Christmas at the Farm

All of our married years we have gone "home" for Christmas to visit family. Like most years we started with Todd's family. The drive was slow going because of freezing rain, but we were not late for dinner--it is difficult to be late for dinner at the Norris Farmhouse even if you are really late there will be tons of leftovers. The big farmhouse fills up fast just before Christmas...Todd's sister was already there as well as his aunt, uncle and cousin from Baltimore. His other uncle still lives in the original house with his family so they were in and out the entire time we were there. Chad was able to arrive late on Christmas Night so we could all be together for a couple of days.

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring except for....

Aunt Carole who never stops stirring. She keeps us all busy and entertained. She especially likes to take time for the little ones. Here she is reading a bedtime story. The big lump on the floor next to M and T is Tim, Todd's 23 yo cousin.

On Christmas morning Father Christmas (Todd's cousin Jonathon in costume made by Aunt Carole) passed out presents with some little helpers. We tried to down play material gifts this year and gave more "gifts of self".The Gifts of Self varied--Suzanne's was cooking--she is amazing, Carole played a piano piece, Tim played his guitar and sang for us, Uncle David babysat T who had a fever the night of the Cousin's party, , J, G, &N with the help of Aunt Lora's soundtrack collection sang for us. Uncles John's gift of self was a tractor ride/farm tour. D had to get in on the tractor driving.
D loves hanging out with Tim. Poor thing is surrounded by girls so much of the time. He was asking of Tim would be at the farm weeks before we left.

Christmas day was the most beautiful, chilliest day we had at the Farm

This is a view of the farm house from the middle of the corn field across the street which belongs to Wissing-Norris Clearview Farms. Todd's Grandmother's family originally owned the farm and as you can see by the clear view it was aptly named.
A more up close view of the house from the road. Todd's grandmother spent all of her Christmases here, as did her sister, Todd's father and his siblings, Todd and his siblings and our children.

T loved all the laps that were available to her. She really enjoyed a chap stick routine with Uncle David.There has been a long tradition of performing the "Norris Family Christmas Pageant" every year for a long time. This is how it works: Someone (Carole) designates scenes of the Christmas story to teams of the people who are there. If there are special guests They also participate, one year my brother came and got to be a "wise guy". This year the special guest was an older man who lived in the nearby small town and is the town historian...he maybe more appropriately got cast as a wise man.

So each team is given a Bible verse and has to act it out, including costumes and whatever props can be found nearby. Often we have a theme for example one year it was "they just didn't get it." After each scene we sing a chorus (or more) of an appropriate Christmas Carole. The normally quiet and reserved Norrises can really hoop it up with this. Todd's Aunt Lora (a Norris by marriage) always gets up laughing hysterically.

I am going to let you guess the scenes being acted out, some are more obvious than others.

Todd's Sister, Aunt Lora and G

This year I was not going to be typecast and chose to read for N, M, and T instead

Todd, Uncle David, and Tim Carole, Mr. Newkirk, and John

As you can see Grandmother Norris's collection of canes proves handy as do sheets, towels, garland, hats, place mats and of course stuffed animals. It is so much fun. We all moan and groan as Carole hands out the parts, but it is too fun to go without.

Also while we are at the farm house we usually get together with Todd's Grandfather's brother's family--Todd's dad's cousins and their children. While we only see this extended family once a year it is a treat for us all. My kid's first cousin, Grace and one of their third cousins Emma (whose mom's maiden name is the same as my married name)There are traditions with this gathering also. Generally there are organized games. It is held at a small town youth ministry center so many games are provided--D enjoyed wii race cars and chocolate,

N and Emma (they are within months of being the same age and N remembers playing with E when they were 3 or 4, they have always gotten along splendidly) and G, Holly and Big D guitar hero and J billiards. The biggest tradition is the ham. I don't remember what started the ham. Anyhow there is this plastic ham that gets passed via a game or lottery and the winner gets to keep it for the year, improve it somehow, then bring it the next year to hand it off. One year some one attached a light bulb to it and it can be plugged in and lit. We added one of Todd's dad's Pacer bandannas shortly after his death the year we had it. The passing of the ham from Jonathon to Bobbie

Christmas in Indy

We got to my mom's for lunch. As the finishing touches were being done my brother grabbed his girlfriends (Kim) hand and held up to my face. A beautiful ring was on her left hand. Congratulations!

After lunch we opened gifts with my mom and Greg and Kim.

Josie was thrilled with her book about the show Wicked and that excited everyone else.

Greg and Kim did their shopping in Mexico, where they got engaged. Todd got a hammock. I got really yummy chocolate.

Daniel received his first Lego set from my mom. Todd got him started and in no time he had it all put together.

The next day we went to my dad's house and celebrated with Dad and Nancy, Greg and Kim were also there.

The next day N and Mom went shopping as part of N's gift. G, J and I went to Broadripple to explore. Not many of my clan can just go window shopping and there is little in Broadripple that we could afford or isn't a restaurant. But it was fun to look.

We decided to leave that evening. The weather was so nice we gave Mom another gift--help with yard work. Some were more helpful than other, but it was great for us all to spend time outside without getting wet or freezing.
We left right after dinner. The first half of the trip went great--sleeping children and great weather. Shortly after we got in to MI it started to rain and freeze. Around Lansing it stared to snow. It was very slow going. We finally got home after midnight and spent the next day reorganizing and relaxing.

Twas the night before Christmas (at our house) and mom was up until I am not telling how late finishing the gifts and wrapping and checking the list....too late for that. We always open gifts at home since ewe travel for the actually holiday. This was the first time we did it first thing in the morning. It was kind of fun. I set a pretty table the night before hoping for one of Todd's great breakfasts. Chef Todd did not disappoint and the children were amazingly patient for me to get out of bed.

Candy before breakfast, please mommy it is Christmas?M and T received little rocking chairs. They used them before they were unwrapped--how do you wrap rocking chairs and a doll bed?

This was the stay up too late to finish gift. A thrifted oxford embroidered with horses.

Earrings for the girl with new holes in her ears. She can take the starter studs out this week.

Machines for the future ME.


A quiet moment on mommy's lap--the pink in the children's isn't the camera it's the dreaded pink eye.

Natalie and her new doll that she has been begging for for months. She promises to be a better mommy to this one than the last which got an unattractive haircut. They are inseparable.For the first time this year everyone got socks and underwear in their stockings. I was amazed at the excitement of some of the children about this. Todd was not spared. He also got a boatload of mini-snickers and some Reese's. I received a much needed new heating pad for my back and some very yummy chocolates that I don't have to share and won't admit to haw many I have left.

After things settled down to a normal Saturday I got a chance to take a walk out in the 10 plus inches of snow we got yesterday. We were fortunate that we didn't have to go out in it and thankful for our neighbor who plows our long driveway

I am really glad we don't live in the barn in the cold.

My outdoor girl--yes her eyes are pink too--walked with me part of the way. The snow was deepest on the west side of the pond, up to my knees, it was not an easy walk around the pond, but my it is pretty. I still love the snow. Our outside cats are fortunately fur balls. They spend a lot of time on the front porch in a box with a deer hide in it. But they eat in the barn and hopefully catch all the mice that might come out from under the snow.