Tag Archive | Christmas Eve

Christmas at Ivy’s… A Short Story

This short story simply introduces you to a lovely series of characters all getting ready to celebrate Christmas in Blue Springs. As the author states, this is just a launching point… you can get to know these characters further in the novel Blue Springs. Both are by author Edward F. James. I, personally, am going to have to hunt down this longer book as I found the people at Blue Spring endearing. But first, the short story. 

The story starts at 3:18pm on Christmas Eve with Riley Thompson in a small single engine airplane. A pilot of only a year and a half he is a salesman for a small medical equipment company who had convinced said company that he could do better sales if they would invest in an airplane for him to expand his area of coverage. After proving his projections right he is heading to Blue Springs to meet up with his girl friend Jo Ellen Page, a wheelchair bound lady he met in the local general store on one of his sales trips. 

At this point the major issue has begun to rear its head… it is snowing, or more like blizzarding. The rest of this sweet novel is focused on Riley attempting to get to Jo Ellen and the people of blue Springs dealing with a rather major blizzard. I don’t want to spill too much more as it IS a short story, but this is definitely a feel good book. There is no murder and any arguments are topical… rather you get a sneak peek at the lives and interactions of the people in Blue Springs. Just a taste that definitely leaves you wanting more! 

If you want a little feel good Christmas spirit with characters that feel rather real and yet lovable this is the short story for you! 

Christmas in High Heels… a Book Review

This short story by Gemma Halliday is a part of the High Heels Mystery series. I have yet to read the series itself and came across this as a freebie in the Amazon Kindle bookstore. Basically you are hanging out with the main character – Maddie and her yummy homicide detective boyfriend Jack Ramirez on Christmas Eve. Their first together, well their first where Jack has not been called off to some murder or other. 

With a phone ringing off the hook and a doorbell that is continuously in use you get a bit of a parade of what I assume are regular characters. And really they ARE characters. You get a glimpse of the romance, a giggle at the various visitors and callers and and ending that is just plain sweet. Personally, I am thinking I will have to hunt down the other books in the High Heel Mysteries and see if they are as entertaining in a full story as they have been in this short. 

Christmas in High Heels

A Very Merry Johnson Christmas

We have not spent a Christmas in Minnesota since we were first married so this was a long time in coming and a day of HUGE excitement, even for Ken! We started our morning at the reasonable time of 8 am with Echo having to be WOKEN UP! Of course, she had not had much of a nap on Christmas Eve so it was not a huge surprise.

Sneak attack on the Santa gift – a rocking… MOOSE!

Luckily the Christmas pj’s managed to make it through the night unscathed so we had our cuties all dressed up and ready to start the presents.

With their stockings

The morning was set aside for our Canadian Christmas items… Of course Santa delivered with the wish lists. The biggest item of excitement ended up being (not surprisingly) the ps3 game Skylanders Giants. The boys had been talking about this game since the summer when we spent  that month or so with the Bleau family. It was a favourite of Logan’s. Santa’s presents were too big for the stockings (like Echo’s rocking moose or Trinity’s special toy trunk) so Santa let ME use the stockings.

Ripping into the presents

The hats I made each of the kids went over well as did the little Pato inspired bird I crocheted. (Picture to follow later)

Echo’s hat (Sorry, a later in the evening picture… in her pj’s from Grandma and Grandpa Reinsch)

Add to that the lovely handmade creations from my sister Kat (South Carolina) and the pj’s from my dad and step mom and we were well outfitted.

Emanuel in his Angry Birds hat made by Aunty Kat

There were also the toys from Uncle Wayne, the items mailed to us from Gammie AND the toys from James, Holly and Jimmie. It was Echo’s year to have the “some assembly required” toys. Although when all was said and done her little nursery center from her Aunty Holly and Uncle James and Jimmie was a total hit! As was her brand new Cabbage Patch baby. In fact, Trinity says that since she did NOT  get a dolly for Christmas she is going to use HER Christmas money to purchase a Cabbage Patch kid all her own.

Opening her Assembly Required gift

With baby

Trinity ended up with her tea pot, cups and saucer set, fruit AND hat and was pleased with all! Echo LOVED her bunny… so I am feeling a bit accomplished with people LIKING my handmade gifts still.

Bunny love

We also gave Ken’s parents two strings of traditionally coloured lights to put on their tree… you know, the red, blue, yellow and green ones?

Traditional colours… like the big bulb ones we used to put on the outside of houses

After all the excitement of the “Canadian Christmas” it was time for breakfast – sausagestrata and then tidying up because the cousins were on their way!

Sausagestrata

Eating breakfast

Of course we had to put Skylanders in and let the boys play and truly explore the presents we received that morning.

Starting up the game

For the first time in YEARS I got my present ON Christmas… my very own Kindle Fire! It is so much lighter than the iPad but still has a lot of the tablet capabilities. So while I still need the iPad for a few things like the Apple IM I now have my own reader. I need to take some of my Christmas money and get myself a cover right away and then see about connecting to the library and start borrowing some books! Perhaps later in the year I can create a bit of a book budget???

KINDLE FIRE!

Of course I had to dress the girls up. And have the boys in matching shirts.

PRESENTS!!

Now on to the afternoon and presents from Nana and Baba… talk about MOUNTAINS! Santa was ALSO present in the form of amazing bags with each kid’s name on it. 7 kids with piles of presents wrapped and waiting… can you imagine the high energy? Seriously it was CRAZY!

A room full of joy

Paper EVERYWHERE

There were so many wonderful gifts, Hello Kitty, a wall car set, a Little People Princess Castle with all the people for Echo. Although it was slow going with Echo… she would open a present and then want it ALL the way open before starting on the next.

Gotta examine the puzzles

 

Opening their gift from Joe and his family

There was candy and fun little quick items like glow bracelets mixed in with Legos and other wonderful items. Trinity was over the moon with ANOTHER Hello Kitty outfit. In fact, add to that the headband I purchased online from Facebook and she was head to toe in it once she took off her party dress.

Hello Kitty from head to toe

After all the presents were opened and carnage of paper cleared it was a rush to get into every toy they could! I think everyone was rather pleased with what they received and very thankful. Soon after the paper clean up was done it was time to welcome the rest of the family coming for dinner – Johnson side! Jim, Judy, Robbie and Jessica. They came bearing MORE gifts… and pie!

Visiting

 

 

Showing off the new toys in the basement

We HAD TO open these new presents BEFORE supper, though at that point Miss Echo was already asleep for a much needed nap. The theme for the boys – remote controls… helicopters for the twins and a monster truck for Emanuel. Talk about wild excitement.

Present time… AGAIN

 

 

Remote control for the win

Trinity got Hello Kitty themed blocks (now she has two sets and is absolutely over the moon at having so many) and automatically collected her Aunty Faith AND Aunt Judy to help assemble.

Working together

 

After the presents were opened and paper away AGAIN it was time for supper… HAM! The tables looked beautiful yet again and we all ate until we were beyond full.

Supper time (Echo was sleeping/napping)… Gavin is in the red

 

 

This time, TWO tables full

There was an assortment of deserts including our candy cane cake, this time… as CAKE!

Deserts

Echo had her present time AFTER her nap (which was much needed)…

Post nap present

All in all everyone was pretty pleased. Though when asked Trinity stated that she got everything BUT a Cabbage Patch Doll (as I mentioned previously). Which is why we saved our Christmas money until AFTER Christmas… but that is a story for the next entry. 

On the phone with Grandma in Canada