It's a Wrap

Well, I'm still in denial about it but Christmas is over. (sigh)  I'm always so involved with all the getting-ready-for-Christmas and all the events and parties over the Holidays that I don't take enough time to live in the moment about it.  And when it's over, I feel like, "wait, it can't be OVER yet - I'm finally done with everything so I can finally slow down enough to appreciate it!"  Guess I need to scale things down and/or start in July.  I'm hoping that next year will be easier because (hopefully) by then the house will be mostly fixed up and I can concentrate on making gifts and such things instead of ripping out bathrooms.  Still not totally done with those, by the way...soon enough, soon enough.  

 Hazel's got the right idea about all of this.  "Just sit back and relax Mom!  Have a creamsicle - they're delicious!"

Okay, so she didn't exactly say that.  It was more like, "I wan' posil"  (translation:  "I want a popsicle"). 

I made the mistake of buying a huge box of creamsicles at Eliza's request and as soon as Hazel found them in the freezer she was begging us night and day to eat them.  She'd leave the freezer door open and go find one of us, dragging us to the open freezer and demanding a creamsicle.  Sometimes the door would stay open for 10 minutes or longer if we refused to be dragged around just then.  That's always a nice surprise, to walk into the kitchen while the freezer is blasting cold air into the house as fast as it can!

We finally decided to let her eat them at a rapid rate just so they'd be out of the freezer and our electric bill wouldn't be through the roof!  :-)  Sorry, Eliza, but no more big boxes of creamsicles for awhile.  Either that or we've got to find a way to lock the fridge/freezer doors.

Every Christmas the Washington DC temple decorates their outdoor area with lots and lots of lights on the trees and a big Christmas display inside their Visitor's Center, much like Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  We braved the cold weather along with some friends of ours to go see the lights.

I didn't get very many shots of the lovely lights - we were too busy chasing after Hazel! 

Hyrum was very impressed with the big camel that was watching over the outdoor Nativity Scene.

Inside the Visitor's Center there was a huge display of Nativities from around the world, which was really neat to see.

This one is from China.  The carefully carved figurines and red lacquer box were beautiful.

This little set is made entirely from shells and pearls.  Very cute.

My very favorite one was from Switzerland.  I absolutely LOVE this hand-carved scene.

The warmth and rustic beauty of these figures is so appealing to me.  Just look at that sweet dog and the Alpine instrument (anybody know what it's called?  I used to know, but forgot.  Edith will have the answer, right dear friend?)

The gestures of these humble old folks are so convincingly real.  Their personalities just shine through, don't you think?  And can you imagine carting that huge basket of sticks on your back?  Wow.

Here is the sweet little Baby Jesus in the manger.  So precious.

Back outside, we had a hasty (because it was FREEZING outside!  Below freezing, to be precise) little tailgate hot chocolate party before heading home.  Eliza had just discovered that the hot chocolate was all gone.  The thermos I used did a great job keeping the cocoa piping hot, but it wasn't big enough! 

 
 
 
  
 
 

Hazel, who had discovered my sunglasses in the van, looks like she belongs on the slopes of Colorado where the Hollywood stars are.  She is sneaking the last remnants of the DELICIOUS snickerdoodle cookies that my friend made and everyone gobbled up faster than fast.

Hazel, you're busted!

Now that it's January I suppose I'd better think about taking down the Christmas decorations.  It's such a huge job and always a sad thing to pack it all away for another year, and I'm trying to avoid it.  I'm in denial about the whole thing.

Good thing Valentine's Day is in February - that gives me a deadline!  :-)

Comments

[Edith Songer]

It's called a Matterhorn. Just kidding, it's an alpenhorn, but we had to look that up.

[Sarah Cresap]

That last pic of Hazel is so fantastic in so many ways. The shades, the crime, the blonde locks. She's a star.