'Twas the night before Christmas...

...and the Christofferson family went caroling. 

They dressed up in red and green, with Santa hats for all.

And they each opened a gift, and were thankful.

Okay, my rhyming is done.  But this Christmas Eve, instead of opening one stocking present, we opened a present from under the tree.  Melissa was given turquoise bracelets, Mom a scarf crocheted by Clara, Dad a screwdriver, Clara a shoe ornament, and Amy slipper socks.  And my family gave me a digital camera!  I was excited.  That's why you can look at beautiful pictures.

This is Clara dressed beautifully for the GFA Christmas Party.

There are lots of presents under the tree!

Melissa and Clara sewed and quilted some Christmas coasters.  Behind them in the picture is a Nativity set that Mema gave us.

I spent all yesterday morning baking gingersnaps.  They are yummy and we have lots of them.

Have a merry Christmas celebrating Jesus' birth and spending time with family!

Christmas Preparations

We put up the Christmas tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when Amy was still here.
We have a fake tree, so this picture is putting it together and fluffing up the branches.

Dad made a stand for the tree, because last year I broke the original stand. So here we are making the tree stand straight by putting legos under the stand.

Melissa and I (Ellie) put on the lights, and we all decorated it.

And here the tree is. We have lots of homemade things, like the felt rocking horse on the bottom right. My grandma made each of us girls one, and we each have different colors.


This is a nice picture of Amy with her roommates.

1 Corinthians 13 [Christmas Version]

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity; but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love does not envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return; but rejoices in giving to those who cannot.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust; but giving the gift of love will endure.

Author: Sharon Jaynes

I saw this recently and I was really blessed. May you also be blessed!

Melissa has no braces!

She got her braces off on Wednesday.

Thanksgiving

We had two other families come over for Thanksgiving dinner for a total of 17 people! There was lots of food, and we had a lot of fun. We ate turkey, rolls, stuffing, cranberry jello, pumpkin and apple pies, and lots of other delicious food. Amy and her roommate Margaret were able to spend Thanksgiving with us, too.

We went shopping on the Friday after Thaksgiving, and went to a Day After Thanksgiving party.
On Saturday we put up the Christmas tree and hung ornaments.