Picture with Santa

We visited the same Santa again this year.  We just love this Santa!  He is the one that was a missionary in China so he speaks Chinese and some Cantonese.    Since Elisabeth has been taking Chinese language lessons she was able to tell him Merry Christmas in Chinese this year.  Sheng Dan Kuai Le!

Christmas Tree Adventures

The weekend after Thanksgiving we traveled to the Boone/Blowing Rock area and cut down our Christmas Tree.  We love doing it and the kids especially love it.  There's nothing like the smell of a fresh Fraser Fir in your house at Christmas time.   It was a mild weekend and even border line hot when we got the tree this year.  Kind of weird picking out a tree when it is so warm!  It is a VERY tall tree and looks even taller when it isn't on the hill in the middle of the mountains out in the wide open yonder.   We had to get out the big tall ladder to decorate the top and even then we couldn't reach it very well.   I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas season and taking time out to remember what it's really all about (and I don't mean Santa)   :)

 I love fudge!!

 Wow!  That's a tall tree!

 What Fir Christmas Tree Farm in Boone, NC

 Yep....that's our tree.  It's taller than the 10' pole.  Oh my.

 The tree was so big and heavy they had to pull it through the machine with their car. 

Love a good Christmas hayride

90th Birthday

 John's Grandmother, Louise, celebrating her 90th birthday at our house

 Susan, Rick, Ansley, Elisabeth and Porter

 Jan and Rick

Ron and Rick

Time to open gifts!

Anna and cute little Porter

Family photo

A few days after Thanksgiving we celebrated John's Grandmother's 90th birthday.  All 3 of her kids came to our house and surprised her as well as one of her granddaughters (and her husband) and her great grandson.  We had a good time eating barbeque from Jim and Nicks (YUM!) and spending time with each other while celebrating Louise's birthday.