Holiday Cheer

School ended and the party began...

It began with our annual Winter Solstice Celebration.  We started this tradition while my parents were in Alaska when Cade and Syd were young.  I'm not exactly sure what inspired my desire to honor this day, but we've been doing it ever since.  Winter Solstice marks the time when the nights begin to get shorter and the bright, sunny days return.  Oh yeah, that must be why I celebrate this much-waited-for day.  Initially we celebrated it in fine pagan form.  We decorated and burnt the yule log.  I made the kids wear garlands of tinsel as we danced around the fire and I recited a poem I'd written.  Thankfully(!?!?) somewhere along the line I lost my poem and the kids matured past the garland phase.  Now I make a big pot of chili and a batch of cornbread.  (I guess that replaces the poem quite nicely).

The kids still decorate the yule log.  (I think this is the best one ever.  Cade thinks his were much better as a kid).

Of course it gets burnt in an open fire as a sacrifice to the gods of the night.  Yeah, I just made that up.

Look at that tinsel burn!

The ritual would not be complete without the Winter Solstice S'more.  (Yup, just made that up as well.)

Or snuggling with Grandma....

The party continued on Christmas Eve.  But with an attempt at a more serious tone.  Notice the word "attempt".

Of course where a baby resides-girls will congregate.  Here Brycie, Mimi, Sydney and Lauren ooh and ahh over Matt and Gina's three month old son, Nolan.

And then the pageant begins.  Levi/Joseph and Lauren/Mary await Jesus/Nolan.

Lauren/Mary was not quite used to a "real-live" baby.  He got a quick trip straight into the manger.

Then came the angels....

Who looked a lot like the wise "men"...

And then the credits rolled...

Sydney:  costume director

Cade: narrator

Mimi, Brycie, Levi, Lauren and Nolan:  Characters

(and I mean that in the truest form of the word...)

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!