Snapshots: Celebrations

Because of my immobility the Sunday before Christmas, I wasn't at church to help decorate. It was a fun surprise to show up and see what everyone else had done.

Outside.

Inside.

Last year when we put the church manger scene away, the star fell off. I meant to see if I could put it back, but it disappeared before I got to it. I looked online and at Walmart to try to find another star, and they were all so tacky and ugly that I decided we could just make one.

I printed out a Star of Bethlehem in what I thought would be the right size, then cut that out and used it to trace the star onto a piece of plywood. Eldest son cut this out for me using our band saw, and then I spray painted it with some of the bronze paint left from my bathroom painting.

Star of wonder . . .

I really like the way it came out.

Because our Christmas Day service is at 8 a.m., the children only looked in their stockings and opened their gifts from each other before Mass. They had to wait until after Mass to open most of their gifts.

The aftermath. But after cleaning up all the wrapping paper because I do that as they're opening presents.

A. spent much of Christmas afternoon getting ready to go hunting, and of course, gifts were spread all over the place as they were investigated and used. Which is why we had to clear all of this from the table in order to eat our Christmas dinner.

Hunting pack and various craft supplies. We are an eclectic household.

Poppy made a custom sign for my birthday yesterday.

I did not have a cake, nor did I have 46 candles. I did have two candles to blow out in my ice cream, though.

She also gave me her Birthday Princess ribbon to wear. 

I should have posted a selfie yesterday on my birthday, I guess. This is the most recent photo of me.

In the bathroom of our shotgun-house rental in New Orleans. I wondered if they put this mirror here expecting people to take selfies in it. It kind of looks like it.

And last, I came upon this frankly disturbing creation outside on a wall when I was feeding animals.

I think it was modeled on the Orcs from Lord of the Rings.

There you have it! My life, snapshotted.