Christmas 2016, Day One

As always, our Christmas stretched out for days, and I have many pictures to help me to remember and cherish it all.  As usual, I posted the pictures each night on Facebook, but I want to also post them here along with the stories that go with them, so that I can read them all to Dick while we're driving in the years to come!

Last Thursday was a big grocery shopping day.  I also stopped in at Joanne Fabrics for something and picked up this motto that so profoundly said what was in my heart. 

It seems our kids have a hard time pinning down their schedules and plans, so I tried to go with the flow.  Many times when I felt a bit anxious about it I whispered, "Just work it all out, Lord."  

Lori decided to spend the holidays in New York with her family, so on Friday I kept the boys here for a few hours while she did some shopping and last packing.  I was really disappointed she would not be here for our family events, but I understood.  She has had very little time with them since Hunter's birth. 

Speaking of Hunter, he happily spent the afternoon amongst the toys on the floor.  He can definitely move around a lot, just not on his hands and knees yet.   Looks like he's waving "hi."  I'm posting this in black and white because my camera setting was for sunsets, and the color was way off.  

I gave the boys their Christmas gifts.  Austin's new obsession is Lego Ninjagos.  When we opened the box there were six bags of pieces.  We opened bag one and he got to work...

...carefully following the instructions in the booklet.

By the time he left a few hours later he had most of the items in bag one assembled with no help from Grandma!

And then they were on their way.   They're coming home today.  I really, really miss them.  

That evening I got a picture of our tree with some gifts under it. 

On Saturday I did some last cleaning and bedding prep, etc.  Then in the afternoon we went to our Christmas Eve service at Fillmore's sister church, Buffalo Run.  Our choir once again did our musical at this service.  They did a great job again, even with at least six people missing.  

Just before we left for the Christmas Eve service the mail lady delivered a package to our door.  From Florida!  Lisa and George had gotten our family picture put on canvas and sent it to us.  I have found the perfect spot for it right above my desk.

Jeremy and Mike had arrived at Anthony's place and the three guys had gone food shopping at Wegmans.  It was Mike's 40th birthday and he wanted to do the Italian tradition he had grown up with - the feast of seven fishes.  Ever hear of it?  It was new to us Germans, haha!

Look what we saw as we approached Anthony's house!!  SEVEN deer!  I was so happy that they obliged me and did not move until I had gotten my camera out, haha!

My first order of business when we got inside the house was to have Jeremy take pictures of Dick and me in our "Sunday clothes" before we changed and got comfortable!

The guys were already getting all the food ready and I pitched in to help a bit.   Wegmans had made it so easy and delicious.

What a feast!  Linguini with clam sauce, lobster bisque with hard bread, huge shrimp with cocktail sauce, portobello mushrooms stuffed with some kind of fish, breaded flounder, salmon baked with lemon, dill, and garlic.  I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember what.  Everything was SO delicious!  We kind of enjoyed the no-children calm - just for one evening though!

Like I said, this was Mike's 40th birthday.  He had told me that his favorite cake flavor is marble and his favorite ice cream flavor is cookies and cream.  I had gone to Wegmans on Friday evening and was delighted to find a decorated marble cake.  Of course the ice cream was easy to find!  Should have moved that salt shaker, haha!

Forty looks younger all the time, doesn't it?   He called his mom (Martha) and talked with her for a bit.  We are praying for her as she is having a very hard time healing from a broken elbow for the past month and more.   She is temporarily in an assisted living facility near Mike's sister in California.  

Later we got this cute picture from Lori.  I love their sweet bond!

Stay tuned for my Sunday post coming up!