Linstid Tails: Christmas Eve and Other Stories

Yeah, it's worth it to run the generator an extra few minutes to have Christmas lights on the house!

So, its been a while since I've updated this blog. We're finally coming together and regrouping after lots of visitors and gobs of fun this past Christmas and New Years celebrations. We started a few family traditions(I guess its not really a "tradition" until we do them again - but the plans are set!), we tore up the snow with gas guzzling implements, there were fireworks of multiple kinds, axes thrown, and Anika wore stockings for the first time...a banner celebration year, I must say!

Ben and I took Anika to the "Wigglers" service - all of the kids from the congregation participated (well, the mobile ones did!) in all parts of the Christmas story, playing parts from Angels all the way to "Wise Guys"...the finale was a straw fight in the manger. We definitely went to the right service!

Anika is wearing her Santa dress and her first pair of stockings...I was so excited to put them on her. She also had patent Mary Janes on, but they didn't make it out of the car...well, one of them did, but we made her match by taking the other one off. Notice the evidence of the straw fight on the floor! Also, Anika is holding her reminder of the Light of Jesus - Ben picked green to bring the Christmas color theme together :-)

Here's a closer photo of Miss A back at home:

Here she is before bed...pretty excited for Santa!

Our newest tradtion started at 5:30 Christmas morning (after I fed and got Anika back to bed) with the inaugural baking of Cinnamon Rolls! I was a bit nervous to be making cinnamon rolls from scratch, but the recipe I found was pretty well written and with a little creativity (I rolled the dough in red and green sugar for a festive touch), they turned out DELICIOUS!!! Woo-hoo! Here's a photo of the finished product - notice the ever-vigilant Bismarck in the background :-)

(Switching to Ben Telling the Story) Christmas morning we woke up to a bit of snow and evidently Santa doesn't prorate if you've only been around for part of a year.

Anika has been playing with her playset every day and has started getting the coordination to bap the toys and ball that hang above her. Of course, Biz and Peli waited patiently for their Christmas treats. They are well aware that Anika ranks above them in the pack!