Christmas around the house ( and a winner)

                    ***  Thanks everyone for all your comments.  I love hearing from you!   Again..the bittersweet feeling I get every time I host a give-a-way.  I always wish all of you could win!!!    The random winner is  "Blessings from Cindy"***   ( Cindy .. please email me your address so I can get your goodies mailed right out to you :).

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It seems like I've been trying to share the rest of my "Christmas around the House" photos all week. I guess I better get it done before Christmas is here and gone! Wow.. it's coming quickly!   I got major groceries yesterday, so I'd have the things I needed to make my boys favorite for Christmas day.   When our " Big family group" gathers Christmas Eve, we have Soups, appetizers  and baked goodies.  I'm making Chili, my Conquesto dip and this...Appetizer Wreath .  It's a "Taste of  Home" Recipe.  You can get it here if your interested.

Christmas Day when the kids come here, we'll have some of our family favorites.  Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon , Ruben spread, pickle cream cheese ham wraps, bbq tinnie wienies ect.
Looking forward to both days and spending them with the family :)

Okay.. I'll finish sharing with a few more of my favorite Christmas things I put out every year.   I love these Jadeite cups my sis gave me.. all year.. but I especially love them with candy canes in them :)

Well, I guess I cant say I put this out every year ,because I just got it this year...but I "will" put it out every year now.. because I just love it!  It's really a candle holder but I put a tree in it instead.

I love the sparkles that you get from shiny things in the windows... I think I get this fixation from my sister Jan.

Red and aqua  together.... favorite for sure~!

I really like my new window now that it's hung..and and the garland helps make it festive for the holiday.

I got a whole set of these little Santas one year, and they are just so cute. Each one is posed a different way. I have them all hung on the smaller tree by the kitchen.

Do you see that photo in the frame sitting on the table?  That is my sweet little Jarad playing the piano when he was about 4 at Dans parents house Christmas Eve.  I ADORE this photo.  I swear I smile every time  I look at it.  He loved playing the piano, even when he was really really little.  He took lessons for years. Now it I can just get him to come take the piano to his house... maybe we can convince him to play again???  We'll see :)

This mirror was Dans Grandmas. I always hang this banner here.

And last.... my very favorite thing.  This little ornament frame has hung on our tree every year for 25 years.  The photo is of my Dad, who passed away just before Christmas 1986. Actually Dec 20th (25 years ago yesterday).   It made the holidays difficult for quite some time. And although we miss him SO much and all the things about Christmas bring back some sad memories, we always try to remember the fun things about Dad on Christmas.  How he would start wrapping paper fights as we were unwrapping gifts, how he would tease and joke and put bows from packages on his head.  He was always up to something...always making people laugh.   He was such a good man. He would give the shirt off his back to someone if he thought they needed it.   It's amazing so many years can go by and still tears can come so easily when I think of him. Miss him so much.

We don't need a ornament to remind us  of dad, we think of him all  the time..but it still makes me smile to walk by and see it hanging there.   I know when we are all together on Christmas.. the first paper wad that sails across the room , and the first time we see someone stick a bow on one of the grandchildren s heads, we will all know... just who we are thinking about... right at that moment.

            Vic