Going to Lordsburg anytime around Christmas is always a treat. Louise loves Christmas almost as much as she loves Christmas decorations. Nutcrackers adorn every surface, the result of years of collection (I think they number in the forties, after having given several away to grandchildren...), there are snowmen and trees, lights and signs, snow globes and dishtowels and trinkets. And then there's the Christmas village; a dozen cottages lit up, frequented by tiny shoppers and families on a bed of sparkly batting.
It is a festive, merry house, and we were happy to be able to go visit a few days after Christmas through the new year. We thought we were escaping frigid weather but instead seemed to bring it with us. It was freezing the first day, near-tornado the second day, and snowy white the third day. Hence there was an awful lot of indoor creativity and play.
The kids watched shows, checked coyote traps with Rus and Big Papa, and kept Nana busy on the sewing machine. Actually I kept Nana busy on the sewing machine. She helped me put a quilt top on the long arm quilter, aka "Tin Lizzie," and get it all quilted and ready to bind. So happy! It's one of those Christmas projects that was abandoned to save my sanity, but now with a little less on my plate I am anxious to finish it.
We made marble runs out of wrapping paper tubes and windsocks out of milk and juice cartons. (Those pictures are at the end...) We enjoyed meeting Emilee and Chip's baby, Gypsy the hedgehog. So pokey, and almost cute until it pooped on me...
Louise spoiled us with caramel and we somehow didn't eat all of it before it was time to have a caramel wrapping party. She truly spoiled Rus when she made him divinity. Oh, the lost art of making divinity...
I had to bring my popover pan - a Christmas gift from Louise - so she and Roger could try their first popovers. Rus and I are recent converts; we love popovers! It is magical how they puff up!
On the super windy day, we ventured out for a short while to visit the Lordsburg Rock Shop. It is quite the vacation destination, with good people running it and lots of pretty rocks. And little rock figurines of animals that had Jacob hooked at first glance.
On New Year's eve we had the kids in bed at 8. Rus and I aren't hard core celebrators of that particular holiday. In fact I usually go to bed early. Christmas usually wipes all the creativity out of me. This year Louise and I made a pan of brownies, and that was enough to keep me up until midnight. We all watched a couple of movies, and at 12 on the dot I was standing on the porch with Louise's .410 shotgun ringing the new year in with a bang. Like in a race. (Don't think I'm a horrible person jeopardizing the neighbors...the house is in the middle of nowhere, with only one close neighbor, and I shot in the opposite direction.)
We were ecstatic to wake up to calm skies New Year's day, even if it came at the price of two inches of snow. You can shoot guns in the snow, but not in the wind. We took turns shooting the gun Rus recently acquired for Roger, a Remington 600 Mohawk. Roger thought he was getting a rusty old gun and already decided to name it "Tetnus." But in reality Rus had taken it apart, cleaned the barrel and refinished the stock. By the time he was done with it, it was a real beauty.
The kids built Olaf out of the perfect snowman-snow and even rode their bikes around, enjoying the tracks that their tires made.
We enjoyed the relaxing time we had there so much, it was hard to leave. We're so grateful for family!
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