Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Merry Christmas!


My Christmas gift this year was a long weekend trip to Branson.  This photo was taken just a few miles out.  I thought I'd share a few of the highlights of our visit and photos, not in any particular order.  
   

The weather was very nice, although it turned cloudy Sunday when we went to Silver Dollar City.


 

We both love seeing the park decorated for Christmas.  The lights on the trees and buildings are fabulous.

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. ~Charles Dickens


I don't think I would like to do without our modern conveniences, but the old buildings and the old-fashioned ways of long ago fascinate me.  Life was undoubtedly hard then, but it was a simpler time.  

We stopped in to listen to the Homestead Pickers at the cabin on the left.  They were entertaining as always. 



We didn't get a carriage ride, but it would have been fun!  


My little camera just doesn't capture the lights as well as I'd like.  The colors are so much better than they appear here.  See the 5-story tree in blue?  I wish I could share my video of the tree light show, but it's too long to upload. 


We drove past the Dixie Stampede on the way to the downtown area.  I just had to stop in at Dick's 5 & 10.  Later that Saturday night, we met our son and L and her kids for a visit.  They were down for the weekend also.  We were invited to eat pizza with them, but I had my heart set on Shorty Small's for the best bbq ribs I've ever eaten.  Yum!  And yes, I had room left for cinnamon ice cream and apple dumplings the next day at SDC.  Double yum!


All too soon, it was time to pack up and head back home.  It was a fun trip.  Now it's time to finish up the little bit of wrapping, cleaning house...does that ever end?...and prepping some of the food for Christmas Day.  We'll have snacks and a light supper Christmas eve.  Are you ready?  It's almost time! 

I haven't been able to do as much blog visiting as I'd like the past few weeks, even months.  Thank you to my blog friends who have stayed with me all this year as it's been such a busy one.  Hopefully, next year will be quieter!  

In case I don't get a chance to visit before then, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas!
 
xo Cheryl

18 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Cheryl!

    ReplyDelete
  2. a wonderful gift and i love all these photos and can't pick a favorite. i would love to see all these cabins and lights. is you use windows, you may have windows live movie maker. if so open the movie in movie maker, go up to top left, choses save movie as and pick for email. save it and it will be small enough to upload

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cheryl...it looks like it was a fun trip. I still want to get there one day...so pretty all lit up for Christmas! Well, it's almost here, huh? I guess I'm ready :) Wishing you and your family a very Merry Chrismtas and a blessed 2016!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello, what a fun trip to Branson! I enjoyed your photos. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  5. i like the shot w/ the decorated fence. :) merry christmas, cheryl!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your pictures are fascinating.Through the blogs,I get to visit places I might never get to in person.Merry Christmas to you and yours.

    ReplyDelete
  7. A very Merry Christmas to you, Cheryl. Loved your photos. Down home stuff. Great!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh what a fun trip that must have been. We never made it to Branson, but sure looks amazing this time of the year! Great photos. Merry Christmas

    ReplyDelete
  9. Have yourself a Merry little Christmas :)

    ~K.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a neat present! I'm sure I'd love to visit Branson too. Merry Christmas, Cheryl!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Merry Christmas, my friend, Cheryl. what fun. i love all the Christmas decor. ( ;
    hope you and the family have a great holiday. i was wishing for a white Christmas. i do that every year but sadly it never happens. we are having 80 degree temps today. totally nuts!! it might be thundering & rainy when Santa stops by tomorrow. so so silly!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Cheryl, So glad you got a wonderful little trip to one of your FAVORITE places. I know how much you loved being there. Branson reminds me of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville... We love to go there to see the Christmas lights --but usually wait until after Christmas when the crowds are gone...

    Hope you are doing okay. We are GREAT---just staying busy.

    Merry Christmas to you and yours.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  13. Merry Christmas Cheryl!
    Oh, I love those Shorty Small Ribs too.
    I wasn't sure if the restaurant was even still in business.
    It was my favourite place to eat in Branson many moons ago.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Merry Christmas! Looks like a fun get away! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am going to put a trip to Branson on my bucket list of wishes. I always love your posts on your trips there. The pictures are so lovely. Hope you have a sweet Christmas celebration. Sending hugs your way~

    ReplyDelete
  16. As a new follower, I enjoyed reading many posts on your blog...so fun. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Cheryl!
    I hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas! Branson looks amazing--I'd love to visit that area one day.I was very busy trying to make Christmas Eve for my family as good as always even though I was was still somewhat restricted from eye surgery recovery. We had a good time with our grandchildren and now I'm taking down the decorations as I am having the second round of eye surgery in a couple days. Its a long recovery, but hopefully all will go well and I'll be back to a normal life again.

    Have a very Happy and healthy 2016!

    ReplyDelete
  18. pretty! pretty! pretty! hope you had a Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete