Psalm 100:5

This is a favorite picture, taken December 2017 at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is me and that is exactly how I feel when there! Full of joy and rejoicing in God’s beautiful world!

Christmas day 2018

Christmas morning sweet rolls.... a nice way to begin a wonderful day!

 We had opened the gifts on Christmas eve so Christmas day is a time to relax together, enjoying each other!

 Some of the children were happy to get outside as it wasn't extremely cold.

We had a fun gift exchange game; all the gifts were food snacks.

 The men enjoyed playing cards (rook), and chatting.

Samuel found a quiet place to assemble his lego gift.

In the afternoon we all watched a funny Christmas movie.

The 15 grandchildren and grandpa and grandma...

 Time for the Christmas dinner at the long table!

 All smiles..



Everyone ate well!

 We have some costumes and we managed to re-enact the Christmas story. 

The shepherds react to the announcement by the angels that a baby has been born!

 

 



Admiring the newborn babe!

 

The Star in the East leads the three Kings!
 

Christmas Eve 2018

 

 

 Our family of 23 (us plus 3 sons, 3 daughter-in-laws and 15 grandchildren) gathered in our home for a few days of Christmas celebrations.  Attending church is a significant part of our Christmas celebration as we rejoice that our Savior was born!   Here in this picture some of the children came up front for a children's story.

 

 At the conclusion of the wonderful church service everyone received a small battery candle to turn on as we sang Silent Night.  It was very special, as you can imagine.

 

 Then we came home and Wally and sons went to work building a large table to accommodate all of us for our Christmas Eve and Christmas day dinner.  We could have sat at two tables/ one in the dining room and one in the kitchen, but we felt it would be so much more fun (and meaningful) to all be at ONE large table.  We just fit; had to move some furniture away and be flexible.. the table extended from our kitchen island right to the fireplace hearth.  But we did it!

 

The plywood is covered up!

 

 Christmas dishes, candles, fancy napkins...

 

Here is the view looking down from our upstairs. 

 

 And here we ALL are!!  What a blessed Christmas Eve!

 

Yum.