From Our Home to Yours, A Very Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Howdy & a Very Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

It’s a busy time of year, isn’t it?  What with one thing and another it has been really tough to get a picture of all of us together, but we have some good attempts, and so I thought I’d share some of our holiday spirit with you.

 

To the left here is a picture of the annual tree hunting and cutting.  I’m not in the picture.  Instead, I’m taking it.  My two daughters, my husband and my grandchildren are in the picture.  As a note, I can’t be around when they actually cut down the tree.  Oddly, I am certain that I can hear the pain and the “shouts” of the tree.  So usually the grandchildren and I go and get hot chocolate and let the others get the tree.  You know, my husband and I now only have a potted Christmas tree — for the same reason.  So, tell me, are you sensitive to the emotions of the tree, also?

Next, I thought I’d share some holiday treasures this year.  The first is of my grandson and my daughter in the background for the traditional choral concert. 

 

My grandson is in the front, sandwiched between two girls, and my daughter is in the back, dark hair and glasses (which she only needs to wear to read).  To the left now is a closer look at my grandson in the choir.

Such a beautiful concert.  But, I gotta tell you, eventually we had to step into the back because where we were originally seated, someone was wearing so much perfume, it was all we could smell.  This kind of perfume can really have an adverse effect on me.  Are any of you like that also?  I have to get out of the way of that kind of perfume, or a bad headache is usually in store for me.

This next picture is of my granddaughter in the Nutcracker. She is the one in the red “clown” suit and farthest on the left.  She had five different parts in the Nutcracker this year.  One of them entailed a series of cartwheels to the splits over and over, probably 5-6 times.  Wow!  I was impressed.  So, tell me, do you go to the Nutcracker each year?  I must admit that I added this event treasure to our annual Christmas festivities when my own children were young.  The music, the dancing and the thrill of seeing this live almost always started our holiday season.

This next picture is of me with my step granddaughter.  As a note, when she was younger and found out that I write books, she wanted me to gift a book to her teacher, who loves to read.  I did do this, and even met her teacher.  The long and short of this is that her teacher then started to write her own stories.  Gotta tell you, this was so heartwarming to me.  I love this picture because to me, I can see the love that we share for one another.

 

Here is a picture of me with one of my daughters at the Nutcracker.  Note my grandson in the foreground.

And, to the left here we have a picture of mom and son (my daughter and grandson) — also taken at the Nutcracker.

But let’s not end without a little carolling.  Here to the right is a picture of both my granddaughter and grandson carolling at a local senior’s home.  My granddaughter is closest to us behind the white pole.  She has beautiful, long hair, and is in front of the lady with short hair and songbook.

DSCN1721 — I’ve never done this before, but maybe, just maybe, you can see a video of the carolling.  If it doesn’t pull up, let me at least introduce the song they are singing, which is HOT CHOCOLATE from the movie, THE POLAR EXPRESS.

Well, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  May your holiday be bright and filled with love and all good things.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

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KAREN KAY aka GEN BAILEY is the multi-published author of American Indian Historical Romances. She has written for such prestigious publishers as AVON/HarperCollins, Berkley/Penguin/Putnam and Samhain Publishing. KAREN KAY’S great grandmother was Choctaw Indian and Kay is honored to be able to write about the American Indian Culture.
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26 thoughts on “From Our Home to Yours, A Very Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays”

  1. What great family time you have had this Christmas. We have seen the Nutcracker several times, but not in the past few years. We now have had an artificial tree, though we still think about getting a real one every year. For some reason, it has been hard to get into the holiday spirit this year. We have been busy with other things which have either brought more stuff into our house or kept us away from home. They are all important volunteer things we are doing, but it is leaving little time for getting ready for family visits, baking, etc. We ar done with the scheduled things, but are on call for others and we never know when we will be called out. I hop to finish getting the spot ready for the tree tomorrow. Maybe that will give me some holiday spirit. Now I need to remember where I stashed all the Christmas presents. Have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2020.

    • Hi Patricia!

      Great to hear from you. We thought about an artificial tree, but then decided to get a live potted tree, instead. It grows all year long, and we bring it into the house at Christmas time. When we lived in California, the tree eventually got so big, that we gave it away to a forestry — it would no longer fit into our house. : ) But the cutting of the tree each year (my children’s tradition) is fun, even though I must go elsewhere when my husband cuts that tree. : )

      Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year.

    • Hi Patricia!

      Hi Patricia!

      So nice to hear from you. You know, potted trees are fun. When we lived in California, the tree eventually got so big, that we gave it away to a forestry — it would no longer fit into our house. : ) But the cutting of the tree each year (my children’s tradition) is fun. Good times together. Have a Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year.

    • Your family has some awesome Christmas traditions! I hope you and yours has a very Merry Christmas filled with all the people and things you love!

    • So funny the way the replies sometimes. I answered this, but it’s way below, so I thought I’d answer this again and wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year.

  2. Merry Christmas and thank you for sharing your Christmas holiday events with us. Oh yes I hate to see trees cut down and around here in this area where I live several people have started clear cutting the trees off of their land and I hate to see that happening I literally cry when I see it being done it just breaks my heart

    • Hi Glenda,

      Me, too. I can’t stand it — and I have to leave the area when that happens — it happens here, as well. Here’s a wish from me to you for a happy, romantic and prosperous New Year.

  3. I enjoyed seeing the pictures. The only tree I felt sensitive to when it was cut down was a huge cedar tree that was next to our house. It had gotten so big and after a tree in my mother-in-law’s house went down on one of her neighbor’s cars during a storm, I decided I would eliminate that problem happening to us by having the tree cut down. if it fell, it could have crushed our house or our neighbor’s and I didn’t want to take that chance. I haven’t had a Christmas tree in years, but when we did, we used to get the small potted one that I would plant in the back yard (which none of them ever grew).

    • Hi Janine,

      Yes, we tend to get the live potted trees, but once one of our trees grew so big and so tall that we had to give it away to a forestry — it was so tall it wouldn’t come into the house. We’d had it for years and years.

      Yes, like you, I cry when a tree gets cut down. They give us so much, those trees. Protection, warmest, oxygen and beauty. But one doesn’t want one coming down on the house or on the neighbor’s house. Something to think about. Here’s wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

    • Thank you so much, Debra! Nice to see you here on the blog. We’ve had so many special events, that I haven’t blogged for a while, and it’s great to touch base with you in this holiday season.

    • Hi!

      Thanks so much. I was hoping they weren’t too much. Feel much like the proud grandma. : ) But these kinds of things do tend to get one in the holiday spirit. : ) Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

  4. Merry Christmas Karen. Thank you for sharing your pictures of family. A beautiful family. I love taking photos of our family. I love looking back on times we have had giving prayers that God has allowed us to share such precious times with our children/family. Prayers that you enjoy the rest of the holiday season.

  5. Hear, hear! Your comment touched my heart. Thank you for coming here and for reading my Merry Christmas blog and commenting. May the New Year be filled with love, romance and all good things.

  6. Merry Christmas!! Thank you for sharing your pics of your family. I love seeing the little ones in Christmas programs. Our church program features all ages, and has dancers to some of the songs, too.

    • Hi Trudy!

      Isn’t it fun to see the little kids in choral concerts and church programs? Something about it really gets one into the mood of Christmas. Thanks so much for your comment.

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