Merry Christmas!

Here's a few quick pictures to share our scene with you! This is the requisite Christmas eve night photograph!

Baby's first Christmas!

Preston

Sean P.

Berge brothers Timothy, Luke & Josiah

The gift opening scene. Notice Hannah's little cooking attire! What a cute present for her.

We can't all fit at the table so...

we already have a "kids" table going.

Our grand-daughters with their American girl dolls.

5 of the 8 grandchildren are in this picture reading books. (Plus one little head in the high chair,a non-reader.)

Final preparations underway

(No knick knacks. No electric candles in the window.)

Yup. I think I'm almost ready.

B B&B

and

..... is open for business...

Bye bye, see you in a few days!

Cozy company

FOOTBALL, FIRE... and

.....FONDUE!

How fun! John and Sara stayed overnight and I had all the stuff for an unplanned fondue.

It's good to be prepared!

Bright eyes

We have more company! The J's stopped by and will stay overnight and complete their travel to Sara's folks tomorrow. They had to tweak their travel plans and play it safe due to the snow we received today. So we are safe and warm here by the fire and enjoying this little guy!

Oh yeah! My basketball! Thank you, Daddy for giving it to me.

Early Christmas gift?

Well, this wasn't actually on the Christmas list, but we are sure glad to have a new snowblower!

It's a Minnesota necessity and the old one didn't feel like starting. Not a good sign.

Of course, perhaps the new alternator for Wally's truck could be a Christmas gift too?

Merry Christmas Honey, a new snowblower and a new alternator.

And I didn't have to wrap them either!

Morning views

Yup, back to back weekend winter storms...

But so peaceful this morning as I came into the kitchen. The soft hue of early morning light and the snow ladened branches. Really a pretty sight.

Looking into "Berge Hollow"

The snow on the branches outside the windows is really amazing.

Back to back

It was a good idea to have back to back company - I mean, I have all the serving dishes, plates, etc. out from last evening and the house is still clean... so I had planned another evening of food and fellowship with great friends. Two nights in a row is a great idea.

Tonight I decided to make a cappuccino mousse trifle.
Yum.

Wally was nice enough to be sure I got into this picture.

And now, I think we are having back to back snow storms!

Last weekend and this weekend! It's snowing again and the winter weather warnings are scrolling on the television.

Company, young and old...

I am so happy to have the pleasure of good friends into our home. I was disappointed last weekend during the blizzard to have to cancel our planned Saturday evening and Sunday evening company. (Though staying inside and enjoying a good blizzard is sort of fun..)

However, this evening we enjoyed an evening of food and visiting around our dining room table.

The JoAnn's and their spouses.

But probably the most special company this week was meeting this little lady for the first time. I have been friends with her grandma and had the joy of watching her mom grow up from a girl to a young lady to a wife and now a wonderful mother of 3.
Isn't this little honey a sweetie?

Here is the little princess again.

And here is her brother N, now the "middle" child. (I'm in the middle child club too!)

Big brother E is now a 4 year old. I remember waiting in the hospital hallway with his soon-to-be grandparents and soon-to-be Aunt J. Oh, it was a long wait for E to get born and we have memories of lots of laughs while waiting. Fun for us. Not so much fun for mom though, I suppose.

I'm ready for more company. Want to come over?

Happy Birthday Sean Patrick!

Someone is ONE today (December 17)

Happy Birthday big guy!

So many changes in one year!

After the storm

I thought it might be interesting to put on some comparison photographs of how things look the day after the blizzard. Perhaps it will be interesting to see the difference between a nice clear picture and one with snow blowing around. This was one view I photographed yesterday. A nice difference today!

Again, another repeat view - but my winter flag is long gone! I just couldn't get out there and get it off the wrought iron hanger and I am kicking myself now for not taking it down as I knew there was a chance it would work its way off the hanger in the strong wind.
Bummer.

This was the view that was all white yesterday.

And this is what we found when we opened the front door. A nice drift. The wind made some interesting patterns.

Winter storm

It's hard to capture in a photography the essence of our winter storm, which will be with us until early tomorrow morning. But here is the outside picture and...

... the inside picture.
Staying inside. Staying warm.
Kind of nice, actually.