kitchen.   Amanda and Alan usually leave in the early afternoon to spend time with his family.  The rest of us just hang out together (occasionally we will have visitors) and simply "graze" for our meals.   All in all it makes for a very relaxing Christmas! 

Decorating

We finally got our Christmas decorations put up this evening, thanks to a lot of help from my wonderful sons.  Rachel came over to help hang the candy canes.  She only broke two, which she then cheerfully shared with her doting uncles :)  I'm not too sure that she didn't have a little encouragement to break them, since the boys had been begging me to let them eat some of the candy canes all evening :) 

Rachel was very serious about her candy cane hanging duties!   If you look closely you will see that there are quite a few candy canes on the bottom portion of our tree. 

Christmas Market Festival

Amanda and I were invited to share a booth at a local Christmas Market Festival today and since it was our first time to have a table at an event like this we were excited.  It took quite a while to get everything packaged and labeled, but at day's end we were quite pleased with the result.  Amanda and I had a good day and are planning to attend more craft fairs in the future. 

Our table at the Christmas Market Festival in Eupora, MS.

Christmas Gift Sets

Amanda and I have been busy putting together some gifts sets using the homemade soaps and body scrubs that we make.  Thought I would share a few pictures.

Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Soap and Brown Sugar Scrub

Coffee Bath Scrub and Round Soap

Men's Shaving Set w/camo bag

Wooden Soap Saver Set

Amanda has also been making beeswax candles and we have a few other projects in the making.  Hope to post pictures soon.   We would love to hear about any homemade gift ideas you have.