A Month of Merriment

I decided to put all of our Christmas events in one post.  So pace yourself...

The weekend after Thanksgiving, we joined members of our church and community for a rainy night of "Caroling on the Green."  Sarah was thrilled to have two of her friends to socialize with, and the horses were beautiful.

The next night was the "Hanging of the Greens" and Christmas pageant at church.  Sarah opted out of the pageant once again.  Afterward, we enjoyed a soup and sandwich supper and a surprise visit from one of Santa's elves.  Sarah was fascinated by her and peppered her with questions, which she answered adroitly.  She was the best elf ambassador I've ever met.

We once again ventured afield (Ashfield, that is) to get our Christmas tree from a farm that practices sustainable harvest by cutting the trees high on the trunk, leaving the stump to grow new "babies."  It's a great idea, but it results in a dense stand, and it's hard to tell where one "tree" ends and another begins.  We found two nice specimens (one for my mom), but I'm not sure we'll go back next year.

Sarah took charge of the tree decorating this year, unwrapping the ornaments and segregating them into piles for her, Don, and me to hang on the tree.  The excitement of the season brings out her teeny-tiny control issues, but she was much more relaxed this year than in the past.

One of the nice things about living in a smaller house is that my Christmas decorations are less spread out, resulting in a much more festive presentation.  A virtual tour from the foyer to the dining room:

And Don's colorful outdoor display:

We visited Santa again, and Sarah even sat on his lap.  She was impressed that he knew Don's name and remembered bringing toys to him as a boy.  As we left, she remarked that Mrs. Claus looked different from last year, to which I replied, "I thought so, too; I think she's lost weight."

We stopped for dinner at the historic tavern at the foot of our hill afterward and were fortunate to listen to a string quintet playing Christmas carols as they enjoyed their meal.  When they saw Sarah's shirt, they sang "Deck the Halls" just for her.

Of course, there was cookie-making throughout the month.  Sarah is becoming quite skilled in this area.

Christmas Eve morning, we opened presents with Rachel and Matt via G**gle H*ngouts.  It worked great!  I can't believe we haven't done it before.  Sarah took to her new Sp*rograph set quickly.

That afternoon, we had our second-annual Tater Tot hotdish party with my mom and the Huntleys.  It's a nod to Don's Midwestern roots and a meal that the Huntleys enjoyed when they used to visit us in W*sconsin.  As Don says, "It's a full-meal deal."  Add some clam dip and Swedish sausage as appetizers and cookies for dessert, and you've got a spread that satisfies.

We attended church that evening, and it was a beautiful service, as always.  I couldn't believe how grown-up Sarah looked in her dress.  Since Don is now in the choir, we sat alone and enjoyed his singing.

We spent Christmas Day at home, another new tradition that I adore.  It wasn't as relaxing as I'd hoped, since the L*apPad that Santa brought Sarah (and that she's wanted for a long time) didn't work.  I spent much of the morning trying to fix it.  All I can say is, thank goodness for overseas call centers.  When I dialed the support number, I didn't expect an answer but was pleasantly surprised when a nice man with what I believe to be an Indian accent picked up on the first ring.  It wasn't a quick fix, but the blasted thing was finally working soon after lunch.

Sarah gave us some beautiful gifts she made herself (and took the first photo):

"Chippy the Chattermunk," a gift from Grandma and Grandpa, was a big hit.  It mimics what you say in a high-pitched chipmunk voice.  Funny (at least for a while).

Sarah received L*gos from her brother and sister.

And Nick did his best to fit into the box that held Sarah's story blocks.

The next day, we celebrated at my mom's.  Sarah had a great time with her family and particularly enjoyed pestering Uncle George.  (I think he liked it, too.)

Okay, after typing all of this out, having it disappear, and re-entering it, I'm declaring Christmas officially over!  I hope you had a good one.