The 24th and 25th Days of Christmas

I know it's a little late, but I am certain you all understand how the busyness of the season takes over! It has been almost a week since Christmas Eve and Day...time has flown by and we have made some wonderful memories being together.  So without further comment here are some of my favorite moments caught on film...

It's Christmas Eve...late morning and Rich is catching a nap in preparation for the festivities! After napping, he and I decided to go out for one more look at the Christmas rush...oh and I ran to CVS and made copies of pictures for Chelsea to  put in a photo album for Katelyn.  Later in the day Chelsea, Kate, Rich, and I took a ride out to the beach...watched the sunset over the gulf while enjoying treats from Dairy Queen.  We  drove around looking at lights and then attended the Christmas Eve service at our church.  It is my favorite part of Christmas Eve with the telling of the story of the birth of Jesus.  It always ends with the lighting of the candles and singing Silent Night (I cry every year...it's a tradition I like).  After church we stopped by our friends'...Pam and Dennis Delaney...to enjoy drinks and hors d'oeuvres and open gifts.  At the end of the day we all gathered back at the house... 

Just in time for another of our annual traditions, which is to open one gift on Christmas Eve right before bed...and you guessed it, it's always pjs!!  These came from Victoria Secret...Claire's are from Janie and Jack.

First Christmas with Claire!

Christmas morning Rich's parents, MaryJo, and Uncle Bob arrived...and all eyes were on Claire!

I could say she was enthralled with her gifts...but she was actually just as happy with the paper, ribbon, and boxes!

Although...I can see her future lounging days while taking in some Sesame Street...

Another tradition is the wearing of Christmas hats...the instigator of this tradition is pictured below.  MaryJo always comes prepared and adds a new hat or two to her collection every year!  Somehow David always gets the most interesting of the lot!!

Claire surveys the pile of wrappings and gifts and people from afar...

It was a truly exceptional Christmas Morning!  After a big breakfast and all the festivities we settled in for a nice long nap before going to dinner at Joe and Mary's house. Along with dinner we opened more gifts and enjoyed sitting around the diningroom table talking. Finally we made our way home to pack for our trip to Orlando the next day...

The 23rd Day of Christmas at Oaks by the Bay Park

We went to the little park on St. Andrews Bay yesterday to enjoy the sunset and all the Christmas decorations. Some of us were better prepared for being outside than others...and Claire enjoyed most of the excursion!  This is a really cool thing to do...just a note...the lights come on around 5:00 pm!

Back home we had dinner and then Aunt Mary Jo continued her annual tradition of giving an ornament to everyone...and Claire received her first!

On the 22nd Day of Christmas...Claire met Santa

Today we took Claire to meet Santa...okay we had just a little bit of shopping that we wanted to do over in Destin...so off we went!

Claire had a big time and lots of room to practice her walking skills!

She got to meet Phoebe...daughter of Nicole's best college friend, Elizabeth!

Bass Pro Shop Santa...she didn't cry so it was a success!

The 21st Day of Christmas...what did Chelsea sing...?

Today was a day of pampering...which is code for Tara (my fabulous hairdresser/friend) getting my gray hair under wraps...and then a trip to get a pedicure and manicure! Nicole and I went together to do the hair thing and met up with Kate and Chelsea at the nail salon. It was relaxing and necessary and now we can all face the holidays with open toe shoes!

Feet are sooooo strange looking...

and my polish...always OPI...this shade is

O'Hare & Nails Look Great

This evening was chaotic with all the kids getting ready to go out.  Christmas music was playing and Chelsea was passing through the upstairs loft singing along to Angels We Have Heard On High...this is her version...has been for years...hope you enjoy : )

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains

Gloria, It is Chelsea's Day-Oh
Gloria, It is Chelsea's Day-Oh

Yep, that's my girl!!!
 

The 20th Day of Christmas...we did some more shopping!!

Today was another shopping day...this time with Grandma Dodd!  Of course the one thing we were searching for was nowhere to be found!  After searching both sides of the bridge we compromised...and all is well!

But of course all is well...Claire is in the house and entertaining us as usual!!

This evening she got to spend some quality time with Pop...and Frosty!

I wish I had some of the magic in that old top hat...

The 18th & 19th Day of Christmas...time for some serious shopping and some downtime!

This afternoon Rich and I are heading out to the condo till Monday.  While the girls do their things today and work tonight, Rich and I are gonna brave the nasty weather and head over to Destin to do some Christmas shopping and maybe see a movie...Tomorrow we will all go to church and then I am going to be a couch potato for the rest of the day...hopefully enjoying a nap or two, maybe walk around Carillon (if I feel energetic), and watch movies!

Nicole, David, and Claire arrive tomorrow evening and so the kids can all hang out together at home while we recharge our batteries at the beach!!! Come Monday it will be non-stop fun for the rest of the season : ) 

Have a wonderful weekend...see you on Monday!

The 17th Day Of Christmas...an early present for Katelyn!!

Katelyn began her college search in earnest during last Spring Break. Rich and I took her on a five day trip across the southeast to visit three schools she was interested in.  I don't really know what it was for her, but she fell in love with Vanderbilt.  Wake Forest and Duke, while fabulous schools, just didn't do it for her.  Before her senior year began she made the announcement that she wanted to apply early decision to Vanderbilt...and so it began. Of course, there had to be a back up plan and so she applied to Samford University and Auburn University and was beginning work on Wake Forest's application, all while waiting for decision day which was scheduled for December 15th. 

Finally, today, the letter arrived.  We were all here and before going to the mailbox she gave us the speech about how she was fine with whatever the decision was...she was ready to move on, one way or another...

Well, the news was wonderful...she got in!

And so I gave her an early Christmas present!

Suddenly it has become real that our youngest daughter is going away to college!  This was the child who told us that she wanted to go to that college with the airplane in the front yard (GCCC).  My how things change!!!

The 16th Day of Christmas ...Nutcracker anyone?

When Rich and I were first married and college students at WVU...he took me to my first performance of the Nutcracker, performed by the Pittsburgh Ballet.  I loved it!...fast forward...through the years I collected every type of nutcracker I could find!!

Notice the Mouse King is missing an ear...battle injury!

Fast forward again...all three of our girls took dance lessons for at least 10 years each at Tonie's Dance Workshop.  Through her studio the girls were able to perform in the Nutcracker Ballet several years with the Moscow Ballet.  The Ballet traveled with the main performers, sets, and costumes, and in each city they visited, local dance studios provided students with the opportunity to play toy soldiers, mice, children in the party scene, snowflakes, angels...etc. 

Nicole performed as a toy soldier in the famous fight scene between the mouse king and the nutcracker soldier.  She only did it one year...the stage director, Fiona, was a wicked task master!!

Chelsea started out as a mouse in her first appearance in the Nutcracker and  the next 2 years was a guest at the house party...wearing her first and only red dress.  Katelyn played a snowflake and an angel and a party guest!  Her big moment as a snowflake was being picked up and spun around by one of the male Russian dancers...yikes!

The girls have been out of dancing for several years now and I do find myself missing the annual performance.  I think it is too late this year...but next year I may have to do some research and go see it....hmmm New York maybe???

The 15th Day of Christmas...it is all about celebrating a miracle!

I was thinking that today's post would be about something much different, however, life has a way of happening.  For those of you who do not live here (and haven't watched national news recently) a miracle happened at the Bay County School Board meeting yesterday afternoon.  The award ceremony portion of the school board meeting had just finished; the parents and students were dismissed, and the regular meeting began.  A man approached the podium, spray painted the wall, took out a gun, and turned toward the people in the room.  He told those gathered that he and others were going to die that day.  He cleared the room of everyone but the six male board members and so began several minutes of terror.  Ginger Littleton, a female board member who had just left the room, returned and attacked the gunman from behind, to no avail.  Miraculously, he did not shoot her.  Member Jerry Register and Superintendent Bill Husfelt remained calm, miraculously, and tried valiantly to talk him down.  Bill actually pleaded with him to let the others go...and then the shooting began.  It was first reported that the gun held some blanks because the gunman hit no one.  But that wasn't the case...the gun was aimed point blank at the Superintendent, live rounds were fired and, MIRACULOUSLY, he was not hit.  Mike Jones, a security officer, entered the room and exchanged shots with the man and wounded him. The man then turned his gun on himself.  Thank God Mike Jones was in the building.  Last night he was in the hospital, suffering with chest pains...so our prayers go out to him.

This morning it is all over the news...several heroes have emerged...rightfully so.  But listen to Bill Husfelt starting with the first news interviews immediately after the incident.  He and the others were protected by God. This morning at a press conference with Deputy Chief Robert Colbert      the press asked the question... "How can 14 live shots be fired and none hit any of the board members?"...to which the Deputy Chief smiled slightly and answered "Someone was watching over the school board." 

Christmas time...the season of celebrating the ultimate miracle...is also a time to recognize and celebrate the continuing miracles that God performs in our fallen world on a daily basis!    

THe 14th Day of Christmas...Baby It's Cold Outside!

This morning I woke up to this...

Icicles in Florida...it happens!

 

On The 13th Day of Christmas...we are throwing a party!!

Tonight we are having a little Christmas get together with friends...It is freezing cold so I don't have to debate a crackling fire in the fireplace!  Anyway, there is lots to do today starting with making white chocolate mousse in shot glasses (the glasses, which I purchased at Pier One, were advertised as Tasting Cups)! 
Chelsea, just arriving in from college, saw the shot glasses and her comment was
 "Jello shots at your Christmas Party?...Classy"...Teenagers (wait a minute...she's twenty)!

As the party begins, my two girls head out to their Christmas party
with the girls from Deja Vu!!

Here are the White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse "shots"...so good 

Santa flipped!