The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis
Christmas Day has come and gone. The day has passed, but the reason we celebrate will live on in our hearts not only during this season, but all through the new year!
It is true that there are many blessings in disguise, and the ice storm in our area I think has been on of them. We've had power outages, very near car accidents and the inconvenience of not being able to get to town. Yet, when we put all these small irritations aside, we can find so many treasures that we have despite the weather and we realize how much we really have and how grateful we ought to be.
Our small, trivial problems and pains in no way compare with the humiliation that our Lord endured whilst here on this earth. And yet, He emptied Himself of all but love and came to be our spotless sacrifice. What a joyous occasion we celebrate! Without Him, we would have no reason to hope, to love. Because of Him we have so many reasons to live. As the captain says in Wall-e, our desire should not be to survive, but to live. May this new year find us learning from our past with our eyes ever fixed on the love of our Lord, seeking His face and doing His work!
It is true that there are many blessings in disguise, and the ice storm in our area I think has been on of them. We've had power outages, very near car accidents and the inconvenience of not being able to get to town. Yet, when we put all these small irritations aside, we can find so many treasures that we have despite the weather and we realize how much we really have and how grateful we ought to be.
Our small, trivial problems and pains in no way compare with the humiliation that our Lord endured whilst here on this earth. And yet, He emptied Himself of all but love and came to be our spotless sacrifice. What a joyous occasion we celebrate! Without Him, we would have no reason to hope, to love. Because of Him we have so many reasons to live. As the captain says in Wall-e, our desire should not be to survive, but to live. May this new year find us learning from our past with our eyes ever fixed on the love of our Lord, seeking His face and doing His work!
Hummus and veggies.
While looking awfully short, Jessica is finishing up some appetizers for Christmas Eve dinner.
A festive centerpiece.
He has a spring in his step and light in his eyes.
Uncle and Nephew...best buds.
Every baby needs a lap. ~Henry Robin
Auntie Em resting with dad before our Advent reading.
Healthy snacks!
A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away.
~Eva Logue
Lighting candles.
Even Joshua sang with us!
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...expect for those who were wrapping presents and talking and taking pictures...
Scissors by Mel.
But the coming of Christ and his presence among us—as one of us—give us reason to live in hope: that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices, that we are never alone or abandoned. ~ Edward Hays
This year, William was extremely irritated if every little bit of paper didn't come off of the box...hopefully he'll outgrow this before next year. ;)
Awww...a new Christmas outfit from Grandma Betty!
Dad was thrilled to find a Cribbage board in the blue box...complete with his name etched into the wood!
"Oh....thank you...what is it?" :)
The second book in the new Douglas Bond series!
Happy Auntie Em with her new baby sling.
A fascinating book to inspire more frequent uses of our telescope.
It looks like that coffee cup covered Shakespeare quotes was the perfect gift for Jess!
New pajamas must need a new picture...especially when such cute little girls are wearing them!
If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.Vincent van Gogh
"Would ya' get this silly hat off of me?"
"That's right, Joshua...say b-uuu-b-eeeee..."
Father and son...Brother-in-law and adorable nephew.
That's my little man...looking dapper like his dad!
Awwww...aren't they just darling?
"OH! You shouldn't have, Jessica!!"
Mom's new sweater.
My, but doesn't he look mighty dapper?
Oh, the detail on the handles of these servers is just exquisite!
What could it be?
A warm and squishy white lamb blanket! There's an adorable face on one corner and it matches my slippers...maybe William will let me use it...
The little girls love to help people open their gifts. :)
One foot, two foot, three foot, four...on the table not the floor... Okay, too many Dr. Suess books? ;)
Our Christmas breakfast feast.
Poor Dad has been battling a nasty flu-bug-thing. So we didn't mind when he found a comfortable place to rest in the early afternoon.
Yup, it sure is nice to have her back to handle the shrimp! :)
Mom prepares a fabulous Christmas dinner in her favorite cast iron pot.
Shrimp.
Dad's Cribbage board.
The inscription on the inside.
Big foot, little foot.
Reflections.
Devoted sisters sporting our new adorable aprons!
Reading the rules to a new game.
Christmas Dinner.
Merry Christmas from our home to yours! May your new year be filled with the joy, love hope and peace that come from our Savior alone!
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteOh, it looks like you had a lovely Christmas!
I just loved how you captured all of those expressions! What did your Christmas dinner consist of?!
Blessings,
Miss Jen
P.S.
Your aprons are so cute!! :)
Merry Christmas Tiffany!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderfully fun celebration :)
Wishing you all a very Happy and Blessed New-Year!
Love Jacqueline
Ah yes, and as soon as one sun sets, we can see the faint glimmer of the next lighting up a distant horizon. Perhaps it is just me, but time between Christmas' have been getting shorter...
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the crown jewels of the Christian faith. Our Leader, our King, our Lord, He has gone down the path of suffering before us, and suffered to the greatest degree imaginable. And yet, he emerged on the far side, triumphant and victorious. I am proud to be chosen to stand at His side, for only there is security.
I love that line of the Captain's, makes me cry every time... (Jess would understand.)
Next year, we should find you some red squash, to go with your green. 'twould be more seasonally festive...
I love the glinting of the lights behind Joshua in the "Healthy Snacks" photo, was that planned?
Cribbage is something foreign to me, and have not an idea what the board does. It is a game of some sort, right? Likely has absolutely nothing to do with cabbage...
What was it?
Do we get a closeup shot of the exquisite-ivity?
Oh no, there she goes again. Another "squishy"... *grin*
A cast iron pot! Now there is a cooking implement I do not have. It must certainly be the best way to simmer soups all day! Oh, I am salivating with the thought of a nice beef stew, slow simmered for hours....
Lovely aprons! Though I can't help but wonder, does Jess only spill from the waist down?
The silver and white! How gorgeous a table.
I think that beat your record for most photos in a post! 'Tis evident that your day was lovely, enjoyable, and family filled!
The whole Hector clan wishes you and yours a Happy New Year! May the glory of the Lord warm you, heart and soul.
BFH
Miss Jen,
ReplyDeleteWe had a beautiful Christmas day! I pray y’alls was just (if not even more) as lovely as ours! It was so nice to have our family all together all at one time. ☺ We always have a scrumptious feast for Christmas; so let me see if I can remember everything we had…
Seafood Bisque
Mini Sourdough Loaves
Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes
Beef Tenderloin
Sautéed Mushrooms in a wine reduction sauce
We were going to have Brussels Sprouts smothered in butter, but the grocery store we went to had maybe ten of them! We just might try to grow them this year. ☺ lol…looks like I’m starting some “New Year Resolutions!” ☺
Jacqueline,
Merry Christmas to you too, dear!!! We had a great time and it was definitely a Christmas that will carry fond memories down through the years! I really need to email you… ;) Give my love to your family!
Ben,
‘Twould appear that Jess understands…even though she doesn’t care for the movie. ☺
Red squash would be a perfect fit! If only we could find some…
The glinting lights behind Joshua were not planned at all! Actually, I didn’t notice it until you pointed it out! ☺ With lights everywhere and with as many windows as we have, we get plenty of glowing lights in our living room.
Cribbage was a foreign game to everybody in our home except for my dad. ☺ He learned to play from his mother and has wanted this game for quite some time. ☺ I haven’t tried my had at it yet, so maybe I’ll add that to my “New Year Resolutions” as well! ☺ Oh, and Daniel and Christa were given a Cribbage board, or log-thing as well! So, that’s what it was. ☺
Hmmm…I don’t have a close-up picture, but I might be able to get one. ☺ Hey! This time I used the word “squishy” I was referring to a blanket! ☺
My dad bought my mom a cast iron pot for her birthday this year. It was something she’d wanted, because no kitchen is complete unless it has a cast iron pot in its inventory! She’s put it to good use during these bitterly cold days.
Ummm…Jess actually pinches our aprons if they’re not in use because she was pretty sure she needed one. And then, last night, she spilled soup all over her outfit and her apron would have been a very gracious receiver of this mess if she’d only had it on. ☺ Anyhoo, when we saw this apron it seemed to shout her name and so we brought it home and bestowed it upon a very excited owner. ☺
Yes, I think you might be right. This post did have a large amount of pictures, but when one has over 500 to choose from, it does get hard. ☺ Happy New Year to all y’all!
Nice to hear from you, Tiffany!
ReplyDeleteI love the Christmas pictures.
Have a Blessed New Year!
~Amanda~
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete