Advent 2012 - Advent Calendar Before and After

Advent 2012 - December 25

Calendar pieces for December 25.

Christmas Season 2012 - Mom's Tree

Mom decorated her tree with some of her famous cross-stitched hearts. 

Christmas Season 2012 - The Tree

I did not have the time or energy to decorate the tree as elaborately as I usually do.  This year I only hung the Christmas balls.  It turned out to be understated and still quite lovely.  Dale particularly liked it.

Christmas Day 2012 - Joe, Dale, and Mom

Dale and I stopped by the house of our friend and neighbor Warren on Christmas morning.  He hosted a light breakfast and we were able to meet his delightful parents.  After that we enjoyed a very relaxing afternoon.  It was very cold outside but the sun was shining brightly and it was lovely having snow on Christmas.  Last year was a brown Christmas - the first in about six years.  In the evening Mom came to dinner.  We served beef stroganoff.  Pete and Stephanie texted us to wish us a Merry Christmas.  The above photo is what we texted back to them along with a Christmas greeting.  What a beautiful Christmas it turned out to be. 

Christmas Day 2012 - Joe, Athena, and Dale

Christmas Day 2012 - Mom and Joe

Christmas Day 2012 - Mom and Dale

Christmas Day 2012

Mom came to our place for dinner on Christmas Day.  We had beef stroganoff and a nice chocolate roulade for dessert. 

Christmas Eve 2012 - Thinking of Dad

Dad's been on my mind a lot today.  I miss him.  This is the 6th Christmas we've been without him.

Christmas Eve 2012 - Dinner

For Christmas Eve dinner Mom made the traditional cheese fondue along with a colorful salad.  We also had steaks and Baba Dessert for dessert.  

Christmas Eve 2012 - Cheese Fondue

Mom made the traditional cheese fondue on Christmas Eve.  Shown at top is the original cookbook from which she's taken the recipe since the late '60s/ early '70s.  Shown at bottom is Mom preparing the recipe on Christmas Eve 2012.

Christmas Eve 2012

Dad made this manger scene for me way back around 1971 or so.  It's made of twigs which were varnished after the bark was stripped off.  I haven't put it up for a number of years but decided to this year. The top picture was taken this year.  The bottom picture was taken in 1971.  It shows me in my room at the house on Stevens with a small tree that was cut down up at Baba and Grandpa's cabin with the manger scene next to it on the dresser.

Christmas Eve 2012 - Setting Up the Tree

A special thank you to my photographer, Dale, for putting up with me while I hammed it up a bit.

Advent Calendar - December 24

Calendar pieces for December 24.

Advent Calendar - December 23

Calendar pieces for December 23.

Advent Calendar - December 22

Calendar pieces for December 22.

Advent Calendar - December 21

Calendar pieces for December 21. 

Advent Calendar - December 20

Calendar pieces for December 20.

Advent Calendar - December 19

Calendar pieces for December 19.  I love the lion!

Advent Calendar - December 18

Calendar pieces for December 18.

Advent Calendar - December 17

Calendar pieces for December 17.

Advent Calendar - December 16

Calendar pieces for December 16th.

Advent Calendar 12-12-12

These are the calendar pieces for the 12th through the 15th. They make up the stable.

Advent Calendar - December 11

Calendar pieces for December 11th.

Advent Calendar - December 10

Calendar pieces for December 10.

Advent Calendar - December 9

Calendar pieces for December 9.

Advent Calendar - December 8

Calendar pieces for December 8.

Advent Calendar - December 7

Calendar pieces for December 7.

Advent Calendar - December 6

Advent calendar pieces for December 6.

Candles

Mom gave me this Scandinavian-style candelabra last year. It had been in her collection for a while and she decided to pass it along to me. I quite like it as it reminds me of my Swedish heritage on Mom's side of the family. Sadly, we don't know too much about that part of the family tree other than that Mom's grandmother was born in Sweden in 1890, came to the U.S. with her family in 1891,   and died in Minnesota in the 1918 influenza epidemic.

Advent Calendar - December 5

These are the calendar pieces for December 5.

Advent Calendar - December 4

These are the calendar pieces for December 4th.

Advent Calendar - December 3

These are the calendar pieces for December 3rd.

Advent Calendar - December 2

These are the calendar pieces for December 2nd.

Advent Calendar - December 1

This are the pieces for the Advent calendar for December 1st. Mom made this calendar for Pete.

Emma's Christmas Picture

Emma made this on my iPad (with a lot of support from me and Dale) during our Thanksgiving 2012 visit to Pete and his family in Arkansas.

Abby's Christmas Picture

Abby made this on my iPad (with minimal support) during a visit to Pete and his family in Arkansas for Thanksgiving 2012.

Xander's Christmas Picture

Xander made this on my iPad (with a moderate amount of support from me) the day after Thanksgiving 2012.

Aluminum Tree

Was at the Minnesota's Greatest Generation exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul yesterday. This display made me think of Grandma Alice's aluminum Christmas tree from the 1960s.