A Beautiful White Christmas Wish Come True!

I hope that you all had a beautiful Christmas!  We sure did, but phewwwwy! Boy, I am plum tuckered out! I tried to get one more post in before the big day but life got the better of me and the clock ticked on much too quickly. 

The holiday ultimately came and I decided to celebrate with a relaxed state of mind so that I could absorb all that it had to offer with very little stress......I simplified and it was beautiful.  I let go of trying to make things perfect and exact as I had usually stressed about in previous years and instead I focused on only what is important and I really, truly enjoyed myself.  I also had alot of help from my family before hand which of course made that possible. 

Hugs and kisses to them for that!

 

I had a wonderful time surrounded by family and friends.  With all of the work that it takes to celebrate such a joyous occasion I am always surprised at how quickly it is over! 

I did finish up my last minute decorating and have to warn you this post is picture heavy and word heavy even more so than usual! That is what happens when I go weeks in between posts. 

By the way, the beautiful illustrations in this post are Holly Hobbie...a favorite of mine when I was a child.  In fact my Holly Hobbie oven was one of my most favorite-tist (my word) Christmas gifts ever.  I baked many a cake for my daddy in that lil ol' oven!  Oh...and sorry about the pictures...I dislike using a flash but my camera wasn't being too cooperative in the dimly lit rooms. I actually thought I was funny though and broke it all down into chapters in case you get sick of reading and want to come back, clever right? {wink}!

Chapter 1:

Christmas Preparations at the Farmhouse

I finished making snowflakes that are entangled in the garland    on the staircase.  Painted, sanded, distressed and glittered with mica....a handmade country snowflake.

 I ended up with a few days to work on some crafts that I had started, I love to add a few handcrafted items to my decor each year.  Here's a Santa I made, he still needs his boots painted on, but you get the idea.  

Before...

and after.

My daughters and I made jewelry for their friends too, they get so excited and want to join in the gift giving.  We beaded up some necklaces, bracelets and earings and made a card to hold them, their friends all loved their gifts and my girls were so proud of themselves.

We finished up our holiday baking...

This is the recipe (idea) that was published in the Merry Christmas book from Gooseberry Patch...a quicker (if you can believe it) version anyway....so easy to do with little ones...chocolate covered marshmallows....

my son put the M&M touch on top.

CHAPTER 2:  A WHITE CHRISTMAS!

The week before Christmas my neck of the woods was hit with a beautiful snowstorm that washed our landscape in a fresh and sparkly clean blanket of white. 

Two feet of snow to be exact!  It is not too often that we get this type of snow storm here anymore. 

When I was a child there are quite a few that I can recall, tromping through the snow with my brothers and this storm reminded me of those childhood winters.  

It stayed with us long enough to have a

White Christmas....

it was such a wonderful Christmas gift!

The view out our front sitting room windows of the pretty snowfall.....my children were sleeping when the snow began to fall, I awoke early in the morning to this beautiful view and quietly tip-toed downstairs to snap a few pictures while my hubs made a warm fire in the wood stove.

Here is what the kids saw when they awoke the next morning....do you remember how exiciting a snowfall was when you were a child?  I loved that!  Waking up to a white winter wonderland (say that 10x fast)!

 

Here is my hubs shovling us a path to the driveway!  Looks like he's having fun?  Hmmm, Not sure....poor fella, he got a warm mug of coffee and some Christmas Cookies for that!

You just cannot have snow without hot cocoa! Right?

 My little guy didn't last as long as the others and came in for warm cocoa with lots of marshmallows.

and left as Clark Gable with a chocolate mustache!  LOL, soo ca-ute!

Of course, there's always time for snugglin on the couch on a wintery day for a Christmas story!

Soon his sisters and friends followed......and this was the farmhouse winter porch! 
 Covered in snow gear.

The sun set on the paths left in the snow from a fun snow day,
only a few days before Christmas!

CHAPTER 3:  Santa Journeys to the Farmhouse,

in Spite of all the Snow!

Then came Christmas Eve.....Church service after dinner and then just before bed, my children are each given a present to open.  Each year they have to guess what is in the package before them!  Their responses get funnier each year!  Always new P.J.'s!  Same thing each year, but they still guess for fun anyway!

Santa's Sack filled with surprises for Christmas Morning.....



  Then On Christmas Morning.....

the children awoke hubs and I and down the dimly lit stairs we all went.....

The first view of the tree after Santa has visited!  Oh glory, the joy of being a child on Christmas morning! 

Standing in awe for the those first few moments....THE EXCITEMENT!

I have always explained the meaning of Christmas to my children as

Baby Jesus' Birthday Party when they were younger....

I am not sure my son fully understood what that meant in terms of gifts....getting gifts for Jesus' birthday he asked?  Boy was he surprised and pleased! 

He was a pro after those first few pedals!

My middle child, the artist.  Give her something creative and she will be busy for hours....
she's alot like her momma!

 ***********

This is what you get when you drag a teenager out of bed at 7 am.....
even on Christmas morning....

she would be pretty upset if she sees this, he,he! 

Sorry honey, you don't need makeup (maybe a brush, lol, but no makeup).

I think you're beautiful just the way you are!

***********

I know how ridiculously long the post is getting but I had to throw this one in for family members that read my blog. 

Does anyone see my hubs getting into playing with that helicopter? 

Nah, just showing his son the art of flying a toy helicopter, sound effects and all, ha! 

And......

Afterall,
Who doesn't become a child all over again at Christmas?

After gifts, we have a family breakfast with my brother and sister-in-law before our large group of extended family arrives.

Here's the breakfast table all set with the Christmas dishes and a
minature deer in the snow scene centerpiece...
(yes, another minature scene)

My lil man rode his new tricycle around the house all day

until he was exhausted.....

Finally, all tuckered out from the excitement of Christmas, he fell asleep in my arms while I chatted with a few remaining family members Christmas evening before being put to bed. 

And then, as quickly as it all began....

it is over,

until next year.

It was a very nice Christmas we had here at the Farmhouse,

we are blessed beyond measure.  I hope that you and your family made some treasured memories on one of the most important holidays....

Well, it sure was nice of you all to visit me now that everything has settled down!  Hopefully we can have another visit before next year, but if not, I wish you all a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Years! 

May God bless you all in the coming year!

Take care now,

Dee