CHRISTMAS EVE 2012

Hello to all... 

I always seem to do things backwards. I have shown my Christmas morning photos of both our kids families... Then, my friend, Audrey of TIMELESS TREASURES asked if the kids would be coming to OUR house...I remembered I'd forgotten to publish my CHRISTMAS EVE post.

THIS will be my last post about CHRISTMAS of 2012...

 

THIS is our biggest tradition....

Kid and grandkids come to our house for

CHRISTMAS EVE.
I DID remember to show you the photos of all our stockings,
hanging in wait for CHRISTMAS EVE.

 We've always put lights on our roof and then icicle lights around the front eves...

This year, we decided not to do lights....too time consuming and we'd just have to pack them back for moving.
(not to mention the obvious...we are getting a little TOO OLDEN to be climbing around on top of the house....:(

But, at the last minute....

I wanted the house to be SPARKLY and BRIGHT for our family so
Mr. Sweet and I got out early Christmas Eve morning and put
lights across the front and on the holly bushes.
I was so glad because they shined bright for our LOVES.
I forgot to take a photo of them that night but got THIS ONE
Christmas morning....

 and, yes, I've already shown it to you but it's the ONE photo I got of lights
and I'm milking it....:)

Then we came inside and had more of THIS....

Those rolls, filled with creme cheese, cinnamon  and Ideal Brown sugar sub
are so good, they make ya
want to slap yo
pappy....
remember...?.....crescent rolls just filled with butter and all the rest and
OH HONEY....♥

Then for the CHRISTMAS EVE meal...
....OTHER foods that are almost sinful...

pecan pie that my grandboy, BROOKS, makes at Cracker Barrel ..
that Sunshine Cake that just brings me to my knees, it's so good.
Mr. Sweet's mother's old recipe for COCONUT CREME PIE....the recipe must be over 100 yrs old as it was Mr. Sweet's
GREAT grandmother's. ....WOW

Snickerdoodle cookies that turned out THIN....what's up with that? Tasty, tho...

 Stacy made CROCK POT HOT CHOCOLATE
that was so good, it was UNREAL...
She got the recipe off Pinterest...
choco. chips
whipped CREAM
EAGLE BRAND MILK
and not sure what all else went into it...
so rich, we got dollar signs in our eyes...ummmmmm

Mr. Sweet did the Christmas Eve Ham this year.

He did it like his mother baked hers and it was absolutely AWESOME.

Smoked butt end, smothered in Brown Spicy Mustard,

covered with foil and baked for about 4 hours, slowly.

Then, *shhhhh......

I made a glaze out of Apricot jam and regular mustard and 

basted it every 15 minutes for the last hour of baking.
added extra flavor and talk about browning nicely...IT DID.
Mr. Sweet doesn't care for the spiral cut hams...too thin, he says...

*

Roasted fingerling potatoes...oh, so good
olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, can't remember that other spice and
...can't remember the rest of the recipe...
roast at 350 for about 30 minutes
(I can't remember SQUAT this morning....I must not have been paying attention)

My photos didn't turn out well, at all...I've never been good at taking PEOPLE pictures...I think my hands shake or something...

I'm afraid I COULD BE in need of a new camera....

Drew, Stacy's oldest son...
Brynna, back there, hanging on his every word. :))

Brooks, the youngest son of our daughter and Jent.

He will be 20 in June...and I keep hoping he stays around here close....
I'm spoiled to having all our grands close and not sure I could stand it if they start moving away....but,
in reality...I know it can happen.

Drew may decided to stay in Portland...even after school.
The good thing is that he can fly home often.... for holidays and summertime fun.

Think I've already shown you this one of Brynna....only really good photo of the night.

Brynna is a freshman in high school this year....hope she chooses Texas Tech for her college years.

Our sweet and handsome son, DAVID KEITH

......another blurry photo of THE BOYS.

DAVID and KATHY'S  GIRLS......minus JESSICA
Courtney....she is going to school here
Andrea, Bailey...freshmen in high school....and
Lacey Jean....she is going to Tech.
If I can just keep 'em close.................

♥

That's all the photos that turned out even half good.
I really did take some of the girls...Stacy, Jent and Deeds....Kathy...
our grandson, Bryan and Micah....
but every single one turned out so blurry, I couldn't fix them even a little bit
in PhotoScape......bummer

Love to all, bj

PINK SATURDAY (reds for pinks)

SWEETS FOR A SAT. 
SEASONAL SUNDAY
SUNNY SIMPLE SUNDAY
SCENIC SUNDAY
(my ONE pic. of lights in snow)