TEArrific Farewell to 2011....

All in all it was a very blessed year....

What better way to celebrate the old and bring on the new,

but with a TEA PARTY!!!!

The tablescape was delightful....

The tea list was extensive...

and promised to come with LOTS of goodies to share!!!

The Queen Oma even wore her best celebratory hat!!!!

Our Fairy Godmother was our friend Linda...

who treated us all to tea as her Christmas present.

Thanks Linda!!!!

There was much yumminess....

From delicious tea sandwiches and scones...

To plates of sweet goodies...

So we end the year with joyous memories of friendships....

and with great expectations for a very good 2012.

Happy New Year everyone!!!!

Such Wonderful Christmas Memories....

Our Christmas Season was the BEST!!!!

From our knitting girl's holiday party....

....to our weekend in our "Holiday House in Santa Barbara".

It always starts with our candlelight

Christmas Carols at the Santa Barbara Mission.

There is LOTS of laughter....

...and time for rest.

There are presents to unwrap....

...and laps full of sweet children to add to the magic.

There is time for "Oma" to rediscover her inner child!!!!

...and visits with our sweet niece.

Little ones learn the joy of opening gifts...

....and sweet little girls look like a princess!!!!

There are many treats to enjoy....

...and new traditions begin.

Happy Birthday Jesus cupcakes to enjoy!!!

I hope your days were spent as happily.

I have never felt more blessed.....

what a joyous holiday season it has been!!!

Blessings for All....

Merry Christmas and sending ALL my love!!!!

Merry and More Merry.....

It was holiday party time at QIAD...

and we all had a very good time!!!

The food was AWESOME....

The shop was decorated SEW cute!!!

Peggy began our "Yankee Swap".

Mom was a bit uncertain about her ornament!!!

Thanks Kim for always keeping me organized

...and look at the abundance of gifts I was blessed with.

Merry Merry my sweet students,

who I think of more as my dearest friends!!!!

Such a Joyous Time We Share....

We are in Full Holiday Spirit....

as witnessed by the fun gathering

that Jonathan and Jill organize each year!!!

We celebrated St. Nicholas too....

and Oma is always the perfect hostess!!!!

She hired the cutest helper to hand out the gifts...

My favorite St. Nicholas gifts kept me quite busy!!!

There has been time for shopping....

...and chocolate making.

I got a holiday quilt fininshed....

....and a sweet Christmas coat for Clare.

A holiday banner for the Hein home....

...and a tree skirt to match.

How do I get so much done?

I hire an elf to keep my house clean (G)!!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays too.

Merry Merry!!!!

There Was A Time.....

Our Christmas Tree will never reach a "Hallmark" perfection....

Our ornaments consist of little childrens handprints...

...and neatly written letters to Santa.

Favorite characters remind us of a time which seems so long ago...

When we celebrated the births of our own babies...

When my husband spent hours making minature houses for our first tree....

...and I also spent hours stitching important moments to be cherished forever.

The children would argue each year about

whose turn it was to put the angel on top of the tree

...but now there are no arguments.

We miss that part of Christmas

...children whose excitement each day

would fill the house with noise and more noise (G) !!!!

But we still reflect on the most important part of Christmas

...that we are all family.

Family will always be the most wonderful gift at Christmas....

...and speaking of GIFTS, we got a very special one this past week.

Our bitty Clare is going to be a BIG SISTER, and we couldn't be happier!!!

What fun it is to know that our own children

are now experiencing the joys that we so fondly remember.

It just makes Christmas that much more special

....and we are enjoying each moment of it.