We spent Thanksgiving with Mom and Jack (Cheryl's) at their home in Gilmer. It is the perfect Thanksgiving setting! Benjamin came and also our lifelong friend since OBU days, Dan Baiz. We had a wonderful and relaxing day. After a lovely, FILLING dinner, (and a NAP!) Dan, Benjamin, and Jack went fishing in their lake, the focal point of their property. Dan had never gone fishing before. We were SHOCKED! He came really close to catching something too! A fisherman always says that, right?
Mom with our Sasha
The Fishermen!
CHRISTMAS EVE
CHRISTMAS EVE
We had cheese fondue and added CHOCOLATE fondue for dessert this year. We always had fondue for Christmas Eve when the boys were growing up, but hadn't done it in awhile. Irby wanted to go back to that tradition this year, and we're glad we did. We added a couple of new twists to our old recipes! We had a wonderful evening playing Royal Rummy after dinner. Dan Baiz beat us all...not just a little bit either...BADLY! We were all wondering, "Like, who invited HIM?!?!" LOL!! Better explain the gold paper crowns...for many years, our family tradition has been to open English "Crackers" on Christmas Eve. They are becoming more available, but they used to be very hard to find. When you "crack" them open, they POP! Inside each cracker is a hat, a small toy, and a written joke. We always have fun sharing ours around the table. One year, Mom found musical crackers. Inside our crackers, we each had small harmonica-type instrument and a musical score to play together!
CHRISTMAS DAY
One gift which surprised Benjamin was Waterford crystal champagne flutes. He admired them while we were touring the factory in Waterford, Ireland, last June, and we bought them under his nose without him knowing it!! (Don't you love it when that works out?)
Irby got a photograph that he admired last summer when we were in Seattle for our 33rd anniversary. We met the photographer at Pike's Market, and I took his info for "future reference." Tee-hee!
Mattie loves the new house and all the room she has to run and play, inside and out. She makes a circle of the house, runs up the stairs, across the balcony, into the office, and back downstairs. Then she's tuckered out. She's such entertainment!
Mattie loves the new house and all the room she has to run and play, inside and out. She makes a circle of the house, runs up the stairs, across the balcony, into the office, and back downstairs. Then she's tuckered out. She's such entertainment!
Not sure why we have no pictures of Mom and Jack Christmas morning. :-( Mom was the first to say, "Christmas Gift!" this year a little after midnight when we were still playing "Royal Rummy." She about scared Dan Baiz to death when she yelled it out because he doesn't know my grandmother's tradition! Mom is usually the one who remembers it first! I anticipated it this year and actually had a "Christmas Gift" gift for her!!
This is the annual cousin picture by the Cox grandparents' tree. Aren't these two great? For the entire year we looked forward to having our kids here for Christmas 2008 and for all five of the Cox cousins to get to be together as well, but we learned a couple days before Christmas that it wasn't going to happen. Of course, we're so grateful that Amy and Benjamin WERE with us! And we're EXTREMELY grateful for our six parents. They are true gifts for Christmas. We are privileged and blessed to be able to spend time with them and are further blessed to be able to continue to rely on their wisdom and influence. This year particularly, we are aware that every day we spend with them, literally every moment, is an irreplacable gift.
This is the annual cousin picture by the Cox grandparents' tree. Aren't these two great? For the entire year we looked forward to having our kids here for Christmas 2008 and for all five of the Cox cousins to get to be together as well, but we learned a couple days before Christmas that it wasn't going to happen. Of course, we're so grateful that Amy and Benjamin WERE with us! And we're EXTREMELY grateful for our six parents. They are true gifts for Christmas. We are privileged and blessed to be able to spend time with them and are further blessed to be able to continue to rely on their wisdom and influence. This year particularly, we are aware that every day we spend with them, literally every moment, is an irreplacable gift.
OK, this was a shocker! Irby brought OJ, red wine, and cranberries to make a sauce for the pork. Da wanted to try the wine!!!! Mana turned her nose up at him!! :-) He didn't sip it; he chugged it! He's always a surprise!!
The family gave Mana and Da tickets for us to go together to see "Mary Poppins."
John has a Western Christmas tree all his own, and Irby found his brother a Western stocking to he put his gifts in. John and Alice will be going to the Comedy Club in Ft. Worth soon!
John has a Western Christmas tree all his own, and Irby found his brother a Western stocking to he put his gifts in. John and Alice will be going to the Comedy Club in Ft. Worth soon!
Sweet Amy, our niece-daughter, received tickets to "CATS." Her "cousin-date" will be Benjamin, and Irby and I are "doubling" with them! None of us have seen it!
This hasn't been done before, but John started a tradition of a "brother gift." The cup has snow and a snowman on it with the words, "SLUSH HAPPENS!" On several levels, it was very appropriate this year!!! This gift received BIG laughs!!!
1 comment:
Great blog! I loved the picture of Da--that could be used for blackmail some day!! I must drink from one of Irby's new mugs--they were a perfect gift this year!
Pictures look great. Sure wish I could work with my blog and get it to look that good.!
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