December 2022

Thursday 12/1

Linda finished up the 2023 Waite Family Calendar last week. As it is given as a Christmas gift each year we didn't want to ruin the surprise by posting pictures in the November blog.

So here it is . . . . "Celebrating Special Occasions All Through the Year"

The first task for December . . . . 

To wrap this table full of Christmas gifts !

After a couple of hours Linda is still smiling . . . . a m a z i n g !

Four kids . . . . four boxes

Friday 12/2

To our surprise, the package we thought was "lost" arrived today, so Linda was able to finish wrapping up all the individual gifts.

After several hours, all the small packages were wrapped and she started bundling them together into one large package for each family. The idea is to unwrap the layers revealing the individual gifts one by one. She didn't get as many layers of wrapping as she wanted to, but hopefully it will still be fun.

Each package had a poem, similar to this, attached with directions on how it was to be unwrapped.

Got the boxes mailed on Saturday morning ... YaY !

Monday 12/5

We started putting up our Christmas decorations today. What we used to do in one day, now takes us several days to accomplish.

After untangling them . . . 

S

Steve put lights on all the front yard bushes

and they look great!

Tuesday 12/6

Today decorating continued

This afternoon, Steve added to the outdoor lights and . . . .

Tonight the house looks even better than it did last night!

Every year we put some soft blue lights in the outdoor light fixtures. One burned out so while shopping we found a 2 for 1 package of Blue Light Bulbs and put them on the front of the garage. In the picture above you can see the old blue light bulb . . . .

This is what the new blue bulb does to our front yard - Yikes, it is bright, but still, kind of pretty.

Inside, Linda started doing some decorating too . . . .

Mr. & Mrs. Santa have been packed away in this tub all year

Now they have a place of honor right by the front door. They sing a cute duet of Winter Wonderland. They have been singing this same song for at least 20 years.

Every year we put this old tree together. We bought it at Walmart around 1995 and it still looks better than many of the new trees you see in the stores now days .

Once the tree was up, Steve started bringing in all the other Christmas decoration tubs. Actually, we couldn't find the tree-topper.  Steve brought the tubs in, one by one, and we looked in each one but it wasn't until he brought in the very last tub that we finally found it. It really was in the last place we looked!

As you can see, the tree-topper found it's proper place! Linda decided not to put tinsel on the tree this year but she did string the gold glass beads. She's not sure she likes it without the tinsel. We also put the tree in a different place this year, requiring more furniture moving than usual. The one drawback for this place (by the piano) is that there is not room to use the rotating tree stand that we love.

Wednesday 12/7

We got a few more decorations up today 

This one, set up on top of our china cabinet, is our handmade nativity from the little Iowa town of Bentonsport, near Nauvoo. A little lady named Betty, owned a shop called Iron & Lace. She was both a potter and a weaver. She helped the missionaries learn the art of weaving and made these beautiful nativities fired with her signature Queen Ann's Lace flower emblazoned on each piece. Once we had it set up . . . .

Linda began working on our Christmas Village.

We have been setting this up for many years, adding a few things here and there along the way. 

This is looking very festive now. The lighted Tree was made by Linda's mom and given to us for our very first Christmas in 1969. 

Thursday 12/8

We usually don't post pictures of all our decorations, but decided to this year for our journaling.

Today we finished setting out the indoor decorations. Linda collects nativities so there are quite a few of them, although there are some that are still in boxes and will not be set out this year.

This is the nativity that Linda's mother hand-painted.

An olive-wood hand carved nativity, Latino set, small nativity Debbi brought us from Peru (in small box) and one other in the the larger box.

Eskimo nativity

Three nativities we just liked

Amish nativity above the Amish-made sleigh bells

The wooden tri-scene nativity was Hand carved by an old Mennonite man in Kalona, Iowa. The cute drum card holder was made a few years ago.  Dave, Gayle and us spent an afternoon together making one for each of us.

This is the "restored" nativity Linda had when she was a little girl. We added the stable this year. On the right is another nesting nativity.

In front of the tall Mary & Joseph is a Mary, Joseph & baby set that Linda's mother painted shortly before she passed away in 2019. A musical snow globe on the right and one other in between.

5 more nativities on the mantle along with a couple of nutcrackers, Santa plate, made by Linda's sister Karen and a lighted bottle made by our friend Jill Sauter (Cloud) about 20 years ago.

On top of the piano we put a small Snowmen collection augmented by a cute Santa, a couple of reindeer & a little girl by her Christmas tree. 

In the corner by the paino, this years Christmas tree has Santa's sleigh, led by Rudolph, (made by Linda's mom) hanging out underneath it, and our Christmas stockings "hung by the 'window' with care", along with a cute Precious Moments nativity on the table. 

We had a hard time finding a place for this newly made decoration. With all the nativities, the only place we could find was on the TV room door jam.

Love the Corner-Santa we inherited from Linda's mom.  

It fits nicely in this fun corner by the front door.

Last, but surely not least is this advent calendar Linda made early in our marriage. It has been decorated over and over again for more than 50 years. Sweet memories for our family!

Saturday 12/10

Bright and early this morning we went to the church building and . . . .

Attended our Ward Christmas breakfast.

Linda wore her "traditional" Santa bun cover

The activity was very well attended. There was lots of food and laughter among friends.

After everyone finished eating their breakfast, we watched the Light the World video "The Christ Child"

Once the party was over, the kids were invited to go down the hall and visit with a "special" guest

This is our young friend and neighbor, Liam Graviet, and our "older" friend, Rob Carlisle, as Santa

Sunday 12/11

Today Linda was part of a string trio that played in between speakers during Sacrament Meeting

They played a Christmas medley "Angels We Have Heard on High & Adeste Fideles"  as you can see they are quite the diverse group... a teenager playing viola, an oldster & a mid-lifer both playing the violin. Our friend, Susan Pugh, played piano for us.

Monday 12/12

 let it snow...  Let it Snow,... LET IT SNOW . . . .

It snowed about 3 inches overnight so this morning Steve shoveled the front walkway then . . . .

Used our snow blower to do the sidewalk and . . . .

the driveway

Thursday 12/15

This evening we said goodbye to this 22 year old Bravada

Steve's sister, Lila, drove it for 11 years then we bought it and our daughter, Debbi, drove it for the next 11 years. Two brothers bought it for their grandpa... how sweet is that. We hope he enjoys it as much as our family has.

Friday 12/16

Walking down memory lane today.

Dave found this "oldie but goodie" and shared it with us. Dave's son, Casey, was playing football for La Grande High School and came to Bend for a game. Steve worked on the Chain Gang for 25 years and invited Dave to help him while they were in town. Our friend, Roy Larsen, completed the crew.

Monday 12/19

Linda has been saving a Ridley's Market gift card so she could use it to buy an evergreen centerpiece but the market hasn't had any. When she inquired, they said their florist would begin making fresh center pieces today.

We went to the market and they had a few made up but none of them had a very strong Christmassy smell. We spoke with the florist and she agreed to modify one by removing some of the "non-fragrant" leaves and adding more greenery that would give us the "Christmas" fragrance. She made it beautiful and it smells wonderful!!!

Now our Christmas dinner table is complete !

Tonight Linda made some "goodie" plates for our ministering families. 

First she tried a new recipe for salty caramel pretzels.

After getting them all put together and dipped, they went in the fridge to set up.

Once they were set, we gathered everything and . . . .

made five plates for our ministering families

We covered them with plastic wrap and tied them with a ribbon . . .  they are now ready to be delivered!

We even had some leftovers . . . . YaY!

Friday 12/23

We have been having several days with off and on snow

It's never much, but always pretty . . . . 

as long as you are on the inside looking out!

Saturday 12/24
 

It's Christmas Eve and our plan was to have dinner, games, singing and gift opening with Matt's family but due that darn COVID running through Matt's family, this is how we spent our evening . . . .

Christmas dinner by ourselves . . . . 

relaxing by the fireplace and .  . .

watching White Christmas together.

Sunday 12/25

Merry Christmas

It has been a nice, relaxing, quiet day.

We enjoyed listening to and participating in our Christmas Sacrament meeting program. Linda Played the piano and organ and we both sang in the Choir. All the music, including a beautiful harp quartet, was inspiring.

Our traditional picture by the Christmas tree

Linda peaking in her stocking filled with goodies

Steve finding surprises in his stocking

unwrapping gifts from Lansford's (blanket with our, our kids & grandkids names on it) and the Kevin Waite family (socks & Cheesecake Factory gift card) Loving Debbi's gift (Nativity from Peru) and We've yet to get together with Matt's family due to illnesses

 (see Sunday 1/1 at the end of this page)

Saturday 12/31

We have enjoyed a day full of Football Bowl Games then tonight . . . .

At 11:30, we tuned in to watch the 10th annual Potato Drop . . . . Boise's version of the Ball Drop in Times Square . . . . on the grounds of the Idaho State Capitol building

At 11:50:50 the countdown began and the giant winged potato started it's 10-second descent 

dropping into a huge French Fry box exactly at the stroke of Midnight.

It sent up cheers, set off a fireworks display and live New Year's music 

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2023

Sunday 1/1/2023

This year we have been trying to get together with Matt's family to celebrate Christmas. Due to sickness, both them and us, it has been a challenge but we finally did it. Although it isn't technically 2022 anymore we are posting in this blog that today we managed to go through with our Christmas Eve festivities . . . YaY!

We played Nativity Bingo then had a nice ham dinner (We missed having Camrynn with us for this fun evening)

Next we opened gifts . . . .

a Dairy Queen gift card, beautiful amethyst necklace, this Oregon garden stone and a bag of fortune cookies!

Next  we got to see Matt's family open their gift from us. Each person took turns unwrapping it, a layer at a time. After reading the "instructions" Jen began the process.

Jetta was next . . . . no gifts yet

On Matt's turn they found the first gifts and then it was

Sienna's turn... finding a few more gifts

and so on, finding more little gifts as they continued to take turns

unwrapping this silly gift. 

They found things like Amazon gift cards, candy, Christmas socks, popcorn, hot chocolate, New Year's Eve party things (too late since NY eve was last night but notice the serpentine around Jetta's neck), Chapstick,  and the Waite Family Calendar (always a hit). This is the same gift we sent to all of our kids so it was a treat for us to finally get to see someone open it!

It was a fun evening and a great way to welcome in the new year! 

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that a happy New Year is in everyone's future.