A Last Hurrah for 2015!

The end of the Holiday season is rapidly approaching. I'm sorry I've been absent as of late, but I discovered my normal Holiday crazies were a tad difficult because of my open heart surgery four months ago. But, everything worked out well. We had a quiet Christmas Eve (just Chinese dinner out with our cousin, and then completing the finishing touches for Christmas). Then, Christmas Day was filled to the rafters with the family. It was so much fun with daughters, sons-in-law, cousin and grandchildren all full of Christmas spirit and happiness. I had the Christmas Dinner catered ( a yummy Italian menu) and had lots of help with the clean-up.  I can't tell you the gratitude I felt that I could experience the fun and joy of this Holiday with a loving, joyous family surrounding me and know that my health is getting better each day!! The house was "rockin'" !!

I took a few pictures before the festivities started, and I want to share them with you. I hope you all can look back at these last few days and know the happiness that I did as the year 2015 comes to a close.

Pictures of the Holiday:

As the family entered through the front door, this table greeted them in the living room.  All these figures move in some way when their buttons are pushed. They all have a different Christmas song. They're "child friendly" and the grandchildren know they can play with them while they're visiting. Giggles start as soon as the the snowmen, penguins and Mr. and Mrs. Claus start singing and dancing!

This is the Christmas table that everyone saw as they came into the dining room:

This year I didn't use my gold chargers, but hopped onto the "tartan wagon" and purchased these tartan-patterned chargers at Michael's.  I used my normal Christmas dishes that I have had for around 33 years. I still love them. I also used my Mikasa Christmas glasses that were purchased not long after my Christmas dishes.

This was my centerpiece. My niece and nephew from Pennsylvania once again surprised me with a gorgeous floral arrangement that included a Lenox Santa. Isn't this exquisite? I love the sweet expression on his face. Thank you so much, Patty and Chris.

Here is my husband's train that circles around the tree every year. The grandkids look forward to seeing and playing with it every year.

I'll leave you with a picture of our tree and with warm wishes that this Holiday Season was all that you had hoped it would be. Thank you, dear friends, for all your good wishes and support during 2015. Your thoughts and kind words mean more to me than I could ever express.

I'll be linking up to Christine's Table It! party at www.rustic-refined.com and
Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net.  Thank you, ladies, for your continuing efforts to keep these fun parties going.