Ode to Christmas Lights, part two

Oh Christmas lights, why do you insist on hanging on for so long?

I thought you got the hint last year.

I dissed your green cords.

I dissed your dim bulbs.

In all honesty, I did like the homey light that you shed during the holidays.

You certainly made it easy for folks to find our home at our Christmas party.

Yes, I know that it has rained often since the new year.

Yes, I know that it is dangerous to get the ladder out when it is muddy.

But it is time for your to find your way back into the Christmas stuff. 

Like I said last year, how can we miss you if you won't go away?

The Four-legged Child

 Christmas is a very happy time at our home, but Christmas gift exchange time

 ramps up the excitement and volume.

Peaches gets as excited as my two-legged kids when it comes to opening Christmas gifts.

Since she doesn't have opposable thumbs she relies on Allison to help her.

But once they are out of the wrapping it's game on!

Most of the pictures I have of her during the minute or two after opening her gift 

were just blurs of white and brown fur.  

Like this...

and this.  

Then she very patiently sits while everyone finishes opening their gifts, hoping that there might be something else tucked away for her.  

I wonder how long it will be before the Puppetmaster strikes again.  

Mmmmm, Bacon...and Chocolate

 It seems that Santa has a bit of a sense of humor.

Ben, aka Bacon Boy, loves bacon more than just about anyone I know with one exception. 

(I'm looking at you cousin Sam!)

He also loves chocolate.

But sometimes two good things don't necessarily go together well.

Enter: a large bar of Bacon-infused Chocolate.

It was kind of nasty.  

It had bacon bits in it so it had these gritty, greasy, almost jerky-tasting crunchy bits in it 

that gave the whole thing a weird texture.

He offered us all some of his chocolate (a rare occurrence) and kept eating bites of it in between professing it to be disgusting.

Does this look like someone enjoying their candy?  

I think not.  

I think he might have been thinking to himself, 

"It's chocolate.  It's bacon.  If I keep eating it it will have to get better, right?"

BTW, this morning the remainder of the chocolate/bacon bar was on the kitchen counter 

with a note asking folks to help themselves.

He has moved on to his more conventional Christmas candy now.  

I have to admit it was good for a laugh or two. 

The Christmas Eve services at our church last night were really special.

Beautiful message, beautiful music, candlelight, 

and the most beautifully decorated church.

Once again the flower guild outdid themselves.  

The church has been beautiful all of December but they stepped up 

the arrangements for Christmas Eve.

The Amaryllis that were just buds on stalks a few weeks ago are now in full bloom.

All of the arrangements were enhanced for Christmas Eve with the addition of red roses.

The apple wreaths had sprays of red berries added to them too.  

It was a lovely night in a most beautiful setting.

Any Excuse for a Party!

We here at the Peter's Ranch look for any excuse to throw a party.

This year's Christmas party was an open house - we started early and ended late 

so that folks could come and stay as long as they liked 

and still make their other Christmas obligations.  

Tis the season for holiday parties.

I wanted our guests to bring medications for our upcoming Uganda mission trip 

so I didn't ask anyone to bring goodies to share.  

We had plenty of food.

Plenty!

On the breakfast table we had buffalo chicken dip, artichoke dip, pico de gallo, 

guacamole, bleu cheese tartlets, two different cheeseballs, bacon-wrapped dates 

(oh my goodness, these are good) and ham rolls.

On the dining room table there was veggies and dip, barbeque meatballs, 

relish tray, three kinds of cookies, fudge, pralines, Mom's pumpkin bread 

and fruitcake, fresh apple cake, and cheesecake with sweet cranberry topping.

In the decanter is friend Chantell's fresh-squeezed Presbyterian Punch.

Yep, that's the name.

It is to die for!

(especially with a splash of vodka - Presbyterians don't mind.)

Speaking of adult beverages, we went through many bottles of wine.

Many.  Lots.  I got many new labels and corks from this party.

BTW, this is the family room Christmas tree.  

I love the old fashioned tinsel.  It makes the tree sparkle and it reminds 

me of my childhood Christmas trees.  

And as usual, there were friends congregating in the kitchen.

Friends in the dining room.

Friends in the family room. 

Even friends in the laundry room!  

To be honest, the bar was set up in this room.  

There was a steady flow through this room.  Just saying.  

I also had some Apparent Project jewelry for sale in here.

For those last minute gift needs. 

Hey, I am a full-service party hostess.

All of the girlfriends were under one roof!  

This is quite an accomplishment these days.  

We are all so busy.  

Now we have photographic evidence that this actually happened.

As much fun as the evening was, this was the best part!  

My generous friends brought so much acetaminophen, ibuprophen, 

and Tums, and vitamins for our Uganda trip.  

This was a huge help.  

Partying is always more fun when there is a good cause to support.  

Thanks friends!

The Ugly Side of Christmas Decorating

This stack of boxes makes me tired.

These are the boxes of Christmas decorations that we just pulled down out of the attic.

I will love it when these boxes are empty and my home is decorated.  

I usually decorate on Thanksgiving weekend or during the week after Thanksgiving.  

Is it weird that I am feeling like I am running behind because it is the first weekend of December and my home isn't decorated?

The Beginning of Advent

This past Sunday marked the beginning of Advent.

Our family is participating by reading advent devotionals together as a family as 

we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his triumphant return.  

The first Sunday's candle, the candle of Hope, commemorates the prophets 

who renew our faith and remind us of what God wants us to be.  

"The people who walked in the darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined... For a child has been born to us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  Isaiah 9:2,6

Ode To Our Christmas Lights

Oh, lovely twinkling Christmas lights

How I loved you over the Christmas season. 

You made our New Year's Eve sparkle.

You even illuminated lovely icicles during our winter thaws.

But how will we miss you if you won't go? 

Your (less than lovely) green cords don't make me happy.

Your dim bulbs don't add to the esthetic of our home. 

We rock the redneck look fine without you.

You need to go.

Plant Slayer!

Over the holidays I received two very lovely poinsettia plants as hostess gifts.  Little did my well-meaning friends know that they had commited a travesty in the plant world.  They were sentencing these innocent, colorful specimens to certain death.  I am known far and wide as a plant slayer.  Nothing escapes my cholorophyl-strangling grasp. 

Well, that was until these lovelies came along.  These things just won't die!  They love the filtered light and cooler temps in my laundry room.  They don't mind sharing the space with our dog and all of our coats and shoes. 

At this rate I think I am going to have to start calling them my Valentine's poinsettias. 

Time to start taking down the Christmas decorations

Knowing myself pretty well, I can warn you up front that from time to time I will feel unencumbered to give out unsolicited advice.  Be forewarned! :) 

In an attempt to not have to reinvent the wheel every year, about 5 years ago I started taking pictures of my home after I finished decorating it for Christmas.  My thought being that by taking pictures that I could refer to when it was time to drag everything out again I would help jog my memory and speed up the amount of time I spent getting everything in just the right place.  It has served that purpose well, but more importantly is that I have started to establish a pictorial history of our home at Christmas time.  I can see glimpses of evolving home projects over the years, home decorating do and don'ts, and catch kids and pets unaware.  I love reviewing these pictures.  So, my unsolicited advice for today:  go around and take pictures of your home decorated before you begin the dismantling process.  Digital pics are practically free, you don't have to print them off, and it is another way to document a slice of you family life.