How Was Your Christmas?

We are back from our rounds of holiday visits, and brought back some pictures of Christmas dinner and yay, a cold.  A great way to spend my vacation week between Christmas and New Years--sick on the couch.  I could go on a tirade, but instead I'll just share some photos of Christmas dinner with you.  My mom loves to cook and entertain, and she did a great job again this year with dinner.  We had pork roast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, squash, rolls, and so much more.  Drool and enjoy!

Mom's Christmas tree

Some desserts...more were added later

Lunch is served!  Yes, those are little sausages wrapped in bacon.  Yes, they were good.

Snack plates!

The Abominable Snowman, from Rudolph

Intermission during Ben-Hur--the menfolk watched while the womenfolk worked.

The rolls

Have a safe and happy New Year!

For the Christmas Spirit!

We went up to the Toledo Zoo for their light display on Saturday.  It was good, as always, and we even got a light dusting of snow that day to enhance the beauty of the lights on the trees.  So without further ado, here are a few pictures from the Toledo Zoo to put you in the Christmas mood!

It was great when we first arrived, because not that many people were there yet.  By the time we left around 7 pm, it was packed.  If you live in the northwest Ohio area, the Toledo Zoo's Lights Before Christmas is a must-see.  The light displays are fantastic, and some of the nocturnal animals are still on exhibit.  We've gone there every Christmas since we moved to Ohio.  It's a great holiday tradition!

Finally Finished

The Big Unveil...

Well, it took two extra days, a lot of stress, many extra trips to Lowe's, and four sleepless nights at a hotel, but we finally have our new bathroom!  It was a frustrating experience, to say the least, and completely extinguished any desire to remodel again, but everything is new and updated and fixed.  We might only have one bathroom still, but it's definitely nicer!  Below are before pictures:

And a picture of a layer of old vinyl:

And after!:

 And yes, in case you were wondering, we did get the faucet and vanity that I mentioned a while ago in another blog post:

We have a bathroom that is approximately 12' long by 5' wide--a typical bathroom size for an older home.  To make it feel larger, we chose better lighting, a light-colored wood vanity, and kept the walls a lighter color, and even though we chose a larger tub and deeper vanity cabinet, it still feels like a larger space.  The porcelain tile gives it a much more polished and refined look, especially as a shower surround.  We also updated our towel bars, toilet paper holder, and towel/robe hooks to a more modern brushed nickel finish, with tied everything together well.  We like it.  I don't want to do this again, but we have a nice, updated bathroom.  It should help us sell the house in a few years without a problem.  Woohoo!

Christmas Partyin'

We attended hubby's Christmas party on Saturday night.  It was a good time, with lots of good food, live music and dancing.  There are always a lot of people there, but it never seems crowded, unless you spend the night near the open bar.  Here are a few phone pics and videos (I apologize for the quality--I need a phone that takes better images).

The local high school orchestra played before the band arrived.  They were very good!

I also took video of a couple who was really enjoying the music, and this guy had sweet moves!  I'm guessing they were in their late 60s to early 70s.  The video won't load onto the blog, but it was fun to watch them all night.  Just take my word for it.  I ran into the lady in the bathroom and she told me that he was from Greece, and that they just really get into their dancing over there.  Sounds like fun!

Staying Occupied

I've been staying very busy filling online orders lately.  I appreciate all of the support that family and friends have given me, as well as the support I've gained on Etsy, the website, and Facebook.  Thanks, everyone!  And there's a good chance that I won't have another entry before Christmas, so I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy New Year!!

I've been reading an online devotional from Chuck Swindoll.  Right now, he's discussing the story of Esther, another favorite story in the Old Testament.  God's not mentioned in this book, but He's certainly orchestrating everything that happens in it!  What a brave woman Esther was.  And smart, too!  She wasn't vain, she didn't aspire to be royalty, she had patience, and she understood timing in the events that were destined to occur.  She was all of these things because, through her life, God had made her into the person He needed her to be to save her race.  While she didn't necessarily want the palace life, she was obedient to not just her uncle, Mordecai, but also to God in what she was instructed to do.  Her humility caught the eye of the king, who had dismissed his previous wife for her unwillingness to obey, and this landed Esther in a position to save the Jews and fulfill prophecy.  Whew!  Good thing for that!  I wish that I could have more of Esther's attributes.  To read the book, click on this link: Book of Esther.

Here We Go!

With Christmas just around the corner, there is a lot going on right  now.  We did finally get our tree up, and it looks nice and cheerful.  Sets the mood.  I didn't go all out with decorating this year, and I think it's because I feel so cramped already in our small house that I couldn't bear to add to the clutter.  I still wanted to decorate, though, so I went with the less-is-more option, and just set out some items.  Still, it looks like Christmas for sure!

We begin remodeling our bathroom tomorrow.  I've taken some before pictures, and I'll take some during and after pictures, and post them on here for anyone who is curious.  Hubby and I are both very excited for our new bathroom, and will be even more excited when it is all done!  It should look wonderful.

We also have my husband's Christmas party coming up next weekend.  We were able to go last year for the first time since moving here, and it was nice, although some people there looked like they were attending their prom (yes, seriously, prom dresses).  It should be fun, though, as we will be hanging out with some of hubby's friends there.  Doesn't hurt that they have free food and drinks all night, too!

Hope everyone has a good week!  And, in the spirit of the Christmas season, here is a passage from Luke: "And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."(Luke 1:28-38).  Celebrate the real meaning of Christmas!!