Swarovski – we had to learn how to pronounce it way back when, because we love it so much. It’s pronounced just like swore – off – ski. We’ve collected the Swarovski star ornaments since we’ve been together which includes the year we started dating in 1997. We totally missed getting our ornament last year due to being in the midst of our move and still living in a hotel.

We were having a nice visit this evening when my thoughts drifted and I exclaimed “honey! We never got our ornament last year”! So Bobby said “get it, you should be able to find a new one with the papers on e-bay”. I was quite pleased as I found a Buy It Now for $40.00 including shipping. These ornaments went for $70.00 in the store last year so we were pleased with the deal.

These ornaments continue to appreciate through the years. I just checked e-bay and our 1997 ornament is going for over $150 and the 1999 ornament is going for over $200. So you can see why I was so urgent to get our ornament sooner rather than later.

And now all is well and we will continue living happily ever after now that our favorite Christmas ornament collection is up to date.

Christmas in Florida was such a very special treat this year for not just Bobby and me but my whole family. We were privileged as a family to all be home for Christmas and we were also blessed to have both of my grandmothers with us as well. My mom’s mom has been staying with my parents for a couple months and dad’s mom was able to fly down from Ohio. It truly was a very special Christmas and our days were filled with some very special times and wonderful memories were made. We were also blessed to have my Uncle Steve and his wife Sharon visit for our Christmas Eve Brunch.

I’m going to transition from here to my Christmas Album.

The next picture is of Grandma and Dave.

Here are Ash, Jen and Ry’ – Dave and Pam’s three children

Bryant and Brenton are Dan and Chris’ children

Mom prepared such a wonderful Christmas Eve Brunch and Dad and the boys got in on it too. Grandma made her famous sausage gravy and we had some yummy biscuits to accompany that. And before I get carried away with mom’s entire menu, let’s just say she had everything from coffee, orange juice and grape juice to cinnamon rolls and everything in between…

Ry’, Bryant and Brenton help with the brunch and Ash and Jen enjoy the great outdoors one evening.

Grandmothers enjoy sitting outside for brunch

Our Family Christmas Eve Brunch

After our brunch on Christmas Eve, Bobby, Dan, Dave, the kids and I headed to the park for a game of “Flag” football. We played – We, what we? They played and I took the pictures. I actually didn’t plan to go but when Bobby asked, I couldn’t resist and I had so much fun.

After the game of football we moved on over to the park area where the kids enjoyed more play time. I was a happy camper too as I took advantage of the swing set. Bobby even pushed me on the swing and I felt as young as a kid again. P.S. The swing is and always has been my absolute favorite on the play ground.

Ash and Jen Below

Brenton, Bryant and Ry’ climb to the top

Jen finished mom’s cheese ball by adding the nuts – Mom made two cheese balls one for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas day. By Christmas night, we had both of them polished off.

It seems snacks did abound 24 – 7. Chris making the chips and salsa plate while Pam replenishes the veggie and dip tray while Ash samples a cucumber and dip.

Opening gifts on Christmas Eve. It’s my family tradition to open gifts on Christmas Eve and mom and dad still carry on with that tradition.

Bobby opening our ‘Ove’ Glove gift from Grandma. She gave us a pair of these and I just used them for the first time tonight. I love these gloves as they grip without the pan slipping away.

Mom and Dad – Pop opening a gift

Serious faces on our nieces and nephews

Dan and Dad help prepare Christmas Dinner. Dan slicing the ham and pop mashing the potatoes.

On any given evening you would find the table looking something like this. Cards have been a favorite family game weather it’s Rook or Poker. Below we have a family game of Texas Holdem Poker happening and it looks like it’s Dan’s turn to bluff, check, call, bet or fold.

Dave and Grandma were such fun at the card table.

The kids enjoy Rook while the adults are at another table playing cards.

Bobby fits like a glove in my family and I love that so much. I’m ever grateful he’s in my life providing love, support and undivided devotion each day.

Bobby Dave and Ash. Bobby and Me Christmas Eve night. Bobby and Uncle Steve outside on Christmas Eve morning visiting before brunch.

Hubby is slaving away on our Christmas newsletter and we plan to have them in the mail drop box by late this evening or tomorrow. I’ve got all the address labels and return address labels adhered to all the envelopes and the postage has been added to the envelopes as well. Hubby’s diligently working on page 4 of 4 and it should be finished soon. I kept telling Hubby all along that we should just send Happy New Years Newsletters but he insisted on getting Christmas cards out and what a great job he’s doing orchestrating our newsletter to get it out before Christmas.

The airlines called this morning canceling my early morning flight due to the blizzard type weather in the forecast. However, I do have another flight scheduled to leave here at 5pm weather permitting. I’m hoping for a nice safe flight tomorrow and hope I can get out of here alright and if I have to wait ‘til Monday, no prob.

Last evening we went to a Christmas party held by (Kyle) one of the guys that works for Hubby. It was a great evening and I met some wonderful ladies there. One of the gals that I was speaking with told me about her sister who is a potter. Our conversation covered pottery, travel, and all sorts a stuff. She left her home and work numbers with me so that I could give her a ring to get together for lunch, catch a girlie flick, or whatever. No matter how cold the temps are the people here are genuinely warm and I love that so much.

That wraps up what’s going on around here. Here’s hoping all of you are keeping warm, drinking lots of coffee, hot tea or hot chocolate, and sitting in front of a nice flickering fire. Blessings to all of you this Christmas Season may you be blessed with Christ, the greatest gift of all.

I started this post this morning but just got around to finishing it this evening. I didn’t take any extra time with my pictures in my scrapbook program and just threw it together. So here goes from where I started this morning.

I’m sitting here in our apartment watching the beautiful snow fall. In my early years I remember snow like this and I remember playing in it when we lived up north, but let me tell you I’m really enjoying watching the pretty snow fall. The branches of the trees are coated in pretty white and the ground is covered in a beautiful blanket of snow. I’ve got the Christmas music filling the air and it is truly a beautiful “Winter Wonderland”.

Below are a few pictures taken from our back yard this AM. I’m so in love with the beautiful private back yard and the snow is absolutely stunning to watch. We are expected to have a foot of snow by morning and I would venture to say we are close to a good 10 inches already.

As you can tell we are finally in our apartment (as of yesterday) and I love it, especially the part where we finally have a place to call home! Last evening we met our new neighbors John and Joanna and we clicked from the moment we met them. We were on our way out when Bobby and I noticed two dear approx 10 very short feet away from us. I couldn’t believe it so we stopped and stood and watched them for a moment. They didn’t seem to be afraid of us at all but they scampered just a wee bit as we passed by but they were right back once we passed. John and Joanna were out in the parking lot returning from their evening out when we struck up a conversation with them about the deer. We learned that another sweet neighbor feeds the deer birdseed and these deer have become the neighborhood pets, or so we were told. There are actually 3 deer that hang out and we saw the other one shortly thereafter. I’ll have to take a picture of our outdoor pets one day.

There is so much to do and so little time as I’m south this Sunday and Hubby will be catching up with me Wednesday. So I’ll be spending two weeks in the south and Hubby is so funny when he tells people like our new friends last night when he’s asked what our plans are for Christmas. He says in a drab voice “We gotta spend Christmas with the in-laws” as if he’s looking for sympathy and then he says “Down South”. John and Joanna were good sports as he started looking for his violin straight away.

I don’t know how much I’ll be around the blog sphere the next two weeks but I will definitely return when we get back home. Until then, many blessings to you and yours this Wonderful Christmas Season!