A Beautiful Christmas

Finally, I've managed to get some Christmas pictures uploaded!!! Christmas was a lovely day, even relaxing, and it will be a special memory in the years ahead.

Here is the tree on Christmas Eve, all ready for Christmas morning:

Mom sent over flowers which Emily arranged. They made it look bright and festive:

The children are allowed to come out of their rooms at 8 a.m. and open their stockings (without waiting for us). Later, before we begin opening presents, Michael reads from Luke 2.

Here are the excited children:

Breakfast was taken in the living room so we could eat and open presents at the same time:

Thanks to my new camera the day looked bright and full of light, instead of gray, rainy and overcast like it really was:

The kids loved eating in the living room with the food right in reach:

And presents were so fun to open!

James loved the hat I knitted for him:

All the kids were thrilled with the playmobile pieces we picked out for them:

Festive presents for Emily:

Tea: a necessity on Christmas Day:

Andrew was so excited to receive a real tool kit:

Rachel spent the day building a lego house:

And the boys played with their new toys:

My new silver goblets (found at Salvation Army for about 60 cents each!):

Grandma came around 1 for the rest of the day:

And then Uncle JK, Auntie C and baby John:

After more presents, and the advent of John and Cornelia W., we sat down for a delicious Christmas dinner (food requires a separate post):

Kiss the Cook:

After dinner there was a "White Elephant" gift exchange with not-so-white-elephant gifts. (I got a gorgeous silver bell):

And some sang carols at the piano:

And the sisters gathered for a picture:

And then another Christmas was over.