Oregon City, Oregon, - Week 51 - December 20 to December 26, 2021

We started out this Christmas Week - by redeeming Ruby's Christmas Activity.  She said she wanted to cook again - last year we made a cake and some cookies.  So, we made two kinds of candy.  The first was from a recipe for Cracker Candy which we got originally from Narayne Rouget who Warren knew from his mission.  The second was Elder Donovan's fudge which we got from Elder Donovan whom we met in Georgia (the country) while we were on our mission.

 

Now for the fudge!

Two big pans full of candy 

Ready to take home.

Tuesday was our Family Secret Santa Activity.  I had drawn Jessica's name, and Dad had Malcolm.  I gave Jessica a 5-year journal, and thought that it was such a good idea, that I bought one for me too - a purple one for her and a navy colored one for me.  Dad got Malcolm a specialized pair of pliers and some replacement blades for a drone.  I had asked for a 10-ince frying pan and got a beautiful one from Travis...also two potholders.  I was prepared to buy one for myself....but, obviously didn't.

Tyler had drawn Dad's name, and Dad received a long and a short sleeve shirt.  We had a super fun time that evening.

Christmas Eve was our traditional, "Buy and Bring The Take-Out of Your Choice".  Dad and I got Orange chicken from Panda Express, mainly because that is what Warren and Whitney got, and they picked up our order along with theirs.  Then we had a nice and simple Christmas Eve program with a prayer and a song and a story and so forth.

On Christmas Day we started early and went to the Louthan's to watch the children open their presents and play with their toys.

then to Travis's which was special because we went to his new house to open the stockings.  It is a great house.  Same number and size of bedrooms and bathrooms, but the kitchen is bigger, the living room is bigger, there is a family room, the garage is three times bigger, and the back yard is huge with nice landscaping and a beautiful patio.  They made a good choice.

Then to Warren and Whitney's

And finally to the Scott's

Dinner Christmas day was night - Mexican and we made sopapillas which kinda "popped".  Spent the evening just relaxing, by playing games, doing puzzles watching a movie.

for Christmas I got a Solo Lite Stove that burns twigs and little branches.  I'll use my old pot.

Sunday morning it snowed enough and it was cold enough that church was canceled.  There was a complete snow cover everywhere but nothing really deep.  by noon everything has pretty much melted away.  I took my one hour/2 mile hike in the woods and took these photos.

These are the branches from Mr. Majestic's huge limb that snapped off in the ice storm.

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