Christmas, the day after!

Today is our Christmas with our family. The girls, son-in-laws, grandchildren, parents and this year as a special treat, my cousins will be here. By noon the house should be bursting with 19 people if I am counting right. How fun! Yesterday was just a quiet day, spent the morning with Gracelyn and a short visit to Kendall. Everyone had other obligations and that is fine. I like having it this day, no one is rushing to get somewhere else. It is way more relaxed that way. John got all the meat ready yesterday and I have some new appetizer recipes to try and stuffing balls.
So far this morning, it is 6:31 right now, John has already called twice. Forgetting it was Saturday, he was up and at the gym (that does not open until 8 on Saturdays) at 6:00, then he went to the grocery store and filled his cart only to be told that they did not open until 7:00. Wouldn't you think that they would lock the doors? or that someone would have told him that BEFORE he was done shopping or here's a thought, just check him out and let him get what he came for?
My daughter bought this clock for me for Christmas. I love it! We had been to someone's house and had seen one like it and I had commented on how much I liked it. It looks neat hanging in the archway and I really like having a clock in the living room.

And last night, watching that clock at midnight, I finished this penny rug just in time to give to my Mom today. It was not any big deal if I didn't have it done, but I was so close last night that I just had to finish it.

And the gifts all wrapped and ready for the day. Obviously I took this before this morning. The sun is not awake here yet.

What a nice surprise this was. The lady that I took pottery from brought these to me on Tuesday, I had finished these pieces back in the early spring in pottery class and she had never got them fired. I thought that they were gone and that I was not going to get them and actually had forgotten about them. It was so nice to get them. Sort of makes me want to go back to pottery class again.

And this. My Mother-in-law has been giving me things for Christmas each year that are family "heirlooms" She has had this picture on a shelf in her garage forever and I have made comments about it and hinted and nothing! This year it is my Christmas present. There is no date but it was a wedding gift to her MIL and FIL when they got married so we are thinking around 1915-1920. It is a pastel painting and I love the frame. I promptly hung it in my kitchen on Christmas Eve when we came home from her house. Anyone with any information on these types of frames and paintings?

I could not show this before Christmas. This was my MIL's train case when she was younger and she had me paint it for Dianna for Christmas this year. Dianna had known it was coming but had forgotten about it.

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and that you enjoy the next week of get-togethers and family. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year.

And then...we settle into January and recliner and crafting time. I have so many fun things that I want to make this winter. Can't wait to get started, but for now...I have to vacuum and cook and get ready for our big holiday!