Lisa's Birthday & New Year's Eve

Despite hurting her back, Lisa was able to get up for a bit and celebrate her 28th birthday. We made grilled scallops and shrimp fettucini.

 You can tell from how she is sitting that she's hurting.

 No birthday cake for Lisa! No, she wanted lemon meringue pie. 

The next evening, Vanessa's parents joined us for New Year's Eve. Curt and Vanessa brought a game they'd gotten for their wedding called "Quelf."

It required you to do odd things like mummify your head until you rolled a four, for example.  

Curt was MORE than happy to mummify Sarah.

 Or wrap your head in a belt or tie as a headband and speak preacher-style. (This is Nancy, Vanessa's mom.)

 Craig had to walk backward 20 feet while balancing a book on his head.

 And Curt had to wear a bike helmet for part of the game. It was pretty silly, but a lot of fun!

December, 2010 was one of the snowiest on record - we had 19 inches of snow. I had my knee replaced December 1 and it was snowing as we went to the hospital. But it all suddenly melted away New Year's Eve. 

It was a little hard to watch Zeus' paw prints in the snow slowly disappear. As long as they were out there, it was as though he were still with us. I snapped a picture so I could remember what they looked like.

Bailey

Bailey is Sarah's dog. As a puppy, she was found abandoned in a farmer's field and taken to a rescue organization. Sarah and Todd adopted her, and they usually bring her along when they visit. I had to take some pictures of her as she enjoys the holidays with us.

 This was taken at Thanksgiving. She's getting a little sun on our stairs. (That does NOT look comfy to me!)

 Enjoying a good belly rub with Curt after opening gifts.

Snuggling up with Lisa who was asleep on the floor and had a very inviting, soft blanket just waiting for a pooch to enjoy.

More Christmas Fun!

Because our family was in and out during the holiday season, we had several gift openings.

 JC looks pleased with his gifts!

 Kyle's family opens presents while Todd looks on.

 The great-grandmothers wisely let the chaos swirl about them.

 Sarah with the bread cloth I made her.

Granny Slash brought Lisa an early birthday cake from O'Rears. Lisa said it was the prettiest one she had ever seen.

 Personally, I think Lisa is prettier than her cake!

 Yet another opening, this time with Curt and Vanessa.

Curt treats his stocking candy as though it were Halloween loot - dumping it out, sorting it, and then beginning the trading process.

I actually love having several gift openings - it keeps the holiday fun and excitement going.

Christmas, 2010

Christmas Day arrived with 4 inches of new snow on top of the 4-5 inches we already had. It was absolutely beautiful!

The day began later than I thought it would - Braden and Adelaide slept in until almost 9:00! That will probably be the last time Kyle and Ashley get to sleep that late on Christmas morning for a looooong time! 

But then signs of life began stirring upstairs. Lisa and Jessica waited on the couches on the overlook while Kyle got the cameras ready for filming.

Soon Braden and Addie popped out of their bedroom with their mom, and took a gander at what was waiting below.

Yes, Santa had definitely come!

As soon as everyone was downstairs, Craig read aloud the Christmas story in Luke 2 before opening gifts. And then it was time to shred some paper!!

 Craig said, "Who wants to open presents?" Expecting the kids to cry out "YES!!", I raised my hand and said, "MeMeMe!" to be funny. Braden promptly said, "Okay Grammy, here!" and went over and got me a present to open. Before he'd opened any of his!!

 Lisa and Jessica look at the breadcloths I embroidered for them. Years ago, Debbie Cassin made me one, and recently I overheard Sarah say she wanted mine some day. My goal was to make 6, but due to my surgery, I only got 3 done. Ashley, Emily, and Vanessa will get theirs as birthday gifts.

 Adelaide LOVED the baby doll Lisa picked out for Craig and me to give her.

And I loved the framed picture of our children from last Christmas that Craig got me.

 Pushing her baby in her stroller. Adelaide loved these two gifts so much that she was very slow in opening her other presents.

 Lisa, Curt, and Vanessa got Braden a golfing alligator game. Putt the ball into its mouth, and it shoots it back to you through its tail!

Kyle got Star Wars pancake molds (he makes pancakes every Saturday morning) and I got Star Wars cookie cutters!

 More family came later in the day for another gift exchange and Christmas dinner. We had 14 here (a far cry from the 25 at Thanksgiving!!)

 More gifts to unwrap.

 Granny Slash enjoys watching Jenny open pictures of her grandparents and great grandparents.

Lisa sits back and enjoys the moment.

Christmas Eve Festivities

Kyle and his family drove all night from Florida to join us, arriving around 9:30 AM December 24. While the family was tired, they managed to stay awake much of the day and participate in the family festivities. And Jessica had joined us the previous evening - since I had physical therapy in the late afternoon, Lisa drove to Indy and picked her up.

 A photo of all 16 Isenbarger stockings, "hung  by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there!" (Actually, the hook that is second from the right is empty - I haven't made Emily's stocking yet. I will have it done for her next year when she and Cole are with us.)

 I put several things on Braden and Adelaide's level so they could play with them. One was the singing Labrador retrievers that Kyle and Lisa got me shortly after we got Zeus. They sing and bark "Deck the Halls" and "Jingle Bells" at the push of a button. (And we have had a LOT of button pushing!)

Another were my two Nutcracker village pieces. I don't set up Christmas villages, but I did purchase these two pieces. The one has the Nutcracker, Clara, and the Mouse King dancing to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and the other, the exterior of the theater where the ballet is being performed,  just has flashing holiday lights.

 After Kyle's family had settled in a bit, I needed to begin making some things for Christmas dinner. Since I am only 3 weeks post-op, I tire very easily, and knew the sooner I got started, the better. Here Braden helps me begin making our traditional layered Christmas Jell-O. (I was able to modify the recipe for him so there were no milk products in the filling layer!)

 Then it was time to make cherry pies. I use my Grandmother Honeywell's recipe, which she got some time in the 1940s. At least 5 generations of our family have loved this pie. Braden seems to be using my rolling pin as a musical instrument, and Adelaide is wearing the apron made from fabric that my Grandmother Martin used to make an apron for my mother. Adelaide loved the apron so much, she refused to take it off until the very end of the day.

Adelaide and Braden work on making the cherry pie filling.

Braden is also wearing an apron, one I made from fabric that I used to make my Christmas tablecloth (the one I put on the dining room table every year.) Here he is helping me cut the shortening into the flour for the pie crust. (I always make scratch crusts.)

 Meanwhile, Kyle and Jessica serenaded us on the antique player piano, playing Charlie Brown's Christmas, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, and other Christmas rolls. 

They were playing and singing up such a storm that no one heard Granny Slash ringing the doorbell. She finally just came in through the door and surprised us. We joked about that for a while!

 Aunt Lisa made sugar cookies that were dairy free during the afternoon. A tradition (stemming from me getting behind and not getting the cookies made until the last minute many years ago) is to decorate sugar cookies Christmas Eve together. By this time in the evening, I was exhausted, so Lisa, Jessica, and Ashley got the cookies sorted, the frosting made, and the table prepped. (Notice that Addie STILL has on the apron! And, she's grabbed a cookie and is munching on it!)

 Kyle was so busy photographing his family, that he almost didn't get to decorate! But we saved him a couple of cookies.

The final product - yummy!!

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Who could it be? It was 9:00 at night Christmas Eve! Aunt Jessie, Braden, and Addie puzzle over why someone would be at our door at such an odd time. After all, Santa comes down the chimney!

 Braden and Adelaide were encouraged to answer the door (notice Lisa slipping back into the house via the laundry room door.)

A mysterious box was left on the front porch, and it was addressed to Braden and Adelaide! It said it was from one of Santa's elves!

 Inside were brand new pajamas!

 Braden started changing right away, while Adelaide waited for a little help from her daddy.

 Aunt Lisa helps Braden button his new Thomas the Tank pjs.

Excited hugs after both kids are in their new pajamas.

A final Christmas Eve tradition - reading The Night Before Christmas and The Polar Express before putting out cookies for Santa.

Adults and children alike love to listen. I even read them on tape and sent them to my missionary sons!

Time for bed!