"Christmas Eve" by Blackmore's Night

Say goodbye to Novemeber. She must be on her way. The cold winds of December feel like there here to stay...................

Our tree!

Merry Christmas from Paul, Ann, & Jackson!

Buddy waiting for Santa

Jackson with Mommy and Daddy and Great Grandma Marian

Jackson and Aunt Lori

Jackson and one of many toys Santa brought to him on his first Christmas.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas. I pray for safety for everyone who is traveling. I pray you find happiness in your life and peace and joy as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

And praises sing to God our King

Christmas Canon - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You!

I posted this video from MTV last year (06 & 07) and I thought I would do so again. I've always liked this clip from MTV. Back when MTV was worth watching and was "music" tv. We don't watch anymore. My family thinks I'm silly but I just shake my head and watch it anyway. I like it. My friend Debbie is the only one who agrees with me! It's cute and fun! So please enjoy it with me!



When this video came out in the 80's I was a young stay at home mother with one then two small children at home. How things change over the years. Since then we had a third child and she is the only one still at home. I work full time and I'm a grandma. We have been blessed!

Sloppy Kissees from Jackson!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Well, which one do you like?

This one!

Cut, cut! Saw, Saw!

Wrapping and then it will be ready to come home with us.

Cool Yule - Bette Midler

Cute huh? Fun too!

Look What I Got!

Paul and I have been married for 28 years. This year he bought me a diamond for Christmas. Isn't he wonderful!

Faces of Christmas!

At my mother in law and step father in law's house on Christmas Eve:





More from down on the mall:

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

"Christmas Hoopla"!

I've been tagged by Laurie & Chris at Miss Flower to list 12 random things about myself!
Fun fun!

Here are the rules: List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible. Please give Andrea some link-love as the “Hoopla-Creator!”

Here goes:

1. When I was a little girl our presents from Santa were never wrapped and the presents for each of us were all together in a separate pile.

2. I received a baby doll for Christmas until I was 12 or 13 years old.

3. I thought that Dad paid Santa for our Christmas presents. I can remember visualizing him paying Santa.

4. I quit believing in Santa Claus in 1968 when I was 8 years old. My brother showed me my Barbie Doll which was hidden in my parents room. Bad brother!

5. I like certain Christmas carols sung by certain people. I love Doris Day singing Silver Bells, Dean Martin singing Let it Snow!, Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, Jim Nabors singing Do you Hear what I hear, Johnny Mathis singing Winter Wonderland. There are more too. I'll listen to others sing the songs but these are my favorites.

6. I collect Santa Claus figures. I have at least 50 in all sizes and shapes.

7. I don't snoop. I don't like to know what I'm getting for Christmas until Christmas day.

8. We always open one present on Christmas Eve.

9. My favorite Christmas movies are Scooge with Albert Finney, A Christmas Carol with Alister Simm, The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, David Niven, & Loretta Young, and It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. I have all four on DVD.

10. I used to hate the movie A Christmas Story. Now we watch it every Christmas Eve when TBS shows it for 24 hours.

11. After having an artificial tree for 41 years I now want only a real tree.

12. I always put out one of our Manager scenes to remind us all of the TRUE meaning of Christmas. We have three sets. One was my family's when I was little, one is from Paul's family and one is new from my Mother in Law several years ago.

I tag the Camera Totin Idiot, Sandy at Writing in Faith, & Tracy at Seashide Enchantment.

Once again it's Christmas

Once again it's Christmas - Times have changed but the Spirit remains the same.
A Picture Story by Lee Mero - Christmas 1959 - An American Annual of Christmas Literature and Art.

(Click on each picture to enlarge and you'll be able to read each page better.)











Isn't this so cute? I just had to share it this Christmas season. Paul bought this at an antique store last year and I feel in love with this article. I hope you were able to read it. Each page didn't scan in as well as I would have liked. The magazine is 8 1/2 x 11 and just fits on our scanner.


The cover of the magazine.

The Carpenters - Merry Christmas Darling

Wordless Wednesday

**UPDATE**

Thanks so much to everyone for their comments about my Wordless Wednesday photo! I took this picture November 19, 2006 in Gettysburg, PA. November 19th is the anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the event in 2006. My post on the event is here.

We were leaving Gettysburg after the event when we passed by Santa standing on the corner. Paul stopped so Sara and I could take his picture. We are in the area of Gettysburg where the round about called the Diamond is located. The town Christmas Tree is here too. I've added some other photos at the bottom of the post. The pictures are of Sara and me with Santa and the Christmas Tree.

Santa is portraying a Civil War Santa. He was the nicest man. Maybe he really was Santa! You can find information about the Civil War Santa at a website called Original Santa. They have a cover of Harper's Weekly showing a Civil War Santa.







Find other great Wordless Wednesday blogs here.

My other Wordless Wednesday post are here. Please feel free to take look if your new to my blog.

"Christmas Eve" - My New Favorite Christmas Song!

I just found this video, Christmas Eve. It is a beautiful song. I've never heard the song before so I'm not sure if it has been done by other artist. The group is Blackmore's Night. They are a Renaissance-inspired folk rock band. They are led by Ritchie Blackmore (electric guitar and acoustic guitar) and Candice Night (lyricist and lead vocals). Their website is here.



Christmas Eve

Say goodbye to November
She must be on her way
The cold winds of December
Look like they're here to stay
Me, I'll just count the snowflakes
As they start to fall
Getting lost in the beauty
The magic of it all...

And our eyes filled with wonder,
As the reindeer take to flight...

*Its Christmas eve
Bells will ring
Through the town we gather to sing
Christmas eve
Has begun
Peace and love to everyone

Light the festive candles
They'll chase the shadows away
Gathering round the yule log
With handfuls of holly
Winter winds will whisper
Through the shivering pines
Never have the stars looked brighter than tonight...

Time for some more Christmas videos!

I've been taking a little break from my blog over the last week. I've had my birthday last, finished up my Christmas decorating, Christmas cards, and I'm working on my shopping and wrapping. Tonight I'm on my own as everyone else is at work so I thought I would do a little blogging. Here are two nice videos. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas and Silver & Gold. Someday, I'm going to do a Silver and Gold Christmas tree. Both songs are by Burl Ives. Enjoy! 8 Days till Christmas. Are you ready? I am even if I don't have everything ready. Christmas will come either way. The most important thing is to prepare our hearts for the real meaning of Christmas. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. That is the best and only gift we really need!

One of our favorite movies!

One of my daughter's and mine favorite movies is Meet Me in St. Louis. Here is a beautiful scene from the movie. Judy Garland as Esther singing the classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to her little sister Tootie played by Margaret O'Brien. It is a classic.

Oh Christmas Tree!

We bought our Christmas Tree today! In the rain and the mud! We had loads of fun! We've been buying a real tree since 2000 and we love it! I don't remember having a live tree as a child. Although there are pictures of me as a little girl in front of a live tree. I only remember the artificial tree we had for 20 years. When Paul and I married his mother gave us her artificial tree and we used that for more then 10 years. Finally, we had to buy a new artificial tree and I hated it. It was the hardest thing to put together. So in 2000 Paul and I decided it was time to try a live tree and I love it. I'll never go back to an artificial tree. Picking out our Christmas tree is now something we all look forward too and is part of our Christmas celebration. I wish we had done this when the kids were little. I'm sure it would have been great fun but we can't go back and re-do things we just can make new traditions and we have.

We found the perfect tree today. It is a Canaan Valley Fir and is 7 ft tall. Sara and Aaron's tree is the same and is 6 ft tall.

Here are some photos of the fun we had today.

For the last two years we have gone to Pleasant Valley Tree Farm to get our Christmas tree. They are located in Pennsylvania just above the state line from Maryland. At the tree farm you can cut your own tree and that is what we like to do.

Here is where you pick up your tree cart and where your tree is measured and prepared to bring home. Picture from Pleasant Valley Tree Farm website.


This is the barn where you purchase your tree. They have a very nice Christmas shope where you can purchase weaths, ornaments and other Christmas items.


On our way to find our perfect tree. From left to right that's Sara, Paul, Lori, & Aaron.


Sara's a little cold!


No honey, that one won't do! It's not quite tall enough.


Sara & Aaron on the hunt for their first Christmas tree.


Decisions, Decisions.........


One down & one to go.


Lori's has taken over the camera and wanted me to act silly!


Success! Now let's get out of the rain!


Here are a few pictures from around the tree farm and gift shop.