Our Christmas Celebration

While you are just gearing up for Christmas...
putting on those last minute touches, running the last few errands,
cooking, baking, wrapping...
we are gearing down and coasting through the holidays.

Our family Christmas celebration is now a wonderful memory...
a day of family, fun, food, gifts, song, and tons of merriment.


The table was set for 19 this year...
the most we have ever had.


Each year our family grows and grows.
This year we had four generations celebrating at our table... a wonderful blessing!
And although we thought we had the largest table made for this dining room,
we realized this year that we will soon outgrow it.


You might wonder why we are all wearing paper crowns.
We have always had a family tradition...Christmas crackers.
You can see them on the photo of the empty table above...one on each plate.
Each Christmas cracker has a prize, a crown, a joke and a riddle inside.

This year we had an ugly Christmas sweater contest.
Here is Hubbs' sweater...


Here was the winner.


It was a 4 person family combination that ended up being a Christmas tree with presents beneath.

And last, but not least...
the moment we were all waiting for....


What are the results of Annie's DNA test?
You are not going to believe this.
Happily, in the process of holding this contest, 
we raised $80 for the shelter from which we got Annie.

Drum roll.....

English bulldog
Chow
Shar pei

I can scarcely believe it.
Dr. Becky even called the lab to make sure the samples were not mixed up.
Nope.
That's what she is...
Go figure.

Comments

Anonymous said…
WHAT???? Annie doesn't look like any of those dogs, that is so weird and cool all at the same time, lol. Terri C
colleen said…
Thanks for sharing your Christmas celebration. It looks like it was so much fun. You always come up with the neatest and fun things to do. The four person Christmas tree is definitely unique! Annie, Annie, Annie....who ever would of thought?!?! Bev, what did you think her DNA would show? Missed you on here yesterday and so glad you are back today. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Bee Haven Bev said…
Funny.....I picked Border Collie and Chihuahua!!! Most picked some sort of terrier mix, or pit bull mix.
I am flabbergasted for sure! Sorry for my absence yesterday....I was overcome by so much to do and was too exhausted Sunday night to write for Monday.
Bee Haven Bev said…
I know.....weird, huh! I can see the bulldog...coloring, musculature....I can also see the behavior of a chow....a little standoffish with those she doesn't know. etc. Who knows!!!
Meri said…
Merry Christmas from our family to yours... xoxo
Lynne said…
Annie looks like the star of the day . . . Very styllish in her bright red collar . . .
Nineteen at one table . . . what a treat!
Love the "Christmas Cracker" idea . . .
Merry Christmas Bev, to you and your very large family!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
wow...chow? where? does she hate rain? does she refuse to poo in the yard? is she the most stubborn dog you have ever known? except for the chest, i don't see any of those breeds in her. very interesting! what a great xmas! that is one huge table!
buana said…
What an amazing sweater..LOLOL. Best I have ever seen. Your Annie is so special...so happy you raised money for the shelter too! May you and your family and many animals have a blessed Christmas and new year.
Junebug said…
Wow on both Annie & 19 at one table!! The bulldog chest is all I see. Fun crackers and that tree sweater, what fun. Relax now and enjoy the peace of the season! Hugs!!
This N That said…
It was a wonderful day and I am so grateful to have been a part of it...Happy time..Happy Memory
Rebecca said…
WOW! I am so surprised about Annie. I had to google image the shar-pie. She kind of has that look without the wrinkles though. And I can see the bull dog a tiny bit...but the chow......hummmm. Very interesting what those three dogs can make----one cute Annie! And I was so sure that she would be some kind of lab/pit bull. I have been so interested to find out her breed. Thanks for telling us.
Unknown said…
What a wonderful Christmas. Family is everything and you guys are definitely blessed. Have a very Merry Christmas. And a blessed New Year.
daisy g said…
Huh? Wow, I never would have guessed Annie's heritage. Amazing.
Love the tradition of the cracker on the plate and the contents. Fun, fun...

Enjoy your wonderful holiday. Blessings to you in the New Year! I am so thankful for your blog. Your farm is often in my thoughts when I dream about our big move to the country.
Denny144 said…
We do Christmas crackers, too, I love them. We try to find the ones that have the cheesiest prizes, not the crackers that actually have useful prizes. As far as Annie goes, if she were my dog, I'd re-do the results with a different company. I just don't see anything of those 3 dog types in her.
Ellen in Oregon said…
You are so blessed to have such a large family around your Christmas table. When the table can no longer seat everyone, you may need to resort to having a "little people's table". Our family always had crackers on their dinner plates also. When I was a kid they had to be special ordered from a company in England. I was very happy when they started being sold in stores here in the States about 20 yrs. ago. The adults usually get more excited about the crackers than the kids do. Boy, Hubb's sweater truey is ugly, not a very flattering fit either. I have never seen anything like that tree with presents sweater. I'm sure it wins 1st place in every ugly sweater contest it enters. I'm glad you all had a wonderful Christmas. Now, on to New Years & 2015
Who woudda thunk it! Annie's certainly is a unique combination of breeds. I can see some bulldog in her broad chest, but shar pei & chow? How could she have no lab (and I had thought some beagle)? I would love to have seen her parents. I guess Annie is another case of strange, but true.
Unknown said…
I would do the DNA again and see if it comes back the same! ;)