Nativities...

...this is one of my favorites...

but mainly because of my darling Lydia...

About 45 years ago, I unknowingly began

a collection of 'nativities' that depict

the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ...

The first one was given to me in 1965 when I was just a young girl...it had parts of that sacred scene printed on 3 sections and placed in a 3-D terrace-like fashion...

I loved it then...and still do...

I didn't add to it until 17 years later in 1982 when I hosted a 'Home Decor' show and bought a beautiful ceramic Nativity made in Taiwan..

I had 3 little tykes and they loved playing with the delicate figurines...they were always very careful & we have had minimal damage in almost 30 years...

This was our 'main' nativity until I made a Nativity advent calendar a couple of years later....

...it is well-worn lovingly used but is still of the kid's favorites...

...my mom added to my collection in 1985 with a lovely all white glazed ceramic of Joseph, Mary & the Christ child...

Since then I have receieved many 'gifts' from loved ones which included a beautiful hand-stitched embroidery from 'Nana'...

My collection has now grown to 60 Nativities that vary from many different styles, materials and different cultures...

My brother, Kenny, brought me several from different countries he visited as a pilot over the years...

Bolivia - Hawaii - Peru - Russia - Prague My children have also 'gifted' many...some from the countries where they served on their missions...

DaNelle - darling tea set & Kevin - 'pesebres' from Argentina...

...Dayla - Chile....Rusty - 'midnight clear' globe...

and Todd & Becky gave me this cool one from Indonesia...

...here are some more of my collection...

...this is a German Nativity Carousel ...

(on left)

..hanging above is a sketching Angie made a few years ago...

...a near life-sized

hand painted nativity...

(on right)

and a sample of my vinyl art...

photographs by Angie

...porcelain nativity with stable...

(top)...engraved scriptures - Phillipines - Old World...

(bottom)...Snowmen - Cowboys - n' Teddybears...

...'Bethlehem Village'...

...random nativities from 'friends'...

...this one is made of white chocolate...

...and here is one from Guadalajara, Mexico...

and finally my front door this year...

Thanks for taking the tour...

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Recital time...

If you think it is fun to watch your kids perform...

just wait until you have grandchildren!

...Ethan on the piano...

...and here he is in his first recital...

Way to go, Ethan!

winter garden...

I think I'm finally converted to the fact that the "winter garden" in the Arizona desert is imperative for a good harvest...

I learned you need to place your plants in the spring to accomodate for your plants in the fall as there is some things that overlap seasons...

I also learned that broccoli takes up alot of space...

...but the harvest is worth it...I think...

...and may your days be merry with "Sprite"...

A quick trip...

I'm not sure when...but Hub and I took a quick overnighter up to the cabin...

I just wanted to share a couple of precious finds while we were there...

...well...maybe not so precious...

...but the leaves were just starting to turn...

Thankyou Lord....for this wonderful world...

...and all that thou hast given us...(even the spiders...)

Thanksgiving...

I really am grateful for all the blessings and tender mercies that the Lord sees fit to bestow on all of us every single day...

.............

...of course, I don't get pictures of the really important things...

...like the actual Thanksgiving events that we shared with good friends and family...

...it was fun to have Chris & Pam...Saac & Rachel...Ben & Brianne...Ciera...Patty... eat dinner with us - we even played a game or two before everyone had to go their separate ways...

...why doesn't someone remind me to get out the camera...I didn't even get pictures of the food!!!

...maybe someone could invent a 'dvr camera' that we could pre-set to record all our fun times and we could go back later and save whatever pictures we wanted to keep and erase those we didn't...

(...of course that would require some thought to pre-set it...sigh!) :)

............

...well here is the only relateable photo I have...

'the proverbial table'...

...the entry table that 'catches' most of

the holiday mish-mash decor...

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!!

Holiday Gifts Boutique...

Don't ask me why...but I agreed to host a boutique in my house this year on the Saturdays of November 6th and 13th...

...actually it was alot of fun but also alot of work...

Here are the signs that were in the front yard and on the street corners...

...and here are some of the 'wares' that were on display...

...of course, there was vinyl...

...and here is Pam's 'Reminisce' display...

Celeste Bush owns Celestial Clocks Co.

Katie Wilkins made darling hair clips...

Haylee made some awewome wreaths and bottle-cap clips...

Roz McClary made some vintage jewelry boards and sold her church and temple bags...

Amy Webb was 2 weeks away from delivering her new baby and still made lots of cute hair bows, flip-flops and brought her sister's 'memory boards'...

Julie Shepherd & her husband own a company that makes LDS wrapping paper and gift bags...

Deena Thorpe had popular scented soap, dishcloths & cute bookmarks...

Brittaney Tidwell (a highschool teenager) made the cutest t-shirts & onesies...she also made some headbands & belts that were 'to die for'...

Sharlene Turcotte had the awesomest aprons and tote bags...

Of course, the food was a big hit...

Pam & Ciera also made cinnamon rolls that were wa-a-a-y good...

Kari Barton made fabulous cookies and homemade fudge...

Lucia Gutierrez made the most delicious tamales and homemade tortillas...

(we sold every last one of them...) ...and now back to the checkout...

We didn't get rich but I learned alot and still look forward to next year...

party time...

I guess I'm going to have to post-date (or is it pre-date...?) my blogs since I am so far behind...yikes!

We had a fun celebrating Todd's birthday...

...since it is right after Halloween, we held true to the theme...

Trick or Treat!!!

After eating all the pizza we could eat, we had a few more

'tricks and/or treats' up our sleeves...

...here we are trying to find some 'worms' (gummy)

in the 'mud' (pudding)...

Liddy found hers...

Ethan (with Becky's help) tried to eat a 'hanging head'...(donut)
(I think Todd was trying to 'help', too...)

...all lathered up for a shave...

...and the women have at it...

(I think Ethan & GramScilla won this one...)

...we even got free hair styles...

(I think I won this one, too...OK, maybe Rusty did...)

...it's all in the balance...

(the guys did better than I thought they would)

...sippy cup race...

...and 'house of Lydia' needed to put on some finishing touches...

(she really liked spraying that mousse...)

All in all we had a fun time...'tricking & treating'...