Tree that is pleasant to the sight...Genesis 2:9

Merry Christmas! I wanted to get a picture up of our tree before next year. The Man and children drove up in the mountains to cut it down. The Man did better this year in not getting one that was too tall for our house.

I forgot to ask him to make sure it wasn't too wide. We got out the tape measure this morning...7'-1" tall and 7'-4" at the widest point. I didn't get to put any lights on the porch this year since they were all needed to go around the tree.

We had lots of fun with family visiting. The kids and their cousins did another Christmas pageant for us this year. Of course, we had too much food. I made a vegan turkey loaf, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach/artichoke casserole, pumpkin cookies and rolls. The Man made an apple crunch and the gravy, and J made the salad.

Here's a picture a few nights before Christmas as The Man was preparing to sand down a thrift store find. Sacagawea found it a few weeks ago browsing a Goodwill. I happened to be talking to The Man on my cellphone at the time so she asked Daddy if she could have it. Its finish needed some TLC, but it was sturdy and I thought it was well worth the $9.99 price. Fortunately we had some paint left over from her birthday presents so they all match.
Unfortunately, rather than staying in her bedroom with the matching crib and high chair, I think this rocker will become a permanent part of the living room. She does enjoy sitting in front of the wood stove rocking her baby dolls.

The Man got his own rocker for Christmas...rather, a face-to-face glider. It belonged to his grandparents, sitting in their backyard for the last 45 years, and it was one of the things The Man requested. "Are you SURE?" I had no idea what he would do with it since it had been in a state of disrepair for many years. It was ready to be sent off to the junkyard, but The Man wanted it. The Man's step-dad fixed it up for him, re-welding some pieces. He and The Man had a lot of fun re-assembling it Christmas night.
Now it is as good as new. Well, not quite. It could still use a coat of paint, but I'm sure it is much sturdier than some of the modern gliders. We'll store it in the barn this winter to keep in out of the elements and next spring we will give it a proper finish and cover.

One last picture of the tree. That is a genuine hand-made Lego ornament there. Also, a choo-choo train from long ago. We had to glue it together again this year. Styrofoam is very forgiving. And the popcorn...we'll put it back in the gallon ziploc bag to save for next year. I think this is the third year we've used those same popcorn strings.
Maybe we can pass them on down to our children some day.

Just kidding!

Unless they really want them.