December 21, 2010 8:24 p.m.

We have had plenty of Christmas activities to go around, and unfortunately I haven’t always remembered to bring along my camera.  But I shall share what I can.

First of all, it was a miserably cold week last week.  In fact, the entire month of December has had below average temperatures where we live, including maybe five nights where the temperatures reached or dipped below the freezing mark.  One night, we had a hard freeze for about nine hours.  We had to take in all our tangerines from the tree.  Our small tangerine tree provided about 90 tangerines this year!  We were able to give about half of them away to friends.  They turned out pretty good this year.

The next day, our homeschool fellowship group had planned a Christmas Caroling Hayride after dark.  Although this sounded like loads of fun, I just couldn’t face the possibility of the four of us freezing in a trailer with no chance of escaping into the warmth of a building until the caroling was over.  It was windy, and due to dip into the 20s that night, so we passed on this event.  You have to say “no” sometimes, right?

The next day, another homeschool fellowship group to which we belong had a visit to a local Christmas tree farm.  I’ll bet you wouldn’t have guessed that there is a Christmas tree farm in Central Florida, but there is, and we had a nice visit there.  We didn’t plan to get our tree there (not this year, anyway) but some of our friends did choose theirs, and cut it down.  We have never done this, so next year might be a first for us.  Don’t let me forget!  Anyway, here are some photos from that day..

Checking out the bunnies in the petting farm.

Sweet Girl got to ride a small horse.

Chips got to act goofy with his buddies.

They disappeared into this Christmas Maze for quite some time.

Sweet Girl got together with a group of girls and enjoyed staying lost in the maze, but I eventually found her.

It was a simple, enjoyable time for all of us.

The next day, our homeschool fellowship group had a lovely Girls’ Christmas Tea hosted at a member’s home.  Sweet Girl especially enjoyed getting dressed up for this.  One of the moms took our pictures.  I had forgotten my camera this day.

Unfortunately, Sweet Girl’s beautiful dress got injured after the tea – from playing on a scooter!  This really disappointed me, but we managed.  She no longer has a foot length dress , but rather, she has a dress with a shin length skirt now. .

Finally, on Sunday, our church put on their annual Christmas concert, a concert of traditional English carols and modern fantasies on these carols.  There was an orchestra and three choirs.  Our children did not participate in this concert; we relaxed in the audience, instead.  It was beautiful.  Got some photos of this, too, from another’s camera…

And this evening, we have some time to enjoy a crackling fire in our fireplace.  It has been a lovely Christmas Season so far.  What about yours?