IT'S OVER!!!!

The hustle and bustle is over, thank goodness. I started cooking our tradional Christmas foods nearly a month ago. The freezers were chock a block full and ready for the Christmas feast. When the family gathers to exchange presents I think that the most important thing we do is "break bread" together. To me, the showing of love and caring for one another, during the sharing of food, is the most significant time of the season. This year the tree was downstairs in the family room and that is where everyone put their presents to exchange.
What a heap of stuff! Most of the presents were inexpensive and many were so funny we laughed ourselves silly. One of the guys got a plastic alligator that snapped its jaws at everyone.

My grandson Richard standing, on the sofa Paul and Vicki (grand-daughter and husband ) and Sheri, Richards wife. Sitting in the plaid shirt their daughter Lisa and in the foreground their daughter Brandy. Guess who is in the middle of things - why it's Miss Eloise!

I normally would not show presents but these bottle containers are so cute I couldn't resist. They each came with a bottle of wine inside.

This is my daughter Joan talking a mile a minute as she opens a small box.

Sorry, I didn't get a picture of my great grand-daughter Danyel. She received a laptop since she is planning to go away to college next fall.

All in all. it was a great day. So nice to have the whole family together. We live fairly close to each other except for Vicki and her husband. We only get to see them a couple of times a year so it is special when they can some.

Now that the day has passed I am planning on having some quiet time to finish a good book I am reading and to get some hooking done. I am anxious to finish the rug I started this fall with Cynthia Norwood. The background in this rug is so beautiful that I can't wait to see the finished product.

Enough snow has melted that I have taken the barricades off of the deck and Eloise is again able to get out in the yard for a good run. Being short poses a problem when the snow is deep.

I am looking to 2010 as a new beginning. Hopefully the world will find some peace and while I don't expect great prosperity I do hope that things will ease up for those in need. With best wishes for a happy, healthy new year, I look foreward to seeing all of you soon.

Doris