In His Steps

After New Year's my mom and my brother visited us for a slightly late Christmas. It was so nice seeing both of them and letting my brother see a white, snowy Christmas. Of course one of the first things we did with my brother, who stayed at our house while my mom stayed with my sister, was build a snowman! First snowman built since we've bought the house. He got a celery nose because we had no carrots. Spousal Unit after building it. My brother Kyle! He's wearing my coat but it looked better on him anyway. I thought it looked like a cheering sports fan. This was right before my brother grabbed some snow and threw it at me, lol. We were snowed in a lot, unfortunately, but we did get to hang out at my sister's and pet her kitty, Leia, who Mom and Kyle missed. Leia is unimpressed. A blurry shot of Mom beaming, but every time I went to get a smile shot, it was blurry and then followed by a clear shot of her 's...

This Christmas I decided to make a small toy for my friend Aubree and her son, Ollie. I've never made one of these before, so meet my first reversible toy . Final frog side. Final turtle side. Here you can see how it works.

Christmas was on a Sunday this year, so we got up and got ready for church first thing. It was nice to be all pretty but it was still way too early to be up on Christmas Day, heh. Lookin' sharp! Couple shot! It snowed the day before, so we had a beautiful white Christmas. After pictures, we all promptly got back into pajamas because duh and started opening our stockings and presents! El joined us this year. My sister's stocking--she had to work so she got this later. I did some baking, eheh... banana bread! Rocky road fudge! And my basic quick fudge that Douglas can't seem to get enough of. Lunch was our usual crackers, summer sausage, and special cheeses like we do every year. I love it. It makes the day so calm and soothing. We all passed out and took naps after this.

Way back in 2008, I started crocheting a scarf for my mother. This was before I learned to knit and had a phone with a working camera. I gave it to her for Christmas, never took a picture of it, and because it was in California, she didn't have much opportunity to wear it, but this year in the beginning of January, she and my brother visited my sister and I! It was icy and cold and snowing... so she brought it! Mom also left it by accident when she went home, so I grabbed it and finally, almost ten years later, I took a picture of it! I loved working with the yarn and it kept her nice and warm. Here's the Ravelry page link .

Christmas Eve was at Spousal Unit's parents' home again, and I just love the dinner and devotional tradition they have. It truly reminds one of the season and the love to be shared. It's a time to celebrate Christ and his Atonement, his birth and all the wonderful things that happened because of it.

So this year, I received a present from my good friend Chynna. She painted Khorae for me! I love it so much, so very very much. So please meet once again: Khorae, my now chibi D&D sorcerer in Waterdeep.

So the day before Christmas Eve we all got a surprise visit from Douglas' adorable kids! They stayed the night and we were able to give them presents and hugs. Claire and Mace helped us plant our garden back in June, so we were showing them the one remaining fruit--er, squash--of their labor. It was Patty Pumkin.