Christmas at our House

Christmas is just two days away and today we got a request from our Australian friend via her Christmas card to keep our blog updated because she checks in on us and keeps up with us this way.
So, dear Raimonda, here are some things you'd see around our house if you were spending Christmas with us.
We are hosting Christmas dinner this year, so I'll post 'people' pictures in the next few days when we all gather.


a nutcracker reminds us of Christmases spent in Germany


a cute snowman that we've had for many years. It reminds us of the many white Christmases and snowmen we've made over the years - lot of snow this year, but no snowmen in our yard.


so many Christmas cards from friends around the world - also our new Christmas monopoly game slated to be played on Christmas Day


Our centerpiece given by our kids a few years back and a runner made by a dear friend our last Christmas in Woodinville


The reason for the season


A treasured Christmas tree Mark made in his very early school years. I always treasure it and put it in a prominent place.


This was almost our main Christmas tree this year, but with Mark expected home and our hosting Christmas dinner, we felt we needed a real tree, but this one will one day be our only Christmas tree. We're just not there yet - maybe next year.


a close up of some ornaments - among them: old photos glued on orange can lids, hand painted bulbs made by kids/grandkids, popsicle stick angels, bulbs commemorating a first Christmas, a new grandchild, etc. All of them priceless to us and each one with a special meaning.


Our 8-foot live fir tree in all its glory. Note the star on the top. Drew made it about 30 years ago. It's aluminum foil covering a cardboard star mounted on a toilet paper tube. I treasure it and wouldn't trade it for a real silver star!

If you want to see what it looks like outside our house - just scroll down to the previous posting - it still looks like that outside. We are definitely having a white Christmas this year.

Winter Wonderland

It started snowing very heavily this morning about 9 o'clock and hasn't quit. Now less than 6 hours later this is what it looks like - with no hint of it stopping any time soon. I wonder what it look like tomorrow.

Here's our house as it looks right now......... those big white spots are huge snowflakes.

Out with Thanksgiving and In with Christmas

This was our week-end to take down the Thanksgiving/Fall decorations and put up the Christmas ones.
We got our tree up inside and changed the motif of our all-season wreathe, which we made last year. Pictured are the before and after of the change over yesterday.

Frozen Fog

This morning we woke up to 18 degrees and freezing fog. The dampness from the fog coated every tree limb and froze - makes for a beautiful sight! Now when the sun comes out the trees should sparkle.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr!

We woke up to sub-zero temperatures this morning with lots of snow. This same shot looks a lot different from what it did earlier this month.

Leaf Raking

We had the kids here over last week-end and they raked a big pile of leaves under the tree and then dropped into the pile from the lowest tree branch. It was a fun fall day! A few days later, the golf course crew came by and removed all the leaves. We got our fun in, just in time.

CBS Weatherman stuck in Yakima

If you have been following the Early Show on CBS, you have seen their weatherman traveling across the USA from Anchorage to NY. He started with just $50. He's working and begging his way across the country. He got to Yakima yesterday and got stranded. I actually emailed him and got an answer, but he managed to get out of town (barely) without our help.

Here's a video link to part of the story - followed by a written page about it.
Copy and paste to view them.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7056423n

You can follow more of the story here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504463_162-20022835-504463.html?tag=latest