Christmas Adam Tea 2018

My Mom LOVED Christmas and she loved tea parties, tea cups, china, and tea pots. This  wasn't always my "cup of tea," however, over the years I've come to love tea time too. There were years the kids and I had daily tea at  3 p.m.

Mom began a Christmas Adam Tea tradition.  I decided I wanted to carry on the tradition up here in Alaska.  Sherri, Amy, Harmony and Elizabeth are missing, but most of our girls are here. Larissa is in TX this year for Christmas, we miss her...and we aren't coveting the sun or anything like that. ::snort::

I got up bright and early and set the table with Mom's tablecloth and some of her pretties. Does anyone know HOW to fix holes in lace?

I set out an assortment of tea pots so we could each make our own pot of tea. 

I always have an assortment of teas and hot chocolate drinks. 

Krista folded the napkins and tucked Grams' tea spoons into them. I may polish the silver before the next tea party. ::snort:: 

We headed to church. Don't you love church at Christmas time? Stacia and I were in the nursery. I was a bit bummed to miss church - but happy I could wear my faded jeans and my red Santa hat with the tiara. ::wink::  Lot at this plate of goodies we scored at church - it was a nice addition to the tea treats.

This year's tea attendees....Next year Larissa will be here and Baby D3 will be a female and join us. 

Bre (daughter #1), Bella (Bre's daughter) Arielle (daughter #3), Benny (Arielle's)
Krista (daughter #2) and Stacia  - wait I'm there too. It's too late to try to blog. 

Bella got to use a pink cup and saucer from Stacia's childhood tea set. It was a gift from my Mom. 

The Girls

The guys went over to BreZaak's and watched The Hobbit. Benny stayed with us - his very first Christmas Adam tea party. 

Today marks the 36th week of BreAnne's pregnancy. We are excited. Gideon was born at 35 weeks. Bre has one more shot this week and then she's just waiting for Baby D3. Our local hospital won't let her deliver here unless she makes it 37 weeks. One more week to go. We really don't want her to have to go to Anchorage.

I never looked this pretty in my 3rd trimester!
Of course we wore MuMus in the 80's

 The girls used the time together to plot their Gingerbread plans for this year's New Year's Eve competition.  I hope the guys are coming up with a plan. 

Bella (2 yrs 8 months) & BreAnne

 Bre and Bella headed home when Bella was ready to go-go. The rest of us decided to watch In-Lawfully Yours. This is a funny movie. At least we think it is funny. We watch it on Netflix, it can also be rented from Amazon Prime Video.

The guys got home and played a round of Dominion. Michael won. Nolan made it through the day of work and all the afternoon's activities.

Stacia is watching YouTube, Krista is reading, I'm done blogging and going to join them. 

I'm not going to pretend this hasn't been a hard holiday season. When Thanksgiving came, I remembered it was my last really lucid conversation with Mom and she was moving in with Will and Sherri until she was well again.  Dec 3rd my brother called and told me Mom wasn't doing well and they were going to take her to the hospital.   Facebook reminded me, Stacia and I were flying to OR last year on the 4th to spend time with Mom.  She recognized us the day we arrived, but not so much after that. She passed away on Dec 12th. Her funeral was December 22nd. For some reason, I didn't want to begin hitting the "second year" without mom for birthdays, holidays, milestones....and yet, here we are.  It's a loss unlike any other...probably not worse or easier....just unlike others. I have felt the loss of her prayers and our frequent calls. But it was TIME for me to find fun things to do to remember and honor her memory....I have an ornament on the tree for our 7 babies in heaven....I cast around for something similar.

A Christmas tea is IT! It's a fun way for me to continue something Mom enjoyed AND it makes fun memories for the girls and me. It's a nice way to BREAK  at the height of activity and draw close to each other, to relax, rest, and savor relationships.  I'm still learning from Mom's heart for family.

Kitchen Projects, Snow Machine Projects, Spurs Game, Chicken Scares, Carolers, Dinner, Dominion...A full day!

Meanwhile, back at Wibbly Wobbly Acres*, the ovens were lit, aprons on, and wooden spoons in motion. I was glad Stacia (#4 daughter) opted to stay and help me today. We like to bake together. She had hoped to get to a sewing project today - but didn't make it. We had several other things we considered making and baking, which we also set aside. 

The kitchen haul today.....

Christmas Crack(ers) from Krista

Crust-less Quiche and Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies 

 We are thankful for our walk out freezer this time of year! Keeping Yuuki inside became a chore. 

We made good use of the walk out freezer. 

Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies 

We also made Chicken Salad and Peanut Butter cookies with Kisses on top. 

When the girls huddle together like this we know something has alarmed them. 

Do you see the problem? Way up high?

Our resident eagle or owl or hawk

eagle

Nolan (#4 son) is on day 4 of the flu. He could get up today without throwing up. He plans to be at work at 0500 tomorrow. He and Stacia watched a movie and an episode of  Nailed It while we baked.

Michael and Alex cleaned fish while Josiah, Jamin (#2 son), Krista (#2 daughter) and Izaak (#1 SIL) got the snow machines running.

Josiah (#1 son)

Krista (#2 Daughter) rode the machine in the woods.....but I have no photo of her adventure. 

This sweet family makes all other Pastor's families look like Christmas Slackers! ::wink:: We were surprised by carolers....the poor girls were traumatized by Yuuki's howling charge. 

Everyone came inside in time to catch the Spurs Game. Grrrr.....every. single. time. Josiah and I watch a game together - they lose! They were doing great today until the last quarter. It's becoming an unfortunate trend.

Nolan, Arielle (#3 daughter), Josiah, Alex (#4 son), Stacia & Jamin (#2 son)

We kept dinner warming in the oven until the end of the game. Arielle and Benny (#3 grandblessing) came up to visit while we ate. They wait for Cory to come home on his dinner break to eat. Benny loves bells and always fixates on the bell over the table.

Benny and Arielle 

Success

After dinner clean up, Michael, Josiah, Alex and Krista played a round of Dominion. 

Stacia fell asleep. Benny was having none of Auntie Stacia checking out of play time. 

He got her attention. 

Ah, Cory (#2 SIL) is home for dinner. Benny is mesmerized by his Christmas tie - it plays music! 

CoRielle went down for dinner. Josiah and Jamin headed to Eagle River. Nolan had gone to bed right before dinner - poor guy. One by one everyone else headed for bed, I decided to blog.

While I blogged, I turned in my chair, and the CHAIR FELL APART. I think I've re-injured my ice injury - the tailbone one. My shoulder and thigh don't feel great either - but it was hilarious and Michael and I couldn't help laughing. He plans to check all the chairs again. We have too much company in and out of our home to take chances with collapsing chairs.  Maybe Life Group will have to be "Bring Your Own Chair." ::snort::

Notes:
It's been a while since I've blogged so it may be helpful to identify folks - thus the #'s in today's posts.
BreZaak - BreAnne and Izaak's blog name
CoRielle - Cory and Arielle's blog name
JaRissa - Jared and Larissa's blog name

*Wibbly Wobbly - one day Bella called Michael and I wibbly wobbly. Which we thought was hilarious. We've come to think of our place as Wibbly Wobbly Acres...and had a fun idea for a egg carton label....but haven't executed the plan. We haven't decided which one of us is wibbly and which is wobbly - both labels fit fairly well for either of us. LOL

Ice Fishing - Mirror Lake

Josiah (#1 son) serves as our advanced scout for all things fishing. He's been telling the rest of the family tales of limiting on land locked King Salmon at Mirror Lake.  Today, he, Jamin, Izaak, Michael, Alex and Krista went ice fishing.  (The rest of the family's activities will be in a blog to follow).

This was Alex and Krista's first time ice fishing.

Josiah, Izaak, Michael, Alex

 Alex (#5 son) & Josiah drill a hole with the ice auger

Michael is happy to try the fishing hole out for everyone. 

Yep, they're biting today. 

Izaak and I planned to smoke and can fish.....I didn't get to it today - maybe he did. Our 15 are in the freezer. 

Krista's first catch of the day 

He followed the rules

Everyone caught their limit and were home with lots of time to continue to play at home.  Stacia heard we had 15 king salmon that Dad and Alex were cleaning. She wasn't very impressed when she saw these fabled kings...."THOSE are Kings?" ::snort::

We'll get some real Kings yet. We plan to stay in Alaska a nice, long time. No need to rush all the adventures.

I used to take the older ones to Mirror Lake for the afternoon. I've not been back since we moved up here, but I know it's fun for the kids to revisit as adults. Krista had a good time trying something new, getting out in Alaska, and meeting up with Josiah - her first chance since arriving this week.

Winter Solstice 2018

The shortest day of the year. This has always been a fact - but it hasn't been a THING until this year.  The dark has not bothered me living in Alaska, the summers with 20 hours of sunlight and 4 hours of dusk have had more of an effect on me, than the dark winters.

10:15 a.m. - sun rising

This year, however,  I HAVE CHICKENS! I know  they will be happier when the weather is warmer and the days are brighter.  I've been checking for frostbite, shoveling their yard, chipping ice from the inside of the coop....and I've been SHOCKED their egg production has not abated. Several have reminded me  we were almost to the darkest day of the year and THEN it will begin to get lighter.....

16 eggs from 16 girls today! Champs. 

They DO appreciate us shoveling  and spreading shavings

Winter Solstice....where we reside, in South Central Alaska, means sunrise at 10:16 and sunset at 3:35 p.m. today.  5 hours and 19 minutes of sunlight. The chart I am checking  doesn't show measurable difference for a week - but in a week we will supposedly have SIX - 6! more minutes of sun a day! Six more minutes!!!!  For the first time in my life, I feel like CELEBRATING Winter Solstice.

Yes, Michael left the leaning tree for me as it's emotional to get rid of it-
but I am fairly sure its charted for firewood for next year. 

This is how we filled the shortest day in the year. We visited a bit....

...and introduced Benny to the stash of Christmas reading under the tree. 

 "See, Auntie? That's the outside. Mommy takes me out there every day. It used to be warm and green.....but now it's white and if we don't hurry it will be dark and we won't see the moose and lynx. Hurry, it will get dark soon. Let's go." 

Yuuki has discovered the tree skirt. She has a perfectly fine, fluffy, fleece blanket....she drags it to the wood-stove to wrap up....and when she leaves the wood-stove, she sneaks under the tree to wrap up in the tree skirt. She's not done this in previous years. 

We aren't feeling Christmas stress. We have our family gift exchange on Dec 31st at our New Year's shindig....and our "immediate family"  exchange (as in those still living at home) won't happen until Epiphany. No stress - just prepping to celebrate Jesus' birthday. That means I DO need to consider a menu....and there is great discussion in our home about what sort of birthday cake Jesus likes best. It seems he does NOT like the typical green, red, dark, white cake others make....and I've been informed it would be heresy for me to make a Devil's Food Cake. It seems this is a debate only HE can settle....does he prefer an Extreme Moose Track ice cream cake or a Andes Chocolate cheesecake.  We may have to research the biblical practice of drawing lots to settle this one...but it best be soon so baking/assembling can commence!

There will be a family dinner and celebration on the 25th - and it has been decided -  along with the "Jesus stocking," - Christmas stockings will be opened at that time. Stacia has a project which will require TIME and so she, Krista, Arielle, Benny and I headed out to the stores. We thought Joann's would be dead as most would have bought materials for projects much sooner. Nope. Folks wait until the end. She and I picked up supplies and will sneak secret sewing time between now and New Year's Eve.

Where better to head for stocking stuffers than Walmart?  Last year everyone got several gift cards....$15 - 25 for 17 people adds up. I had also bought at Bed Bath Beyond, Ulta and Sportsman Warehouse. I agreed our expenditures were excessive for stockings and set out to fill stockings in a way that will leave a bit more padding in the budget AFTER Christmas. ::snort:: I think I managed it for $17.64  per stocking this year. That's less than just ONE gift card per person.  SCORE

Speaking of scoring - the last cart at Walmart 

 We headed home to meet up with the guys and Jamin for Pizza and games - it IS Friday. I was surprised by this package from one of my sweet gals in Japan. Thank you, Hope.

Real Ramen - sorta....and fun flavored Kitsu Katsu...and a beautiful pendant from Nozomi. 

I have wanted a piece of jewelry from Nozomi since I first heard of their project. I didn't get around to buying one for myself before we left Japan, and hadn't looked into buying any online. This is a ministry which employs women in Ishinomaki, an area greatly affected by the tsunami of 2011.  Nozomi means hope in Japanese, this ministry/company seeks to see and share "Beauty in Brokenness". They make jewelry from the broken pieces of pottery which littered the landscape after the tsunami. Each piece is named, by the creator, in honor of a woman in her life. They are beautiful - and the meaning....beauty in brokenness - redemption - restoration....shouts hope to my spirit and soul. What a beautiful surprise!

#bebrokenwithus

I didn't grab any photos of us playing Uno...or Jamin....but here are a few of a "riddle game" Krista tried to share with us.

Benny was more interested in the bells than in solving the riddle.