~~~ Christmas with the Family ~~~

Lots of smiling faces on cousins, aunts and uncles and of course, this grammie as we gathered to have our family Christmas together. What better occasion than the birth of Christ to celebrate with family!

Smiling faces and goofing around. Family!

This Christmas will be crowned the Christmas of the hats. My daughter crocheted each of the cousins a hat and they just loved them. They were seen all around the house all day long. Homemade IS best!

My son, daughter in law and grandson, in the kitchen!

Quiet everyone! Time for prayer and then we can eat! Thank you, Lord for this food, this famiy and for the safety of each of us there.

A spaghetti masterpiece!~

These two were so cute. Inseparable all day long!

My granddaughter thought she could hide from my camera! HA. No way!

Even the doll got hungry.

My brother and granddaughter looking over the scrapbook of last Christmas, the Christmas of the Snuggies!

Time to say good night!

Some threading fun for Sterling turned into adornment for great uncle Jerry and Papa.

The Impossible Picture!

What fun trying to get all the grandkids together for a picture! HAHAHA.... that is a frantic laugh by the way. :0 This is all minus Matthew, the youngest; he was sleeping.

Eyes forward everyone! click

Look at Grammy! Say "cheese."

Don't look at Sterling... we know he is crying... Alright... everybody smile!!!

:)

~*~ Merry Christmas ~*~

Day one of Christmas for the McFarlane family. Hmmm, today was not a normal holiday. lol Doug's dad didn't feel well, so he just popped in and said hi and went home. Several others were not able to come at the last minute.. ... so Doug, my daughter and granddaughter and I had a quiet brunch. But it was still nice... some one on one time. Ham, chilies rellenos, veggies, heavenly hash browns, fruit plate, pumpkin cake and egg nog coffee cake. All good. Kayden at 2 is quite the character. This year she caught on to the present side of Christmas! I am sure that she will expect to "stretch" it out next year over a couple of days also!


Doug's oldest son came down later in the day with his girlfriend and we had a great visit. So it was quiet but nice. Tomorrow will be a big day going over to P.A. to visit the kids and grandkids there! Christmas - Christ IS the reason for the season... He left all the glory and brilliance of heaven... He left His throne and became man to suffer and die for OUR sins.... the ultimate sacrifice. I am so thankful for that! And although I would like the "season" to be a simpler and less commercialized time, I am thankful that during the Christmas holidays, we come together in love and fellowship in ways that we don't always the rest of the year. This season is all about love, joy, forgiveness and love.

I feel like I faltered this season. I didn't complete the projects that I planned for Christmas. So disappointed in myself for that. I need to make a resolution this year - to get myself back to organization! :)

Something special that the holidays had for me was a family reunion on Facebook! I am back in contact with 4 cousins that I haven't seen in many years! HALLELUJAH! I am so looking forward to staying in contact with them and getting to know them! Our God is such an amazing and wonderful God.