All things holiday

Our traditions all changed once we retired to SnowbirdVille. Now we just have various friends over for dinner Christmas Eve, then take a ride to see all the lights, including all the luminaries up and down all the streets in our neighborhood. We do church on Christmas morning, then hang out and wait for calls from the kids & grandkids. We've always enjoyed being sort of quiet on holidays other than Thanksgiving. New Year's Eve is always spent at home with a nice dinner and some neighbors.

LOL, it does seem that way, Victor!!!

Traditions changed as family changed. I think the odds favor the DILS' families. We try to fit in when we can and Jeff's school schedule allows. Good thing I'm flexible.

So far it seems the neighborhood is more decorated than normal and some are really nice.

I noticed more lights this year, the warmer weather helped.

You're right, debi. I hung outside much longer putting more stuff out because it was so comfortable.

I noticed the same around my neighborhood. I debated whether I wanted to add more but kept telling myself it will be "cold" when it's time to take them down!!

I had thought the same thing in my town.

Many folks in town get their decorations up for the Sat. after Thanksgiving, because that's when our town celebrates "Light Up Thomaston"

Had not thought of the warm weather. Certainly possible.

'Midnight service' Christmas eve. My dad always put it as a necessary first. It doesn't matter to me what we do for the day. Menu here: roast beef & yourkshire pudding. veg. Plum pudding & hard sauce. May bo off the diet, but sorry traditional family meal would come first. One SIL likes the plum pudding but not the hard sauce; another the reverse. No family visiting it was easier when the Grand children didn't have other activities.

We will go to mass on Christmas eve.

I think the increased decorating may also be a sign of the times. Things seem so bad in almost every aspect of life these days that I think people dive into the Christmas season as an escape.

Warm weather didn't hurt either...even though hubby never got to the lights since he had bronchitis, then a cold, then the bronchitis came back

Flip- flopper!!

Hee hee

Took daughter to dr today, double ear infection

ouch! glad they can do things for them now. DH had mastoid operation when he was 4. No penicillin in those days.

Oh, Jen...the poor thing! That was always Garret's problem....had to have tubes several times.....

Oh, yeah, tubes. Been there with the twins. The only way I knew they had infections was that the tops of their ears turned red. Praying she feels better soon.

Those ear infections are terribly painful. Both kids used to get them. Whenever they spiked a fever, that was our first guess. Luckily, my wife could easily check their ears.

When David was little, he had to go to the doc for an ear infection, the doc introduced himself, and David said I know a doctor, Dr. Suess.

Cute!

Very cute!!!

LOL

Oooooh, Jen - poor little M....(with 2 d's).......my son had them terribly as well, had the tubes and the whole deal. Very painful! Tell her Bailey and Carli are sending her puppy kisses!

Debi - that is adorable!

So, here is Hank's decorated palm tree. The clump of palms near the house on the left have pretty balls hanging from them too, but it is hard to see them. Some Florida fun!! lol

Great looking tree !! I'm still looking for those great big balls to put on the outside tree. I did get 9 new ones from Amazon.com but they weren't cheap so I didn't get more.

Very festive.

Hank did a wonderful job!

hank did nice - would have liked to see a picture of him shimmying up the palm tree though :)

Nice Louise!

That looks great Louise!

Thanks Louise, I'll tell her
Cute palm!

Hahahahaha, Bill! I'd like to see that myself! He uses a ladder and he makes his poor wife circle the tree holding the strings of lights (round and round). No comments or helpful suggestions are permitted! LOL

Thanks, y'all, for all the nice comments! Hank found the large balls at JoAnn's in the crafty area when he was helping me hunt down art supplies I needed.

Love Stevie Wonder's Someday at Christmas. What an incredibly beautiful song. He is so talented.

Love the palm Louise!!

Thanks, Celeste!

Just back from the church concert. Fantastic, as always.

Our church used to do one every year...now, nothing....it was a lot of work, but I loved singing in it.....

This show is top-notch. 33 piece orchestra. 40 person choir.

Way out of my league!

We had an ambitious music director once, and they got over a hunderd local musicians together on the altar to play "A Christmas Oratorio." When my son was eleven and his voice hadn't changed yet, he sang a trio of three kids at the first movement of a Handel piece for full chorus. Too shy to perform, but because they were up high in the choir loft, and short, they could let their voices soar and not think anyone was looking. These are my best memories of Christmas concerts in our church.