You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Christmas’ tag.
“I just think that giving a child a chance and sharing what you have with a child is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, as well as a child.” Hillary Clinton
We arrived at my Son’s today.
I promised Chloe that we’d spend New Years with her, and have a fondue party. We did that last year at our home in Canada – she remembers it and wanted to do it again. Since we didn’t spend Christmas with them, we opened presents shortly after we arrived. I have to say that I think this particular present was perhaps the most special one I’ve received this year. Her Mommy said that she did this all herself . . . no prompting from her at all. She wrapped a sheet of stickers in kleenex, taped it up with more stickers, and wrote Grandma Beth on it. I love it!
Truly from the heart.
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“Even when freshly washed and relieved of all obvious confections, children tend to be sticky.” Fran Lebowitz
And Sticky she is!
We decorated Christmas cookies which, of course, ended up more on her than in her. I love the look in her eyes as she’s licking the frosting and sprinkles from her fingers. It would be very interesting to crawl inside her little head and see the world through her eyes.
And she loved bath time as much as she did decorating the cookies . . .
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“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” Burton Hillis
This is baby girl’s second Christmas . . . she still doesn’t quite get what is going on but it sure was special for us to be here to experience her joy in “her party”. She loved opening “her presents”. She didn’t wake up until 8am . . . and even then was only interested in watching Dora on my iPad snuggled in bed with Papa G and YaYa. By time Daddy and Mommy were up and moving around . . . we checked out stockings. As per our tradition, we had our traditional Christmas Breakfast of Hungarian Bubble Ring, scrambled eggs and bacon before opening the regular presents. I took this shot after all the presents had been opened, in the midst of the chaos. She was more excited to rip the paper off the packages than she was in what was inside.
So cute, and so much fun!
The amazing thing about this shot is that both she and her Daddy are smiling . . . and at the same time!
347-365
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Charles Caleb Colton
I love this shot.
We got Ella all dressed up to go around to the neighbors delivering Christmas goodies. When we got back from charming everyone completely, I had to get a few shots of her all dressed up. She was fine at first, but then wanted my nice expensive camera to play with. I found my little point and shoot for her instead . . . and this is the result!
Not only is this a DNA shot, but she is completely imitating what I am doing as I am shooting her! Every time she pressed the button to take another picture, she would look at the screen and say “Perfect!”
How much more adorable can you get than that???
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“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” Charles Dickens
Merry Christmas to One and All!
We’re back in the Bay Area for Christmas with our family. Not much to write today as we are are trying to get organized for Christmas, and suffering from jet lag!
Wishes for wonderful celebrations with family and friends . . .
345-365
“We make the world we live in and shape our own environment.” Orison Swett Marden
And . . . today is our last day in this gorgeous paradise.
It’s been a wonderful adventure for us, with lots of new discoveries, visits to old haunts, and just plain relaxation and kickin’ it! Tomorrow morning early we head back to San Francisco Bay area for Christmas with family. I think I’m ready. The only reason I could stay longer at this point is if family could join us. That’s not possible, so we will go to them. Because there is nothing more important to me than my family. It will be a magical Christmas this year with our little 2 year old Grand Daughter. How can I possibly miss that??
I can’t and I won’t!
343-365
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” Norman Vincent Peale
I did NOT know that Christmas became a National Holiday in the America on June 26, 1870. After doing a bit of research to confirm this, I’ve discovered that Ulysses S. Grant is responsible for declaring the 25th day of December an National Holiday to celebrate Christmas. I’m trying to find out when it was declared a National Holiday in Canada . . . but not having much luck there. I would imagine it was some time after the US instituted it.
Just interesting tid bits of information to get your Holiday Season started . . .
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“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” Calvin Coolidge
Black Friday. Everyone goes shopping on Black Friday! Well, everyone except us! I won’t be caught anywhere near a shopping mall between now and the New Year! The frenzy and madness are just too much . . . Christmas is not about the best gift I can buy for someone . . . it’s about the love and caring and sharing of spirit between you and the people you love. We’ve just become a society too caught up in commercialism . . . and have forgotten what it is to give from the heart. Today we spent time with family at a local “farm” that was a pumpkin patch and corn maze just a month ago, but is now decked out for Christmas with snow slides, horse rides, and many other fun activities for families to enjoy. The snow is all machine made because it really doesn’t snow here in the Central Valley of California.
That doesn’t matter though – because the spirit of Christmas is in our souls, not in our surroundings. If we are lucky, we carry that spirit with us all year round. We just celebrate it more at Christmas. I’m not a religious person, so I put this all in a context of the goodness that each and every one of us has the potential to share with one another. It’s all about choice . . . and maybe, just maybe – the goodness and loving spirit that I share with everyone I cross paths with has a positive ripple effect on the very fabric of human kind.
That’s my hope anyway.
Let the Christmas Season Begin!
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Nurture Self 365 