Christmas Recap 2010

Since there are only a few hours left in 2010 I decided I'd do my best to finish off the year catching up on all the Christmas festivities.

Two weeks ago Sunday we made the trip to Islesboro to celebrate an early R-B Christmas.  We spent a few days enjoying the company of family.

Tobi Claus

 

Story time with Grandpa

 First snow of the season for Tobi... and she wanted to bond!

 Dinner together.

 Cousins.

 Baby John is one smiley guy!

 Ben modeling...chef Boba Fett.

 Tobi got lots of great gifts!

She had to try on every piece of clothing as soon as she opened it...all at the same time!

  Grandpa and baby John

The whole crew.

 We headed home on Thursday just in time for round 2 of Christmas fun.

Christmas Eve at our church was a special time.

 Beautiful music.

 Ryan, Sarah and the kids read the Christmas story.

 Candlelight..

 Back to Ryan and Sarah's for a kind of Swedish smorgasbord with family and friends.

 Don't let them fool you..they may be crunching carrots in this pic, but believe me there were many cookies, candies and all forms of sugar consumed.

 Grandma hug!

 One gift to open on Christmas Eve...new Christmas jammies for all the kids.

 Christmas morning...opening a few gifts at home.

 Must do the new puzzle right away!

 Then off to Grandma and Grandpa Bengtson's in time for Christmas dinner.

 Yummm!

 Family dinner (still in jammies for most!)

 Stocking time!

 Just up from a nap/rest...but ready to open gifts.

 Grandpa and Grandma got a BIG tree this year!

 Opening gifts....whoa.

 Some special art work...and the artists.

Tobi's new tutu was a hit...she didn't take it off for the rest of the day.

 The next day we woke up to the start of a snowstorm...with a warning about the ice.

 Family picture...all 4 of us!  (hmm...I'm looking a little puffy these days!)

 Playing in the first significant snow of the season!

 Back home for our own little family Christmas (I'm pretty sure Tobi thinks Christmas goes on for weeks now).

 A new kitchen!

 Playing in our yard...snowsliding!

 Sadly this was not snowman snow...but we did our best to build this pathetic little snowgirl.

 Now that's a cute snow bunny!

 That about wraps it up..and it's still 2010.  Happy and Blessed New Year to you all!

Lights on the Hill 2010

This year we did something totally different...we went to Lights on the Hill as a family :)  Usually Ben is in the café kitchen cooking or helping but with all that we had going on this year he decided it was a good year for a break.  So that meant he could actually see what happens at this event that he's been involved in for years!  

Once again the hill in Candia was lined with candles, lighting the way to the different buildings.

This year there was no snow, but it was a chilly enough for hats, gloves and winter coats.

First stop: ornament/Christmas decoration making.

Second stop...

...dinner at the café.  Hot dogs, corn chowder and chili (that I somehow dumped all over the table...but NOT on my camera, phew!).

Next stop...decorating and eating gingerbread cookies...

Next, to visit the animals.  There were oxen, sheep, alpacas and goats.

And of course we had to check on the baby Jesus...

And maybe take him out for a little love...

On to the campfire, roasting marshmallows and...

...rolling on the ground?

A little pit stop to see all the creches from all over the world... of course snoopy nativity was the hit.

After sometime in the coffee house, getting our groove on the the acapella musical stylings of the Grace Notes and some Johnny Cash tunes, we headed back up the hill humming Christmas tunes and "Ring of Fire", of course!