It's time for Christmas

Our family celebrates Christmas starting on the Eve, or more specifically, in the afternoon of the Eve. Since we no longer have kids in the program, we don't attend worship until it's time for the candlelight service. Jill so kindly reserved the community room in the apartment building for our use, which comes with a decorated tree. Nice!  Lori, David, and Dustin drove over this a.m. from Holmen, and Alayna came up from Madison, once she was done working. We attendees prepare or provide foods for a buffet where we nibble much of the afternoon and evening during the gift opening and beyond. 

Before everyone arrived, some of us sat down in the community room for a bit, once we got the buffet all set up. Here is Mom, all dressed for the occasion.

 I ordered this trivia game for us to play with while I am here, all about TV and movies. We played a modified version of it while waiting for the rest of the family to arrive. 

Justin's contribution was making sandwiches including two sandwich rings as shown here, plus his good ham and Swiss rolls made on the Hawaiian rolls, spread with onion and poppyseed. Oh, my, so delicious!! 

Here is one of the sandwich rings after its been baked. It was wonderful!

 

At last everyone is here and the boys can begin opening their presents. Angelo is looking over a present from Justin and me, as Manny and Gabe wait their turns. 

Angelo is now going to open the present which is a matching game with the theme of Despicable Me. I'm so out of the game that I don't know what's what anymore!

Besides chipping in money toward Gabe's electronic piano keyboard, Justin and I got the boys this Monopoly game based on Star Wars, of which both are fans. I hope they like it. I also got them the DVD of the Lego movie to share. 

While the boys did their gift opening, the adults sat along the perimeter to watch. Lori, Dusty, David, and Justin are pictured here. It's so nice having the boys, and their cousin, Alayna, together for a visit. 

Jill and Lori are overseeing Mom as she opens her Christmas presents. She asked that she not receive anything that has to be moved, as she plans to go into assisted living at some point. I don't think she did get anything which did not fit her criteria except for a sweater with coordinating top to wear under it. I wouldn't consider clothing something which needs to be moved, so she was happy with her gift certificates, chocolates, etc. Justin and I gave her winter gloves which match her coat. We also got her a certificate for the hair salon she goes to plus a book of postage stamps so she can mail cards to her friends. I think she liked all she received. 

After the room was cleaned up, gifts loaded into cars, and ourselves tidied up, off we went to the candlelight service. This is what Justin was waiting for---Christmas at First German. With the pipe organ and church orchestra, we sang marvelous hymns and carols, filling the length of the pew with our family. Lynn and Alayna were in the balcony to sing with the choir. It was just a lovely service, culminating with singing "Stille Nacht", first in English and then lastly in German, while holding lit candles. It was a good day!

"Christ, the Savior, is born!"