~ Christmas

Finally... the house was quiet, the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

and in our house, we leave See's candy for Santa 

(that's how you get the good stuff...)

Santa leaves a few presents unwrapped, so that Mom and Dad can lay in bed and listen to the quiet exclamations and wonderment for a few minutes... 

Calvin got enough science and experiment stuff to appease his "mad scientist" thirst for quite a while...

Santa let me use my new camera a little early...

(Canon T1i)

Ostensibly the Ovation acoustic/electric guitar is for Caleb...

(but REALLY it's for Tamara...)

Kiziah's sewing itch can finally be scratched...

and music will fill the house... someday!

(messing with lighting... truer colors above, more lifelike below)

all ready for Santa

and remembering why we have Christmas... 

(we always read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve)

and then... Christmas morning! O! the squeals of glee...

I should explain... this was a gift from Jonathan to me: "The French Chef" by Julia Child, and a very sweet poem Jonathan wrote, pledging to cook me one meal a month (of my choosing) from that cookbook!

Somehow giving him a toilet doesn't quite compare.

Yes, a toilet.

He HATED our old one. We lived with it for seven years. So I had a really cool new one installed the day before Christmas, while he was on call. He ended up not having any patients at ALL that night, so he actually got to come home... and I blustered and fretted and dragged heavy things around in the bedroom and finally said he could come in, but not in the bathroom. So yes, on Christmas morning he got the royal surprise of a new throne! It even has the seat and lid that close slowly and quietly. I know, I know... but he loves it!

My two favorites (besides the great poem/cooking gift) were my new custom-braided mecate reins (that match my little buckskin mare) and my Buck Brannaman ranch roping video. 

The boys wasted no time in attacking each other once all the presents were open, and battle ensued while I made gourmet Belgian waffles with raspberries, and green-chile/cheese/egg puff. 

Grandma spent the night here Christmas Eve, so she could be here for Christmas morning, as always. 

Merry Christmas to all!