Friday's Favorite Five - Last One this Year

Happy New Year! 

Enumerating my favorites of this week is the best way to end 2011.  Thanks to Susanne for providing this forum!

It's been a great week - beginning, of course with Christmas.   Since then, we've had quiet days with just the two of us and we've had busy days filled with loved ones.

My favorites this week all have to do with Christmas (no big surprise there, right?)

1.  Obviously, having my whole family crammed into my little house is my first favorite.  This was the first Christmas in 3 where ALL my kids were home for Christmas and it felt SO good.   We now number 21 with just Jim, myself, our kids and our grandkids.   Which means we sit close to each other all day.  LOL

This was also the first Christmas I can remember that we didn't have some of our extended family with us.   We missed you guys!  (Parents times 2, aunt & uncle, Sister and Brother, Niece and Nephews)   Next year our 'living area' will be WAY bigger!  (Michael promises)  

2.  The Snowman some of the grandkids and their uncles (and one aunt) built in the backyard.  We do not often get snowman making weather/snow so this is kind special - the fact that it is well over 6 ft tall and built by so many makes it VERY special.  (Post about the snowman here)  (Lots of photos there, too)

3.  All the homemade and photo gifts given at Christmas.   It warms my heart to see my kids find a way to give each other gifts - even when finances are such that buying  for so many is out of the question.  From 'muffin mix' to heartfelt notes to homemade soaps to homemade Christmas tree ornaments......homemade gifts ROCK!  Also, I think everyone gave some kind of photo gift - I know Jim and I recieved photos from each of our kids (some gave several photos).   

And let me not forget to mention the swords Uncle Daniel made for the big girls (very impressive)....

4.  My new Camera.  (I wrote all about my camera(s) on this post  which also contains several photos from our Christmas day)   My hubby bought me a Nikon D5000 SLR camera.  A little more of a camera than I'm used to for carrying around, but OH the improvement in the quality of photos is SO worth it ! 

5.  Silly Karaoke  ...... Jim discovered a feature on our electric piano.  (Or I should say, several features.)
The piano serves as a karaoke machine, if you can believe it!  (I guess we knew that, but we'd never explored it....the piano is the one Vinjelu won at the Gospel Music Talent Search where he won for best song - when they were moving to Zambia, we bought it from them and they purchased as smaller, more portable keyboard)  (check out the link if you want that story) 

Anyway, back to the present and the karaoke feature.   One of the fun things about this feature is that you can change your voice with the touch of a button.  Boxing Day morning, when Rob and his family were still here (they stayed overnight) Jim demonstrated.  The girls thought it was so funny to hear a BIG DEEP voice coming from their Grampa.  When Emma took the mike and instead of her pretty little girl voice, a man's voice ensued, they (and we) thought it HILARIOUS.    Even funnier - when Jim spoke into the mike and a little girl's voice came out!

Lots of fun and laughter!

(I am still learning how to use my camera....I took several photos where the flash did not go off, resulting in the darker pictures - but these  are the ones where the girls were laughing the hardest)

6.  (I'm going to keep going to make it Friday's Favorite Six or Seven)  Westminster Chimes marking every quarter hour.

I gave my hubby a mantle clock for Christmas.  I knew the Chimes would remind him of his Grandparents.  I love the sound of the chimes every fifteen minutes.

7.  The Santa Hat worn by my man all day Christmas Day. 

AND the silly 'Whoville style' tie he made from one of the package ribbons....

8.  Finally (yes, I will stop here), my silver and red decorations - especially the beautiful 'balls' hanging in various places in my home.  I posted photos of all the decorations on this post , but I will include ONE here...

I pray that you, my reader, will be abundantly blessed in 2012 !