Christmas Has Arrived ~ Merry Christmas One and All

Christmas ~ above all the day to celebrate what God has done for us: Sent His Son to this earth.....to grab ahold of us.... one and all.

Along with that we so enjoy time with family ~ to celebrate together the true meaning of Christmas. Our family has many traditions ~ which we greatly love. They change a bit each year ~ as each family tends to their own families.

Setting the scene for our Christmas 2009:

A snow laden world in Virginia (20" of snow, slow to melt with very cold temps still) ~ our house

• Hannah works Christmas day
• Steve works Christmas Eve
• Phill and Christy are here until Christmas noon then travel to see her family in PA
• Courtney and Pat spend Christmas Eve with the Cassadas extended familyand have dinner with the Cassadas Christmas Day (they alternate every other year with the Cassadas and us on Christmas Day)
• How did we spend Christmas?

We thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Eve day at home with Hannah. We baked cookies, did a little grocery shopping ~ talked and laughed

soooooooo fun!!!!!!

Cookies for: Hannah to take to work on Christmas Day and for us to enjoy

Busted!!!!!! Licking the "icing" beaters :)

tradition on Christmas Eve ~ eat "cold cuts" ~ yum

Then we headed to Christmas Candlelight Service at Phill and Christy's church Silent Night ~

Very special Alden and I ~ posed and having fun! Hannah and her daddy Phill, Christy, Brittany, Andrea and Ayden Wonderful time spent in God's house ~ together! We then headed to Phill and Christy's for dinner ~ Oh my, Christy, fixed QUITE the meal for us ~ ham, mashed potatoes, beans and carrots, sweet potato casserole, polish casserole, rolls ~ WOW, simply WOW! Thank you Christy!!!!!!! Brittany enjoying a quiet moment of "candle" watching sweets to end the meal ~ Christmas cookies, Viennese Cresenents, white pretzel treats, fudge, pecan tarts, peanut butter cookies ~ AND homemade pretzels from Christy Ayden with his "I love Santa" bib :)

Andrea and Ayden

Ayden readying for bed in his candy striped pj's THEN.......Alden, Hannah and I headed home to meet Steve ~ to have our "Christmas" together (remember Hannah works Christmas Day and Steve worked til 7:30 p.m. Christmas Eve)

Steve and Hannah

presents gathered

Santa came!!!!! what did he bring????? Reading the Christmas story ~ we go around the room and take turns reading from God's Word

A good discussion was had by all regarding Jesus' arrival to this world and all it means to us

opening gifts

even Cassie gets to join the fun (with catnip!) tradition started years ago....when I was a little girl. My Uncle Vernon would send the nieces $10 and we would put the card on the tree to be opened Christmas morn. We now send this gift to our nieces and nephews....for them to open Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas to you all ~ family and friends.