Projects one by one getting done

I made gift tags out of some of the Christmas Cards.

Recycling at its finest.  Cut out whatever part of the card you can save and then fold it over.  I make my gift tags all different sizes…just because I am anal retentive and want to change things up a bit.  Years ago I would have measured them so they would  be exactly the same size.  I would not made use of the cards with glitter either years ago..too messy..this year I threw caution to the wind and had a bit of glitter all over the table and me.  You could punch holes for a bit of string or ribbon like in the olden days before sticky tags.

See all different sizes and some glitter too!

All the addresses were updated in my address book and in Far Guys data base for labels.  All the Christmas letters made it to the “library” and all the photos were marked with the year and put into a photo storage box.

I sent off my Altered Book for the book exchange and wrote cards and some notes to people who were heavy on my mind.  Another sympathy card was sent out too.

My Mother brought me a gift of four Shiny Brites or Shiny Brite relatives from a church sale.

The far one was made in Austria, the gold one was made by the Coby Glass Company, the pink one is an unknown and the blue one down front is a Shiny Brite.

This year I added two boxes of the new Retro Shiny Brites that are sold at Menards. I was there on a 50% off day..so it was two for one…so now I have one box of Retro Shiny Brites for each of my grandchildren.

Yes the Shiny Brite tree is still up.  I have really enjoyed it after Christmas this year.

I will begin the un-decorating soon.  It is quite a project. Every ornament has its place!

Christmas 2013

Leftovers, too many cookies, boxes to recycle and a few bent spoons mark another Christmas.

At one point daughter Jen announced all electronic devices would be turned off for awhile.  The children complied although several asked “What if I get a call?”

They survived.

After church on Christmas Eve we enjoyed a wonderful meal of smoked ribs (Andy smoked them in his smoker), cooked carrots, corn (frozen from last summer), baked beans and cornbread (Jen’s specialty).  Steve and Jo joined us and my parents stopped by later. Dessert was served: Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, Tiramisu Cheesecake, Pumpkin Bread, Cookies and Mexican Mud Balls. Uffda.

We played Quelf and then the Grandgirls requested SPOONS.  Spoons is played with a deck of cards, you put one less spoon than players in the center of the table, players are dealt four cards, the dealer picks up a card from the remaining deck looks at it and can switch it out to make four of a kind.  The cards the dealer doesn’t want are passed as fast as they can be around the table.  The first person to get four cards the same grabs a spoon, which is a signal to the rest of the players to grab a spoon, the person with out a spoon gets an S then a P etc… to spell SPOONS when you have spelled SPOONS you are out of the game.  I was forced out after my husband dived for a spoon across the table…Maddie sustained a sore toe and a scrape on her foot from a spoon fight.  One spoon was bent beyond recognition.  It was a loud and rousing game with lots of giggling and hollering.

The stockings were loaded before lights out.

Christmas morning breakfast was eggs, bacon, sausage patties, peach french toast and Far Guys famous caramel rolls.

Youngest to oldest.

Shortest to tallest.

After the stockings we exchanged a few gifts.  Then we did a “White Elephant” gift exchange which was great fun!

After everyone left for other gatherings we had a nap including Chance who was exhausted.

I am glad it is over.  More memories were made.