Christmas on Ground Hog Day

Evidently, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning,

 

which means we will have six more weeks of winter.

So, I guess it isn't too late to finally post about our Christmas is it?   
                                                  since it is so cold?!

Santa always sneaks in somehow, usually when Papa is "in the bathroom", so he always misses out! Santa handed out all the stockings to everyone. Stockings are always filled with chocolate Santas (except for Mindy who doesn't like chocolate - so there is always some other kind of Santa for her), socks and many other goodies.

  

Mary Ellen's book, "Twitty's Own Song" for all

The walkie talkies were a huge hit and were played with all throughout the days at our house.

  

Because of Mom's illness and death, I was not able to complete Claire's Christmas gift.  I had been working on a quiet book for her.  Jill thought that would be something she would like.  I will post about that next.  I found the doll that Claire always played with at Grandma Lois' house.  Perfect solution!

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The children opened all their gifts and then the adults began on theirs.

The week between Mom's funeral and our Christmas celebration, Allen and I had begun cleaning out Mom's duplex.  In Dad's drawers were these 3 t-shirts from Japan.  Dad doesn't wear them anymore, but Mom had not given them away yet.  Perfect funny gifts for the guys!

This cutting board was one that my dad made in highschool shop.  He got in trouble for it because Dad put little boy parts on it (hidden under Josh's hand).

I almost broke into tears when I opened this gift!

Jesus' birthday cake

(compliments of my friend, Mary Ellen)

Happy Birthday, Jesus!! 

God conceived the most daring of plans.  Under cover of the night, He stole into the enemy's camp incognito, the Ancient of Days disguised as a newborn.  The Incarnation, as Phil Yancey reminds us, was a daring raid into enemy territory.  The whole world lay under the power of the evil one and we were held in the dungeons of darkness.  God risked it all to rescue us...  
 "The Sacred Romance" by Curtis/Eldredge