Christmas Traditions - New and Old

This has been our first NH Advent/Christmas season and it was full - full of love, joy, blessings, peace and  a new baby. All of us were around that last week of Advent. 7 of us in the house - that's a full house. Advent and Christmas Carols were playing, people were making gifts, baking, slinking around corners keeping their gifts secret.

There was one afternoon that Theresa came home to this scene - Gracie was showing Bola (our guest mom's mom visiting from Nigeria) how to make a bow, I was making duck tape wallets - "O Come, O Come Emanuel" was playing on the blue tooth speaker - Theresa remarked, "it's so peaceful here!"

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One of our Advent traditions is to spend time making gifts for those we love - holding them in prayer while we spend time around the Advent wreath creating their gifts. This tradition has now overflowed to the NH community. 

A new Christmas tradition for us that began this year is to open the house to those who would otherwise be alone on the Feast of the Nativity. What joy - preparing for the guest. 

I wish that I had pictures of it all. Next year, I will do better to document the festivities. 

Remember those felt balls from the Art Retreat back in October?? We glued acorn caps on them!

In the fall, during our many treks in the woods Gracie and I collected baby pine cones and acorns. They became gifts for her teachers.

Gracie prepares her teacher gifts.

Margaret, Theresa and I made Holiday Liquer for gifts this year. This was the bottling session.

Must taste the product to be sure that it's fit to gift.

a quiet moment of addressing Christmas Cards

My mom chops and chops the walnuts for the kolache rolls. Shh! Don't tell her I have a food processor! What a joy to continue this tradition with my mom!

Family Recipe

Venus' Recipe

I made five of these in various styles and patterns this year. 

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Gracie and her friends prepare for Christmas Eve Choir  Extravaganza

Christmas Day  at The Bean

December 26 - Nii Laryea was born by emergency c-section. Mom and baby are doing very well. A 27 week baby is very small but Nii Kare is a super strong fighter! (just like his mother!)

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From our Farewell Dinner for Margaret. Bola (our guest mom's mom) joined us for festivities.