Christmas Day

We had a car full of gifts as we headed north to Bill's sister's on Christmas morning.  We had gotten snow a couple of days before so had a White Christmas here, but it was brown in Blue Earth.  Nice to have good weather to drive in this year.

There is always a spread when we arrive of cookies that Karen and the kids get at their church's cookie walk and shrimp that we snack on until brunch is ready.

Karen likes to make baked caramel French toast and breakfast casseroles that can be made the day before and then baked the day of.  Always good.  She also had ham.

After lunch the kids opened their gifts.  We wrap everything we get them separately and this year made them take turns and open one thing at a time so everyone could see what everybody got.  Made it last longer too.


 

Then we did the adult gift exchange.  We just buy something worth $25 that can be for a man or woman.  We draw cards for the order that we get to pick a gift, then can steal, then open, then can steal again.  I put these elf shorts in with mine. They were a hit.

Here are some more pictures from the fun day and a family picture.

Jim

niece, Ryanne

niece, Taylor in the hat Memaw gave her

Our church service before Christmas and the Christmas Eve service were both especially nice this year.  We hope all of you had a nice Christmas season this year!

Povitica

I was in Costco in Des Moines on Thurs. and there was a table filled with loaf sized boxes covered with pictures of strawberries and lots of people gathered around sampling something.  It turned out to be Povitica which we had just learned about last Thanksgiving when Peggy and Bill were at Bill's brother, Jim's, in Kansas City for Thanksgiving.  This Povitica is made in the Strawberry Hill community in Kansas City.  Costco was only going to have it for a short time at Christmas this year. 

I remembered that Bill and his mom had come home with a brochure showing this really neat looking bread that Bill said was good.  So I sampled the four flavors they had at Costco and bought an apple one.  They make English Walnut, Apple Cinnamon, Poppy Seed, Raisin Walnut, Cream Cheese, Strawberry Cream Cheese, Choc. Chip Cream Cheese, Cranberry Walnut, Blueberry Cream Cheese, Cokolada (Chocolate) and Pumpkin Spice.  We won't buy any more, but it was a fun thing to see, learn about and try.  Here is what the brochure says about it:

Pronounced Po-va-teet-sa, this traditional Eastern European "swirled bread" is handmade using our grandmother's old-world recipe.  We roll sweet dough into a thin "skin", cover it with layers of scrumptious fillings, hand roll into luscious loaves and bake to perfection.  In 1984, our father founded the company in Kansas City's tiny Strawberry Hill community.  He honored our family's traditions and his mother's passion by sharing her beloved Povitica with the world.

They have a web site:  Povitica.com

Brown Christmas??

I guess there is a saying here that if you have a white Thanksgiving you'll have a brown Christmas.  So far we're having a brown December, but I'm still hoping it turns white!  

The Fire Dept. Christmas Party/Dinner is over, the girls and I have been on the sleigh ride, went to the German meal, the cookie walk, Christmas lunch with friends, our overnight trip to Des Moines for Christmas shopping and a Stampin' Up! Catalog Premier Party, Christmas P.E.O. social, to Des Moines again with a friend to her dr. appointment and shopping, made Spritz cookies with the girls and went to see Santa with them, and the wrapping is done.  Kind of winding down now for a few days till the big day!  The only thing I haven't even started and may not do this year is cards.  Since it's almost too late to mail, maybe I should make them this week to be ready for next year!  It would be fun to do them leisurely this week and a good feeling to have them ready for next year.  (and maybe even get to send them out Early!)  

Today I'm going to try a recipe for making chex party mix in the crock pot and a new recipe for some Red Velvet Cookies that will go to church tomorrow for a special party after church for the kids.   I made some toffee and blizzard party mix to give to friends and had a full recipe of caramels flop.    Will be making caramels again this weekend as it's a Kemna favorite.  I think? I may have posted pictures and the recipe another year.  Yesterday I got a recipe of buckeyes dipped in chocolate and mailed to Indiana for Mom, Glenn, Rob, Ross & Reed along with their gifts.  They'll arrive Mon. - perfect.

LOVED getting to do this!!  Hope Santa brings Camry her "locker book" (diary)!

the yummy Black Forest Cake at the German meal in Humboldt

the Blizzard Party Mix pkgd. for friends

hand stamped tag, of course!

the girls at the light display in Dakota City after the sleigh ride

thanks to Uncle Tim's suggestion, we put lights on Rob's tree this year - love it!  We moved this tree here that Rob planted at their house several years ago.

 

Making Christmas Memories

Long time, no blog posts.  Keeping busy!  This weekend we had our great nieces for a Fri. overnight and Sat. while their mom worked.  I tried to cram in lots of Christmas memory making while they were here.  Probably won't have them again before Christmas

First on the agenda was the traditional sleigh ride in Dakota City to see Christmas lights.  Lacey and I have gone 2 or 3 times and decided that this year Camry was old enough to go too.  Merlin, the guy that does the BIG light display, is 85 this year, so glad we got to do this again.  Never know when it will be his last year.  He says it took 58 days to get all the lights and things out.  We had a MUCH warmer ride this year!  Camry liked the clop, clop of the horses and their jingle bells. 

bundled up ready to go!

view from the sleigh ride on the trail below the hill on the back of the house

what a view from the top deck of Merlin's house!

gift card holders

Lacey and I made some gift card holders for her mom to use and I needed a few.  Camry was working on a birthday card.  She had a birthday party to go to.

making gift card holders

                             making spritz cookies - tried all the shapes 

We ended the day with a tea party - actually with hot chocolate and our cookies.

We're having foggy, misty weather this month instead of our usual sun, cold and snow.  Today it's in the mid 50's so I'm going to walk outside with a friend this afternoon.