~Christmas~

Christmas is past. It seemed to come and go so quickly this year!  I snapped a few pictures a few days before Christmas, and thought I'd share them.

The living room:

The gingerbread house we made as a family: 

The nativity, set up by my daughter. O come let us adore Him!

A counted cross stitch, stitched by Kevin's grandma:

We really don't have a lot of Christmas decorations. I'm good with that....it's less to put away after the Christmas season is gone. This year we've enjoyed a real tree (so much better than our *very cheap* fake tree!), and listened to Christmas songs and carols as often as possible.

It was a good Christmas! I've come to embrace the very relaxing Christmas season that December brings. With most of our friends immersed into parties and events and activities and mandatory extended family gatherings, it can get lonely when you realize that you have practically none of that - and if you try to invite others over it has to be squeezed into their schedule (which can be depressing too!). I think this year I had the best attitude toward our less-busy-than-friends schedule and we watched movies as a family, did things like decorate a gingerbread house, and had company when we could (because there are others too that aren't as busy as everyone else, you just have to look a little). It was all lovely! And for the first time we had company on Christmas Day, which was so very nice. 

The company table: 

I forgot to take a close-up of the napkins, but I followed this pin for folding them. 

In all, a very good month! I'm ready now for the New Year. I am looking forward to this next year!