Christmas Catch-Up

There was so much going on over the holidays . . .

Eating, playing games until the wee hours . . . while snacking {smaller version of eating}, bowling with the Bigs and the Littles {so fun}, eating and loading the dishwasher, eating and unloading the dishwasher . . . sleeping in . . . laughing--lots of laughing . . . playing--lots of playing . . . Skyping with loved ones . . . picture taking . . . gingerbread making . . . pretty much everything but blogging. And since I have great intentions of someday turning my blog into book form (and since I didn't take all of these pictures not to blog them) please bear with me as I throw a Christmas post in here and there amongst the birthday celebrations and other such things.

Christmas 2010 ~ Winder Style

Little Winders

Christmas Eve candlelight service.

Yes, I took pictures while singing

"Joy to the World"

and holding a burning candle . . .

I couldn't resist!

My handsome boys after church.

Can you tell who is elated

to be the main ingredient of a

big brother sandwich?

Brogie is his name.

Not a creature was stirring . . .

not even a mouse.

(A portable basketball goal doesn't

add a lot to the Christmas Eve tree shot.)

That's better.

Moving on to Christmas morn . . .

Bryce used Brogan's old basketball

to wrap his little brother's gift.

Brogan receives a bit of "surgical"

assistance from daddy and his knife.

A new basketball emerges from the old basketball . . .

and the old basketball

now becomes Bryce's Christmas attire.

Nice. Bryce.

Teddi does her best to deplete the

grapefruit supply during breakfast.

We did eat more than grapefruit, way more. Daddy made the traditional French toast from Hawaiian bread (that's kinda funny when you think about it)--topped with your choice of blueberry, boysenberry or real maple syrup, and powdered sugar of course. Plus ham and bacon and sausage (lots of men in the house = lots of meat). All of the above was then topped off with some stocking candy . . . or Brady's homemade fudge . . . or yummy Christmas goodies lovingly made and mailed by Bry's sisters. Your choice. Remember the "eat" part? Yep. We did.

The Newly's arrive . . .

they spent last Christmas with us in Michigan, so they

spent Christmas eve and morn with Frankie's family, and

joined us later on Christmas day.

(Thank you Newlys for making the rounds.)

First stop . . .

show and tell . . .

with an excited Brogan.

Next, Teddi does her show and tell.

Frankie waits for the "opening" games to begin!

Believe it or not, other than their big gifts

Brogan and Teddi waited until

Taylor and Frankie had arrived

so that we could all open gifts together!

More waiting.

My Brady boy happy about

his new guitar accessories.

Taye and Ted with bracelets made by mama.

Brogie with just a part of his armory.

I guess this is about when I laid the camera down,

so that I could soak in the goodness of my full nest.

W- is for wonderful.

Wonderful Savior.

Wonderful celebration.

Wonderfully blessed nest.

More to come . . . including Jesus' Birthday party and The Newly's well story (it's a great one)!

Blessings from my nest~

Tina