Is It Really Over?

 

The most wonderful time of the year...Christmas.  I'm not quite ready for it to be over.  Not only do I love seeing the house decorated and the tree lights, but it's just too much work to dismantle after a short time.  I will enjoy it all at least another week! 

Our Christmas was so very nice.  Hope yours was, too.  We had some great weather until the rains began and it has rained and rained.  Our son and daughter were here for both Christmas eve and Christmas Day.  We had our traditional pizza on Christmas eve and I fixed a big turkey dinner the next day.  Wasn't it just a few days before that I fixed a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving?  Time flies between the two holidays.   

I only baked a pumpkin pie for dessert, having gone to the Amish country again for some baked goodies.  My daughter went along and we made a day of it, going to lunch in Columbia and doing some shopping, too.

That is the table set for dinner in the collage above.  BG is sitting at the head of the table waiting impatiently to eat while I snap a few pics, son is on the right, but you can only see his hands.  I got a good shot of daughter and J that day, but I can't remember now what they were laughing at.  We had a good time and laughter is always part of our family gatherings.  We played cards and ate and napped and ate.
   
We really had too much food.  I still fix the same amount for 5 as I used to fix for 15.  It's nice, though, to have leftovers and food to send home with our son.  Some of the candy has been put in the freezer.  

We got some nice gifts.  My new bread box pictured in the collage that my son gave me will be handy.  One of the gifts from our daughter was a pretty gift basket with goodies and a couple of movies to watch that look good.  I also got some new ornaments and other nice things.  And badly needed potholders!  Do you put off buying potholders like I do?  lol!   

My last gift from my younger brother is the nativity set shown in the collage and is always on display each Christmas.  It's sitting up high along with my collection of bottles out of reach of the furry ones.  They have been trying my patience with knocking ornaments off the trees.  They think they were put there for their amusement, I'm sure!

Our friends, Ell and Bob, will be here tomorrow night for New Year's Eve dinner.  I am making lasagna, salad and rolls.  A quick and easy chocolate whipped topping pie will be dessert.  That will make a nice change from all the ham and turkey we've been eating this week.
 
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I wish each of you the very best New Year ever!  Thank you for your comments and friendship this year.
  
Happy New Year!
xo Cheryl