A White Christmas, Part II

The first picture perfectly captures the thrill of the last 36 hours spent celebrating the holidays in Rhinelander with my family. More pictures of playing "Don't Break the Ice" are at the end of this entry. Mark and I were woken on Christmas morning to my nephew Kenny tapping on our door at 7:00 saying, "Daylight in the swamp!" (the most beloved and despised wake-up call my siblings and I recall from our youth--both Mom and Dad used it to roust us from our slumber as children). Here, the kids revel in the holiday bounty.

Mark was quite content sitting on the couch with his new Packer cap and cup of coffee.

Beth received a new Beauty and the Beast tea set.

I joined in the tea party and poured the kids cups of tea.

Splendid!

One of Stephen's gifts was a little toy parking garage and he just loved it.

Kenny enjoyed playing with a (very noisy) toy gun. Here he ambushes me on the stairs.

Mom received a painted ceramic cow from Mark and I to add to her collection. Do you think she likes it?

This little kitty is named Bella and she belongs to Bragg Family South. One of her favorite napping spots was in the baby crib.

Stephen also received some snazzy new tennis shoes that he just adored; he was content parading around that morning in the shoes and his skivvies.

Bill tolerating my camera.

After the grand gift-opening, Mark snuck back downstairs to take a mid-morning nap. Mingo decided to check on him....

While Mark napped, I had a really fun time making this very attractive snowman with my niece, Beth. The face looks so red and blotchy because we used peppermints for the nose and eyes.

Mingo guarding his new buddy.

Here is Lily, our goofy little dog who just loves snow. We call her "the shovel" because she is always rolling and digging in the snow. Here she hides incognito from my parents' dog, Oscar, hoping to ambush him.

In the afternoon, we left the house to take a walk in the woods. Bill was a very kind uncle who agreed to pull his niece in the sled as we walked (which turned out to be an easy thing because she is so wee).

Beth

For those of you who think Mark is just a big sweedie, I'd like to show you his mischievous side. Here you catch a glimpse, but wait for the next series of photos...

Perhaps it was Kenny who started it all, but on this walk....

there was a lot of shenanigans.

The snowball fighting might have started at the house, but it continued for the duration of the walk. Here, Bill lobs a snowball at Don while Don and Kenny pack their own.

Now please witness this: My husband taking a total potshot with a snowball against my little brother, who is defenseless because my oldest brother is restraining his arms so that he can....

take him down to the ground (notice Mark's look of pleasure at his potshot) so that he can....

give him a facewash!! Don't fret, though, because Bill fights back and...

wacks Donnie with a huge snowball that he launches in feisty retaliation!!

Upon returning from our embattled walk, we found a very tired little boy who must have been so exhausted by the hustle and bustle of the day that he fell asleep right on the carpeted stairs.

Hope prepared a fabulous Christmas dinner with all of the fixin's. Thanks for all your hard work, Hope!

Mom resting with a lapful of love, cat Draco and Beth.

Bill holding an adorable Stephen.

Stephen became quite interested in Bill's glasses and that interest led the other kids to ask their uncle Bill if they could try on his glasses. Bill let them and voila--

Professor Bragg and

Dr. Bragg.

We played some spirited games of "Don't Break the Ice." Kenny and Beth were both very formidable players.

Kenny showing his thrill and shock and breaking the ice!