Christmas Eve 2020

Our Christmas Eve open house had about 40 visitors.  We ate delicious meats, cheeses, fruit, nuts, salads, shrimp, meatballs, cheeseballs, veggies and dips.  We laughed and visited and just genuinely enjoyed each others company.  I love how the holidays bring family and friends together.  Everyone has a giving, loving spirit about them.  That is probably my favorite part of Christmas.

After everyone left and I had cleaned up, we went down to the cemetery to put luminaries out on the graves.  Salem does a spectacular job with their annual "Candles at the Cemetery" every year.  The place is just as busy and as beautiful as it is on Memorial Day.

Elf on the Shelf 2020

Bernard doesn't move too much these days, haha!  Molly still likes to see him move about and do cool tricks.  So he moves some days but not everyday.  This year he got creative with climbing equipment!  He climbed up the mirror and hung one of Molly's flossers off his grappling hook.  He hid candy canes in the living room, he climbed up the upstairs family room tree.  He scaled the clock in the kitchen and he made a tight rope in the living room and hung off of it with a note telling the kids to do 3 good deeds for the day.  Beyond that, he just did the normal, moving about the house type stuff.

Annual Gingerbread Making Day

We did our decorating and then we put them to vote on Instagram!  I was, as usual, the winner, again, like I am year after year..... hahaha!  Sidney was a close second and Jackson a close third.  Everyone did really great though.  Well everyone except Cade!  He barely even got his glued together and then he gave up and took a nap.  (shake my head...)

Alexandra made a beach hut, did a goldfish roof, surrounded by water and fish complete with palm trees!

Sidney made a cute log cabin

Mine (mom) was just your typical candy house.  Honestly I think it was the roof that sealed the deal for me.  Otherwise I don't know if I would have won.

Jensy only used orange candies

Cades......

Molly made a cute log cabin with a cute storybook type roof.

And Jackson made a beach hut as well, surrounded by sand, complete with a banana tree.

 

Higginson Adult Christmas Party

The adult party was another success!  This year we have a few differences from years past.  Starting with no Duane, Julie or Clella.  They were just nervous to come out and catch covid, AND the fact that Duane just recently had his other leg removed the end of October, had numerous infections and had a stroke.  All in all, he spent something like 45 days in the hospital with all of this. He simply was too weak to come.  Then new this year we added Jackson, Gunner and Hailey!  I also really don't like prime rib (which is on the menu every bloody year because thats what Duane and Julie want to get) so this year I did chicken cordon bleu and everyone loved it!  This was also the first year that we've had to add an additional table in the living room, even with the 3 missing.  Our kiddos are all becoming "legal adults" too quick!  After dinner we played our favorite game, Telestrations.  Everyone laughed their heads off!