Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Christmas Season

We have been so busy lately, that I did not have much time to post on my "poor & neglected" blog during the holiday season!  I also have not had much time, at all, to check out all of my friends' blogs.  Just wanted you all to know that I am thinking about all of you  . . . and it is my NY's resolution to check in on my friends' talent more frequently!!! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our holiday season began with my mom taking us to see the holiday Christmas show in Lancaster, PA the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I love getting into the holiday spirit!  The show was so magical and full of wonderful Christmas music! 
Thanks mom!!!!!

The kids posed for a picture:



Here are Logan, Owen, and Anne anticipating the show:

Mom and Me:

Karen, Logan, Owen, and Anne:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next, to get into the Christmas spirit some more, my sister Karen and I went to see Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Promenade Shops in Center Valley, PA, with Katie and Anne. 
 

It was so warm that day, we didn't even have coats on!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Going to the Army-Navy game is another annual tradition of ours. The following weekend was spent in Baltimore, MD, with John's friends from college - they graduated from West Point with him.  Eric, Macaire joined us with their kids: Anaka, James, and Ryan.  Katie and Anne loved seeing them again, and so did we.  Too bad Army lost for the 10th year in a row!

The kids showed us how to have a REAL talegate:
John and me:

Eric and Macaire:
Army march-on:


Navy march-on:

And here's Katie!

President Obama was there!



 And all good things must come to an end - here we are getting ready to go home:


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My sister, Karen, and her husband, Tim, always help us decorate our tree every year,
and this one was no exception:


We all dress in Santa hats every year:

(If you noticed Anne's dress, I made it!  Yep, I really did!!!!! It is an "upcycled" t-shirt dress.  I spent an afternoon at my friend Lisa's home:  Lisa and Barbarann helped me make it!  Thank you both from the bottom of my heart!)

Kita wanted to get in on the action!!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next on the Christmas festively agenda was a party at Karen and Tim's!

Their Christmas get-together was a blast:
Here's Deb, Jim, and Rosie:

Owen, Anne, and Katie really enjoyed dancing to Aunt Karen's Wii!



 In the midst of all of the hustle and bustle of the season, we never forget about our dear loved ones who are no longer with us:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sunday before Christmas, my mom always has her family over to decorate gingerbread houses and attend the annual Fearless Fire Company Christmas party:


There was a magician this year:

 Owen got picked to go up on stage to be a helper:
 Standing in line for Santa:


Back at my mom decorating the gingerbread houses:





We celebrated John's birthday on December 20th!  He is forty-something years old this year!!!!!Christmas Eve was here before we knew it. 

The church service was beautiful.  We posed for some "dress up" pictures afterwards:



And finally, Christmas morning arrived!!!
Anne found her elf in the Christmas tree!  YAY!


Santa ate the cookies, drank his milk, and the reindeer ate their carrots!!

Opening all of the gifts:



Kita got some, too!

What a mess!!!  But a fun one!

God bless us, everyone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We spent Christmas day at my mom's home and the next day with my hubby's family.

  We really have enjoyed the wonderful holiday season so far!

(I want to thank my sister, Karen, for sending me some of her
Christmas photos that I used here on my blog!  Thanks Kar!)

Today everyone in my family has off, everyone is asleep, and I have to get to work!  YIKES!!!!! 
Off to work I go . . .

Happy New Year to all!

10 comments:

  1. Great photos!! Sounds like you had a great Christmas!! :):):):):):):):):):):)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a busy month for you! Great pictures and recap of the months events! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  3. WOW! I love seeing your wonderful holiday in photos! What a fantastic post! :) I'm so glad to be your friend.....you are seriously one of the sweetest people ever. I hope you have a beautiful and blessed new year!! <3 <3 <3

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for posting these- I love your traditions and decorations. It's like having Christmas all over again!
    Happy New Year to you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love, love, love the pixs with you and your husband!!! ok, I love all the pixs in general! I am also jealous that you have Santa AND Mrs. Claus! we only have Santa on the west coast!!! why is that? you had a great December!

    : .)

    Happy New Year, Sharon!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great pictures Sharon. Like the one of the girls by the tree! And Mr. & Mrs. Claus. Also the one of you with the dog (you look like one of the girls!) Happy Birthday to John!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm so impressed by all the photos you took to record your Christmas celebrations, Sharon! Wow! I really have to get my act together :) Thanks for sharing! And wishing you a Happy new Year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sharon, you have been super busy! Christmas, birthday, and just lots of festivities. Looks like so much fun. Enjoy your family that's what is important! Merry Christmas again and Happy New Year to you and your family!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you commenting on my blog today! I cherish each and every comment!