Merry Christmas Eve, Eve!

Well, are you ready? I am, because our Christmas will be very simple and quiet this year. With my sons all visiting their significant others' families for Christmas, it will just be me and my husband. We have been invited to lunch on Christmas Day with my middle son's girlfriend's family (who live about 40 minutes away) so that will be a nice treat. I'm making the desserts for their lunch--a pumpkin roll and a flourless chocolate cake. I've made both before so, hopefully, all will go well when I attempt to bake them tomorrow! 

I've been wanting to take some photos of my tree, but the weather has not been cooperating! We got about four or five inches of snow over the weekend and my sunroom is so blindingly white from the reflection that it has made picture taking difficult. Not that I'm complaining! I'm thrilled to have snow and finally have a white Christmas after a string of green ones. Anyway... here are some photos--at night and during the day. Hope you enjoy my tree filled with over 200 cross stitched ornaments--lots of time and patience and love has gone into making each one.

Since we are going to be alone this year, I didn't get many of my decorations out. However, I did make sure to put up my cross stitch tree! Can't have those little beauties stuck in their under-the-bed box for another whole year without seeing the light of day, can I? It's a lot of work putting up even that one tree, but I've so enjoyed sitting in the evening with the fireplace lit and just relaxing by the glow of the tree.

Just look out the windows--can  you see all the snow covering the ground and the tree branches?

I just love the ornaments from the Little House Needleworks Hometown Series and need to get back to stitching them in 2025.

I grouped my sweet stitched angels together this year.

I scattered my many Prairie Schooler Santas throughout the tree, but a good bunch of them seems to be gathering in this spot!

As you can see, my ornament stitching is quite eclectic.

I need to stitch more tiny ornaments for the very top of the tree.

The view from our sunroom into the family room where we spend most of our time. My stitching chair is right behind that wicker basket on the right.

The view from our kitchen into the sunroom.

All is calm... all is bright

So, do you have snow where you are? For those of you who don't, I thought you'd enjoy a few photos to view from the warmth of your home. I really don't mind the snow at my age because I no longer have to venture out into the icy cold and treacherous roads for work. I actually enjoy sitting inside and watching it fall. 

The snow was coming down so quickly, we could barely see the house across the street!

This is the view out to our pond from one of the upstairs windows.

One of my favorite things about snow is how well the red cardinals show up against it. Can you also spot the more muted female cardinal in the upper left branch?

I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who visit my blog and leave such nice comments. I don't always have the time to thank each of you personally, but I so appreciate your support and friendship! Next month, I'll be entering my 17th year of blogging--can you believe it? Thoughts of stopping come and go more and more often as I age, but for now, I'm still hanging in there! Not sure if I'll be back until 2025, so, if not, I wish each of you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with good health, happy times, and lots of stitching. Thank you again for being here! Bye for now...

Wishing each of you a peaceful Christmas!