Before, During and After Christmas 2018

It has been an eventful time of year.  A few weeks before Christmas, we were in Vegas to attend a funeral.

...and it was already beginning to look and feel like Christmas (hotel lobby)

Then returned and started prepping our home, one room - and tree - at a time.  We had our own mini festival of trees...😍😮😊

First the LIVING Room ...

 Next one the "SITTING" Room ... with its tall tree

Next, the FAMILY Room ...

Then TOP of stairs was The SAMOAN Christmas tree.  This is the type of tree during the time Dearie and I were growing up in the islands.  A very simple, inexpensive but REAL tree, usually a branch of a bigger filimoto tree, or a baby one.  Balloons and streamers were used for decorations. 😅😍

Then the GAME Room - we put up another tree and left it for the grandchildren to come and decorate on Christmas Eve when they all come for our usual get-together

Aaaaaand then it was Christmas Eve ... and the clan began arriving for a night of fun, games, food, etc., 💙💓💛💜👪🎄🎄🎈🎉

Setting up table for the food  ...🍪🍣🍗🍩🍤

Then the presents ...🎄🎅🎈

Christmas morning ... house was empty and abandoned

Until it was time for the missionary to Skype, and everyone was back. This is always our Christmas Day highlight!! 

the elder

...always a happy and joyous time to chat with the elder/missionary

After the Skype, we left for our Christmas getaway in Eden (1.5 hrs drive North), a beautiful small town tucked away in a peaceful valley.  The children rented a cabin for our 3-day respite.  It was beautiful and it was a perfect White Christmas.

Eden ... (one of our granddaughters' namesake)

the cabin

... cabin was warm and cozy

love those saddle stools

...a postcard view/shot (from inside the cabin)

White Christmas

while the children had their foods/snacks... we had our own "cabin food" ...😃😁👍

children had fun in the snow

... for us it was time just to relax, rest and unwind ..🤣 and to ponder the wonders
of nature and God's creations, and also to spend time with the children and grandchildren💖😍

heading home ...